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Library/Moment/Mike Pence Fly
Grade B17 sourcesHIS-00298

Mike Pence Fly

Moment · 2020 · Notable

59Editable slideCertificate

The debate fly became merchandise, with nearly 35,000 fly swatters sold overnight.

Eddy Burback

@eddyburback · Oct 8, 2020

holy shit

13.4K125
Original · Eddy Burback

Joe Biden

@JoeBiden · Oct 8, 2020

flywillvote.com.

321.5K9.8K
Post · @JoeBiden on X

Zach McNamara

@zpmcnamara · Oct 8, 2020

Lots of buzz about our fly swatter, we’ve already sold 15,000

13.9K235
Post · @zpmcnamara on X

Joe Biden

@JoeBiden · Oct 8, 2020

Pitch in $5 to help this campaign fly. joe.link/3nvsFwL

665.1K17.9K
Post · @JoeBiden on X
Clip · Saturday Night Live on YouTube
holy shit
@eddyburback on X
Pitch in $5 to help this campaign fly.
@JoeBiden on X
Fly In Vice President Pence's Hair During Debate With Sen. Harris Sets Off Twitter Storm
CBS San Francisco
Voters Say Kamala Harris Won the Vice Presidential Debate
Morning Consult
VP Fly Debate Cold Open - SNL
Saturday Night Live on YouTube
Insect Flies Above the Candidates in VP Debate
New York University (via Texas Border Business)
Fly creates buzz at VP debate - and online
RTÉ News
Mike Pence Fly | Know Your Meme
Know Your Meme
'SNL' Cold Open Reveals Jim Carrey's Joe Biden Was the Fly on Mike Pence's Head (Video)
TheWrap
Lizzo Trolled Mike Pence With Hilarious Halloween Costume, and Social Media Lost It
PopCulture.com

Spread Score

How it works
Reach68ContagionNo data yetBreadth50Velocity63Longevity5059

Numbers

Seed to peak
1 day
Oct 7 ’20 to Oct 8 ’20
Platforms
7
Started on TV
Origin
Organic
Politics & civic

Mechanics

  • Response chainPrimary
  • Platform jump
  • Press loop
  • Political adoption
  • Controversy

How it spread

Trace the origin

A fly landed on Mike Pence during the vice-presidential debate. Viewers posted clips, jokes and parody accounts; Biden's campaign sold fly swatters. SNL turned it into a sketch, and Lizzo wore a fly costume for Halloween.

Google searchesSep ’20OctNovDecJan ’21FebPeakTVXPressOpen webRetailYouTubeInstagram
TVXPressOpen webRetailYouTubeInstagram

13 more events on this chart

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Timeline (16)

  1. October 2020

    Debate viewers seed · Oct 7 ’20

    A fly landed on Mike Pence's hair during his debate with Kamala Harris in Salt Lake City.[1][2]

    Fly In Vice President Pence's Hair During Debate With Sen. Harris Sets Off Twitter Storm
    Open the first post ↗

  2. @eddyburback platform jump · Oct 7 ’20

    Eddy Burback posted one of the earliest Twitter clips of the fly at 10:20 p.m. Eastern time.[3][4]

    Mike Pence Fly | Know Your Meme

  3. CBS San Francisco press · Oct 7 ’20

    CBS San Francisco reported the fly and the Twitter reactions on debate night.[1]

Changelogupdated Oct 12 ’26
  1. 2026-10-12Added: 15 events, 16 sources · Score 59
Origin
Organic
Sector
Politics & civic
Region
US
Reported figure
—
Evidence
Grade B

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120B impressions

Alex Morgan’s tea-sipping celebration

TV · 2019

54
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, ALEXANDRA!

Call Me Caitlyn

X · 2015

51
Caitlyn Jenner poses for Annie Leibovitz on the cover of Vanity Fair #CallMeCaitlyn http://t.co/NRyh6R09RR http://t.co/GO1ZgJJKBR

3.9B impressions

Beto O’Rourke’s NFL-protests answer

X · 2018

42
‘I can think of nothing more American.’ — Beto O'Rourke — the man taking on Ted Cruz — brilliantly explains why NFL players kneeling during the anthem is not disrespectful

19.9M views

New cases, every week

How the next thing spread, the week it does.

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Google searchesSep ’20OctNovDecJan ’21FebPeakTVXPressOpen webRetailYouTubeInstagram
TVXPressOpen webRetailYouTubeInstagram

13 more events on this chart

Join free to see them

  1. October 2020

    Debate viewers seed · Oct 7 ’20

    A fly landed on Mike Pence's hair during his debate with Kamala Harris in Salt Lake City.[1][2]

    Fly In Vice President Pence's Hair During Debate With Sen. Harris Sets Off Twitter Storm
    Open the first post ↗

  2. @eddyburback platform jump · Oct 7 ’20

    Eddy Burback posted one of the earliest Twitter clips of the fly at 10:20 p.m. Eastern time.[3][4]

    Mike Pence Fly | Know Your Meme

  3. CBS San Francisco press · Oct 7 ’20

    CBS San Francisco reported the fly and the Twitter reactions on debate night.[1]

  1. platform jump · Oct 7 ’20

  2. commercial · Oct 7 ’20

Join free to see the other 13 events and the full chart. Free, on every case.

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Why it worked

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