Kamala Harris campaign embraces 'Brat summer' trend after Charli XCX's endorsement

WASHINGTON, DC: Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination has received unexpected support from Charli XCX’s fans, according to NBC News.

Interest in the Harris campaign increased on social media when people began creating edited videos and memes that combined songs from British pop star Charli XCX's album ‘Brat’ with clips of Vice President Harris throughout her career.

Following Charli XCX's apparent endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday, writing "kamala IS brat" on X, formerly Twitter, Harris' campaign team embraced the moment by sharing the show of support and incorporating the album's distinctive green color and typeface in one of its social media profiles, as well as by posting 'Brat'-themed memes.

What does Charli XCX’s ‘Kamala IS brat’ statement mean?

The album ‘Brat', which covers themes like womanhood, insecurity, competition, motherhood, relationships, partying, and other subjects, debuted on June 7.

Since then, social media users have announced their embrace of a "brat summer," indicating their intention to be genuine and unapologetically themselves.

The combination of Harris memes with ‘Brat’ fandom has gained popularity since President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race, although the idea had been circulating on social media platforms for several weeks.

Abigail De Kosnik, an associate professor at the Berkeley Center for New Media at the University of California, Berkeley, pointed out that Harris is more “plugged in” to popular culture than past Democratic candidates.

This is seen as a positive change for voters who often perceive Democrats as “staid,” De Kosnik claimed.

The trend of pairing ‘Brat’ and VP Harris was popularized by creators like University of Delaware senior Ryan Long. He went viral with a mashup of the Charli XCX song ‘Von Dutch’ with clips of Harris on July 3.

“I’ve never seen people so excited for a candidate,” said Long, who’s a self-proclaimed long-time supporter of Kamala Harris, adding. “People were pessimistic about Joe Biden, but there is so much enthusiasm right now over Kamala. I really hope that she can capitalize off of it and get a landslide win.”

Furthermore, Long believes that the Harris memes indicate that young voters supported her candidacy even before President Biden endorsed her.

The ‘Brat’ Harris edits have become prevalent on TikTok, X, and Instagram, often accompanied by the hashtag "Brat election."

Video edits include sound bites of Harris laughing and her memorable quotes like "I love Venn diagrams" and "You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?"

Kamala Harris, who has been the subject of various memes during her time as vice president, has gained the support of Stan Twitter, a community of dedicated fandoms that supports various artists on X.

Harris memes have been part of Stan Twitter for years, periodically gaining popularity and helping to quickly build momentum for her presidential candidacy.

Clips of Harris' laughter have been incorporated into multiple pop songs by various fan communities and shared on X.

Long asserted, "'Brat' is one of the top albums in the world, and it’s been going super big online.”

“Kamala does such a good job at embodying what people call ‘Brat summer'. The way she presents herself, she’s happy, laughing, she’ll dance. She is like a walking content farm,” he remarked.

Charli XCX described a brat as someone who likes to party, "says some dumb things sometimes," and is "honest, blunt, and a little bit volatile."

While Harris' professional persona may not align with the messy party girl ethos of ‘Brat', her signature quotes and lively laughter have drawn significant social media attention.

Some critics have characterized her demeanor as bizarre, while supporters have portrayed her traits as endearing.

Internet abuzz as Charli XCX’s fans embrace VP after 'Kamala IS brat' endorsement

One X user remarked, "Why is my personality unfortunately exactly like hers."

Another user said, "I like her; she got that swag but that odd nerdyness too lol."

Another user wrote, "Falling out of a coconut tree is brat coded."

One user claimed, "This is the biggest endorsement she got today."

Another X user quipped, "Shes got the coconuts for this race."

Someone else tweeted, "I’m sorry you just can’t make me not like her."

 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.