{"id":199,"date":"2016-11-18T00:53:10","date_gmt":"2016-11-18T00:53:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.electionanalysis2016.us\/?page_id=199"},"modified":"2016-11-18T17:04:04","modified_gmt":"2016-11-18T17:04:04","slug":"dark-magic-the-memes-that-made-donald-trumps-victory","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.electionanalysis.ws\/us\/president2016\/us-election-analysis-2016\/section-6-internet\/dark-magic-the-memes-that-made-donald-trumps-victory\/","title":{"rendered":"Dark magic: the memes that made Donald Trump\u2019s victory"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"row \"><\/p>\n<p><div class=\"col-lg-3 col-md-3 col-xs-12 col-sm-3\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-544\" src=\"http:\/\/www.electionanalysis2016.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Ryan_Milner-bw.png\" alt=\"ryan_milner-bw\" width=\"227\" height=\"228\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.electionanalysis.ws\/us\/president2016\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Ryan_Milner-bw.png 452w, https:\/\/www.electionanalysis.ws\/us\/president2016\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Ryan_Milner-bw-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.electionanalysis.ws\/us\/president2016\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Ryan_Milner-bw-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.electionanalysis.ws\/us\/president2016\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Ryan_Milner-bw-60x60.png 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 227px) 100vw, 227px\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"ProfileText6\">\n<p class=\"BIO\"><strong><span class=\"CharOverride-35\">Dr Ryan M. Milner\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"BIO\"><em>Assistant Professor of Communication at the College of Charleston and the author of The World Made Meme: Public Conversations and Participatory Media. He is co-author of The Ambivalent Internet: Mischief, Oddity, and Antagonism Online<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"BIO\"><span class=\"EMAIL\">Email: milnerrm@cofc.edu<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-547\" src=\"http:\/\/www.electionanalysis2016.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Whitney_Phillips-bw.png\" alt=\"whitney_phillips-bw\" width=\"227\" height=\"228\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.electionanalysis.ws\/us\/president2016\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Whitney_Phillips-bw.png 452w, https:\/\/www.electionanalysis.ws\/us\/president2016\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Whitney_Phillips-bw-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.electionanalysis.ws\/us\/president2016\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Whitney_Phillips-bw-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.electionanalysis.ws\/us\/president2016\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Whitney_Phillips-bw-60x60.png 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 227px) 100vw, 227px\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"ProfileText6\">\n<p class=\"BIO\"><strong><span class=\"CharOverride-35\">Dr Whitney Phillips<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"BIO\"><em>Assistant Professor of Literary Studies and writing at Mercer University and the author of This Is Why We Can\u2019t Have Nice Things: Mapping the Relationship Between Online Trolling and Mainstream Culture. She is co-author of The Ambivalent Internet: Mischief, Oddity, and Antagonism Online<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"BIO\"><span class=\"EMAIL\">Email: phillips_wm@mercer.edu<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-256\" src=\"http:\/\/www.electionanalysis2016.