The Brief: A dance to the Panic! at the Disco song "High Hopes" developed by a Pete Buttigieg supporter has gone viral as both a fun dance and example of the awkwardness of politicians trying to be hip.
DEEP DIVE
Meet the Pete Buttigieg High Hopes dance and corresponding memes.
The campaigns of 2020 presidential candidates have taken note of the power of social media to inform, misinform, sway, and inspire voters. Bernie Sanders streams live on Twitch, supporters of Elizabeth Warren have created a “Meme Team,” an Andrew Yang (#YangGang) themed subreddit is over 10,000 strong, and even Joe Biden is on Snapchat.
As the internet remains a space where spontaneity thrives, even political memes can be unpredictable.
Last month, a video of a Pete Buttigieg supporter leading a dance to Panic! at the Disco’s “High Hopes” went viral on Twitter before spreading to TikTok and other social media platforms. The Bete Buttigieg High Hopes dance video was praised and shared by fans and dragged by those who found it cringey.
The Bete Buttigieg High Hopes dance first went viral in a tweet posted by Buttigieg supporter Conor McQuivey where he teaches a group of people the High Hopes dance which involves basic, repetitious and fun hand movements.
I taught everybody at the Nevada Day Parade the High Hopes dance. Study up, we’ll be doing it a lot!#PeteForAmerica #Pete2020 #WinTheEra #HighHopes #panicatthedisco @PanicAtTheDisco #WinTheEra #PeteButtigieg #BarnstormersForPete @PeteBarnstormer pic.twitter.com/bvDKpOn8x3
— Conor McQuivey (@conor_mcconor) October 29, 2019
Since then, as the dance has been both mocked and replicated, #HighHopes Pete Buttigieg memes have continued to spread online.
…meanwhile, during the #PeteSummit lunch break #teampete #highhopes pic.twitter.com/8VFU4b1q0c
— Liz McLeod (@LizMcLeod) November 17, 2019
Reactions from stans, haters, and everyone in-between:
Trump is going to be president for 100 years pic.twitter.com/esWI1Xxvcb
— Matt Bevan 🎙 (@MatthewBevan) November 17, 2019
You’ve heard of dance moves The Dab, The Floss, and The Woah, but have you heard of the “Mayor Pete High Hopes” dance?
All over America, young people are learning a new dance. It’s not “the dab” or “the whip and then shanaenae”, it’s the mayor Pete Buttigeg dance, a hip modern routine set to panic! at the disco smash “high hopes” pic.twitter.com/Nzzkwvy9oV
— Adam Friedland (@AdamFriedland) November 18, 2019
The “High Hopes” dance has convinced me Pete Buttigieg is the candidate of former camp counselors.
— Emily "The Yam" VanDerWerff (@tvoti) November 18, 2019
finally cracked and watched the pete dance/high hopes video. my soul will never return to its earthly husk
— Katherine Krueger (@kath_krueger) November 18, 2019
Doing the Mayor Pete High Hopes dance at my nephew’s intervention.
— mattman (@cushbomb) November 18, 2019
First day working for the Buttigieg campaign. Every six minutes an alarm goes off & you have to stand & do the High Hopes dance. My pulse has stabilized at 150 bpm
— Nick Wiger (@nickwiger) November 18, 2019