So the latest internet trend decided to grace us with its presence this week. It’s called “Trumpkin.”
Yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like.
Trump + pumpkin = Trumpkin.
As in, jack-o-lantern with the face of one Donald Trump.
And, just in time for Halloween.
So if you were thinking “Trumpkin” was a character from “The Chronicles of Narnia”…you would be right. Hang with me, though, because it’s not just a trendy new home decor. There’s more to it than meets the eye.
So today in a pumpkin contest I painted a "trumpkin". It's in the trash now pic.twitter.com/Cjyt3SJwL6
— Kay (@Katiekat_2016) October 13, 2016
Some of them are actually quite impressive.
Here is my Halloween Trumpkin- it's Amazing , classy and YUGE only @realDonaldTrump can make America great again ! pic.twitter.com/Rw9REiTgzg
— Roger Stone (@RogerJStoneJr) October 26, 2015
https://twitter.com/shelliwright/status/780442019042852864
As fun as they are to look at, some users of Twitter are less-than-impressed about their existence.
In fact, half of the social media sphere approved Trumpkin, half did not, according to the data from Radian6 social media analytics:
Still, it was a little more negative than positive. Some people were just not impressed.
Halloween costume idea: pumpkin suit + trump wig = #Trumpkin! Orange, wrinkly, full of seeds 😬😝😖
— AAA (@Quackarazzi) October 12, 2016
https://twitter.com/SliceofLifeVivs/status/786387680896483329
The other half, though, are firmly in support!
Judge me if you must but this political cycle has been so depressing so seeing a horrible person destroyed publicly is like porn. #Trumpkin pic.twitter.com/WZK2ej9rX6
— Antifa Noodle Soup (@punkbastrd) October 13, 2016
Some brilliant artist made this and I'm going to rip off their idea. Whoever you are, thank you. #pumpkincarving #PumpkinHeads #Trumpkin pic.twitter.com/Aj1t98NbWt
— Colin (@lowericon) October 13, 2016
https://twitter.com/PIZZAPHANTOM/status/786393054903087104
The interesting thing, though, is that “Trumpkin” as Trump + pumpkin is not the only way the term was used. Over this summer, people were already using the hashtag, and according to this article, Trumpkins were already a thing last fall, when Trump was running for the Republican nomination.
If such is the case, it’s become more than just that over the past year. These Tweets seem to be using the term “Trumpkin” as a person who supports Donald Trump in his political campaign for the White House:
https://twitter.com/CartoonCommune/status/760299052093218817
https://twitter.com/yitzyy/status/760336753559470080
Another Trumpkin upset because he thought Twitter was a Safe Space https://t.co/QCoBSSRhWT
— Third Superpower (@thirdsuperpower) August 2, 2016
I'm worried Jon.. You're tweeting like a trumpkin..
— brittany… (@InezBrittany) August 2, 2016
At any rate, there was a huge spike this week as the trend of creating Trump pumpkins and posting them online exploded in popularity.
Perhaps this is just another way that social media both facilitates and accelerates societal movements. Now that Trumpkin is more than just a gruff, bearded dwarf in a popular children’s series, the name may go down in history as both Trump supporters and a way to make a front porch statement this Halloween.
The history of the jack o’ lantern might be interesting here. Jack o’ lanterns came over with Irish settlers who carved gourds to scare off evil spirits instead of pumpkins. Pumpkins come from America, like potatoes and tomatoes. As this election has gone so far, is “Trumpkin” really surprising at this point?
Thank goodness we have pumpkins, or we might have been stuck with a “Trourd” instead…and that is scary.
