Image via Complex Original
A month ago, we received one of the greatest gifts the Internet has ever bestowed upon us: Vice President Joe Biden joined Instagram. We already knew Diamond Joe was pretty much the best VP ever (not that he's had much competition lately), but in one short month, his Instagram account has confirmed that our love isn't misplaced. You've watched him destroy Paul Ryan in two Vice Presidential debates. You've enjoyed his numerous TV cameos. You've seen him do something GIF-able at almost every public function he attends. Now it's time to follow him on @VP. Bow down to our photogenic Vice-Commander-in-Chief: it's time for A Look Back At Joe Biden's First Month on Instagram.
"Just Two Dudes Selfie"
What Works: You can't go wrong by adding Barack Obama to your selfie. Okay, you can't go wrong doing anything as long as it's outside of a funeral setting. (Too soon?)
Suggested Improvements: Apparently, Barack is close to being banned from taking selfies, so we don't want to be too picky. That being said, would it have killed them to give us a little duckface?
"College Boy"
What Works: Joe's wearing that cool confidence he can summon up at will, whether he's in the champagne room or delivering a commencement address.
Suggested Improvements: We know the VP is a bit of a bad boy, and we would have liked to have seen him stick it to the man here: An "after" shot where he is flipping the bird to the deans would have been a nice touch. At least he could have added a caption to let us know that he isn't wearing anything under those robes.
"Middle Class Act"
What Works: A lot of good stuff is going on here. Sleeves rolled up three quarters length, purposeful fist, American flag background.
Suggested Improvements: Unfortunately, there is also a lot to dislike. All that white space above and below is a wasted opportunity; perhaps a motivational quote could have been placed there?
"Tale of Two Veeps"
What Works: Aviators and leather are as a classic a combination as a seasoned East Coast senator and an upstart Washington outsider. Julia is doing some great acting here, but your boy Joe is just being himself.
Suggested Improvements: Some small tweaks like cowboy boots, a belt buckle, and/or a bolo tie would have really gone a long way here.
"Take Your Child To Work Day"
What Works: You have to love that no one else brought their child to work. In our heads, the story is that everyone assumed that Joe was just going to have his daughter stop by for a photo op, but he kept her involved in everything he did all day long, no matter how distracting it was.
Suggested Improvements: Would have liked to have seen a shot of the papers his daughter is working on as a kind bonus extra.
"Cinco De Mayo"
What Works: One of Joe's strongest stances is the pre-fist pump you see here. He can pull that one out in a sports bar or from behind a podium and score major points.
Suggested Improvements: This isn't exactly how we imagined VPOTUS celebrating Cinco De Mayo. No margs? No scantily clad Corona promo girls in sombreros? We're not saying you lost your touch Mr. Biden, we're just saying we thought better of you.
"Hand in Hand We'll Prevent Sexual Assault"
What Works: Not really feeling up to being snarky about this one to be completely honest.
Suggested Improvements: None. I mean, come on, what do you expect us to say?
"Wounded Warriors"
What Works: The only thing better than a high-five from these hands is a firm "good game" pat on the ass. Biden has given so many high-fives and thumbs ups in his time that when you're getting affirmation from this man, you can trust you're getting it from a seasoned master.
Suggested Improvements: A montage of Biden's best high-fives of all time? Come on Internet: where are we on this?
"Ukraine"
What Works: Of course, the Veep gets credit for actually going to the Ukraine. A lesser VP would have just pulled some Hollywood green screen shit. Also, Biden is on the cutting edge of confused/solemn here; we've never seen a facial expression quite like this.
Suggested Improvements: It would have been nice to see some of the fish-out-of-water cultural miscommunications that we're sure happened on this trip.
"Perks of the Job"
What Works: Oh hell yeah! This is the kind of content we expect from Diamond Joe. Ideally, this man's Instagram is an even mix of Car & Driver, Hustler, and The Economist.
Suggested Improvements: Maybe include a Spotify playlist of the Molly Hatchet, Skynyrd, and Van Halen that Joe was blasting after they wrapped for the day? If you want to capture all that is Biden, you're going to have to go multimedia.
"Wheels Up For Pennsylvania"
What Works: Helicopter. Check. Military Salute. Check. Snazzy suit. That's a double check. The only thing more sexy/patriotic ever put on film is the volleyball scene in Top Gun.
Suggested Improvements: Not much you could improve here. Maybe a silhouette of a bald eagle in the deep background?
"Aviators Pic"
What Works: "Follow @VP for the latest from the Vice-President and the occasional aviators pic." This is perhaps the most beautiful sentence ever composed in the history of the English language.
Suggested Improvements: This is nit-picky, but maybe something a little more casual from Joe Cool? Maybe he could have kicked his feet up on the desk? Perhaps he could have been reading a porno mag? It's hard to improve on perfection, but that doesn't mean we can't try.