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/US2016-Section-6-296x300.png\" alt=\"US2016 - Section 6\" width=\"296\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.electionanalysis.ws\/us\/president2016\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/US2016-Section-6-296x300.png 296w, https:\/\/www.electionanalysis.ws\/us\/president2016\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/US2016-Section-6-768x779.png 768w, https:\/\/www.electionanalysis.ws\/us\/president2016\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/US2016-Section-6-1010x1024.png 1010w, https:\/\/www.electionanalysis.ws\/us\/president2016\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/US2016-Section-6-60x60.png 60w, https:\/\/www.electionanalysis.ws\/us\/president2016\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/US2016-Section-6.png 1018w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 296px) 100vw, 296px\" \/><\/p>\n<h5 class=\"CampaignQuote6\">Section 6: Digital Campaign<\/h5>\n<div class=\"page-list\"><ul class=\"list-group-item\"><li class=\"page_item page-item-179\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.electionanalysis.ws\/us\/president2016\/us-election-analysis-2016\/section-6-internet\/did-russia-just-hand-donald-trump-the-presidency\/\">Did Russia just hand Donald Trump the Presidency?<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"page_item page-item-181\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.electionanalysis.ws\/us\/president2016\/us-election-analysis-2016\/section-6-internet\/taking-julian-assange-seriously-considering-wikileaks-role-in-the-us-presidential-campaign\/\">Taking Julian Assange seriously: considering WikiLeaks\u2019 role in the US presidential campaign<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"page_item page-item-183\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.electionanalysis.ws\/us\/president2016\/us-election-analysis-2016\/section-6-internet\/social-media-did-not-give-us-donald-trump-and-it-is-not-weakening-democracy\/\">Social media did not give us Donald Trump and it is not weakening democracy<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"page_item page-item-185\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.electionanalysis.ws\/us\/president2016\/us-election-analysis-2016\/section-6-internet\/trump-and-the-triumph-of-affective-news-when-everyone-is-the-media\/\">Trump and the triumph of affective news when everyone is the media<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"page_item page-item-187\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.electionanalysis.ws\/us\/president2016\/us-election-analysis-2016\/section-6-internet\/tweeting-the-election-political-journalists-and-a-new-privilege-of-bias\/\">Tweeting the election: political journalists and a new privilege of bias?<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"page_item page-item-189\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.electionanalysis.ws\/us\/president2016\/us-election-analysis-2016\/section-6-internet\/the-dissolution-of-news-selective-exposure-filter-bubbles-and-the-boundaries-of-journalism\/\">The dissolution of news: selective exposure, filter bubbles, and the boundaries of journalism<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"page_item page-item-191\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.electionanalysis.ws\/us\/president2016\/us-election-analysis-2016\/section-6-internet\/fighting-the-red-feed-and-the-blue-feed\/\">Fighting the red feed and the blue feed<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"page_item page-item-193\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.electionanalysis.ws\/us\/president2016\/us-election-analysis-2016\/section-6-internet\/two-tribes-go-to-vote-symbolism-on-election-day\/\">Two tribes go to vote: symbolism on election day<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"page_item page-item-195\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.electionanalysis.ws\/us\/president2016\/us-election-analysis-2016\/section-6-internet\/ideas-are-for-sharing\/\">Ideas are for sharing<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"page_item page-item-197\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.electionanalysis.ws\/us\/president2016\/us-election-analysis-2016\/section-6-internet\/in-the-age-of-social-media-voters-still-need-journalists\/\">In the age of social media, voters still need journalists<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p><\/div><\/p>\n<p><div class=\"col-lg-9 col-md-9 col-xs-12 col-sm-9\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"FIRST-PARA\"><span class=\"Hyperlink\">Move aside 2012<\/span>, the 2016 US Presidential election was the\u00a0<span class=\"ITALIC\">real<\/span>\u00a0meme election. Since the primary season kicked off, the American people have lent their time, attention, and Twitter hashtags to vernacular play with\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/observer.com\/2016\/03\/11-hilarious-little-marco-memes-mocking-rubios-florida-loss\/\"><span