'Eastwooding' Meme Born From Clint Eastwood's Republican National Convention Speech
Clint Eastwood's shtick at the Republican National Convention has been turned into a meme.
During his speech in Tampa, Fla., on Thursday night, the 82-year-old actor and director spoke on an empty chair next to his podium as if President Barack Obama was sitting in it.
The speech went viral online, and the Internet responded with a new meme called "Eastwooding" in which people take photos of themselves pointing aggressively at empty chairs.
CLICK HERE for a sample of several "Eastwooding" photos.
The meme is similar to "Drapering," in which users photographed themselves mimicking the pose Don Draper makes in the opening sequence of "Mad Men," with his back to the camera and an arm draped over a couch or chair.
The "Eastwooding" meme was popular on sites like Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest on Friday.
Even President Obama responded to the speech online, posting a photo to his official Twitter account that shows him sitting in a chair labeled "The President." Obama added the caption, "This seat's taken."
Though some responded to Eastwood's idiosyncratic speech with delight, others weren't as enthusiastic. The Associated Press reported aides for Mitt Romney were spotted wincing backstage throughout the speech, and Daily Beast writer David Frum told New York Magazine he didn't think the gag went off as well as Eastwood and the Republicans expected.
"It was one of those things that must have seemed like a good idea when it was first proposed," Frum said with a laugh.
