Jumping on bandwagons can be a risky business, as one US radio host found out the hard way.
Jesse Kelly, who has his own eponymous show, attempted to create his own version of a trending meme, but managed to liken himself to an infamous paedophile in the process.
Kelly offered up his own “My Fall Plans / Delta Variant” composite by sharing a picture of the late convicted child abuser Jeffrey Epstein and former First Lady Hillary Clinton on Twitter.
My fall plans. The Delta variant pic.twitter.com/1WQDLDbwkk
— Jesse Kelly (@JesseKellyDC) August 13, 2021
Presumably Kelly was playing on a wild and unfounded conspiracy theory that Epstein was murdered by the ex Secretary of State, but unsurprisingly that wasn’t most people’s focus.
“Why were you planning to be Jeffrey Epstein this fall?” journalist Frank Luntz asked.
Why were you planning to be Jeffrey Epstein this fall?
— Frank Luntz (@FrankLuntz) August 13, 2021
“You were planning on some light pedophilia?” tweeted another commentator more bluntly.
You were planning on some light pedophilia? https://t.co/gSVu3jLSwD
— greg abbott is a bitch (@Ramsizzzle) August 13, 2021
Generally, the meme is used to illustrate how the so-called Delta coronavirus variant has ruined people’s plans for the coming months.
Most people’s versions show some sort of happy character or scene followed by something menacing. For example:
My fall plans: The delta variant: pic.twitter.com/0wVLYioKNl
— Maya Ervin (@Maya_L_M_Ervin) August 14, 2021
MY FALL THE DELTA
— colin firth archive (@firthening) August 13, 2021
PLANS VARIANT pic.twitter.com/MYarOJNxzK
My Fall plans The Delta variant pic.twitter.com/Ql74TgqmLp
— Pfizer Wilhelm (@govierbill) August 13, 2021
My Fall Plans
— Brian Lynch (@BrianLynch) August 11, 2021
The Delta Variant pic.twitter.com/ecjlFeNMIT
But Kelly’s own design has been met with bewilderment, with pundit Molly Jong-Fast asking: “You okay? ‘Cause you seem nuts.”
Here’s how other Twitter users responded:
cc: @FBI pic.twitter.com/3x3kxROuXu
— Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein) August 13, 2021
How is this still up?!
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 13, 2021
What do you think this meme means, Jesse?
— Dana Schwartz (@DanaSchwartzzz) August 13, 2021
one of the all-time great self owns. history in the making https://t.co/TpRVRJ5jbk
— Fred Delicious (@Fred_Delicious) August 13, 2021
WHAT WERE YOUR PLANS??? https://t.co/UcQNTkTWya
— James (@MKUltraMoney) August 14, 2021
Never thought I'd say "Thank you Hillary" but good job on stopping whatever Jesse had planned https://t.co/vCxUE1s3lz
— Baseball Boy #1 (@LizardRumsfeld) August 13, 2021
All the people dunking on you here aren't wrong, man. I know you're telling yourself that. I know you're saying "Stay cool, Jesse, they're just trolls. They're triggered because I'm so right." But no, Jesse. This meme says your plans were to sex traffic children.
— Santa Maria (@briansantamaria) August 13, 2021
Kelly’s tweet racked up a staggering 24,000 likes and more than 8,800 retweets in just 24 hours, as thousands of social media users mocked his bizarre blunder. Yet the Republican commentator didn’t delete the post or offer any kind of explanation.
Instead, he reshared the original tweet and then retweeted someone who mocked him for it:
Your man here liked equating his plans to Jeffrey Epstein so much he retweeted his own tweet. pic.twitter.com/nb0CTkfXkG
— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) August 13, 2021
Yes, we’re confused too.
