Future generations will ask, “What does covfefe mean?”
On the one hand: Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Decidedly, indelibly, despondently, and abjectly nothing. Wholly nothing. Whatsoever nothing. Nothing at its very fibers and fabrics. Nothing on a cosmic level. That it’s so enchantingly estranged from the ground-level necessities of a comprehensible, substantial, or meaningful thought is the mighty beauty of it.
But even more beautiful is the fact that, despite all this, on the other hand, it does mean something. Something very special to all of us. Because we didn’t let this nonsense word–tweeted in what we, offering a most generous benefit of the doubt, might assume to be great haste by President Donald Trump late Tuesday night–merely crumble beneath the weight of its vexing incoherence. No–we crushed, pummeled, and eviscerated the everliving hell out of it. Together.
It didn’t take long for the internet to seize the opportunity either. Almost immediately following the publication of the tweet, which hit the ‘net right around midnight ET…
…the valiant knights of Twitter leapt to the task with jokes and memes tearing mercilessly into the remarkable inscrutability of this most recent effort in communication by the United States’ Commander-in-Chief. Scoff though we may, there is something to be said for the bliss, fortitude, and–most importantly–unity with which they embraced the task of lampoonery. No, those who leapt at the opportunity may not have ushered in a shift in tides; sure, you can say that such time and energy would be better served focused on the severe ramifications of Trump’s influence and rein. Yes, there’s plenty more we could all be doing to ensure a better world for ourselves and our fellow Americans, longstanding and newcomers alike, in this especially trying day and age.
But sometimes, we need something like covfefe to remind us that we’re all in this together.
As such, when future generations do ask us what that infernal non-word really means, may we share this bounty of memes and jokes spawned in the wake of its abominable conception.
Enjoy:
We got the obligatory Arrival whiteboard…
https://twitter.com/iamsosorry/status/869782781160640512
A few Star Wars tweets…
— Mike Ryan (@mikeryan) May 31, 2017
https://twitter.com/hesthesenate/status/869820540298678272
— Mike Ryan (@mikeryan) May 31, 2017
References to shows like Twin Peaks…
— Jacob Oller (@JacobOller) May 31, 2017
https://twitter.com/maxprobably/status/869811253161545728
…and Game of Thrones…
HOLD THE DOOR
HOLD FE DOOR
HOLD FE FOOR
COLD FE FOOR
COV FE FOOR
COV FE FEER
COVFEFE#COVFEFE pic.twitter.com/1WuuauAiMS— Risa Persuasoria (@RisaPersuasoria) May 31, 2017
As well as movies like Batman v Superman…
"SAVE… #COVFEFE!"
"Why did you say that word?!?!" pic.twitter.com/9lbSlWUcsf— Holy BatCast (@HolyBatCast) May 31, 2017
…and Harry Potter…
It's​ Cov-fe-Fay, not Cov-fe-Fee#covfefe pic.twitter.com/nMIjhRHsP9
— Blake Rodgers 🦖 (@TheBlakeRodgers) May 31, 2017
Not to mention classics like The Graduate…
https://twitter.com/stevensantos/status/869775764392116225
…Citizen Kane…
https://twitter.com/elenaYAY/status/869773682305974274
…and 2001: A Space Odyssey…
— Bob Clark (@NeoWestchester) May 31, 2017
Comedy Central weighed in on the gag…
This changes our plans to rebrand as Covfefe Central.
— comedycentral (@ComedyCentral) May 31, 2017
…as did Jimmy Kimmel…
what makes me saddest is that I know I'll never write anything funnier than #covfefe
— Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) May 31, 2017
…which, of course, leads us to the inevitable Oscars twist…
https://twitter.com/melgabored/status/869810435301797888
We got classy with Jackie…
Don't let it be forgot, that for one brief, shining moment… there was a Covfefe. There won't be another Covfefe. Not another Covfefe. pic.twitter.com/cPABuUvpBM
— Chris Schleicher (@cschleichsrun) May 31, 2017
…and classier with T.S. Eliot…
This is the way the world ends.
This is the way the world ends.
This is the way the world ends.
Not with a bang but a covfefe.-T.S. Eliot
— Mike Drucker (@MikeDrucker) May 31, 2017
…And a little less classy with Smash Mouth….
https://twitter.com/cool_as_heck/status/869797000438362112
We saw a couple of Simpsons jokes…
Live-stream of #covfefe fever hitting Twitter. pic.twitter.com/fBYt7X8KAD
— Bec Petraitis (@becness) May 31, 2017
https://twitter.com/Breznican/status/869786841800691712
…and a couple of Saturday Night Live variants…
https://twitter.com/sstarz75/status/869795244212187136
https://twitter.com/BrianJMoylan/status/869796584346836993
One from Naked Gun…
— Jesse Crap (@jessecarp) May 31, 2017
…one from Airplane!…
https://twitter.com/scottEweinberg/status/869794683454726144
…and what the hell? Throw in an Eyes Wide Shut…
The password is no longer "Fidelio" pic.twitter.com/YpZfoDleOY
— Bright Wall/Dark Room (@BWDR) May 31, 2017
Soon enough, people got really creative…
This hashtag is probably the best thing we've gotten out of the Trump presidency so far. #Covfefe pic.twitter.com/Jcr9GoVdZk
— DREADpirate Emrys ♿ï¸ðŸŒ™ðŸ¦“ (@TheLastMerlin) May 31, 2017
…and pretty ambitious…
#MakeCovfefeGreatAgain : Holy Mother of God … California man orders COVFEFE license plates tonight! LMMFAO … witness to genius. #Covfefe pic.twitter.com/Su5eZdA5JO
— John Moffitt 🌊🌊🧢 🇺🇦 (@JohnRMoffitt) May 31, 2017
…perhaps too ambitious…
I'm thinking #Aqenbpuu if it's a boy and #Covfefe if it's a girl. pic.twitter.com/NAcMclHuie
— delix (@exdli) May 31, 2017
Pokémon made an appearance…
EVERYONE knows #Covfefe evolves into Koffing which evolves into weezing pic.twitter.com/LRPPm4GqPf
— Maude Garrett (@maudegarrett) May 31, 2017
…as did a few other familiar faces…
https://twitter.com/Kindkath/status/869793307500703744
…because, after all, this was a truly historic occasion…
https://twitter.com/boring_as_heck/status/869770043743059972
Really, it’s true!
https://twitter.com/twilink11/status/869802139182223360
So with that, we bid you all a good night (or good morning). You’ve endured covfefe together and made… well, something of it.
https://twitter.com/erockappel/status/869826778864295936
And considering what you had to work with, that’s not too shabby.
Images: Michael Vadon/Flickr
