Plain 'weird' tactics are working for Kamala Harris's meme-fied campaign
Last week, presumptive US Democratic nominee Kamala Harris delivered one of the most important messages of her presidential campaign so far: "I've heard that recently I've been on the 'For You' page, so I thought I would get on here myself."
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She wasn't speaking to a typical crowd of supporters at a campaign rally, or to journalists at a White House press conference - but to an audience of 20 million TikTok users.
Following President Joe Biden's dismal debate performance in early June, Harris has ignited an explosion of memes and viral content online.
And with fewer than 100 days until Americans cast their vote, it's clear her campaign is trying to speak the digital language of Gen Z and harness youth-dominated social media platforms to gain traction with young voters.
Harris is no stranger to viral moments. In her past three years as Biden's vice president, she has been relentlessly mocked and meme-fied online for her so-called "word salads" and overuse of trademark phrases.
In recent weeks, however, her digital footprint has taken on a life of its own. Harris's passionate online fandom is dubbed the "K-Hive" in a nod to the name of Beyoncé's dedicated fanbase, the "BeyHive".
The K-Hive is embracing Harris's personality and political style in a wave of viral videos inspired by Gen Z trends and cultural touch points.
Let's take Harris's coconut tree comment as an example. Last year at a White House event in May, the vice president jokingly said, quoting her mother, "you think you just fell out of a coconut tree?"
"You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you."
This now-viral quote has resurfaced and spawned endless online content. Many online users (and........
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