Meme storm infuses wit and woe into Chennai's flood misery
Social media platforms Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, were flooded with a barrage of witty, sarcastic, stoic, and downright serious memes depicting the city’s plight.
Water logged in Purasaiwakkam (Hemanathan M)
CHENNAI: Memes turned into the lifeboats of wit and humour amid Chennai’s water woes caused by Cyclone Michaung on Monday. Social media platforms Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, were flooded with a barrage of witty, sarcastic, stoic, and downright serious memes depicting the city’s plight.
The now-famous crocodile casually strolling in Perungalauthur, a suburb 30km south of Chennai, swiftly became the star of various memes after the viral video surfaced on Monday morning. Pictorial and video memes hilariously highlighted the “lakes” that emerged in inundated subways. Some ingenious creations even humorously compared water streaming into road craters to the grandeur of Niagara Falls. Meanwhile, a few cheeky memes took playful jabs at the ironically named flooded “Lake view” apartments.
As boats navigated the inundated streets to rescue stranded citizens by afternoon, memes emerged, suggesting that for Chennai residents, the preferred mode of December transportation would be a boat ride.
Amidst the jest, some memes hailed the dedication of Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) staff, conservancy workers, and police personnel who diligently continued their work despite the deluge.
In a particularly popular video, two residents hilariously assumed the roles of a TV reporter and a resident interviewed. The resident could be heard comically asserting that the flood wasn’t caused by rain but by water splashed while drawing a ‘Kolam’ (a traditional floor decoration). Even Raj Satyen, the secretary of the AIADMK’s IT wing, shared this meme, along with others, using humor to criticise the DMK-led state government.
Many memes cleverly referenced iconic dialogues and scenes from Tamil films to illustrate the severity of the flood situation in Chennai and its suburbs. For instance, photos of submerged cars were paired with witty film dialogues, empathising with those who purchased the vehicles with bank loans and life savings.
Rehashed rain and flood-related videos from famous YouTubers became Instagram reels and YouTube shorts, repurposed to highlight the hardships faced by Chennai residents on Sunday.