Getting young people to vote has traditionally been very difficult. Voters aged 18-24 The lowest voter turnout Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign may change that.
Harris announced her candidacy for president on Sunday after President Biden dropped out of the race, but her campaign decided to go all out to attract Gen Z. They transformed her campaign’s X (formerly Twitter) page into a Gen Z flytrap, decorated with Easter eggs that younger voters will recognize but older voters won’t.
“BRAT Summer”
First, her X-banner (the big vertical photo at the top of the page) simply reads “kamala hq” on a neon green background. It’s a direct reference to the cover of British pop star Charli XCX’s June album, “BRAT,” evoking the messy, carefree mayhem of a young woman’s summer. Since the album became a hit, memes centered around “brat summer” have taken the internet by storm, with Charli XCX herself appearing as a Declaredsaid Sunday that “Kamala is a brat.”
The post, which had been viewed 51 million times at press time, sparked a fierce debate among young voters, who debated whether to support Harris’ progressive record or reject her for her history in law enforcement. (“No, Kamala’s a cop,” replied one disgruntled person.)
David Hogg, a Gen Z gun control activist who survived the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, I have written X’s “amount [Charli’s] “The impact that one tweet had on young people’s votes is not insignificant,” he later told his followers. confirmation “Nancy Pelosi is being made aware of the meaning of Brat.”
Since Harris announced her candidacy, videos of her dancing, talking and laughing to the music of Charli XCX have gone viral on TikTok, with young voters declaring their loyalty to her. “She’s got attention now, let’s go for it,” one commentator said. Posts on the “kamalahq” TikTok account. Another simply said, “She’s gonna win.”
Coconut Tree
Candidates have tried to use memes to reach Gen Z voters in the past, but often failed. Gen Z and millennials still shudder at Hillary Clinton’s infamous “Pokémon, go vote,” line from 2016, referencing the mobile game. Biden’s promotion of the campaign-created meme “Dark Brandon” was a major factor in this election. Panned It’s embarrassing and even seems like pandering to the youth vote.
What’s different this time? The Harris campaign has long used comedy as a tool. The Popular For Gen Z: Self-deprecation.
Rather than fixating on making herself look good, Harris has taken risks by sending viral memes poking fun at herself. In her now-infamous “coconut speech” last May, Harris spoke about thinking communally rather than individually, then shared an anecdote about her mother.
“My mother would sometimes get us in trouble and say, ‘What’s wrong with you young people? Do you think you just fell off a coconut tree?'” Harris laughed. “We live in the context of everything we live in and what came before it.”
Many criticized the speech, saying Harris:Drunk” or “strangeAnd after she announced her candidacy on Sunday, the words “coconut tree” gained attention and she found herself subject to a new round of attacks.
Instead, Harris went on the offensive, naming “kamalahq” in her bio “providing context” and referencing the meme. Her supporters (named the “kHive” after the Beyoncé fan group “BeyHive”) followed suit, declaring themselves supporters of the coconut tree.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis Tweeted Anderson Clayton, chairman of the North Carolina Democratic Party, posted a statement of support on Sunday, complete with emojis of a coconut, a palm tree and an American flag. Posts He enthusiastically stated, “Today we all fell from coconut trees into a gym full of Democrats!!!!”
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who was seen as one of Harris’ rivals for the nomination and a possible vice presidential running mate after Biden withdrew from the White House, voiced his support for Harris on Monday. ask“Do you think I fell out of a coconut tree?”
So are these memes effective at engaging Gen Z? Eric Dahan, CEO and co-founder of influencer marketing company Open Influence, said: luck Memes can function as a “major political weapon.”
“Americans get a significant portion of their news from social media, making memes the perfect vehicle for delivering bite-sized pieces of information and spin,” Dahan said.
“I think [Kamala Harris] “The only one that makes sense is her. She’s going to get the votes that Biden didn’t get,” said Will, a Gen Z construction worker in Portland. Said Guardian.”The Democratic Party needs bold action, and I believe she is exactly what we need.”
