Is Kamala Harris post-cringe?

Kamala Harris is the presumptive Democratic nominee for President of the United States and the vibe shift across the US (and even Australia) is palpable. "There’s never been a more magical time than now," messaged a friend in Washington, DC this week. Others declared themselves "exhilarated," "hopeful," and "excited." Of her social feeds, a colleague observed "it suddenly went from nothing or 'most depressing election ever' to 'YASSS QUEEN' overnight."

As your American explainer, let me say that part of this giddiness stems from sheer relief. No one has to watch Donald Trump and Joe Biden argue about their golf game again. Liberals can stop holding their breath whenever they see 81-year-old Biden negotiate a set of stairs. And the hangovers from the uniquely dystopian 2016 and 2020 election cycles feel finally sweated out. Harris is the big bottle of blue Powerade everyone needed.

Listen: The Quicky discusses Kamala Harris' next steps as a presidential candidate here. Post continues after audio.

So there are rational reasons a lot of Americans feel good right now. But the reaction from the States is also a little bit surprising, because last time Kamala Harris ran for office — back in the pre-pandemic days of 2019 — her campaign was a flop. She was a California prosecutor running at a time when the police and law enforcement generally was reckoning with its racist and often violent record. Born to a Jamaican father and Indian mother, Harris’s life story was compelling, and her professional achievements in court and as a state politician were immense. Still, members of her own party found her patter unconvincing, and she dropped out of the presidential race early.

Voters at the time saw Harris as inauthentic and overtly ambitious in a way which reminded them, ominously, of Hillary Clinton. Like Clinton, Harris laughs loud. People hated that. And while her staffers, and her friends, and her big modern family maintained she was great to have a glass of pinot grigio with… well, what about beer? And why didn’t she have kids? The one time her campaign went viral was when she gave extremely detailed instructions on how to baste a Thanksgiving turkey. She liked good food, and that didn’t seem very serious.

Funny what a global pandemic will do. Levity is more important nowadays. In this WFH world wouldn’t we all wear Converse sneakers on the cover of Vogue, if given the chance? What was seen as "inauthentic" back in 2019 can now be viewed in a different light: as an eminently qualified Black woman seeking moments of joy while running for the most demanding job there is.

Kamala Harris. Image: Getty. 

Harris’s effusive verbosity has been reclaimed, too. During a once-infamous 2023 speech, Harris quoted her mother as saying, "'I don’t know what’s wrong with you young people. 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." At the time, that clip was shared by critics who labelled Harris "drunk" or "crazy." But in 2024, when we’re all toggling between a dozen open tabs in the internet browsers of our heads, Harris’s "word salad" feels familiar. Comforting, even.

Maybe what’s happening is that we’ve all moved beyond "cringe" — a word lobbed at Harris a lot — as criticism. When we use that term, aren’t we essentially criticising someone for being too much themselves? In The Atlantic last month, back when the concept of President Kamala Harris still felt impossibly far-fetched, writer Helen Lewis argued in favour of the Millennial Cringe of Taylor Swift, pointing to a "gaucheness" and openness about Swift’s feelings which has fuelled a sense of relatability, and with it, the singer-songwriter’s enormous success. "This is what we demand from our artists," wrote Lewis. "The modern virtues of accessibility, relatability, and inclusion." (Converse on a Vogue cover, anyone?)

Watch: President-elect Kamala Harris delivers her victory speech. Post continues after video.

By contrast, look at the dismal failure that is Katy Perry’s return. "Did Katy Perry release the worst comeback song of all time?," asked Rolling Stone this week of "Woman’s World," Perry’s new single. The lyrics are one thing — "Sexy, confident, so intelligent" is the opening gambit — but even as Perry claimed she was celebrating the "feminine divine," she also suggested the whole thing was an ironic ploy. Of the widely panned video — in which she oils her breasts, pumps petrol into her derriere and inexplicably steals a ring light from a bystander — Perry explained, "We’re having fun, being sarcastic with it."

Sarcasm, though, is over. Committing to the bit is in, and Kamala Harris is the post-cringe queen. As a widely circulating observation from X points out, "Republicans are criticising Kamala Harris for… *checks notes* laughing and dancing?" Energy wins elections, especially in places where voting is optional, and right now, everyone’s going coconuts for Vice President Harris.

Featured Image: Getty.

Calling all Australians aged 18+ years! Take our survey now to go in the running to win a $50 gift voucher.