comment: >
  
  I understand your viewpoint.  Still, I would be more worried if the Republicans actually had their shit together.  Not only can no one can be a worried trainwreck 24/7/365, acting like a worried trainwreck counterintuitively turns off the less engaged general public that we desperately need to sway in the coming years to stave off and turn back authoritarianism.
  So I'm okay with people delighting in the shitshow tbh, if that is even what is happening here.
context: Democrats hate Republicans for supporting an attempted overthrow of our democracy. 
  Republicans hate Democrats for, checks notes, smiling. >
  
  In the past, they've criticized AOC for dancing when she was a college student. Because we all know that anyone who danced when they were in college must be pure evil, right? >
  
  They tried to cancel her for playing Animal Crossing during the pandemic. She even used it to connect with constituents. >
  
  That and Among Us
  Which, I still think was pretty rad >
  
  Didn't she also play League? >
  
  Ok that’s where I draw the line. Normalizing league is a dangerous precedent to set. >
  
  Honestly. How can I trust their judgment if they play league for fun? >
  
  Look, you shouldn't kink shame. People can be masochistic. >
  
  Looks like her and the man she is talking to are just laughing about their conversation, they act like she's laughing wearing a devil costume and waving a pitchfork around. >
  
  It also looks like she’s giving this old guy a handjob. Might as well add as much conjecture as possible to one picture. >
  
  Wouldn't work, AOC dressed in a devil outfit with a pitchfork giving handjobs makes her cooler from where I'm standing. >
  
  The lineup starts here, then? >
  
  "Republicans have to get a handy-j from the lady over there with the spiked electro-torture taser gloves. This line is only for the leftists like yourself." >
  
  Awww >
  
  George Santos is also in that photo off to the side and appears to also be smiling, surely anyone smiling at all that day is ONLY smiling about republicans and mocking their plight! They couldn't possibly be unrelated! Everything is only about me!
  /s in case it's not clear. >
  
  Santos is smiling because he can't believe he's still not in jail. >
  
  He's smiling because he's excited about his first start at QB for the Patriots on Sunday. >
  
  It's always nice when 9/11 first responders get drafted. >
  
  Did you know George Santos was one of the Steve Buscemis on 9/11? True fact >
  
  It's pure schadenfreude, and a defining /r/leapoardsatemyface moment for inviting the insane and idiotic into their ranks. Go ahead, point and laugh. >
  
  r/leopardsatemyface
  FTFY >
  
  Her critics are obsessed, it’s unhealthy >
  
  She lives in their minds rent free. >
  
  This expression sucks and I hate it. >
  
  Damn man.  You care a lot about an expression.  Almost like you’re letting it live rent free in your head. >
  
  She's just trying to be civil, with people who tried to kill her. >
  
  There’s multiple people smiling in that photo.
  This is a reach. >
  
  She is in good company. We Canadians are dying of laughter over here >
  
  Confirming that this shit is hilarious from across the street. >
  
  They literally expect her to just sit there, be expressionless and 'know her place' and show respect that she has never once been shown by them. To them, that's 'uppity' if you know what I mean. >
  
  That's because it's a great photo.  I'm not backing down from that! >
  
  "it's really messy" as said in the clip via the article link, really is the simplest, best description of what's happening.
  It's the Michael Jackson's Thriller eating popcorn, or the Clarkson "Oh no, anyway," memes.
  All the ruckus, mocking, and chest thumping done by the GOP is resulting in this and the Dems are only able to sit back, smile and laugh at what they predicted was going to happen >
  
  God, I love her >
  
  I was about to say the very same thing >
  
  Where's the meme of AOC? I gotta see it! I can't shop it, no skillz. >
  
  Of course she’s smiling, she’s been doing shots each time McCarthy lost a vote…/s >
  
  Now that would be a recipe for alcohol poisoning. >
  
  You know Matt Gaetz is going to furiously masturbate over this photo >
  
  Ben Shapiro, too. Well, maybe not since you can't see her feet. Not to kink shame. >
  
  Is this really going viral among supporters? Because it isn't a very flattering picture. I have no clue why it is going viral either, it isn't like she's looking at the GOP smiling at their struggles; she's in the middle of a conversation laughing at something the other guy said. >
  
  What else can intelligent people do? >
  
  Love it, republicans couldn’t organise a piss up in a brewery, bunch of nutters and self obsessed knob ends with Trump at the top of the steaming pile of shit. >
  
  Boomers are always telling women to smile more. Now they are mad that she is 🤷‍♂️ >
  
  
  The image shot by photographer Anna Moneymaker
  
  Just can't make this stuff up >
  
  It looks like she’s reacting to what the bald guy is saying. >
  
  Since when does context matter? >
  
  She does have a beautiful smile. >
  
  And such a lovely smile, too. >
  
  Love her >
  
  Republicans were smiling while terrorists were overtaking the Capitol. >
  
  I've seen shots of the terrible 5, McCarthy and various others cracking up. McCarthy is probably forced .. but the rest seem generally amused by the whole debacle >
  
