close

Politics - News Analysis

Biden Strikes Back: White House Pushing ‘Dark Brandon’ Memes After Massive Victories

By

“Let’s Go Brandon.”

It all started with college football MAGAs thinking they were cool and had every right to simply start cheering “F*ck Joe Biden” at every game in a red state. Of course, it evolved. At a NASCAR event won by a guy named “Brandon,” the woman interviewing the driver said the crowd was yelling, “Let’s go Brandon” (and some were), while all MAGAs heard was, “F*ck Joe Biden.”

And so that’s “Let’s go Brandon,” non-beep code for “F*ck Joe Biden.”

Then there is “Dark MAGA,” and we have to tread lightly here because there is danger. Dark MAGA is like “alt-MAGA,” as in more fascist, more dangerous MAGA. One presumes that means more violence. In many ways, one shouldn’t allow them to brand themselves with a cartoon name and instead call them what they are, nazi fascists. But “Dark MAGA” is a thing, according to Mediaite:

“More of a meme than a political slogan, Dark MAGA is a post-alt-right aesthetic that promotes an authoritarian version of Trump in dystopian, Terminator-like images,” she explained, adding, “In some, the Trump Tower is painted entirely in black and the former president is seen piercing through the screen with blue laser eyes.”

Combine all that MAGA meme stuff together and then stomp on it with a huge victory like the one the White House pulled out last week, and it’s time to play role reversal a bit and go on offense when it comes to “branding.” It was on Saturday that the White House pulled out:

And then Senator Chris Murphy:

And “Dark Brandon” was born.

And on it goes. It’s growing organically now, Democrats on offense:

Keep going, Democrats. But be careful with that Dark MAGA thing. These are people that hung a banner at CPAC Texas that wrote “We are all Domestic Terrorists,” in solidarity with January 6th protesters.

But historically, one way to take the power out of a meme or a name is to adopt it as one’s own. It is why Black men call each other (sometimes) the “N-word,” following a pattern from time immemorial. One can steal the power of a word or a meme by adopting it and embracing it as one’s own, robbing it of its energy. Perhaps “Dark Brandon” will do the same.

Regardless, it is based upon winning, which is a good thing.

****

[email protected], @JasonMiciak, with Nicole Hickman

Jason Miciak
meet the author

Jason Miciak is a political writer, features writer, author, and attorney. He is originally from Canada but grew up in the Pacific Northwest. He now enjoys life as a single dad raising a ridiculously-loved young girl on the beaches of the Gulf Coast. He is very much the dreamy mystic, a day without learning is a day not lived. He is passionate about his flower pots and studies philosophical science, religion, and non-mathematical principles of theoretical physics. Dogs, pizza, and love are proof that God exists. "Above all else, love one another."

Comments

Comments are currently closed.

Recent Stories

Trending Stories