Meet Australia's new prime minister Malcolm Turnbull - a former lawyer, journalist, businessman and multi-millionaire.
After the 60-year-old seized the top job last month, a peculiar meme emerged: young people keep calling him "daddy".
'Daddy Turnbull'
The centre-right politician is their "daddy".
Malcolm turnbull is so daddy😩😜🙌💯👉👌
It seems there's now a new father-figure in charge.
As far as I can tell the only reasons anyone I follow wants Turnbull is 1. he's not Abbott and 2. you want to call the PM 'daddy'
Like it's a big in-joke.
Quote of the day from my grandmother: 'well of COURSE voters prefer Turnbull, darling. I mean - he's 'Daddy', isn't he?'
It's not the first time a politician has been called "daddy" by the internet. U.S. president Barack Obama is regularly called it on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
@POTUS love you daddy
In celebrity circles the "daddy/mommy" terminology is commonplace. Singer Lorde affectionately called Kim Kardashian "mom" last year.
“@KimKardashian: #BreakTheInternet http://t.co/3RhAPqJkPn” mom
As she wrote in a Tumblr post, the label "among the youthz is a compliment; it basically jokingly means "adopt me/be my second mom/i think of you as a mother figure you are so epic."
But this really does seem like the first time an Australian politician has been called "daddy". So we decided to interview some people who tweeted at him to figure out this disturbing meme.
Why is the new PM a daddy?
"Turnbull is a daddy because he's a silver fox with good teeth who'd take care of you," @jocelynseip told BuzzFeed News.
every time I tweet about Malcolm Turnbull being a daddy assume my phone got stolen by thieves trying to ruin my rep
"He's got an iPad and an apple watch so clearly he's got money to spare and could buy you things (when I say you I mean me... I want him to buy me things). My friends and I always say he would totally have coffee or a beer on the gentrified Melbourne streets so he's a relatable daddy."
Ok. So when people ask, "what's a daddy?", it's generally a thirsty term applied to handsome, older men who will "take care" of young men/women in need of protection. Like, a father figure.
An Adelaide Twitter user @snaxolotl had an even better description.
"I think it's his quiet good looks, combined with the air of 'I know you only wanted to borrow $20, but here's an extra $50 just in case.'"
"I feel like he'd take care of you as long as you treated him right, and move on to the next girl/potential Liberal leader the minute you started to take him for granted."
Turns out, there are subgenres of daddy. And Turnbull is a "power daddy".
[me, half watching a news story about turnbull] [absently, under my breath] ".......daddy"
"There's all sorts of dads and (Turnbull is) a power dad. Which is basically just like a charming rich older man that... I guess can look after you," @lilacwhine_ told BuzzFeed News over Twitter direct message.
"Power dads are my favourite (lol this is a WEIRD CONVERSATION) but there's musician/artist/sensitive dads, sad/divorced dads, insecure about getting old dads, bad boy dads, fashun dads.
"Oh and 'let me help your career' dads which i guess is a subset of power dads."
According to @cooperquinn there is an undeniable sexual element to calling someone a "daddy".
"Malcolm Turnbull would be the perfect daddy because of THAT BROWN LEATHER JACKET he wears on QandA. Hello Dom/Top," he said.
"Seriously, he is attractive, mature and would be a great provider due to his wealth and experience - but not necessarily a sugar daddy, in the purely sexual and materialistic senses.
"Although I can imagine Malcolm giving a good rutting."
I would Turnbull lead me and be my daddy, especially in that leather jacket. Ok is that gross?
Is this a good time to note I'd definitely sex Turnbull #daddy
When asked to nominate another "daddy" among Australia's former PMs, several went for the beer skolling, economic reformer Bob Hawke.
Other current Australian political daddies are apparently NSW premier Mike Baird ("He's hot AF"), Senator Cory Bernardi ("A daddy but also a douche") and Greens MP Adam Bandt ("He's a sad daddy").
And asked for a "mommy" in politics, several people mentioned foreign minister Julie Bishop who one person said is "fierce and could be in control #mommy".
Then there's Australia's alternate PM Bill Shorten, who is apparently a "dad" not a "daddy"... and yes there's a big difference.
"A dad is what Bill Shorten is - desperately trying to maintain his authority and project competence whilst flailing wildly, probably with a bit of scrambled egg on his tie," said @snaxolotl.
"Daddies (like Turnbull) will buy you a pony but they won't text you on your birthday. Dads - you tend to get the impression that they're trying, even if the results never seem to justify the effort."
So next time Malcolm Turnbull waves around his glasses ("they suggest sensitivity and vulnerability") or gives a speech ("he's got confidence/charisma combined with the power of running a country you know") keep in mind...
Some young people think of him as a daddy.
i was going to make tshirts with a picture of turnbull and the caption "daddy" but i was worried they'd be Too popular.
And it's disturbingly perfect.
