The Brief: Gen Z-ers are sharing their love for Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey and co-author of the Green New Deal by stanning him online with fan accounts, memes, TikToks, and more.

Bluesquiggle
DEEP DIVE

Progressive members of Gen Z are using their social media prowess to push for the reelection of Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey via memes, TikToks, fancams, Twitter replies, and more.

Among Ed Markey’s most appealing qualities to young people are his policies on climate change. As Markey is the co-author of the Green New Deal along with Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the youth-led climate justice organization Sunrise has endorsed Markey and uses their Zoomer-centric online presence to encourage people to vote for Markey as well as to volunteer for and donate to his campaign. While Ed Markey may be 74-years-old, young people are showing the world how to them, progressive leaders and platforms are worth stanning as much as anyone or anything else.

Ed Markey Memes

Markey memes include jokes, jabs at his opponent Joe Kennedy, notes on Markey’s record of strong legislation, appreciation for his style, and other pro-Markey sentiments mixed with pop culture references. While the Markey campaign itself engages with meme culture online, most Markey meme content is fan-generated by people unaffiliated with the campaign.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CENU_8TALFz/

Into The Markeyverse

There are over 80 Ed Markey stan accounts on Twitter with specifications like “hot girls for markey” (@hotgirls4markey), Barbz for Ed (@barbz4ed), Theater Kids for Ed (@TheaterKids4Ed), a dog supporter (@edbarkey ), gingers for Markey (Gingers4Markey), and the fish-themed @QuabbinRes4Ed. Collectively, these stan accounts are known as the Markeyverse.

These Markey Stans use tactics and meme styles similar to those of typical stan-Twitter to engage with audiences about their support for the senator, sharing meme, spamming their followers with pro-Markey content, and interacting with each other. The most popular account within the Markeyverse is @edsreplyguys on Twitter which describes itself as “guys, gals, & non-binary pals hyping up @edmarkey one tweet at a time.” Founded by Northeastern University student Emerson Toomey, this account uses the concept of over-eager reply guys to campaign for Markey online.

#EdMarkey On TikTok

Videos associated with the hashtag #EdMarkey have been viewed over 1.5 million times on the app. Made by enthusiastic Gen Z-ers, much of this content uses classic TikTok video styles to share why they support Senator Markey.

“[Joe Kennedy] has no lips…how will he get a kiss kiss?”

@dillontrinity

massachusetts youth for markey lemme hear u make some NOISE #markey #politics #bospoli #boston #massachusetts #edmarkey #markeytok #antikennedyteens

♬ all credit to TATI – lildshef

This “nobody needs to know” Hamilton meme was posted by an account called @ed.markey.hype.house.

@ed.markey.hype.house

everyone say thank u senator markey! #edmarkey #markeytok #markeyforsenate #markey2020 #mapoli #bospoli #kennedy #foryou #massachusetts #boston

♬ ye olde reynolds pamplette – hey.look.its.samm

@erim.noon

Ed Markey is running to be the democratic nominee in the MA senate race and he needs your support!!! #edmarkey #edmarkeyforsenate #massachusetts #aoc

♬ trump sells like poo poo (Apashe – Sand Storm feat. Odalisk) – cowabunga_gals

Ed Markey’s own account on the app has over 10,000 followers. One of his most popular videos features him shooting hoops with a voiceover of him speaking about the Green New Deal.

@ed_markey

green new deal with it

♬ Green New Deal With It – ed_markey