  These are the completely predictable results of when a political party actively recruits the most antagonistic, paranoid, conspiracy minded, narcissistic members of society into their ranks… Big surprise!!! GQP cannot cooperate, even within their own tribe. >
  
  It looks like she is talking to that guy >
  
  If only they could see us sitting at home laughing our asses off at them. >
  
  it's a great pic, and while it does strike the absurdity of the moment, the fact the Goetz and other dangerous GOP bullet heads are still walking around and can effect US law isn't very funny at all. >
  
  dunno looks like she’s smiling at whatever the guy talking to her is saying. She’s probably tuning them out. >
  
  Santos is smiling too! >
  
  The best part about this is that AOC was able to get that close to GOP deliberations on the floor, and they basically ignored her because, even in 2023, white men discount the value of a powerful woman. >
  
  How dare she laugh. >
  
  Idk, we’ve been laughing at the GOP for years now >
  
  She’s giving off some big Colin Robinson vibes! Love it! >
  
  love to see it >
  
  Why are we still describing things as "going viral"? >
  
  Santos is smiling too.  Is it possible he’s lying about being a Republican? >
  
  She smiled! Oh no, that is terrible! >
  
  Go on with your bad self >
  
  Absolutely wild take considering the people that are criticizing her for this are the same type of people that tell women, "you should smile more." >
  
  I'm more partial to that picture Ted Lieu tweeted of himself outside with a bag of popcorn. >
  
  Is AOC the only democrat in congress?
  Because she seems to be the only person written about, or this sub upvotes articles about. >
  
  Statistically that’s due to the GOP, she has far more name recognition among republican voters than democratic voters based on polling >
  
  Oh the humanity >
  
  It does not take much for republicans to make a big load in their diapers. >
  
  She should be laughing at this Republican shit show. The Democratic nominee for Speaker, Rep Hakeem Jeffrey, has the full vote of his House members, which numbers more than McCarthy has received each vote taken. But it’s a random picture, and has no real context. >
  
  The whole fucking country is laughing with her. What an embarrassment and a disgrace to our country. I hope the GOP tears each other apart and disbands. It'll be for the better of this country, especially after the shit they've pulled within the last few years. >
  
  She should be laughing… it’s a total shit show. >
  
  One of the most ridiculous headlines and photos ever. They’ve been there for days on end witnessing a farce unfold. McCarthy himself was walking around smiling. AOC isn’t doing anything the others aren’t doing. Stop getting down on the woman, already >
  
  Thank you AOC >
  
  i hate the GOP but why is it fun to watch our political system in turmoil again? >
  
  94,000 people on twitter is not viral…
  Do these “reporters” have nothing better to report on? Do they not realize that twitter is not the whole internet? Do they realize how many people are on the internet right now?
  What fucking idiots. >
  
  New meme template just dropped. >
  
  Republicans are such snowflakes. >
  
  She is smiling because their new leader is an election denier. >
  
  Anna Moneymaker is a hell of a name lmao >
  
  Dark AOC. >
  
  Republicans are incapable of governing >
  
  
  If only! If Dems took a shot every time McCarthy lost a Republican, we'd all be unconscious by now.
  
  lmao, soon the Dems would be in danger of alcohol poisoning. 
  I wonder what the endgame is, if McCarthy will have to slink away in shame. >
  
  Our government needs a hard reset >
  
  Love this picture.  This is exactly the same look I have on my face as McCarthy further humiliates himself in this endless Groundhog-Day-like fiasco.  And by the way, how on earth did Republicans sink so low that a deranged low-life and accused sexual deviate like Gaetz and his like-minded minions are able wield so much power over them?  They may have won a majority -- a slim one -- but I can't see them accomplishing a thing during the next two years. >
  
  
  The image shot by photographer Anna Moneymaker
  
  Wait…Is that like one of those Austin Power character names? >
  
  Qultists and MAGA followers will completely rag on her for this while missing the fact that these Freedom Caucus members are keeping one third of our government from voting in someone who will keep one third of our government from achieving anything. >
  
  She is disgusting >
  
  Why? >
  
  The GOP are self-immolating. There’s no need for the Dems to do anything. When your enemy is making a mistake, the best thing you can do is just sit back and watch. >
  
  How many times do we have to make this mistake? The Republican party is not imploding. They weren't in 2016, 2018, or 2020. Every time we tell ourselves that their fascist nonsense will be their downfall, the fascists come out stronger, gaining more power within the GOP. We are at fucking war and the Democrats want to eat popcorn? It's not fucking funny. It's deadly serious. >
  
  I'm sorry, but I don't find any of this amusing. A former political party turned terrorist group has taken control of the house of representatives, semi-demicrarically I might add, meaning voters chose to put them there, and are now in the process of making a mockery of our entire system of governance. This whole scenario is further evidence of the death of our democracy, which is not something to laugh at. It trivializes the problem and sends the message that people shouldn't be worried. People should be very fucking worried.