I’m Still Processing CNN & Jake Tapper Explaining ‘Brat Summer’

Watching boomers and Gen Xers try to explain Gen Z nonsense to each other never fails to alter my brain chemistry.

By Kylie Cheung  |  July 23, 2024 | 12:08pm
Screenshot/Art by Kylie Cheung Politics
I’m Still Processing CNN & Jake Tapper Explaining ‘Brat Summer’

Lately, I am reminded every day that we are living through history—or at least we are living in the context of all in which we exist and all that came before us. On Monday, something even more historic than President Biden dropping out of the presidential race and passing the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris happened: CNN’s Jake Tapper and a panel of other…let’s say, 50+ year-old people (sorry, Jake and co!) had to explain “brat summer” to their equally, erm, 50+ year-old audience. 

No, the segment did not just fall out of a coconut tree. Here is the context: Shortly after Biden stepped down and endorsed Harris on Sunday, Charli XCX—the British singer, noted drug enthusiast, and queer icon and “cuntress”—tweeted, “kamala IS brat.” brat, of course, is Charli’s latest studio album, which came out in June and sparked an immediate, chartreuse-colored vibe shift, particularly among Gen Z, queer, and insufferably online communities. A “brat” is, essentially, a vibrant, fun, cunty goddess who is always up for a good time. Harris’ campaign, in a smart play for the youth vote that had largely turned away from 81-year-old Joe Biden, immediately ran with this, branding the campaign’s social media accounts with “brat” symbols and imagery. The official campaign Twitter account’s banner currently reads “kamala hq” in the brat font and is overlaid on a chartreuse background.

All of that brings us to Monday. Tapper and CNN correspondent Jamie Gangel did their darndest to explain the cultural phenomenon to their viewers, who, mind you, are primarily retirees like my parents. “For those who are not in the know the way I am, that is a cool thing. It has a color, chartreuse,” Gangel said. My favorite part is when she looks down at her notes and continues, quoting Charli herself, “Charli xcx, who I do know: ‘Brat: You’re just that girl who is a little messy and likes to party and maybe says some dumb things sometimes.’”

Tapper then addresses the panel to ask if everyone—including Harris—is a “brat,” to which anchor Kaitlan Collins responds, “I don’t know if you’re ‘brat.’ I think you aspire to be ‘brat’—you don’t just become ‘brat.’ You have to try.” Hmm! Well, sure, Kaitlan, but if you’re trying too hard to be “brat,” that’s not very “brat” either.

Gangel explains to Tapper that he can, indeed, be “brat” “if you work at it,” to which Tapper earnestly declares, “I will aspire to be ‘brat.’” Cool!

The CNN segment then played some of the viral TikTok edits of Harris looking very, err, joyful—dancing, laughing, talking about coconut trees—set to brat music, accompanied by brat colors and imagery. It’s something you’ll just have to see for yourself, really!

Look, I get it: Pandering is a part of politics! Biden’s old age and ineffectualness put the Democratic ticket severely at risk of losing the youth vote, and Harris’ tactical decision to embrace Charli and brat could perhaps do wonders with that demographic and queer voters, too. 

I would just give this caveat—“brats” are fun, but not stupid. If Harris wants Gen Z and queer voters, she’d better get to articulating the policy positions we’re demanding: a ceasefire in Gaza, student debt relief, health care, protections for queer and trans people, and abortion access. To Collins’ point, being “brat” does require some level of effort—specifically, a decent policy platform.

 
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