brat Summer: A Case for Charli XCX Changing the Course of History
A British pop star dropped a vomit green album of bangers this summer and she may have just saved democracy. The Brits have played their final hand against us, revolutionaries across the pond. One if by land, two if by Charli XCX.
I know this to be true because my intuition is playing out in popular news headlines. I had a whole wild thought about how — culturally — we have fallen into a meme of what democracy looks like… and yet, the stakes have never seemed higher. I feel this way because 1) I worry a lot. It’s chronic, and 2) because my first-ever former place of work (in the truest sense of the phrase) studies that very possibility every day. I acknowledge my bias, head-on.
Things I learned at the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy…
The information ecosystem is not a buzz phrase. This multiverse already exists, babe! Entire universes play out on our phones.
Disinformation, misinformation, and memes, oh my! Where do I even begin…
Technology is very much geared to raise capital, so often out of the public’s interest. Rather, devices and platforms operate with clear business objectives.
Technology is advancing faster than the human brain.
Communicatory patterns on these devices greatly affect public opinion, trust in our institutions, and our shared perceptions of truth.
I’m paraphrasing, but… you get it.
Twenty-three and thrown into a five-year, behind-the-scenes look at all things top-of-mind in this new digital age. Through a pandemic, an insurrection, and a bunch of other stuff, no less. I still don’t fully understand all those super-confusing topics, even after staring at them through a magnifying glass for a half-decade. There’s a reason why it’s so easy for so many people to know one small piece of information and communicate with it — across the globe, across all social strata, and within a matter of a seconds.
You think that TikTok dance just fell out of a coconut tree?
There’s a reason you know exactly what the previous statement is referring to… there’s a reason why a certain V(ee)P is having the ultimate brat summer. Today, our youngest generations are lost inside a quick-cut, immensely powerful dance album from a pop star who rose to popularity a decade ago. BRAT. The possibility of this happening, from a music business perspective, is near impossible. Just as impossible as a female president in this country. Kamala Harris is soaring on the wings of the latest meme craze and I wish I were kidding! For some reason, she has that power — the same power as her opponent, in this case. Yet, within this cultural-political tornado of WTF, there is one important differentiating factor. This combination of political zeitgeist and cultural information may have just unlocked the youth vote.
Within classic political maneuvering — unlocking this monster of a demographic is like solving a Rubik’s cube with your eyes closed. To that I say — blindfold me, please! Uncle Sam — I beg of you! The young people are splicing videos with other videos and shaping public discourse in ways I have never seen before. It’s ridiculous and exciting all at the same time. From where I am sitting, living inside my own Barbie Memehouse, anything is possible.
Sometimes the completely ridiculous can act as a buffer when faced with monumental change.
Memes spread like wildfire because of the technology available to us today, and in this flurry of speed and information-sharing, things don’t just have “moments.” Worldwide sensations can link up with one another now, shooting into a different stratosphere, altogether. Becoming something different, something more powerful. The return of Charlie XCX and her album brat, and the recent announcement of Kamala Harris’ candidacy are two shooting stars that have joined together in our collective digital sky.
To me — the thought of electing the first female President of the United States TITILATES me. Holding the pen in my hand, circling the bubble. My legs quiver just thinking about it. So, what the heck! Let’s just go for it! Even if we have to do that “Apple” dance all the way to the ballot box. I do not give a fuck because it’s starting to look like 1931 up in here and I am not about to willingly travel down that road again. I already know the ending and spoiler alert, a lot of people died. I have spent too much time studying how to move on from historical trauma to go down this obvious path toward destruction…I will not go quietly, either. Band-aid on the ear or not, I can stomp my feet, too. Though, can I truly be treasonous if my heart is truly benevolent?
Besides, we take chances on men all the time. Really mediocre, really grotesque men.
How about just this time around — when it matters — just this one time — we swing that pendulum in a different direction. I just — I just can’t believe it’s happening like this, but in the words of Charli XCX… I DON’T CARE — I LOVE IT.
some other digital goodies to consider:
This book of poetry is about acknowledging where you came from, accepting the inherited strengths and flaws, and finding a way to use that unique set of traits and lineage to forge a path forward. This book is for the black folks, the queerdos, the ones trying to make peace with childhood traumas, those looking for love, and those trying to make magic in a broken world.
Buy a physical copy on Amazon here.