I Thought He Called Her a Brat

Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) recently revealed to CNN his initial misunderstanding of pop singer Charli XCX’s endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris. Takano explained that he thought fans of Charli XCX were calling Harris a “brat” instead of recognizing it as an endorsement.

In the past few weeks, particularly after President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the 2024 race in favor of Harris, there has been a surge in memes featuring Vice President Harris alongside imagery from Charli XCX’s new album, Brat. The album explores themes around womanhood, insecurity, competition, motherhood, relationships, and partying, as noted by NBC News.

Charli XCX’s endorsement of Harris became more pronounced when she tweeted, “kamala IS brat,” expressing her support for the Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate. This tweet was widely circulated, strengthening the association between Harris and the pop singer’s new album.

Takano joined the trend by posting his own Brat-themed Harris meme. However, during an interview with CNN anchor Pamela Brown, he conveyed his initial confusion regarding the trend.

When asked if he knew who Charli XCX was before this trend, Takano candidly admitted:

“I did not know who she was before this. I just saw it on Instagram, a couple of younger people that I have, you know, that are connected to the Instagram, I said, ‘What is this?’ You know, ‘What is this brat summer?’ ‘Cause I thought he was calling her a brat, but it’s not that Kamala Harris is a brat, it’s she is brat, and then I started listening to music and I said, ‘Oh wow,’ so we put out our own meme and I’m ahead of the curve with my colleagues.”

According to NBC News, the fans of Charli XCX have declared this summer a “brat summer” in celebration of the album’s release. This concept is all about embracing being earnest and unapologetically oneself. Many fans have tied Vice President Harris into their celebrations, posting videos of her alongside tracks from the album with captions like “im so kamala.”

Source: CNN, NBC News