How a teen's #Milifandom eclipsed the #Cameronettes campaign on Twitter
The two front runners in the 2015 general election have acquired the most unlikely of fanbases on social media in the form of teenage girls.
Utilising a social media savviness usually reserved for intense One Direction debates, a teen fandom emerged online over the past few days for Labour leader Ed Miliband and to a lesser extent David Cameron of the Conservatives.
The duo replaced Niall, Harry and Zayn as the focal point of a creative campaign of (sometimes creepy) photoshopping and support.
Buzzfeed reports that 17-year-old student Abby sparked the #Milifandom hashtag with the following tweet:
LETS TRY AND TREND #Milifandom WOULDNT THAT BE HILARIOUS
— abby (@twcuddleston) April 21, 2015
Am I tough enough to lead the #Milifandom? Hell yes I'm tough enough!
— abby (@twcuddleston) April 21, 2015
Miliband thanked Abby for her support:
@twcuddleston Hi Abby - Delighted that you’ve joined Labour, welcome.
— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) April 22, 2015
@twcuddleston It’s good to hear young people who care about politics speaking up for the things they believe in.
— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) April 22, 2015
@twcuddleston There’s a lot at stake at this election for young people. I hope more young people will join you & get involved. #VoteLabour
— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) April 22, 2015
The interaction sparked a Twitter photoshop frenzy.
Ed Beckham by @superhamps #Milifandom #CoolEdMiliband pic.twitter.com/8t9l6O8uPX
— Cool Ed Miliband (@cooledmiliband) April 21, 2015
Edvis #HellYesEd #CoolEdMiliband pic.twitter.com/4QchXNymMx
— Cool Ed Miliband (@cooledmiliband) April 22, 2015
Ed is the New Black #HellYesEd #CoolEdMiliband pic.twitter.com/agpSFB4B1N
— Cool Ed Miliband (@cooledmiliband) April 22, 2015
Edbo: First Blood by @richardmillwood #Milifandom #CoolEdMiliband pic.twitter.com/AVepCv2DCz
— Cool Ed Miliband (@cooledmiliband) April 21, 2015
Milibond by @LabourMark #Milifandom #CoolEdMiliband pic.twitter.com/w0qhnsMYGV
— Cool Ed Miliband (@cooledmiliband) April 21, 2015
Eddi Halliwell by @ljkbennett #Milifandom #CoolEdMiliband pic.twitter.com/9WxYWTTrAl
— Cool Ed Miliband (@cooledmiliband) April 21, 2015
Ed Milibain by @craigrothery #Milifandom #CoolEdMiliband pic.twitter.com/VXV5wwdB46
— Cool Ed Miliband (@cooledmiliband) April 21, 2015
The Edvengers by @andywoodme #Milifandom #CoolEdMiliband pic.twitter.com/rmcxlpGpk8
— Cool Ed Miliband (@cooledmiliband) April 21, 2015
Eddy Montana by @CameronMaltwood #Milifandom #CoolEdMiliband pic.twitter.com/cAqmQuAsvc
— Cool Ed Miliband (@cooledmiliband) April 21, 2015
Ed McQueen by @bernieblac #Milifandom #CoolEdMiliband pic.twitter.com/J6WvVSkydF
— Cool Ed Miliband (@cooledmiliband) April 21, 2015
The Ed Lebowski #HellYesEd #CoolEdMiliband pic.twitter.com/mJVGx6k1Oo
— Cool Ed Miliband (@cooledmiliband) April 21, 2015
#MilibandMustWin #milifandom pic.twitter.com/0Xymzy2oUJ
— luc [PB] (@luceee_hall) April 21, 2015
#Milifandom ed used to look a bit like Harry Potter pic.twitter.com/6bhjUdjGC5
— ash miliband (@SPRINGTRAPHAN) April 21, 2015
We're after the watershed so I'm breaking out the x-rated #milifandom pics pic.twitter.com/ZRKEKP8Bo1
— General Boles (@GeneralBoles) April 21, 2015
omg I'd give anything to be @lilyallen in this pic! :'( #milibae #milifandom pic.twitter.com/rUSt9No1SB
— Ed Milibae (@MilibaeEd) April 21, 2015
In response, the #Cameronettes emerged, although it was largely subverted by the now-swelling Milifandom.
"You there... Percy... Get me a Fandom." #millifandom #cameronettes #whataloadofbollocks pic.twitter.com/APP43fXrOA
— David Kiriakidis (@StandardsDave) April 22, 2015
I see the #cameronettes are trending. Here they are advertising the average assets of a Tory Minister. pic.twitter.com/xna0nE27dE
— Alasdair D Murray (@Alconcalcia) April 22, 2015
#milifandom #cameronettes pic.twitter.com/Ugtm6pQAoK
— Emma Brooke (@ejbrooke) April 22, 2015
I am a HUMAN TEENAGE GIRL. I enjoy the FACE AND NECK of the NOT REPTILLIAN David Cameron. I ACHE FOR HIS TOUCH #cameronettes
— Prof. Bison Sexhorn (@Brainmage) April 22, 2015
The whole #cameronettes thing is just Grant Shapps, tweeting frantically from a broom cupboard in an effort to save his career.
— chiller (@chiller) April 22, 2015
"Ahoy there! Me and my fourth-form chums think it would be quite quirking if you would vote for Dave!" #cameronettes pic.twitter.com/rFd5Q23s5H
— Seb Patrick (@sebpatrick) April 22, 2015
'Mr.Cameron will see you now'- http://t.co/2f7HhrMBWe #cameronettes #milifandom pic.twitter.com/ZSc8LWZulN
— TickBox (@TickboxLtd) April 22, 2015#Cameronettes - a picture of your poster boy. I bet you can hardly contain yourselves. pic.twitter.com/tHUuv0lB2x
— Politics Punked (@PoliticsPunked) April 22, 2015I'm searching in vain for piccies of Cameron looking drop dead gorgeous posted by young, eager #cameronettes pic.twitter.com/mKlddZZtNq
— Hannah Snow (@hannahsnow) April 22, 2015The Cameronettes hashtag was first dubbed by 21-year-old student Charlie Evans in response to the Milifandom – but has failed to gain the same leverage online.
He told the Telegraph: "I was browsing Twitter and I saw that #milifans was trending. I laughed at how ridiculous the whole thing was so decided to mock it slightly by suggesting the alternative hashtag, #cameronettes.
"A little bit later I checked out Twitter and saw that somebody had setup an account for this very hashtag. The person behind the account has done a good deal of spamming and it appears to be now trending.”