What do you call cowboy hat-wearing militiamen who have taken over a federal building while criticizing the federal government with a deep southern drawl?
They might call themselves defenders of "the people." But to most of Twitter, they're "Y'all Qaeda," "Vanilla ISIS," "Yee Hawdists," "Yokel Haram," "Talibundy" and "Meal Team Six" -- all plays on real-life jihadist terminology.
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Social media exploded late Sunday night with widespread mockery of the armed group, which is led by Ammon Bundy, the flannel-cloaked 40-year-old son of rancher Cliven Bundy, who once sparred with the federal government over grazing rights -- and won.
Jokes alongside hashtags like #YallQaeda -- which first surfaced in 2011 but seems to have finally found its calling -- compared the Bundy crowd to a kind of redneck terrorism outfit and ridiculed their perceived incompetence, appearance and stated purpose (they say they are defending the Constitution by backing admitted arsonists who set fire to federal lands, hoping to conceal an illegal hunt).
Gun nuts seize unknown federal "building" in little known area of US. Local-yokel officials purplexed and powerless. #YallQaeda #BarneyFife— Tibor (@tiborian) January 3, 2016
No worries Oregon you're totally making the rest of 'merica look sane and badass carry on great work. #YallQaeda pic.twitter.com/BwThYRHk3D— Philip H. Beauregard (@fundatoris) January 3, 2016
Don't worry Oregon I've got this one covered. #YallQaeda pic.twitter.com/76vCf0NZiL— Philip H. Beauregard (@fundatoris) January 3, 2016
Wow this is really making me sympathetic to the plight of Oregonian ranchers who burn our federal lands to conceal deer poaching. #YallQaeda— summer (@summersumz) January 3, 2016
If your master plan is to overthrow the world's most powerful government and you attack a remote bird sanctuary you might be #YallQaeda— annie post (@apwriter) January 4, 2016
Every successful revolution starts with takeover of closed visitor center with gift shop. #OregonUnderAttack #YallQaeda— Lars Petticord (@fatdownjacket) January 3, 2016
#YallQaeda in a nutshell pic.twitter.com/mul2866b3r— Matt Osborne (@OsborneInk) January 4, 2016
You know you're a badass Tea Party patriot when your militia takes over an unprotected bird sanctuary— Stonekettle (@Stonekettle) January 3, 2016
Stop Mobilize and listen #VanillaISIS back w/ a brand new militia BLM grab the land so tightly Illegally graze my cattle nightly #YallQaeda— Tristan R. Salazar (@trslzr) January 3, 2016
There's some strategic brilliance in seizing a remote desert hut with only one access road. These guys know their Clausewitz #YallQaeda— the grugq (@thegrugq) January 3, 2016
How they think they look versus how they look #YallQaeda pic.twitter.com/BCUNNBEEl5— Persian Rose (@PersianRose1) January 4, 2016
True fact: #YeeHawdists believe that when the die defending their homeland, 72 Vestal strippers named Brandi await them in heaven #YallQaeda— Drew Gibson (@SuppressThis) January 4, 2016
#YallQaeda recruitment video... pic.twitter.com/lTEWAidSNO— Dandelion Dollars (@DandelionDollar) January 4, 2016
We agree with this guy:
Whoever coined #YallQaeda for the Oregon militia can just take the rest of the week off.— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) January 3, 2016