History Main / MovementMascot

* [[ComicBook/ThePunisher The Punisher's]] skull insignia has been co-opted by a few police departments and military units thanks to his no-nonsense approach to stopping crime and his background as a war veteran. Creator/GerryConway, who created the character, [[https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/punisher-creator-gerry-conway-cops-using-the-skull-logo-are-like-people-using-the criticized this practice]] as the Punisher was meant to be a violent vigilante and a representation of the failures of the justice system. There's even a story where [[https://bleedingcool.com/comics/punisher-police-skull-logo-spoilers/ Frank Castle himself tears the skull from a police car calling out the]] MisaimedFandom.

** Sadly, this meme resulted in the Taiwanese indie horror game ''VideoGame/{{Devotion}}'' losing its publishing license in China, and it was pulled from UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} after it was review bombed by more nationalistic Chinese gamers.

* Manny Heffley from ''Literature/DiaryOfAWimpyKid'' became the face of an anti-police brutality movement on [=TikTok=] in 2020, with people drawing or painting graffiti of Manny's head next to leftist slogans. "The Manny will not be televised" became a rallying cry, based off the Gil Scott-Heron poem "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised."

* ''Anime/VoltesV'' is big in the Philippines because [[BannedInChina it was banned there by]] [[UsefulNotes/FerdinandMarcos a since-ousted president]], who is often claimed to have found its themes threatening - Website/TheOtherWiki [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltes_V#Cultural_impact has more details]].

** An example InUniverse occurs after [[spoiler:Arthur kills (first [[CrimeOfSelfDefense in self defense]] and later with a purpose) the three employers of Wayne Enterprises (seen by witnesses being done by an unknown guy dressed as a clown), which is seems by the unhappy society as an act of rebellion against the system, being various protesters wearing clown masks in later manifestations.]]
** The film itself not just treat the mental illness as a serious issue, but the social unconformity that can lead into a massive riot against their own rulers if it's not treated well. With this issue in mind, most of the recent social movements in different countries like Hong Kong, Lebanon, Ecuador and Chile now have the figure of Arthur Fleck a.k.a. ComicBook/TheJoker as a symbol for these protests, even seen various {{cosplay}}ers in the middle of the manifestations in diverse cities of these countries, being compared as the "new" [[Film/VForVendetta Guy Fawkes]].[[note]]To clarify: this movie version is the one which the people identifies of, the [[ComicBook/TheJoker original source character]] is [[MisaimedFandom a different story]].[[/note]]
* There're gay men in the US historically referring to each other as [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friend_of_Dorothy "friends of Dorothy"]], where the Dorothy in question is the one from ''Film/TheWizardOfOz''.

* The glider from ''VideoGame/TheGameOfLife'' has been [[http://www.catb.org/hacker-emblem/index.html proposed]] as the "hacker emblem" by Eric S. Raymond, due to the game's connections to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacker_culture hacker culture]].

* [[ComicBook/ThePunisher The Punisher's]] skull insignia has been co-opted by a few police departments and military units thanks to his no-nonsense approach to stopping crime and his background as a war veteran. Creator/GerryConway, who created the character, [[https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/punisher-creator-gerry-conway-cops-using-the-skull-logo-are-like-people-using-the criticized this practice]] as the Punisher was meant to be a violent vigilante and a representation of the failures of the justice system.

* The glider from VideoGame/TheGameOfLife has been [[http://www.catb.org/hacker-emblem/index.html proposed]] as the "hacker emblem" by Eric S. Raymond, due to the game's connections to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacker_culture hacker culture]].