class=\"Hyperlink\">Little Marco<\/span><\/a>, Ted Cruz the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.gq.com\/story\/ted-cruz-loves-soup-zodiac-killer-maybe\"><span class=\"Hyperlink\">Zodiac Killer<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(or\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.eonline.com\/shows\/the_soup\/photos\/15702\/the-5-blobfish-on-the-internet-that-happen-to-look-just-like-ted-cruz\/476108\"><span class=\"Hyperlink\">blobfish<\/span><\/a>, or s<a href=\"http:\/\/www.eonline.com\/shows\/the_soup\/photos\/15702\/the-5-blobfish-on-the-internet-that-happen-to-look-just-like-ted-cruz\/476108\">w<\/a>e<a href=\"http:\/\/www.eonline.com\/shows\/the_soup\/photos\/15702\/the-5-blobfish-on-the-internet-that-happen-to-look-just-like-ted-cruz\/476108\">a<\/a>t<a href=\"http:\/\/www.eonline.com\/shows\/the_soup\/photos\/15702\/the-5-blobfish-on-the-internet-that-happen-to-look-just-like-ted-cruz\/476108\">y<\/a>,<a href=\"http:\/\/www.eonline.com\/shows\/the_soup\/photos\/15702\/the-5-blobfish-on-the-internet-that-happen-to-look-just-like-ted-cruz\/476108\">\u00a0<\/a>s<a href=\"http:\/\/www.eonline.com\/shows\/the_soup\/photos\/15702\/the-5-blobfish-on-the-internet-that-happen-to-look-just-like-ted-cruz\/476108\">a<\/a>d<a href=\"http:\/\/www.eonline.com\/shows\/the_soup\/photos\/15702\/the-5-blobfish-on-the-internet-that-happen-to-look-just-like-ted-cruz\/476108\">\u00a0<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/the-fix\/wp\/2016\/10\/06\/sad-ted-cruz-phone-banking-for-donald-trump-is-a-pretty-great-meme\/\"><span class=\"Hyperlink\">phone banker<\/span><\/a>), and the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/time.com\/4526816\/ken-bone-presidential-debate-memes\/\"><span class=\"Hyperlink\">disposable camera snapping sweater prodigy<\/span><\/a>\u00a0known as\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/the-intersect\/wp\/2016\/10\/10\/how-kenneth-bone-became-the-surprise-hero-of-the-presidential-debates\/\"><span class=\"Hyperlink\">Ken Bone<\/span><\/a>. Don\u2019t see any of your favorites? Try this\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2016\/11\/8\/13549666\/election-2016-clinton-trump-memes-alphabet-collection-best-of\"><span class=\"Hyperlink\">A-Z guide<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Basic-Paragraph-US\"><span class=\"REGULAR\">But it wasn\u2019t all fun and games. Alongside more lighthearted play were memes premised on broader identity politics. Progressives proudly reclaimed Donald Trump\u2019s accusations that many undocumented immigrants are \u201c<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.motherjones.com\/media\/2016\/10\/bad-hombres-nasty-woman-donald-trump-final-debate\"><span class=\"Hyperlink\">bad hombres<\/span><\/a><span class=\"REGULAR\">\u201d and Hillary Clinton is a \u201c<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2016\/10\/21\/us\/politics\/nasty-woman-and-bad-hombres-the-real-debate-winners.html\"><span class=\"Hyperlink\">nasty woman<\/span><\/a><span class=\"REGULAR\">.\u201d Conservatives, for their part, proudly reclaimed Clinton\u2019s assertion that racist, misogynist, and xenophobic Trump supporters were \u201c<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/2016\/09\/12\/clintons-deplorable-gaffe-touches-off-merch-meme-frenzy.html\"><span class=\"Hyperlink\">deplorables<\/span><\/a><span class=\"REGULAR\">.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Basic-Paragraph-US\"><span class=\"REGULAR\">On the furthest end of the conservative spectrum, white nationalists\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.splcenter.org\/fighting-hate\/extremist-files\/ideology\/alternative-right\"><span class=\"Hyperlink\">operating under the banner<\/span><\/a><span class=\"REGULAR\">\u00a0of the so-called\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/election-us-2016-37899026\"><span class=\"Hyperlink\">alt-right<\/span><\/a><span class=\"Hyperlink\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"REGULAR\">were especially prolific. Participants hijacking\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/motherboard.vice.com\/read\/hillary-clinton-is-right-pepe-is-a-white-supremacist\"><span class=\"Hyperlink\">Pepe the Frog<\/span><\/a><span class=\"REGULAR\">, for example, managed to catapult its maybe ironic, maybe sincere bigotry to mass attention, prompting months of\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/news\/anti-defamation-league-pepe-artist-sad-frog-hate\/\"><span class=\"Hyperlink\">journalistic coverage<\/span><\/a><span class=\"REGULAR\">\u00a0(and prompting us to declare the motives behind racist Pepe memes were\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/roomfordebate\/2016\/10\/03\/can-a-meme-be-a-hate-symbol-6\/a-meme-can-become-a-hate-symbol-by-social-consensus\"><span class=\"Hyperlink\">irrelevant<\/span><\/a><span class=\"REGULAR\">).