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In MyMemeCards, the meme card game, “Dusting the Chair” is a rare card of the Italian Memes pack, number 36 of the collection, and the 26th best-known meme of its 300 cards. Here is what the meme means, where it comes from, and how to get its card.
What does the “Dusting the Chair” meme mean?
People post it when they want to make a show of getting rid of what a predecessor left behind: a desk, a role, a seat still warm from somebody they dislike. The tone is mock-theatrical, and it fits any moment of cleaning up after someone unwelcome.
Where does the “Dusting the Chair” meme come from?
On 10 January 2013, a few weeks before the Italian general election, Silvio Berlusconi appeared on Michele Santoro’s show Servizio Pubblico. Marco Travaglio, a journalist who had written extensively about him, had just spoken about defamation. Berlusconi sat in the seat Travaglio had occupied and, according to the LaPresse news agency, dusted the chair first with a paper file and then with a handkerchief, in front of the cameras. The audience whistled, and Berlusconi answered with a smile that they could not even take a joke. Short clips of the scene then became an edit template.
- 2013On 10 January, on Servizio Pubblico, Berlusconi cleans Travaglio’s chair live.
How to use the “Dusting the Chair” meme
- New manager walks in and the first move is the Travaglio chair: wipe down the old boss’s desk.
- My flatmate finally moved out, so I disinfected the whole room like Berlusconi with Travaglio’s chair.
- He finished his turn and the next guy wiped the seat in front of everyone. Classic Travaglio chair.
Also searched as
- Travaglio’s chair
- Berlusconi cleaning the chair
- Berlusconi wipes Travaglio’s chair
- Berlusconi Travaglio chair meme
- Servizio Pubblico 10 January 2013 Berlusconi Santoro
- Berlusconi dusting chair video
- Italian meme Berlusconi cleans chair
The “Dusting the Chair” card in MyMemeCards
| Number | No. 036 |
|---|---|
| Rarity | Rare |
| Collection | Italian Memes pack |
| Fame | 70/100 · #26 of 300 |
| Recycle value | 10 MemeCoins (30 in Shiny) |
How to get the “Dusting the Chair” card
Every pack holds 5 meme cards, the first 3 of them Common; Dusting the Chair comes out of the Italian Memes pack as a rare card. The pack odds say what each rarity weighs.
Your first pack is free and needs no account. After that a new free pack lands every 10 minutes, up to 3 waiting for you. You can also buy the card with MemeCoins on the market, bid for it at auction, or trade it — and a double recycles into 10 MemeCoins.
Open your free pack
5 meme cards, one of them at least Rare. One free pack per person.
Free · no account needed
Odds per card, averaged over a pack: Common 72%, Rare 23.9%, Epic 3.2%, Legendary 0.56%, Mythic 0.3%, Full Art ≤ 0.1%, Shiny 0.2%. Cards 1 to 3 are always Common, cards 4 and 5 climb the rarities. Rates drop for cards that circulate a lot. Details
Memes like “Dusting the Chair”
More cards of the Italian Memes pack
Frequently asked questions
What happens in the Berlusconi and Travaglio chair scene?
Berlusconi, a guest on Servizio Pubblico, sits in Marco Travaglio’s seat and wipes the chair with a paper file and a handkerchief.
Which show was the chair wiped on?
Servizio Pubblico, Michele Santoro’s talk show, on 10 January 2013.
When do Italians use this meme?
To make a point of rejecting what someone else left behind, usually as a joke.
How do I get the Dusting the Chair meme card?
Open a pack of MyMemeCards: “Dusting the Chair” is a rare card of the Italian Memes pack. Your first pack is free, with no account, and you can also buy, trade or win the card at auction.
How rare is the Dusting the Chair card?
It is a Rare card. Rarity decides which pack slot can deal it, and what it is worth on the market.
Sources: LaPresse : Lite Berlusconi-Santoro, 10 gennaio 2013 · checked on November 6, 2026.
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Open your free pack: 5 meme cards, no account needed.