While Jeff Bezos was floating in space Tuesday morning, the internet was confounded and somewhat delighted by the shape of his rocket and capsule, New Shepard.
As images of the rocket, launched by the billionaire Amazon founder's spaceflight company Blue Origin, spread across social media, users and even many in the press couldn't help but comment on the phallic shape of the craft.
And soon, a score of memes were blasting off online.
"Folks, I did not appreciate just how much Bezos's rocket looks like a giant penis, even though everyone on this website was dunking on him for flying into near-space in a giant penis," Vox reporter Ian Millhiser tweeted.
Writer Jesse McLaren compared the ship to a bit from the "Austin Powers" franchise, in which a gag includes a rocket ship appearing on radar that is in the precise shape of the male genitalia.
Some used euphemisms to describe the ship.
"I’m not an engineer but if I was the world’s richest human I would simply design my rocket to not look like a giant hog," reporter Ryan Mac tweeted, using a slang word for male genitalia.
Others were more direct.
"Very penisy," journalist Dan Nguyen wrote.
George Takei, who played Hikaru Kato Sulu on "Star Trek," tweeted simply saying, "Oh myyy. That…shape."
Among the most popular comments on Twitter were jokes that Bezos might be compensating for something due to the shape and size of New Shepard.
"I know it's mostly cars that get associated with 'Compensating for something' but... I mean...," one user, @BlenderBrit, tweeted.
Another user, @ElyLucas, posted, "The biggest compensating for something in the history of compensating for somethings."
User @Th33hermit wrote, "Is it just me or is Jeff Bezos' #BlueOrigin rocket look like a weiner?? Someone's compensating.."
Other memes of the day included comparing Bezos' appearance to fictional characters who explored space, including Jean-Luc Picard from "Star Trek: The Next Generation," as well as Dr. Evil, from "Austin Powers."
Related
Bezos' launch, while unbelievably memeworthy, made history Tuesday as the first unpiloted suborbital flight with an all-civilian crew. It was also the first crewed launch for Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket.
Aboard the ship with Bezos were his brother, Mark, along with an 82-year-old former test pilot and an 18-year-old student.
