ND Expert: Will ‘Brat Girl Summer’ translate into an autumn of Democratic victories? ‘It’s anybody’s guess’
In the past three days, people on social media have embraced British pop star Charli XCX’s online pronouncement that “Kamala IS brat.”
According to Sara Marcus, an assistant professor of English at the University of Notre Dame and author of “Girls to the Front: The True Story of the Riot Grrrl Revolution,” that translates to a declaration that Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party’s presumptive new nominee for president, embodies the sort of messy, complicated, casual womanhood that the singer’s recent album, “Brat,” depicts and celebrates in a series of infectious club anthems.
Harris is credible as a “brat,” Marcus said, because “she does slip into a striking informality of address at times — whether it’s her robust, unguarded laughter or her tendency to speak off-the-cuff.”
“These elements, which had been seen as potential liabilities, and had in some cases actually been wielded as Republican opposition research to discredit her, are instead turning out to be selling points,” Marcus noted. “Young people have grown weary of meticulously fine-tuning their social media presence and of watching a stream of online influencers broadcasting seemingly perfect lives. They crave celebrities who are able to project that elusive quality of ‘authenticity.’”
In light of this, Marcus added, it’s seen as a strength, not a weakness, that Harris doesn’t fit the age-old mold of the airbrushed, focus-grouped politician.
“This shouldn’t be so surprising. After all, it is Donald Trump’s own refusal to fit that mold that has accounted for much of his political success,” she said. “His supporters appreciate that he is unfiltered, that he says what’s on his mind. It is surprising, though, that the Democrats took so long to catch up with the times.
“What happens now? Will the ‘Brat Girl Summer’ translate into an autumn of Democratic victories, or will the ‘authenticity’ engine run out of fuel? It’s anybody’s guess.”
Contact: Carrie Gates, associate director of media relations, 574-993-9220, c.gates@nd.edu
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