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BoJo the yo-yo: London Mayor Boris Johnson hangs out on a zipline

Boris Johnson's zipline trip at the Olympic Games didn't go as expected, but the Internet made the most of it, turning the London mayor's mishap into a meme.

 

Lorraine Murphy

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Posted on Aug 1, 2012   Updated on Jun 2, 2021, 1:32 pm CDT

Old Etonian and Oxbridgian Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, mayor of London, known to his legions of fans (and enemies) as “BoJo,” has entered the annals of memedom.

The notoriously unpredictable Tory, who recently said “I’m allowed to be pompous. I’m the mayor of London!” made a public appearance yesterday afternoon ziplining over Victoria Park; hilarity ensued, as it usually does when Boris Johnson is concerned. He started off well, at a stately rather than zippy pace, executed an inadvertent 180, and proceeded to cover most of the remaining distance poshterior-first.

He then revolved again, slowed down, and came to a halt well short of the actual end point of the zipline, where he remained suspended for five hilarious minutes. Between calling for help, Boris led the crowd in cheers for Team GB and gamely waved the flag.

Five lulz-filled minutes later, he was pulled to safety, but not before onlookers captured enough photos and videos for the Internet to turn the mayor into a meme:

Photo via The Northeasterner

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*First Published: Aug 1, 2012, 1:14 pm CDT