A photo of Bernie Sanders at the inauguration is making its way into every videogame

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A look at the many videogame places Bernie has turned up in the past day.

(Source) (Image credit: Reddit user FaydingAway.)

Why is a photo of US senator Bernie Sanders bundled up on a folding chair so popular? Perhaps it's his look of resignation at being out in the cold, or the sense that he stopped by the inauguration of President Joe Biden on his way to do something else—like picking up bread and milk, maybe. His preparedness for the chilly, but not frigid, Washington DC weather, especially his big mittens, conveys a relatable preference for comfort over formality, and it helps that his big coat previously appeared in the much-edited "I am once again asking you for" photo. 

The appeal of the image is perhaps greater than these parts, though. It evokes a sort of stoicism that seems to suit the moment. It says, "Here I am, sitting on a folding chair. Here are we all." 

But why are people putting this image of bundled-up Bernie into videogames? There's probably no point in trying to unpack that in any detail. In the many photo edits that have appeared on Reddit and Twitter since the inauguration, interpretations of Bernie's body language vary greatly. Sometimes he is admonishing us or presiding over us, other times he has a request, and sometimes he is simply enjoying a sit. Here are some of our favorite images of the Vermont senator's new videogame roles: 

Hey, you. You’re finally awake. You were trying to cross the border. from r/gaming
I am once again asking you to kill a bandit chief. from r/gaming
New MK 12 looks crazy! from r/gaming
Tyler Wilde
Tyler Wilde
Editor-in-Chief, US

Tyler grew up in Silicon Valley during the '80s and '90s, playing games like Zork and Arkanoid on early PCs. He was later captivated by Myst, SimCity, Civilization, Command & Conquer, all the shooters they call "boomer shooters" now, and PS1 classic Bushido Blade (that's right: he had Bleem!). Tyler joined PC Gamer in 2011, and today he's focused on the site's news coverage. His hobbies include amateur boxing and adding to his 1,200-plus hours in Rocket League.