The Epstein files have dominated headlines since Jan. 30, when the Department of Justice released over 3 million files detailing Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes and the names of his associates, along with over 2,000 graphic videos and 180,000 photos.
The newly released files also include emails linking celebrities and politicians to Epstein’s years of sexual abuse, prostitution and kidnapping.
While some internet creators dedicate hours to combing through the files and explaining them to viewers, others joke about the situation – some claiming critics are mad they weren’t invited to Epstein Island or even making aesthetic outfit videos inspired by Epstein. Social media tends to joke about serious events, but the Epstein files draw a firm line even the darkest comedians shouldn’t cross.
There are thousands of real, living women and children who were abused by Epstein and his associates, victims who have been “shut out from the process” and still haven’t received justice. Reframing their experiences as humor undermines the seriousness of the crimes and the need for accountability.
If you don’t enjoy dark humor, you get labeled soft, while dark humor enjoyers insist it isn’t mockery, but a protected use of expression. Maybe it felt funny last summer when the DOJ released a small batch of files and President Donald Trump claimed he denied himself “the privilege” of visiting Epstein’s Island just for him to be named 38,000 times in the files, but it isn’t funny in reality.
Some argue dark humor is a coping mechanism, like first responders who create a grim culture of “joking through trauma” when facing “trauma, stress or overwhelming grief.”
However, there is a darkness and brutality to the Epstein files that those not affected have no right to laugh about.
Politicians and law enforcement are trying to take a “victim-centered” approach to the Epstein files, but it isn’t working, and didn’t work in the past. Victims “had been speaking out for years” before Epstein faced any consequences, and they continued to be violated and ignored throughout the early 2000s and the trial, which began in 2019.
Many people, especially those making or engaging with Epstein memes, don’t understand the repeated mistreatment and disrespect these victims have faced on top of severe sexual and physical abuse.
For example, in September 2025, before the release of the files, many victims of Epstein’s abuse protested on Capitol Hill for the files to be released. Trump called the entire thing a “hoax” orchestrated by Democrats. On Jan. 30, when the DOJ released a large batch of files, a “technical or human error” released “nude photos showing the faces of potential victims as well as names, email addresses and other identifying information” that the DOJ removed days later.
Victims felt powerless then, and as we continue to meme-ify the entire situation and laugh at their abuse, it only gets worse.
Lauren Weingarten, a trauma support specialist, points out, “there’s no separate internet,” and “the way people talk about the Epstein files online affects the individuals who were directly victimized by him, as well as the broader community of survivors.”
Jokes about Epstein and his crimes run deeper than shallow, unfunny memes. Weingarten said they “weaponize and normalize the acceptance of sexualized child abuse.”
Anytime we joke about the files, even if it’s not at a victim’s expense, it still affects the masses by “trivializing and normalising the behavior of perpetrators.” Even seemingly harmless memes help shape a culture that excuses sexual abuse, making it harder for survivors to be taken seriously.
Memes are powerful tools used to influence public opinion. This strategy, called memetic warfare, is “a form of information warfare conducted online through memes and other tactics to achieve political, strategic, or ideological objectives.” Memes pull attention and legitimacy away from victims and make the entire situation seem light and easy when it's the opposite. The goal is to desensitize people and minimize abuse.
Engaging with memes and jokes about the Epstein files gives Epstein, his actions and his accomplices more power, distracting from the heinous acts of sexual violence and abuse where countless victims suffered.
These victims haven’t been the center of the Epstein trial; their voices are powerful and deserve to be heard and protected. To reduce their trauma to jokes and content, like memes, suppress their voices and normalize the abuse they endured.
Abby Shriver is a freshman studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Abby about their column? Email/message them at as064024@ohio.edu / @abbyshriver_
