Coconuts for Kamala!

Kamala Harris is a meme queen, and her campaign is leaning into it.

The memefication of Kamala Harris is a phenomenon that is helping her connect with younger voters who overwhelmingly vote Democratic. Harris’ supporters, also known as the KHive, have been hard at work creating memes highlighting the Vice President’s political persona.

The “coconut tree” reference is from a speech Harris gave at a White House event in May 2023.

“My mother … would give us a hard time sometimes, and she would say to us, ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with you young people. You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?’” Harris said with a laugh. “You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you.”

To “fall out of a coconut tree” means that one lacks awareness of one’s surroundings, similar to the phrase “living under a rock.” “You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you” is now being shared by Gen Z as a sort of existential philosophy.

Kamala is Brat

British pop sensation Charli XCX mentioned Kamala in a tweet that called the vice president a “Brat,” which is the name of her latest album. According to Charli XCX, a “brat” is a woman who is a little messy and party-loving but honest and a little volatile, which appeals to Gen Z. TikTok is now home to memes recognizing Harris, who is younger and more active than Joe Biden and Donald Trump, as a “brat” candidate.

Ryan Long, a 22-year-old Charli XCX fan, created one of the most viral video edits.

why did I stay up till 3am making a von dutch brat coconut tree edit featuring Kamala Harris and why can’t I stop watching it on repeat? pic.twitter.com/hqcmerD1Pb

— ryan (@ryanlong03) July 3, 2024