Election, So Confusing: Kamala Harris and her Brat Summer
Arguably the three most influential words of 2024 came from the Twitter account of the alt-pop turned mainstream superstar Charli XCX. As the entire internet became inundated with the abrasive green, and gen z’s obsession with everything brat related reached mind-boggling levels of popularity, it soon became clear that brat was more than just an album.
What makes brat so genius is its universality. The neon background provides an unignorable, obnoxious canvas for the loud and tacky font which reads whatever you choose. The website bratgenerator.com allows anyone to make their own relatable, eye-catching slogan which you can post to your feed. With its particular appeal to young voters, it is no surprise that the brat generator became a key tool in the presidential election race.
Despite Charli being English, ‘kamala is brat’ proved to be a key endorsement, and one that turned the presidential race on its head. The Kamala HQ twitter account immediately changed its banner to brat green, immediately exploiting the endorsement which in turn, attracted thousands upon thousands of gen z first-time voters.
Rejecting norms of femininity and clean girl aesthetics, and instead embracing the hedonistic and the bacchanal is certainly not what most would relate to the US presidency (although in light of Trump’s recent incoherent lunacy, I do not doubt that he has been ‘bumpin’ that) leaving many people confused. More likely it is imperialism, systemic racism, anti-immigrant rhetoric and legislation, as well as the ceaseless battering of women’s rights, which young voters associate with the presidential figure.
The issue is that presidential candidates have always been so detached from mainstream internet culture. Several attempts have been made over the years to appeal to young voters using internet trends, perhaps the most cringe-worthy being Hilary Clinton’s urging of voters to ‘Pokemon-Go to the polls.
Kamala, however, has proven to be easily memeable. The heavily retweeted and remixed ‘Coconut Tree’ snippet spent weeks circulating on X, meaning young voters were already familiar with her endearingly idiosyncratic side. Tapping into the brat trend only reinforced this.
Further aiding the brat-themed marketing is the fact that brat was always a ground-roots meme. It was started, circulated, shared by ordinary young people, whose meme made its way upwards to the establishment. The brat meme has become a lifeline from first-time gen z voters to the Harris campaign.
Something so simple as a noxious green background with a simple black text has inspired hope in young voters for the first time.
Words by Daisy Morrow
Cover Image Credit: bratgenerator.com
