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Election debates spawn memes from candidates, audience
Beyond the mission statements that the presidential and VP candidates brought to the stage, the first two election debates were also breeding grounds for memes.
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A girl uses her mobile phone in front of an election campaign mural ahead of the polls in Banda Aceh, Aceh, on March 17, 2019. Just like the 2019 election, the young population will again become the majority of voters in the 2024 presidential race. (AFP/Chaideer Mahyuddin)
Beyond the mission statements that each presidential and VP candidate brought to the stage, the first two election debates were also breeding grounds for memes.
A meme, which can be defined as a parody item used on social media, is not uncommon among the younger generation of Indonesians born and raised in the internet era. With millennials and Gen Z making up over half of the voting population for the February presidential and legislative elections, memes have naturally become part of the conversation online.
After the vice presidential candidates took to the stage last week, internet users hit social media to humorously take jabs at the candidates and their presentations during the debate.
A highlight, for example, was the back-and-forth between contenders Gibran Rakabuming Raka and Muhaimin Iskandar, with the former asking the latter’s thoughts on “the SGIE”, an abbreviation of the State of the Global Islamic Economy report.
When Muhaimin asked what the acronym meant, Gibran spelled it out, adding: "Sorry if the question is too difficult for you”.
The audience picked it up and twisted it into their own versions of the scene on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“My question is simple, just one. Do you want to buy the SUGDW apple?” a user posted on X the next day, describing the acronym as “Super Ultra Great Delicious Wonderful Apple”, complete with Gibran’s snarky comment.
