Separating the real from the fake on social media has become a monumental task in this current age of disinformation, though plenty of far-right users are perfectly comfortable leaning into the latter. Now, memes about Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke have somehow dragged (Sandy) Alex G into the fray.
A photo of the House of Sugar songwriter (a.k.a. Alex Giannascoli) from 2017 has been making the rounds on a number of pro-Trump pages, showing him with shoulder-length hair and fairly large wet spot on the front of his jeans.
The memes posted by the likes of "Dignified Patriot" and "Trump Truth & Transparency Media" come complete with equally batshit captions such as "'Robert Francis' O'Rourke in college. Drunk and pissing his pants. He wants to be your president in 2020!," and "I'M BETO ROBERT FRANCIS O'ROURKE I'M HERE FOR YOUR GUNS."
Speaking with FactCheck.org, Giannascoli confirmed that the photo was taken backstage at a show in New York City in 2017. "I spilled a beer on my pants," he told the site. "I was joking around... It obviously isn't that funny anymore."
O'Rourke has long been a target of far-right, Facebook-addled minds across America for his punk rock past and skateboarding skills. The memes in question reference O'Rourke's recent support of strict gun control legislation during a Democratic debate, which saw him proclaim, "Hell yes, we're going to take your AR-15s."
Close to home, the mix of memes and misinformation also forced Rick Mercer to call out Canada's Conservative party yesterday (September 17).
House of Sugar is out now through Domino. Read our recent interview with (Sandy) Alex G.
A photo of the House of Sugar songwriter (a.k.a. Alex Giannascoli) from 2017 has been making the rounds on a number of pro-Trump pages, showing him with shoulder-length hair and fairly large wet spot on the front of his jeans.
The memes posted by the likes of "Dignified Patriot" and "Trump Truth & Transparency Media" come complete with equally batshit captions such as "'Robert Francis' O'Rourke in college. Drunk and pissing his pants. He wants to be your president in 2020!," and "I'M BETO ROBERT FRANCIS O'ROURKE I'M HERE FOR YOUR GUNS."
Speaking with FactCheck.org, Giannascoli confirmed that the photo was taken backstage at a show in New York City in 2017. "I spilled a beer on my pants," he told the site. "I was joking around... It obviously isn't that funny anymore."
O'Rourke has long been a target of far-right, Facebook-addled minds across America for his punk rock past and skateboarding skills. The memes in question reference O'Rourke's recent support of strict gun control legislation during a Democratic debate, which saw him proclaim, "Hell yes, we're going to take your AR-15s."
Close to home, the mix of memes and misinformation also forced Rick Mercer to call out Canada's Conservative party yesterday (September 17).
House of Sugar is out now through Domino. Read our recent interview with (Sandy) Alex G.
