The internet says Kamala Harris is 'brat,' and her campaign is embracing it | ABS-CBN
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The internet says Kamala Harris is 'brat,' and her campaign is embracing it
The internet says Kamala Harris is 'brat,' and her campaign is embracing it
Reuters
Published Jul 23, 2024 12:53 PM PHT

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Kamala Harris is not yet the Democratic Party's candidate for president but her status online is already clear: she is a meme.
Kamala Harris is not yet the Democratic Party's candidate for president but her status online is already clear: she is a meme.
In the latest testament to her viral presence among Gen Z, British pop sensation Charli XCX name-checked her in a weekend tweet that called the vice president a "brat."
In the latest testament to her viral presence among Gen Z, British pop sensation Charli XCX name-checked her in a weekend tweet that called the vice president a "brat."
And Harris' campaign is leaning into it.
And Harris' campaign is leaning into it.
Soon after the artist tweeted "kamala IS brat" on Sunday night (July 21) - giving Harris the name of her latest album – the U.S. vice president adopted the album's lime green aesthetic for her "Kamala HQ" account.
Soon after the artist tweeted "kamala IS brat" on Sunday night (July 21) - giving Harris the name of her latest album – the U.S. vice president adopted the album's lime green aesthetic for her "Kamala HQ" account.
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Charli XCX was acknowledging something that had already taken off online, where viral memes were featuring video clips of Harris dancing and joking against Charli XCX tracks.
Charli XCX was acknowledging something that had already taken off online, where viral memes were featuring video clips of Harris dancing and joking against Charli XCX tracks.
Brat, the singer has explained, is "that girl who is a little messy and likes to party and like maybe says some like dumb things sometimes, who like feels herself but then also like maybe has a breakdown... It’s brat, you’re brat, that’s brat."
Brat, the singer has explained, is "that girl who is a little messy and likes to party and like maybe says some like dumb things sometimes, who like feels herself but then also like maybe has a breakdown... It’s brat, you’re brat, that’s brat."
Her tweet on Sunday sent the trend soaring, a phenomenon that could help Harris's outreach to younger voters that could play a pivotal role in the Nov. 5 election.
Her tweet on Sunday sent the trend soaring, a phenomenon that could help Harris's outreach to younger voters that could play a pivotal role in the Nov. 5 election.
That contrasts not only with 78-year-old Republican rival Donald Trump, but with Harris's 81-year-old boss, President Joe Biden, who quit the race at the weekend and endorsed his vice president as his replacement at the top of the ticket.
That contrasts not only with 78-year-old Republican rival Donald Trump, but with Harris's 81-year-old boss, President Joe Biden, who quit the race at the weekend and endorsed his vice president as his replacement at the top of the ticket.
A spokesperson for Charli XCX declined a request for an interview.
A spokesperson for Charli XCX declined a request for an interview.
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The 'brat' trend joins another Harris viral meme - audio from a 2023 speech that was pilloried before by critics, but is now embraced by Gen Z as a sort of existential philosophy.
The 'brat' trend joins another Harris viral meme - audio from a 2023 speech that was pilloried before by critics, but is now embraced by Gen Z as a sort of existential philosophy.
"'You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?'" Harris asks in the speech, quoting what her mother used to say, before laughing and then growing serious. "You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you."
"'You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?'" Harris asks in the speech, quoting what her mother used to say, before laughing and then growing serious. "You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you."
The Internet hive mind has adopted a coconut emoji as an unofficial campaign symbol for Harris. TikTokers have used sound from the "coconut tree" speech in at least 3,000 videos, according to TikTok.
The Internet hive mind has adopted a coconut emoji as an unofficial campaign symbol for Harris. TikTokers have used sound from the "coconut tree" speech in at least 3,000 videos, according to TikTok.
Harris's membership in Alpha Kappa Alpha - the first Black Greek-letter sorority - at Howard University in Washington, D.C., is also sparking viral engagement online.
Harris's membership in Alpha Kappa Alpha - the first Black Greek-letter sorority - at Howard University in Washington, D.C., is also sparking viral engagement online.
To be sure, Harris has her share of haters online. Critics have pushed clips aimed at portraying her in a negative light, including compilations of her boisterous laugh, after Trump himself referred to her as "Laffin' Kamala."
To be sure, Harris has her share of haters online. Critics have pushed clips aimed at portraying her in a negative light, including compilations of her boisterous laugh, after Trump himself referred to her as "Laffin' Kamala."
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Younger voters, who overwhelmingly vote Democratic, had so far been unenthusiastic about a presidential race between Biden and Trump, 78 years old.
Younger voters, who overwhelmingly vote Democratic, had so far been unenthusiastic about a presidential race between Biden and Trump, 78 years old.
(Production: Omar Younis)
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