Debate duets: Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump serenade each other

The combination of microphones and roaming candidates proved fertile ground for imagining an alternative reality of debate songs. Photograph: Xinhua/REX/Shutterstock

The second US presidential debate was characterised by levels of vitriol never before seen on the US political stage.

But while millions of viewers across the world watched in horror as the Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton bloodied themselves over the Trump tapes, Clinton emails, tax, Syria and Obamacare, others saw the opportunity for humour.

Related: Donald Trump threatens to jail Hillary Clinton in second presidential debate

Enter the memes.

The combination of microphones and roaming candidates, aided by the town hall-style of the debate in St Louis, proved fertile ground for imagining an alternate reality – one where Clinton and Trump were serenading each other.

As the debate ground on the #debatesongs hashtag spawned memes of the pair singing along to duets from Frozen, Grease and – probably most memorably – Dirty Dancing.

In others, images of Trump and Clinton clutching their microphones were juxtaposed with lyrics sung by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers or Bing Crosby and Doris Day.

Suddenly, partisan politics evaporated and was replaced by a large dollop of romance.

I mean it's crazy. We finish each other's...

Sandwiches.

That's what I was gonna say! pic.twitter.com/2HMiRcKTZ5

— Claire Phipps (@Claire_Phipps) October 10, 2016

Islands in the stream
That is what we are#Debates2016 pic.twitter.com/9BdKDBHnc2

— Tom Morton (@tommorton) October 10, 2016

"I got chills, they're multiplying"

"And I'm losing control"

"'Cause the power, you're
supplying"

"It's electrifying!" pic.twitter.com/XzF5v2JR7p

— Micah Grimes (@MicahGrimes) October 10, 2016

Hillary: I really can't stay
Trump: baby it's cold outside pic.twitter.com/Qoalfiz207

— Jeff McDev (@JeffMcDev) October 10, 2016

But where some saw love and understanding, others only found animosity.

"Anything you can do I can do better!"
"I can do anything better than you!"
"No you can't" "Yes I can" #debatesongs pic.twitter.com/KudMlMlkGm

— kansasgirl73 (@kansasgirl73) October 10, 2016

YOOOU'RE SOO VAIN!
YOU PROBABLY THINK THIS ELECTION'S ABOUT YOU!
DON'T YOU DON'T YOU DON'T YOU!!! #debates #debatesongs pic.twitter.com/iC6VDmkDS2

— Real Life NPC (@CoryAWebb) October 10, 2016