The Brief: With the possibility of civil unrest after the 2020 election, "civil war" memes imagine and joke about extreme post-election scenarios.

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DEEP DIVE

As the U.S. waits for the results of the 2020 election, businesses across the nation are boarding up their windows, and meme-makers are semi-jokingly getting ready to survive a civil war. Americans are anticipating the possibility of civil unrest, violence, and a contested election, and memes reflect this anxiety. One common thread of election memes suggest that a “civil war” is coming and joke about possible ways to prepare. These memes include both ironic comments and serious references to the instability that could follow this election.

THE GRANDE FINALE from dankmemes

Stay safe over there from PresidentialRaceMemes

 

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Fallen Empires & Chill

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On TikTok, some creators are wondering what outfits they’ll wear and what roles they’ll play in the upcoming “war.” Some of the top videos under the hashtag #CivilWar on the app reference a potential modern-day war.

@classicsparkle

are we color coordinating by state or political party? #WeWinTogether #movember2020 #fyp #foryou #viral #civilwar #election #comedy #blacktiktok

♬ original sound – Sparkle

Other videos ask if the minutiae of everyday life like doing homework will matter after the election:

@jordanpretzel

uh I’m scared #duet #covid #civilwar

♬ original sound – Bharati Carmona

This video rightly points out the dangers of planning or promoting any actual kind of violence against others:

@legionofdoon

Hey guys, maybe we shouldn’t harm members of our community? Just a thought tho #election #civilwar #democrat #republican #fyp #foryourpage

♬ 432 Hz – SUNRAE 🌞

After images of a boarded-up Sweet Green started circulating on social media, many people joked about the idea of a cashless salad restaurant preparing to be looted.

 

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VOTE ❤️

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Some people are using this as an opportunity to be horny on main:

Others have noted that these jokes aren’t always in good taste as they can make light of violence, spread fear, and trivialize serious issues.