<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Basic-Paragraph-US\"><span class=\"REGULAR\">Alt-right icon, Breitbart editor, and\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2016\/07\/20\/technology\/twitter-bars-milo-yiannopoulos-in-crackdown-on-abusive-comments.html\"><span class=\"Hyperlink\">exiled Twitter hate vessel<\/span><\/a><span class=\"REGULAR\">\u00a0Milo Yiannopoulos has called this \u201c<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/milo\/2016\/05\/04\/meme-magic-donald-trump-internets-revenge-lazy-entitled-elites\/\"><span class=\"Hyperlink\">meme magic<\/span><\/a><span class=\"REGULAR\">,\u201d arguing the alt-right\u2019s \u201c<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/articles\/2016\/09\/22\/palmer-luckey-the-facebook-billionaire-secretly-funding-trump-s-meme-machine.html\"><span class=\"Hyperlink\">shitpost<\/span><\/a><span class=\"REGULAR\">\u201d machine is so influential it is able to directly influence the process in favor of their \u201c<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/entry\/trump-god-emperor-creepy-reddit_us_579a6970e4b08a8e8b5d38b5\"><span class=\"Hyperlink\">God Emperor<\/span><\/a><span class=\"REGULAR\">\u201d Trump, whose unapologetic bigotry the alt-right embraced and helped perpetuate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Basic-Paragraph-US\"><span class=\"REGULAR\">Despite the alt-right\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/the-intersect\/wp\/2016\/11\/09\/we-actually-elected-a-meme-as-president-how-4chan-celebrated-trumps-victory\/\"><span class=\"Hyperlink\">gleeful self-congratulation<\/span><\/a><span class=\"REGULAR\">, however, 2016\u2019s \u201cmeme magic\u201d conjured very little wholly new. If 2016 was the meme election, it\u2019s not because of alt-right shitposts or<a id=\"_idTextAnchor029\"><\/a>\u00a0even\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/mic.com\/articles\/147711\/donald-trump-s-star-of-david-hillary-clinton-meme-was-created-by-white-supremacists\"><span class=\"Hyperlink\">Trump himself<\/span><\/a><span class=\"REGULAR\">. Rather, it\u2019s because Trump tapped into prejudices bigger and older than the internet: hateful racial stereotypes, oppressive gender norms, sweeping anti-elitism, and good old fashioned fear of the other. By tugging at these strings, Trump ran a campaign whose platform consisted not of policy proposals or thoughtful argumentation, but almost entirely of memes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Basic-Paragraph-US\">The term\u00a0<span class=\"ITALIC\">meme<\/span>\u00a0in this sense, as described by\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/mitpress.mit.edu\/books\/world-made-meme\"><span class=\"Hyperlink\">Milner<\/span><\/a>, doesn\u2019t merely label internet play. Online or off, memes emerge when resonant ideas spread within and across social collectives. Factual, objective truth isn\u2019t a requisite if underlying idea connects and compels sharing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Basic-Paragraph-US\"><span class=\"REGULAR\">Through savvy appropriation of supporters\u2019 existing anxieties and biases, Trump exploited this process, invoking the following resonant memes:<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Basic-Paragraph-US ParaOverride-4\"><span class=\"_idGenBNMarker-1\">\u2022<\/span><span class=\"REGULAR\">Many Mexicans are\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2015\/jul\/02\/donald-trump-racist-claims-mexico-rapes\"><span class=\"REGULAR\">murderers and rapists<\/span><\/a><span class=\"REGULAR\">, (so we need to \u201c<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.freep.com\/story\/news\/local\/michigan\/oakland\/2016\/11\/10\/royal-oak-middle-wall-viral\/93582256\/\"><span class=\"REGULAR\">build the wall<\/span><\/a><span