Social media pokes fun at Suez Canal mega-ship and the digger trying to free it

The ship that launched a thousand memes! Social media pokes fun at Suez Canal mega-ship and the digger trying to free it, comparing it to tackling their own problems

  • The Ever Given got stuck in the vital shipping route in Egypt on Tuesday 
  • Egyptian authorities are trying to move the vessel with tugboats and a digger
  • Twitter users have likened the effects of the pandemic to the stuck ship 

It was the ship that launched a thousand memes, with social media users sharing viral images on Thursday of a giant container vessel wedged into the banks of the Suez canal.

The Ever Given first got stuck across the vital shipping route on Tuesday and Egyptian authorities are still desperately trying to shift the 59-metre wide and 400-metre long ship.

Days into the saga, and with no quick solution apparent, Twitter users decided the vessel was the perfect encapsulation of the past two years.

One of the most shared photographs was taken from a ship following the Ever Given, and showed it blocking the canal. ‘A pangolin fluttering their eyelashes at a bat,’ read the caption above the Ever Given, while the text on the blocked vessel said: ‘Any hope of enjoying 2020’

One of the most shared photographs was taken from a ship following the Ever Given, and showed it blocking the canal.  

‘A pangolin fluttering their eyelashes at a bat,’ read the caption above the Ever Given, while the text on the blocked vessel said: ‘Any hope of enjoying 2020.’

‘My tasks’ read another, overlaying an image of the heavily laden Ever Given blocking the Suez canal. 

‘Me dutifully chipping away at my tasks,’ quipped a quick follow-up featuring an image of the container ship dwarfing a lone digger attempting to dislodge it.

'My tasks' read another, overlaying an image of the heavily laden Ever Given blocking the Suez canal

‘My tasks’ read another, overlaying an image of the heavily laden Ever Given blocking the Suez canal

'Me dutifully chipping away at my tasks,' quipped a quick follow-up featuring an image of the container ship dwarfing a lone digger attempting to dislodge it

‘Me dutifully chipping away at my tasks,’ quipped a quick follow-up featuring an image of the container ship dwarfing a lone digger attempting to dislodge it

A GIF from ‘Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery’ – where the main character is stuck in a shuttle car reversing back and forth in a narrow tunnel – was photoshopped with the vessel.

A photograph of a pair of construction workers surveying the ship was mocked up several times, tapping into the zeitgeist of the past few months.  

One was captioned ‘going for a walk at lunchtime’ while text above the wedged vessel read: ‘My mental health during the pandemic.’ 

Others likened the Ever Given’s plight to popular culture, including scenes from the Simpsons and Friends.  

The Friend’s memes include references to the famous scene when Ross is trying to carry a sofa up to his apartment, and when Phoebe attempts to teach Joey French. 

Others likened the Ever Given's plight to popular culture, including scenes from the Simpsons and Friends

Others likened the Ever Given’s plight to popular culture, including scenes from the Simpsons and Friends

The Friend's memes include references to the famous scene when Ross is trying to carry a sofa up to his apartment, and when Phoebe attempts to teach Joey French

The Friend’s memes include references to the famous scene when Ross is trying to carry a sofa up to his apartment, and when Phoebe attempts to teach Joey French

A GIF from 'Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery' - where the main character is stuck in a shuttle car reversing back and forth in a narrow tunnel - was photoshopped with the vessel

A GIF from ‘Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery’ – where the main character is stuck in a shuttle car reversing back and forth in a narrow tunnel – was photoshopped with the vessel

A photograph of a pair of construction workers surveying the ship was mocked up several times, tapping into the zeitgeist of the past few months

A photograph of a pair of construction workers surveying the ship was mocked up several times, tapping into the zeitgeist of the past few months

One was captioned 'going for a walk at lunchtime' while text above the wedged vessel read: 'My mental health during the pandemic.'

One was captioned ‘going for a walk at lunchtime’ while text above the wedged vessel read: ‘My mental health during the pandemic.’ 

And adding profanity to serious industrial incident, it appeared Thursday that prior to getting stuck the pilot traced the outline of a giant penis in the water, according to ship VesselFinder.com. 

It has not yet been confirmed if the rudely-shaped course in the waterway was intentional.    

Many online users shared Amazon’s customer review page for the book ‘How To Avoid Huge Ships’, with one writing: ‘Hello Suez Canal library, how can I help?’

And adding profanity to serious industrial incident, it appeared Thursday that prior to getting stuck the pilot traced the outline of a giant penis in the water, according to ship VesselFinder.com

And adding profanity to serious industrial incident, it appeared Thursday that prior to getting stuck the pilot traced the outline of a giant penis in the water, according to ship VesselFinder.com 

Many online users shared Amazon's customer review page for the book 'How To Avoid Huge Ships', with one writing: 'Hello Suez Canal library, how can I help?'

Many online users shared Amazon’s customer review page for the book ‘How To Avoid Huge Ships’, with one writing: ‘Hello Suez Canal library, how can I help?’