#Brexit Goes Viral

A week on from the EU Referendum, satirical memes over Britain’s shock departure from the EU continue to be creative and scathing in equal measure.

From a meltdown over the future of Milky Way Magic Stars to a meme of Thomas the Tank Engine with his path blocked by a bricked-up Channel Tunnel, it seems the whole world has taken to social media to lampoon Brexit voters’ decision.

Social media has sent political wit supersonic, with parodies filling up Twitter feeds minute by minute. Front pages worldwide have also poked fun at British institutions, with The New Yorker depicting Monty Python’s John Cleese walking off a cliff in a nod to the ‘Ministry of Silly Walks’.

British newspapers also picked sides, with Team Remain including: The FT, The Times, The Guardian, The Daily Mirror and The Observer; whilst The Daily Mail, The Sun and The Daily Telegraph led Team Brexit with headlines included “Beleave in Britain” (The Sun) and “If you believe in Britain, vote ‘Leave’” (Daily Mail). Lies, greedy elites and a divided, dying Europe – why we could have a great future outside a broken EU” whipped up a frenzy of opinion.

Google Trends also sparked outrage across the internet after suggesting that in the hours after the Brexit vote, Britons were rapidly Googling “What is the EU?” In fact, the figures were sensationalised, as AdWords data later proved that the increase in searches for that question actually amounted to about 1,000 people.

So, what does all this tell us? That the power of social media to sway opinion and sometimes create panic is immense – after all, where would we be without our favourite little star-shaped chocolates?

And whilst you mull that over, here’s our top pick of Brexit memes. Enjoy! (or should I say Au Revoir?!)