How BJP, Congress turned 80s AI trend turned into an all-out meme war
A new social media phenomenon has politicians reimagining their current images as vibrant 1980s portraits using AI technology. This trend has quickly morphed into a creative form of political satire, with the BJP and Congress leveraging it to exchange jabs. Leaders like Piyush Goyal and Kiren Rijiju are riding the retro wave, and even Rahul Gandhi has joined the fray with quirky AI-generated…
NEW DELHI: A harmless social media trend, transforming modern photographs into 1980s-style portraits, has escalated into a heated meme war between BJP and Congress politicians. Instagram and X have been inundated with AI-generated images featuring prominent figures sporting big hair, aviator sunglasses, denim jackets, vintage suits, and the nostalgic grainy quality reminiscent of old family albums.
BJP leaders such as Piyush Goyal and Kiren Rijiju were among the first to partake in the trend. However, Congress quickly capitalized on the meme potential, posting AI-generated images of Rahul Gandhi embracing the 80s trend. Soon, the BJP and Congress were using AI-generated imagery to subtly jab at each other, with Congress's Kerala unit referencing a "kidnapping van" and BJP's Telangana unit alluding to Sonia Gandhi's Italian roots.
Amidst the playful banter, opposed to AI-generated imagery, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor opted for a more traditional approach, sharing genuine photographs from the 1980s featuring himself and his sons.
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