class=\"REGULAR\">\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Basic-Paragraph-US ParaOverride-4\"><span class=\"_idGenBNMarker-1\">\u2022<\/span><span class=\"REGULAR\">Muslims pose a threat to national security and should be barred entry (until we can \u201c<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2015\/12\/07\/politics\/donald-trump-muslim-ban-immigration\/\"><span class=\"REGULAR\">figure out what is going on<\/span><\/a><span class=\"REGULAR\">\u201d with them)<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Basic-Paragraph-US ParaOverride-4\"><span class=\"_idGenBNMarker-1\">\u2022<\/span><span class=\"REGULAR\">Crime is rising in \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/donald-trumps-imaginary-inner-cities\/\"><span class=\"REGULAR\">inner cities<\/span><\/a><span class=\"REGULAR\">\u201d full of dangerous, violent people (read \u201cblack people\u201d and \u201cpoor people\u201d)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Basic-Paragraph-US ParaOverride-4\"><span class=\"_idGenBNMarker-1\">\u2022<\/span><span class=\"REGULAR\">There\u2019s unchecked voter fraud (especially in those \u201cinner cities,\u201d and so you have to watch, and by watch \u201cyou know what I\u2019m talking about, right?\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Basic-Paragraph-US ParaOverride-4\"><span class=\"_idGenBNMarker-1\">\u2022<\/span><span class=\"REGULAR\">The federal government is full of corrupt failures (and Trump will \u201c<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ibtimes.com\/what-does-drain-swamp-mean-president-elect-donald-trumps-favorite-saying-has-harsh-2443961\"><span class=\"REGULAR\">drain the swamp<\/span><\/a><span class=\"REGULAR\">\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Basic-Paragraph-US ParaOverride-4\"><span class=\"_idGenBNMarker-1\">\u2022<\/span><span class=\"REGULAR\">\u201cCareer politicians\u201d are untrustworthy (contrasted with Trump who \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/blogs\/plum-line\/wp\/2015\/09\/24\/morning-plum-no-donald-trump-isnt-really-telling-it-like-it-is\/\"><span class=\"REGULAR\">tells it like it is<\/span><\/a><span class=\"REGULAR\">\u201d and \u201c<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.csmonitor.com\/USA\/Politics\/Politics-Voices\/2015\/0810\/Donald-Trump-why-he-says-what-he-thinks-is-overrated-video\"><span class=\"REGULAR\">says what he thinks<\/span><\/a><span class=\"REGULAR\">\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Basic-Paragraph-US ParaOverride-4\"><span class=\"_idGenBNMarker-1\">\u2022<\/span><span class=\"REGULAR\">\u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/post-politics\/wp\/2016\/09\/27\/at-florida-rally-trump-resumes-attacking-crooked-hillary-clinton\/\"><span class=\"REGULAR\">Crooked Hillary<\/span><\/a><span class=\"REGULAR\">\u201d Clinton is a criminal (so we should \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/video\/politics\/trump-on-clinton-lock-her-up-is-right\/2016\/10\/10\/fd56d59e-8f51-11e6-bc00-1a9756d4111b_video.html\"><span class=\"REGULAR\">lock her up<\/span><\/a><span class=\"REGULAR\">\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Basic-Paragraph-US ParaOverride-4\"><span class=\"_idGenBNMarker-1\">\u2022<\/span><span class=\"REGULAR\">Women are emotional slaves to their biology (especially when a woman has \u201c<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/nypost.com\/2015\/08\/08\/trump-megyn-kelly-had-blood-coming-out-of-her-wherever\/\"><span class=\"REGULAR\">blood coming out of her&#8230;wherever<\/span><\/a><span class=\"REGULAR\">\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Basic-Paragraph-US ParaOverride-4\"><span class=\"_idGenBNMarker-1\">\u2022<\/span><span class=\"REGULAR\">Women who get abortions are waging a war against future generations (and therefore \u201c<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vox.com\/policy-and-politics\/2016\/10\/5\/13170746\/trump-pence-abortion-vp-debate-punish-women\"><span class=\"REGULAR\">should be punished<\/span><\/a><span class=\"REGULAR\">\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Basic-Paragraph-US ParaOverride-4\"><span class=\"_idGenBNMarker-1\">\u2022<\/span><span class=\"REGULAR\">Women are sexual objects (\u201c<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/time.com\/4523653\/donald-trump-leaked-audio-women\/\"><span