Vice President Mike Pence may not have been aware a fly was sitting on his head for over two minutes during Wednesday night's vice presidential debate with Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Kamala Harris, but the rest of the world was. Just like every other viral moment in the past decade, its life included memes, parody Twitter accounts, and debates on how it will be referenced on the next Saturday Night Live episode. The viral moment also hit another stage of its 15 minutes of fame, becoming a Halloween costume.
The website 3wishes.com is now offering a "Debate Fly Wig" for $49.95. It includes a silver wig with a plastic fly stuck to it, as well as an American flag lapel pin. The suit and red tie are not included. "MAKE YOUR HEAD GREAT AGAIN," reads the product description. "Look fly and steal the spotlight at your next party with this Debate Fly Wig, perfect for when being a fly on the wall just won't do! You'll want to get caught in the crossfire with this special item featuring a deluxe, high-quality silver white wig with an attached, oversized black fly and Flag lapel pin included!"
The "fly wig" is not the only topical Halloween costume being offered this year, even if the coronavirus pandemic makes it difficult to have adult Halloween parties. 3wishes.com is also offering a Joe Exotic costume, based on Tiger King subject Joseph Maldanado-Passage, as well as a "Sexy Joe Exotic Costume" for women. Yandy.com, another site noted for "sexy" Halloween costumes, is selling a "hand sanitizer costume," which includes a mint-green bodysuit with a clear vinyl flared dress.
The fly sat on Pence's head for two minutes before flying away, and Pence never appeared to notice. It instantly became a viral celebrity, with Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden's team even producing a fly swatter with "Truth over flies" printed on the handle. Biden's campaign also bought the URL "flywillvote.com," which redirects people to iwillvote.com. They also created a meme showing Biden holding a fly swatter, adding, "Pitch in $5 to help this campaign fly."