In 2024, CNN still seems unable to accurately report on the pop culture trends that resonate with Americans under 35. Starring Jake TapperDuring the show, the 55-year-old anchor botched his explanation for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris adopting a meme popularized by young people online.
He first steered the conversation toward what he called the Kamala Harris campaign’s “appeal to Gen Z.” He began: “Singer Charli XCX tweeted last night: ‘Kamala is brat.’ This was a reference to her album, which is called ‘Brat.’
Then the first signs of trouble appeared. “Kamala tagged her Kamala HQ Twitter page with the same aesthetic as the album,” he said, adding, “That’s another word for Gen Z, aesthetic.” Unfortunately, ” “Aesthetics” is not a Gen Z word; it is just a word.
Then, to learn more about the Gen Z phenomenon, Tapper turned to 69-year-old staff reporter Jamie Gangel. By her own admission, Gangel was not the right person for the job. Yet she stammered: “First of all, for my producer Elizabeth Stewart, she spits out her coffee when I say that – I should have said ‘that’s a brat’.” She added with knowing sarcasm, “And, for those who don’t know me, [brat] It’s a cool thing.
YouTube lets you create AI music that sounds like Charli XCX (with permission)
Gangel continued, holding up a physical printout of Kamala’s headquarters Twitter page. “It has a color – chartreuse – that Kamala Harris has adopted on any social media page.” She looked at the paper, shook her head, and said the last thing.
Gangel then put on his reading glasses and recited a quote on his phone, in a font so large and bold that it was clearly visible on camera in an over-the-shoulder shot. This is Charli XCX’s definition of a brat: “You’re that girl who’s a little bit sloppy, likes to party, and maybe says some stupid things sometimes.”
Popular stories that can be mixed and matched
As expected, Tapper was confused. “Are we all just kids?” he asked the people at the table. “Vice President Harris is a brat?”
That’s when Kaitlan Collins, 32, the youngest person in the room, was finally able to tell the truth. “I don’t know now if Who are you Baby,” she told Tapper (and she was right). “You long to be a child, but you don’t just want to be a child. You have to try.
Collins clarifies the essence of “brat-core”: it’s you, an enviable intangible asset. As a compliment, it evokes the same “je ne sais quoi” as the it-girl, although the little kid may have a more unapologetic or provocative approach to life.
Nonetheless, Tapper fired Collins. “The point is [Harris]or some very smart people working for her who are going to the right place [Gen Z] In their own language, it was clear that no one at this table spoke. .
Ironically, while Charli XCX’s “boy” culture is popular among Gen Z, it yes Largely made by millennial women and gay men. Charli XCX, 31, is a millennial herself and has been making music for her peers since 2013.
It would be easy to dismiss CNN’s brief, comical coverage of America’s political youth culture as folly. But the reality is that Gen Z may be the king in this election. NBC exit polls from the 2020 election showed that 65% of people between the ages of 18 and 24 (an age group made up almost entirely of Generation Z) voted for President Joe Biden. This is 11% more than any other age group. Since then, the president has struggled to gain support from Gen Z and Millennial voters.
Now, with the addition of millennial Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance, the district may be more dynamic than ever. As Tapper said, Kamala Harris may be able to win back voters by speaking to them in their language. Participating in a wildly popular and relatively innocuous meme is the first step in reviving a base of young voters impressed by Biden.
CNN (CNN) could follow her lead and hire reporters who understand and respect the voters they cover. Because while CNN’s gray-haired pundits may not understand how to connect with Millennial and Gen Z voters, the Harris campaign certainly does. That’s probably why they won the election.