class=\"REGULAR\">grab them by the pussy<\/span><\/a><span class=\"REGULAR\">,\u201d the President-Elect suggests)<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Basic-Paragraph-US ParaOverride-4\"><span class=\"_idGenBNMarker-1\">\u2022<\/span><span class=\"REGULAR\">America needs to return to its glorious roots (i.e. that we can \u201cMake America Great Again\u201d by going back to a time of\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.realclearpolitics.com\/video\/2016\/09\/07\/bill_clinton_if_youre_a_white_southerner_you_know_what_make_america_great_again_really_means.html\"><span class=\"REGULAR\">much narrower political and social enfranchisement<\/span><\/a><span class=\"REGULAR\">)<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"FIRST-PARA\">These ideas are memetic; each resonates independent of factual realities, to the point of\u00a0<span class=\"ITALIC\">countering<\/span>\u00a0factual realities. Why these memes resonated with Trump\u2019s supporters is, like the motivations behind the alt-right\u2019s \u201cmeme magic,\u201d opaque. Maybe they agreed (\u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/election-us-2016-36493678\">he says what we\u2019re thinking<\/a>\u201d). Maybe they cherry-picked the memes that resonated most, while downplaying others (in order to \u201cdrain the swamp\u201d you have to deal with a little \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/sports\/ftw\/2016\/10\/10\/pro-athletes-deny-trumps-locker-room-banter\/91859448\/\">locker room banter<\/a>\u201d). Maybe they just couldn\u2019t stand the thought of electing&#8230;that woman\u2026 (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/larry-womack\/stop-pretending-you-dont-_b_12191766.html\">a meme itself<\/a>). Maybe they were willing to burn down the house because one leg of the table wobbles (that\u2019ll really \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/news\/opinion\/page\/ct-trump-putin-hillary-clinton-russia-page-perspec-1106-20161104-column.html\">shake things up<\/a>\u201d).<\/p>\n<p class=\"Basic-Paragraph-US\">What Trump himself thinks about the memes he propagates is unimportant. What matters is the impact these memes have. The most fundamental impact is they normalize hate and denigration to the point hate speech is no longer seen as hate speech. It just becomes\u00a0<span class=\"ITALIC\">speech<\/span>, whatever Trump happened to tweet that day was later reported by journalists as an expected part of the news cycle.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Basic-Paragraph-US\"><span class=\"REGULAR\">The second, more visceral, impact is the power of these memes to\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.slate.com\/articles\/news_and_politics\/politics\/2016\/11\/there_is_no_such_thing_as_a_good_trump_voter.html\"><span class=\"REGULAR\">undermine<\/span><\/a><span class=\"REGULAR\">\u00a0the basic sense of safety, worthiness, and political visibility of those populations&#8211;women, Mexican Americans, Muslim Americans, Black Americans, Americans with disabilities, the list goes on&#8211;that\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/nymag.com\/thecut\/2016\/10\/violence-committed-against-women-by-trump-supporters.html\"><span class=\"REGULAR\">have be<\/span><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/nymag.com\/thecut\/2016\/10\/violence-committed-against-women-by-trump-supporters.html\"><span class=\"REGULAR\">en<\/span><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/nymag.com\/thecut\/2016\/10\/violence-committed-against-women-by-trump-supporters.html\"><span class=\"REGULAR\">\u00a0target<\/span><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/nymag.com\/thecut\/2016\/10\/violence-committed-against-women-by-trump-supporters.html\"><span class=\"REGULAR\">ed<\/span><\/a><span class=\"REGULAR\">\u00a0by the memes Trump and his supporters circulate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Basic-Paragraph-US\"><span class=\"REGULAR\">And these memes will continue to work their dark magic, so long as they resonate with enough people willing to embrace&#8211;or conveniently ignore&#8211;their very real, embodied consequences.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":35,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-199","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.1 - 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