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Dick Cheney memes: Keke Palmer-inspired viral trend to Darth Vader comparisons - late ex Vice President inspired several memes in his lifetime

Multiple Dick Cheney memes have garnered pop cultural relevance over the years. The late VPOTUS drew comparisons with Darth Vader during his tenure and later inspired a popular Keke Palmer meme.
posted by Ashim Arora
Tuesday 11/4/2025 at 11:40AM EST
  • ORLANDO, FL - NOVEMBER 12: Former Vice President Dick Cheney speaks at the Sunshine Summit opening dinner at Disney's Contemporary Resort on November 12, 2015 in Orlando, Florida.The dinner is the kick-off of a three-day event that will draw thousands of Republicans, mostly to hear live speeches from all the GOP presidential candidates on Friday and Saturday. (Photo by Tom Benitez - Pool/Getty Images)
    ORLANDO, FL - NOVEMBER 12: Former Vice President Dick Cheney speaks at the Sunshine Summit opening dinner at Disney's Contemporary Resort on November 12, 2015 in Orlando, Florida.The dinner is the kick-off of a three-day event that will draw thousands of Republicans, mostly to hear live speeches from all the GOP presidential candidates on Friday and Saturday. (Photo by Tom Benitez - Pool/Getty Images)

    Richard Bruce “Dick” Cheney, the 46th Vice President of the United States (VPOTUS), is no more. 

    The Bush administration VP’s family announced his passing in a statement on Monday, November 3. The 84-year-old GOP conservative leader from Wyoming died of complications from pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease, the statement confirmed. Dick Cheney’s family announced: 

    “For decades, Dick Cheney served our nation, including as White House Chief of Staff, Wyoming’s Congressman, Secretary of Defense, and Vice President of the United States.” 

    The statement continues: 

    “Dick Cheney was a great and good man who taught his children and grandchildren to love our country, and to live lives of courage, honor, love, kindness, and fly fishing. We are grateful beyond measure for all Dick Cheney did for our country. And we are blessed beyond measure to have loved and been loved by this noble giant of a man.”

    The late Republican politician was widely regarded as one of the most powerful Vice Presidents in the country’s history. Often viewed as a polarizing VP, he also became a pop-cultural figure, with various Dick Cheney memes over the years. Read on to learn about the famous internet jokes involving the late VPOTUS. 

    Famous Dick Cheney memes: Keke Palmer’s viral interview, Darth Vader jokes, and more

    The ex-Vice President, like any other political figure, was subject to digital jokes. One of the famous Dickey Cheney memes spawned after Keke Palmer’s 2019 Vanity Fair interview. During the lie detector-styled conversation, the True Jackson, VP star was asked whether her eponymous Nickelodeon character was a better Vice President than Cheney. 

    Palmer, who was shown a photograph of the former VPOTUS, remarked: 

    “I hate to say it – I hope I don't sound ridiculous – I don't know who this man is. I mean he could be walking down the street, I wouldn't know a thing. Sorry to this man.”

    It turned out that Keke Palmer was telling the truth, but her phrase “Sorry to this man” became an instant meme. Many used the clip as a template for jokes about pretending not to acknowledge someone they were expected to recognize.

    In a 2022 interview with Vanity Fair, the Nope star was asked about the meme and whether she learned anything about Cheney. She responded: 

    “I didn’t even honestly do the research. I left him where he was at. I hate to say that. I really did. Everybody was like, It was Dick Cheney! And I’m like, still means nothing. The way people were coming up to me, telling me who he was, it seemed like he wasn’t worth me doing the research on.” 

    Years before “Sorry to this man,” the late VP drew comparisons with one of the most iconic villains of all time, Darth Vader. The juxtaposition with the Star Wars character became one of the best Dick Cheney memes. The Vader analogy originated after Cheney’s influence over Bush’s presidency, mainly due to his advocacy of the Iraq War and the War on Terror. 

    The joke drew parallels between Darth Vader being an overpowered second-in-command to Emperor Palpatine, just as Cheney was veep to President Bush. In the subsequent years, the former VPOTUS also leaned into the nickname. While still in office, Cheney said during a speech at The Washington Institute in 2007 (via NBC):

    “Most of you knew me long before anyone called me Darth Vader. I've been asked if that nickname bothers me, and the answer is, no. After all, Darth Vader is one of the nicer things I've been called recently.”

    Dick Cheney once reportedly dressed as Vader for Halloween. During a conversation with Laura Ingraham in 2011, the former VP said (via Business Insider): 

    “I love the music and Star Wars references. I was honored to be compared to Darth Vader.”

    Some of the funny Dick Cheney memes also originated after Christian Bale was confirmed to play him in Vice (2018). Multiple pictures of the actor, who is known for his extreme physical transformations, surfaced on social media in 2017, depicting him overweight and bald. 

    According to Know Your Meme, Christian Bale’s Dick Cheney bod memes went viral, with many joking about the Batman Begins star bulking up to prepare for the role. 

    TOPICS: Dick Cheney, Dick Cheney Memes, Memes, VPOTUS


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