Misguided media believe Kamala Harris ‘brat’ memes are significant
A significant shift in the presidential race has occurred.
It wasn’t Joe Biden dropping out just over three months before election day – a move that has no historical precedent in the last fifty years.
That’s not the case.
Could it be the assassination attempt on Donald Trump two weeks ago, followed by the energized Republican National Convention that began shortly after?
That’s also incorrect!
Or perhaps Trump’s decision to choose Ohio Senator JD Vance as his running mate?
That’s three strikes.
No, supposedly reputable publications such as the Atlantic, Guardian, and New York Times are claiming that the real game-changer in Washington is the word “brat.”
These publications suggest that the four-letter word, which could refer to either Veruca Salt or a type of sausage, will motivate Generation Z to vote in large numbers for Vice President Kamala Harris in November.
How absurd!
The excitement of journalists stems from the fact that “brat” is a popular new album from singer Charli XCX, leading to young people using the term “brat summer” to refer to June through August without any real identity aside from trendy catchphrases.
What does this have to do with the potential Democratic nominee?
Well, the singer declared on X that “Kamala IS brat” – a meaningless statement – which prompted one of Harris’s official X accounts, @kamalahq, to change its banner color to match the album’s avocado green.
Forget about the southern border. The media rushed to their keyboards like kids running to the doorbell when the pizza man arrives, declaring that Harris had already captured the youth vote in a single day.
Their flurry of social media posts (including references to an old quote about a coconut tree) supposedly proves that Harris’ image has softened: she’s cool and now the politician that young people want to take a selfie with.
CNN described it as “a strong endorsement for the candidate.”
The New York Times went a step further, stating that Charli XCX “blessed the Harris campaign with the greatest asset possible: online relevance.”
(If you believe that Harris’ online popularity was solely due to being a unique presidential candidate in a historic election cycle, you’re misinformed.)
CBS, treating Harris like she’s a celebrity, labeled her “Gen Z’s ‘brat summer’ icon.”
These unsolicited political ads are certainly more eye-catching than the hard truth: This won’t be remembered in a week!
Don’t these overly enthusiastic individuals realize that a meme is just a passing joke?
You look, you laugh, you move on.
You don’t dwell on it.
Remember when Hillary Clinton became a meme for wearing sunglasses and staring sternly at her phone in 2012? Four years later, she was giving a concession speech at Javits.
Fame and celebrity certainly play a role in Harris’ situation, and it’s true that pop culture has influenced presidential races in the past, such as when Bill Clinton played the saxophone on “The Arsenio Hall Show” in the 1990s, which some argue helped him win the White House.
However, times have changed since the 1990s, when a president appearing on a late-night talk show was a big deal. A-listers’ praise for them is now ignored.
The country barely pays attention to a former president almost being shot in the head.
So why do the media believe that Kamala’s “brat summer” is different?
Do they think that cute pictures with silly phrases will motivate a generation that prefers short YouTube videos over movies to vote for Harris?
Do they believe that young people already adore a vice president who has largely been shielded from the public eye due to continuous gaffes?
It’s simply wishful thinking.
