The Brief: Revolutionary rallying cries including images of guillotines, references to "eating the rich," and talk of class warfare are popular online in memes with varying levels of irony and sincerity.
DEEP DIVE
Memes about sending billionaires to the guillotine or starting a class war are popular online during a time of drastic economic inequality. While many social media users appear to use revolutionary language and references to make jokes and rhetorical points rather than to plot uprisings, the line between irony and sincerity isn’t always clearly drawn.
The line “eat the rich,” which has been attributed to 18th-century philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau, is popular online in leftist and anti-capitalist meme circles. It’s also the title of an Aerosmith song. The phrase is less about cannibalism than it is about wealth inequality, but the metaphor serves as a stark statement. As Talia Lavin wrote in an article for GQ, “It’s hard to get edgier than cannibalism, and no would-be Internet humorist worth their salt can resist the lure of a Bezos bulgogi.”
The guillotine, a symbol most commonly associated with the French Revolution, has been popping up in memes about the ultra-wealthy hoarding money. The hashtag #IStandWithLesbianBabadook was trending on Twitter in April 2020 after someone with the username @lesbianbabadook received backlash for posting a guillotine meme about executing voice actor Aimee Carrera in “the class war.”
While most of these statements aren’t fully serious, the popularity of these memes represents how revolutionary leftist ideas are proliferating online among young, politically active digital natives.
Guillotine Memes
A guide to the #IStandWithLesbianBabadook controversy for the uninitiated- the va for she ra reposted a meme made by a much smaller account without blacking out the username claiming it was a death threat- also posted to Instagram pic.twitter.com/k0LQGqQKWC
— jay from moonstone (@almostaquatic) April 9, 2020
Bernie Sanders is already my president.
Let’s get on with Plan C. pic.twitter.com/HQoN2DSUjk— bhasy (@notallbhas) April 8, 2020
Step 1: flatten the curve
Step 2: sharpen the guillotine— Saddington 2 ✈️🥺 (@2Saddington) April 8, 2020
That’s one way to spend a $1200 stimulus check…
The cost to build a guillotine is laughably on point. Just FYI everyone… pic.twitter.com/h3K7NdHPR2
— Matthew Warlick (@ArtOfWarlick) March 25, 2020
Anyone got a spare guillotine? pic.twitter.com/9HwXboapZb
— Jonas (the ok boomer girl ruined everything) (@jonas_nordqvist) April 9, 2020
Some Animal Crossing fans are looking to exact their revenge on landlord Tom Nook…
Tom Nook will taste the guillotine
— BUM CHILLUPS (@edsbs) April 3, 2020
A distracted boyfriend meme:
Eat The Rich Memes
One popular iteration of “eat the rich memes” conveys the mixed feelings many stans would have about consuming their favorite wealthy celebrities.
when its time to eat the rich and i have to eat harry styles pic.twitter.com/kbcZxGzSVO
— daisie (@wormz4brain) February 6, 2020
ngl i really thought #IStandWithLesbianBabadook was gonna be about like a lesbian version of the babadook but alas thats not the point
the point here is eat the rich— no thoughts head onewe ✨ (@candyxmelody) April 9, 2020
eat the rich im starting with boss baby
— nicole 🌷 (@NIXHV2) April 9, 2020
The time to eat the rich is RIGHT NOW. pic.twitter.com/0dmdymwyi2
— Old Yeller Teas (@yosoymichael) April 8, 2020
forbes provided a menu for when we eat the rich so cool 😔🙏 https://t.co/HriDoEv8TU
— indie (@INDIEWASHERE) April 10, 2020
I just feel like this deserves more recognition #EatTheRich pic.twitter.com/jdjB1TPVyn
— Kathleen Tuley (@kktuley) April 2, 2020
Share recipes below. 
Posted by Josh Winiecke on Tuesday, April 7, 2020
Class Warfare & Revolution Memes
Me following Britney Spears and Fran Drescher into battle in the class war pic.twitter.com/mwlygAg7f8
— Slaughtered Commie Rich Kid (@LadySerenaFae) March 25, 2020
me tweeting about starting the class war while i’m in the break room pic.twitter.com/UTmIoupYxJ
— Xol🌙 (@CoolDotCom) April 9, 2020
I was wondering if maybe you wanted to start a class war 🥺👉👈
— Mr. Cotto (@KidMumford) April 8, 2020