Bin Laden Follow-Up: Osama, Obama, and the LOLs of History

The Internet reacted with characteristic dark humour to the news of Osama bin Laden's death on Monday, as Photoshops and animations spread on-line within hours of the event.

But what's the meaning behind these jokes? Boing Boing's Xeni Jardin calls it the "memeification of history" and argues that "[a]s crass and off-color as these may be, they are a snapshot of pop culture history, and they reveal more about our collective consciousness than might be apparent at first glance, on the first day".

She has a point. How does a nation still looking for justice almost ten years after the worst terrorist attack in its history react when the attack's mastermind is captured? With solemnity, celebration, and the sharing of funny pics.

As a Brit, I'm guilty of the lazy assumption that Americans don't "get" irony, that they're just too sincere for their own good. Yet as I write, there's a chance that the UK or one of its allies could exact similar vengeance on Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi for Lockerbie, the IRA and the killing of PC Yvonne Fletcher. Would anyone here --- even the staunchest Tory --- celebrate by going to the effort of depicting David Cameron kicking a door open? I doubt it.

But enough seriousness. On with the lolz. Here are a few of the reactions to this week's story (many, many more at Boing Boing):

And finally, on the rumours that Osama bin Laden's successor is soon to be named: