Steven Slater meme inspires local genius

Painting by Dan Lacey

​When something wacky makes the news it is often a matter of hours before it inspires some sort of meme. So when JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater got on the flight intercom, told passengers to "go fuck themselves," grabbed a beer, and departed the plane via emergency chute, he not only brought a media and legal typhoon upon himself, but also internet tomfoolery. "There'll probably be a song about him online today," mused New York Daily News columnist Joanna Molloy.

It was almost as if she was daring someone to do it.

Limerick fanatic, Dirty Curls band member, and local online personality Max Sparber was so inspired by Slater's badass antics that he felt compelled to quickly pen a six paragraph poem titled "The Ballad of Steven Slater" in the comments section of a MetaFilter blog post. Mere hours later, one of the dudes that helps run the site turned it into a beautiful, Ben Folds Five-ish piano anthem.

Will this ditty be the hit of the summer? Probably not. But it brings a big smile to our faces, and that's what really matters. It apparently was a hit with CNN as well; they featured it on a segment that aired last night (check out the video below).

Slater has also inspired local artist Dan Lacey. The Elko, Minnesota resident is probably best known for his paintings featuring politicians like Sarah Palin, John McCain, and Al Franken with pancakes on their heads. Lacey is hoping to raise money for Slater's legal defense by auctioning off a pancake-esque portrait (the pancake has been traded for a work I.D.). The piece, shown above, is currently for sale on eBay. Bidding is at $117.50.

The Ballad of Steven Slater on CNN's Situation Room from Matt Haughey on Vimeo.