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This Hillary GIF Sums Up the Feeling Of The Night

by Noor Al-Sibai

On Tuesday, as Hillary Clinton declared herself to be the first-ever woman presumptive nominee of a major party, NBC reporter Frank Thorp tweeted what's probably the best reaction in GIF form to news of Clinton's glass ceiling-breaking news. Thorp referenced 2012's "Doom Paul" GIF meme, in which an image of Paul somewhat-chillingly celebrating with arms raised and waving on-air superimposed over color-switching strobe lights. The caption, meant to signal a joking dystopian or apocalyptic sense, was always the same: "It's Happening!"

Clinton referenced the glass ceiling in her victory speech at the Brooklyn Navy Yard that the GIF takes its imagery from, assuring revelers that although they were standing under the building's glass ceiling, they would not be breaking that one. She was all compliments for her supporters, saying they reached a milestone together thanks to their backing of her presidential bid.

What Thorp's GIF may reference, however, is not the celebration of Clinton's victory lap, but rather the pervasive and bizarre sense that the "it" that's happening is the ushering-in of an era in which the two candidates for the nation's highest office are uber-divisive within and without their parties. It's happening, indeed. And there's nothing anyone can do anymore to stop it.

Depending on your perspective, this pseudo-"It's Happening" meme could mean one of two things. To Clinton supporters, it's an exciting declaration of what they've been hoping for and working towards for months, if not years. For Sanders supporters, it's representative of exactly what they didn't want. No matter your candidate preference, this GIF has one shared meaning: that the race is now Clinton vs. Trump. This is not a drill. It's really happening.