Twitter Had Some Fun with Melania Trump’s Plagiarized Speech

(Students across the country: SMH)

If you’ve taught a class in the last ten years, you know how difficult it is to keep internet-savvy students from succumbing to the allure of a quick copy-and-paste. Writers haven’t been immune to the ease of plagiarism, either; look at recent cases such as Jonah Lehrer, the author who plagarized material and published it as his own for websites such as Wired.com, or Fareed Zakaria, the man who gave the keynote speech at my college gratuation shortly before being outed as a plagiarist for CNN, among other publications. Luckily for truth-seekers, and overwhelmed teachers, there are programs that can quickly identify plagiarized material.

Looks like someone forget to tell Melania Trump, or her speech writers.

Yesterday at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, the wife of the presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump gave a speech which lifted phrases from Michelle Obama’s speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

The internet quickly picked up on the plagiarism, and Jesse Williams, actor and first class speech-maker himself, started the hashtag #famousmelaniatrumpquotes with this tweet:

"Ain't I a woman?" #FamousMelaniaTrumpQuotes #RNCinCLE

 — @ijessewilliams

It started one of the better internet memes, with everything from works of classic literature to rap songs attributed to Melania.

"I'd like to thank two of my speech writers, Copy and Paste, for their help in preparing my remarks" #FamousMelaniaTrumpQuotes

 — @jimmyhack

In spirit of Melania Trump I share opening line of my new, totally original novel: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

 — @victorlavalle

"You know nothing, Jon Snow." #FamousMelaniaTrumpQuotes

 — @lordsnow

"In west Philadelphia born and raised, on the playground is where I spent most of my days" #FamousMelaniaTrumpQuotes

 — @lamornemorris

"in my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since." - Melania Trump

 — @thelincoln

"Now usually I dont do this but uh....go n break em off with a lil preview of the remix" #FamousMelaniaTrumpQuotespic.twitter.com/3ZtUsdkeax

 — @AintYouTeeWhyy

"About three things I was absolutely positive. First, Edward was a vampire." #FamousMelaniaTrumpQuotes

 — @katespencer

Who actually did the cribbing? We may never know.

Girl you know its true, ooh ooh ooohh i love you... #FamousMelaniaTrumpQuotes #millivanillipic.twitter.com/IryTUUDFh1

 — @thelovelymissck

And a valuable PSA to the young:

Returning Students: If 7% of your paper is plagiarized, you will 100% fail.

 — @mat_johnson