Imagine being amidst the flaming fallout of a Spice Girls comeback event subsequently ruined by a zombie invasion – that was the essence of brat summer. It captured the ghostly resurgence of the British Pop girl power spirit, set to the backdrop of New Labour. Popping with acid green, it encompassed a laid-back vibe best described by artist CharliXCX, who paved the way for this trend with her summer hit ‘Brat’. Her words convey it perfectly: “a pack of cigarettes, a Bic lighter and a carefree white top without a bra”. It embraced fun even amidst chaos, and it was a bold defiance to the polished girl image dominating TikTok. Picture dancing amid smouldering remnants of a ruined future.
Now, this attitude seems to have inspired the online campaign of Kamala Harris. A video featuring Harris was shared by X user @ryanlong03 on July 3rd, set to CharliXCX’s remixed ‘Von Dutch’ track. In the video, Harris is seen addressing an audience from a stage – “My mother would admonish us sometimes, telling us, ‘I cannot fathom what is wrong with younger generation. Do you assume you just spontaneously sprung from a coconut tree? Your existence is relative to your surroundings and your ancestry.’ Everything is within context”, she says.
On July 21st, CharliXCX sent a tweet to her massive following of 3.7 million people, stating “Kamala is BRAT.” The Harris campaign team warmly embraced this title, even going as far as changing the colour theme of the campaign’s X and Instagram profiles (@Kamalahq) to the trend’s signature acid green. According to an expert in media analysis, the campaign, likely run by a dexterous team of 25-year-olds, astutely balances; they are ‘immersing themselves into the culture rather than invading it’. The added endorsement from Taylor Swift after the debate with Trump was another strong win. What Hillary Clinton painfully discovered back in 2016 with those embarrassingly out-of-place Pokémon GO references, it’s primarily about context.
The fickle and mercurial nature of Conor McGregor’s politics have taken various turns, transitioning from supporting lockdowns to being against immigration and even further. Currently, there’s a prevailing TikTok trend featuring soft autumnal vibes, mindfulness, and notably #Demure Autumn. This online phenomenon appears to be a combination of the Gossip Girl aesthetic, the Tradwife movement and Gen Z’s influence. It has been further popularised by renowned political figure Ms Harris and her iconic silk blouses and chic blow-dry. She epitomises the phrase “very demure, very mindful,” as mentioned in a viral quote from the Tradwife movement.
Lebron, a popular trans makeup artist with a massive fan base totalling 2.2 million, introduced the phrase in a light-hearted manner while demonstrating an elegant and subtle makeup look. While some accept the term at face value, implying a return to a more simple and traditional etiquette, it is important to note that Lebron’s phrases were shared in a mocking spirit, satirising the expectations around feminine decorum.
This provides us with the backdrop to understanding the latest social media trends, like the recent flashes of Kamala Harris as either #Brat or #Demure. But what does this reveal about the present mainstream political climate?
Thus far, criticism towards the Harris campaign has focused on it being vibrant – cheerful, patriotic, forward moving America! – but lacking depth in policy detail. However, this doesn’t necessarily matter to the predominantly internet-oriented generation, who base their preferences and affiliations on the overall vibe. As philosopher Robin James explains with her research, a ‘vibe’ is essentially an aura or emotion that is unexplainable but still feels right. Social media platforms flourish thanks to such vibes, with visuals and audio reigning supreme over text.
In today’s society, the internet is less about a consistent narrative or truth and more about getting a fix of Kyle Chayka’s “moments of audio-visual eloquence”. It’s not specifically about what’s absolutely right or wrong, but rather about experiencing a certain emotional response. Iconic images like Trump’s rumoured assassination example, the Tradwife dressed in complete cottage core attire or the refined appearance of Kamala Harris convey the current intricate relationship between our visual culture, online consumption and our politics which thrive on such vibes.
Furthermore, this discussion brings up the dark underside of the Tradwife movement.
Deborah Ging, the professor of digital culture and gender at DCU, analyses the tradwife fad that has exploded on the mainstream through TikTok in 2024, with Aideen Finnegan as the producer and presenter. Both Donald Trump and Elon Musk (a fervent admirer of Trump known for his ability to influence the markets solely on charm and illusionary promises) have comprehended this phenomenon. Musk’s now-erased posted regarding not attempting to assassinate Biden/Kamala after the alleged golf course shooting incident is an evidence of this very understanding.
Similarly, Kamala Harris’s campaign holds its own charm. Videos on YouTube, dedicated to Harris’s fervent use of the phrase “What can be, unburdened by what has been”, signals at a brighter future, unscathed by the past. Her new-age speaking manner, compared by professionals to influential personalities like Oprah and her penchant for manifestation gurus or Eckhart Tolle’s ‘The Power of Now’, is evident in her speeches. Tolle’s appeal to his reader’s consciousness and to not let the past or personal situations deter them is echoed in her speeches.
Her speeches strike the right chords but often risk coming off as a bland drill in centre progressive politics: calling for reductions in crime, promoting house ownership for first time buyers and protecting the middle class. As an elder millennial, she invokes a reference to The Simpsons when quoting, “Abortions for some, miniature American flags for others!”
The failure of Hilary Clinton’s 2016 campaign could be attributed not solely to a lack of internet knowledge or the absence of youth voter support, but potentially to a missed insight into the paradigm shift between rhetoric and appeal. This could represent the end of a specific type of slow, policy-driven, incremental politics. The outcry of Clinton’s supporters after her electoral loss signifies an epiphany: contemporary politics operates under a brutal appeal, where the previous rules have become obsolete.
Rachel O’Dwyer is employed as a lecturer specialising in digital cultures at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, in addition to her role as a writer.