New York is a story of one million cities. A metropolis of arts, of finance; a melting pot, a crucible. We’ve acquired probably the most billionaires on earth, whereas one in three residents faces meals insecurity. The most important Muslim inhabitants within the nation — and the most important Jewish, Chinese language, and Dominican communities, too. Yesterday, between the hours of 6am and 9pm, this cacophony of voices, this messy congregation, acquired an opportunity to talk aloud who we need to be.
I heard the celebration earlier than I acquired the notification: Zohran Mamdani would be the 111th mayor of New York Metropolis. Our first Muslim mayor, elected a quarter-century after the ugly wave of Islamophobia following 9/11, which the sitting president of the US continues to inflame. Our youngest in additional than a century. He represents a extra equitable future, a extra hopeful one, a kinder one. A fruits of what it appears wish to dream collectively throughout lifetimes.
Vox populi, certainly. However past the poll field, memes are one other manner the folks converse — one of the vital populist avenues of expression now we have, the graffiti of the web age. Within the final almost-decade, starting 2016 — the primary of my grownup life, the primary since I’ve had a vote — these have largely been the laugh-to-keep-from-weeping selection, for apparent causes. We’ve used them to unravel the real-time martyrdom of false prophets, to defuse the damaging potential of xenophobic violence, to air out our grievances. However we additionally use them to provide voice to our hope. And naturally, we use them to have a good time.
My fellow New Yorkers, in your individual phrases:
(@TaylorLorenz by way of X)
And likewise in Kamala Harris’s phrases:
We laughed, we cried, we acquired White boy wasted:
(@jacobkornbluh by way of X)
(@ lllliatttt by way of X)
This election gave us hope, and never only for the town:
(@Rodericka by way of X)
We acquired some illustration — talking not as an Asian American at this second, however as a baddie:
(@caitlin_mmm by way of X)
The “Graphic Design Is My Passion” amongst us discovered a muse:
(@BarbieAgitprop by way of X)
(@RealConorOil by way of X)
We clowned on racist takes, laying naked the ridiculousness at their core:
(@PresidentToguro by way of X)
Sharia legislation? Extra like —
Even Rama acquired in on it. (@zukolore by way of X)
We made in-jokes so specific that even this lifelong New Yorker needed to look them up:
@missladysalad by way of Instagram (screenshot Rhea Nayyar/Hyperallergic)
However we’ve acquired to take a minute to provide some props to all of the losers of the night time, beginning with the New York Put up, the poet laureate of the unhinged proper. I imply, come on:
(@JPHilllllll by way of X)
(@bigdybbukenergy by way of X)
And, in fact, loser incarnate, Andrew Cuomo, roasted by a politician who really received their election, no much less:
(@chiosse by way of Instagram; screenshot Rhea Nayyar/Hyperallergic)
(@youwouldntpost by way of X)
We’ve acquired to provide an honorable point out to Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, as a result of no New York Metropolis mayoral election could be full with out a man who’s primarily a ready-made meme:
Say what you’ll — the man is passionate. (@alex_shephard by way of X)
Talking of readymade memes, a courtesy Eric Adams point out.
I hate to say it, however perhaps former mayor Eric Adams (god, that feels good to sort) deserves only a sliver of credit score. (@futurenomics by way of X)
God, I really like New York.
(@katefeetie by way of X)
