The Pence Fly

2020

Date: 7 October 2020 · Place: Kingsbury Hall, University of Utah, Salt Lake City · CBS News Vice Presidential debate · Figures: Mike Pence, Vice President of the United States · Kamala Harris, Senator (California) and Democratic VP nominee · unnamed Musca domestica, common house fly · Tags: VP Debate, Hair, Insect 01. Touchdown Roughly thirty-five minutes into the only Vice Presidential debate of the 2020 cycle, a house fly lands on Mike Pence's white hair. It remains there for approximately two minutes and three seconds. The Vice President does not appear to notice. The fly does not move. Pence is mid-answer on the Trump administration's handling of COVID-19. Twitter notices in real time. Within the two minutes the fly is online before it has left Pence's head. 02. The Swatter The Biden campaign launches a 'Truth Over Flies' fly-swatter merchandise drop the next morning at five dollars apiece. They raise approximately one hundred thousand dollars in the first hour. A separate Twitter account, @MikePenceFly, gains over six hundred thousand followers in twenty-four hours. Pence wins or loses the debate by the metrics of the existing partisan consensus, but the only memorable visual is the insect. The single image consumes the night. Sources • Astead W. Herndon, 'A fly on Pence's head steals the show,' New York Times, 8 October 2020 • Biden for President, 'Truth Over Flies' fundraising email, 8 October 2020 • Know Your Meme, 'Mike Pence Fly'