The internet takes on ISIS: jokers photoshop rubber duck heads on militants
- Text by Adam White

While politicians in Europe and the US talk up the threat of ISIS and need to bomb them out of existence, 4chan users (surprise, surprise) have taken a rather different tack. Or should that be ‘quack’?
Seemingly inspired by the eternal comic potential of a good pun, in this case the battle cry of ‘Allahu Quackbar!’, anonymous jokesters have been taking ISIS imagery and replacing the faces of terrorists with the faces of rubber ducks.
“How about castrating the image of IS by replacing the faces on ALL their propaganda photos with bath ducks?” asked a user of 4chan’s ‘Shit4chanSays’ board.
Many have taken the meme further, digitally updating ISIS flags with duck paraphernalia and replacing Kalashnikovs with toilet brushes. The trend has spread beyond 4chan, appearing on Facebook, Twitter and across the internet.
While the British media and others attempt to stoke tension and hysteria, with headlines such as The Sun’s “1 in 5 Brit Muslims’ sympathy for jihadis” headline, it’s nice to see a healthy dose of mockery.
Here are some of our favourite ‘Duck State’ images.






Did we miss any great ones? Tweet us @HuckMagazine.
You might like

Capturing life in the shadows of Canada’s largest oil refinery
The Cloud Factory — Growing up on the fringes of Saint John, New Brunswick, the Irving Oil Refinery was ever present for photographer Chris Donovan. His new photobook explores its lingering impacts on the city’s landscape and people.
Written by: Miss Rosen

After Assad’s fall, Syria’s musicians rebuild from the rubble
Spaces Between the Beats — Following decades of dictatorship and 14 years of civil war, the country’s classical and creative scenes have an opportunity to build from scratch. Andrei Popviciu speaks to the people hoping for a flourishing new era of art and sound.
Written by: Andrei Popoviciu

Susan Meiselas captured Nicaragua’s revolution in stark, powerful detail
Nicaragua: June 1978-1979 — With a new edition of her seminal photobook, the Magnum photographer reflects on her role in shaping the resistance’s visual language, and the state of US-Nicaraguan relations nearly five decades later.
Written by: Miss Rosen

A visual trip through 100 years of New York’s LGBTQ+ spaces
Queer Happened Here — A new book from historian and writer Marc Zinaman maps scores of Manhattan’s queer venues and informal meeting places, documenting the city’s long LGBTQ+ history in the process.
Written by: Isaac Muk

Nostalgic photos of everyday life in ’70s San Francisco
A Fearless Eye — Having moved to the Bay Area in 1969, Barbara Ramos spent days wandering its streets, photographing its landscape and characters. In the process she captured a city in flux, as its burgeoning countercultural youth movement crossed with longtime residents.
Written by: Miss Rosen

In photos: 14 years of artist Love Bailey’s life and transition
Dancing on the Fault Line — Photographer Nick Haymes’s new book explores a decade-plus friendship with the Californian artist and activist, drawing intimate scenes from thousands of pictures.
Written by: Miss Rosen