Miku Binder Thomas Jefferson

2017image macroclassic

Miku Binder Thomas Jefferson is an infamous 2017 Tumblr fan art depicting Thomas Jefferson as a trans anime-obsessed former drug dealer wearing a Hatsune Miku breast binder. The image was mocked so widely that it spawned a whole parody format applied to other historical and political figures.

fan art memestumblr memescringe memesso bad its good memes2017 memes

Overview

Miku Binder Thomas Jefferson, also called Weeaboo Drug Dealer Thomas Jefferson, is a piece of Tumblr fan art that reimagines the third U.S. president as a trans man and former drug dealer with an anime obsession1. In the drawing he wears a chest binder printed with the face of Vocaloid mascot Hatsune Miku, alongside a bulleted list of alternate-universe character traits1.

The image belongs to a broader set of AU sketches by Tumblr artist umbronydraws, who was redrawing Alexander Hamilton, John Laurens and other founding fathers as queer modern-day college students in the wake of the Hamilton musical2. Once it went viral, the specific mix of anime, gender identity, hard-drug backstory and colonial politician became the entire joke, and the layout was copied for other public figures3.

How It Spread

For several years the Jefferson image floated around as a running joke about cringeworthy Tumblr fan art, resurfacing in Reddit threads about hobby drama and on Twitter36. On January 11th, 2020, Twitter user Tiktaalexroseae reposted the full founding-fathers set, which pushed the original back into circulation and revived parody edits, including one from @Ferrek2 that racked up more than 100 retweets and 1,200 likes45.

The format exploded again in June 2020 after umbronydraws posted criticism of the ACAB movement on Twitter during the George Floyd protests1. Users responded by remaking the Jefferson layout with modern political figures. On August 22nd, 2020, Tumblr user dooldler put Ben Shapiro in the template and pulled in over 600 notes7. On October 4th of that year, Twitter user k0rdon applied it to Donald Trump and cleared 13,000 retweets and 25,000 likes8.

On March 14th, 2021, the Wikipedia page for Aaron Burr was vandalized with a line about Burr giving Jefferson his "first Miku binder," which made Aaron Burr trend on Twitter as people screenshotted the summary9. Coverage of that trending moment by The Focus reintroduced the meme to readers who had never seen the original art9.

How to Use This Meme

Parodies typically keep the same layout as the umbronydraws original: a full-body portrait of a real person redrawn in a soft, Tumblr-style anime aesthetic, paired with a bulleted list of alternate-universe traits8. Common conventions include a bold clothing choice referencing an anime or Vocaloid character, a claimed queer or trans identity, and a shocking hobby or criminal backstory that clashes with the subject's real public image7.

Frequently Asked Questions

Miku Binder Thomas Jefferson

2017image macroclassic

Miku Binder Thomas Jefferson is an infamous 2017 Tumblr fan art depicting Thomas Jefferson as a trans anime-obsessed former drug dealer wearing a Hatsune Miku breast binder. The image was mocked so widely that it spawned a whole parody format applied to other historical and political figures.

fan art memes tumblr memes cringe memes so bad its good memes 2017 memes

Overview

Miku Binder Thomas Jefferson, also called Weeaboo Drug Dealer Thomas Jefferson, is a piece of Tumblr fan art that reimagines the third U.S. president as a trans man and former drug dealer with an anime obsession1. In the drawing he wears a chest binder printed with the face of Vocaloid mascot Hatsune Miku, alongside a bulleted list of alternate-universe character traits1.

The image belongs to a broader set of AU sketches by Tumblr artist umbronydraws, who was redrawing Alexander Hamilton, John Laurens and other founding fathers as queer modern-day college students in the wake of the Hamilton musical2. Once it went viral, the specific mix of anime, gender identity, hard-drug backstory and colonial politician became the entire joke, and the layout was copied for other public figures3.

How It Spread

For several years the Jefferson image floated around as a running joke about cringeworthy Tumblr fan art, resurfacing in Reddit threads about hobby drama and on Twitter36. On January 11th, 2020, Twitter user Tiktaalexroseae reposted the full founding-fathers set, which pushed the original back into circulation and revived parody edits, including one from @Ferrek2 that racked up more than 100 retweets and 1,200 likes45.

The format exploded again in June 2020 after umbronydraws posted criticism of the ACAB movement on Twitter during the George Floyd protests1. Users responded by remaking the Jefferson layout with modern political figures. On August 22nd, 2020, Tumblr user dooldler put Ben Shapiro in the template and pulled in over 600 notes7. On October 4th of that year, Twitter user k0rdon applied it to Donald Trump and cleared 13,000 retweets and 25,000 likes8.

On March 14th, 2021, the Wikipedia page for Aaron Burr was vandalized with a line about Burr giving Jefferson his "first Miku binder," which made Aaron Burr trend on Twitter as people screenshotted the summary9. Coverage of that trending moment by The Focus reintroduced the meme to readers who had never seen the original art9.

How to Use This Meme

Parodies typically keep the same layout as the umbronydraws original: a full-body portrait of a real person redrawn in a soft, Tumblr-style anime aesthetic, paired with a bulleted list of alternate-universe traits8. Common conventions include a bold clothing choice referencing an anime or Vocaloid character, a claimed queer or trans identity, and a shocking hobby or criminal backstory that clashes with the subject's real public image7.

Frequently Asked Questions