The ethereal bisexual trend on TikTok

TikTok

Obama’s infamous ‘ethereal bisexual’ quote becomes a TikTok meme

TikTok users decide which of their friends is the 'long-legged socialist' and who is the 'ethereal bisexual.'

 

Mikael Thalen

Tech

Posted on Dec 2, 2020

A passage from former President Barack Obama’s new book A Promised Land has inspired a new meme on TikTok.

Released on Nov. 17, the memoir immediately made headlines over a eyebrow-raising passage in which Obama outlined his “strategy for picking up girls” in college.

Obama’s description of certain women he encountered at the time, such as “the long-legged socialist” and “the ethereal bisexual who wore mostly black,” is now a popular meme template online.

With the release of the book’s audio version, narrated by Obama himself, TikTok users have begun to label their friends using the former president’s descriptive remarks.

https://www.tiktok.com/@grannika/video/6901132799420435714
https://www.tiktok.com/@velvetclowns/video/6900415526024105221

Hundreds of videos featuring the distinctive audio clip have now flooded the platform.

Most users commenting on TikTok appeared shocked to learn that the audio actually originated from Obama.

“I am now going to listen to Obama’s book to hear the context for this,” one user said.

https://www.tiktok.com/@iznara/video/6901458980564897029
@pastacrow

i would give my life for Top Surgery @what.the.nut @patloumc #greenscreen #GiftOfGame #everyfriendgrouphas

♬ Sek C Obama – Matt ⚰️

The now-infamous passage from Obama received criticism at the time and led the former commander-in-chief to be roasted repeatedly online.

Some even argued that Obama was an “incel,” a term that refers to involuntarily celibate people.

Still, most TikTok users seemed much more interested in the memeability of Obama’s comments than the context.

@shelbeanie143

I’m sorry, all I think about is ducks when I hear these sound clips #ducktales #teammagic #webbyvanderquack #lenasabrewing #violetsabrewing

♬ Sek C Obama – Matt ⚰️
https://www.tiktok.com/@hthefoxx/video/6901157063758482694

Although the meme is gaining in popularity, the biggest news surrounding Obama on Wednesday surrounded the backlash to his remarks on law enforcement-related issues.

Specifically, Obama argued in a yet-to-be-released Snapchat interview that “snappy” slogans such as “defund the police” are counterproductive given that they can alienate large portions of the public away from a discussion on police brutality.


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*First Published: Dec 2, 2020, 12:57 pm CST