Kamala Harris suffered through Mike Pence’s constant interruptions with grace at the vice presidential debate. (CNN)
Kamala Harris telling Mike Pence “I’m speaking, Mr Vice President” during Wednesday night’s (October 7) debate has, of course, spawned a legion of memes.
The vice presidential debate saw Harris and Pence spar through pandemic-mandated Plexiglass over COVID-19, healthcare and racism.
Harris grilled Pence over the White House’s ineptitude on coronavirus, accusing the Republicans of “the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country” – thought failed to mention, as many had hoped, the vice president’s deep legacy of homophobia.
Ultimately, it was a night that is unlikely to significantly shift the needle, and will be remembered more for the memes it produced than anything else.
There were two stand-outs on the night that reverberated across social media: a fly hanging out on Pence’s head for nearly two full minutes, and Harris being forced to quieten the vice president again and again.
As Pence continuously talked over her, Harris summed up what the entire nation (if not the globe) was thinking with nothing more than her facial expressions.
An example of “my face will say it before my mouth do” #VPDebate pic.twitter.com/o7PBeVwwrO
— Ashley K. (@AshleyKSmalls) October 8, 2020
On more than one occasion, she was forced to rebuked him with a simple “Mr Vice President, I’m speaking”.
The ‘okehhh’ at the end kills me everytime pic.twitter.com/wBERhhKFSg
— Joshua Zitser (@mrjoshz) October 8, 2020
It was an effective, mannered method of taking back control – and of course, the internet was quick to do the absolute most with it.
when u puttin up with bullshit pic.twitter.com/SUw7lz99DE
— David Mack (@davidmackau) October 8, 2020
Just imagine Maya Rudolph yelling “Mr. Vice President, I’m speaking” on SNL this weekend #VPDebate pic.twitter.com/q6bFu1gsqq
— Crystal Mendoza (@SweetPea42089) October 8, 2020
Quickly, a clip of ‘Kamala Harris putting her heel on Mike Pence’s neck’ reached its logical endpoint – being mashed up with Lady Gaga’s ‘Chromatica II’ into ‘911’ transition.
Chromatica II into 911 but it’s Kamala Harris putting her heel on Mike Pence’s neck pic.twitter.com/FmHrODvowL
— Avatar Korra News & Facts (@JoeMichaelII) October 8, 2020
Indeed as Gayme Show presenter Matt Rogers pointed out, Lady Gaga would have made for a welcome addition to the debate, which saw Pence parrot a number of Donald Trump’s lies about his botched pandemic handling.
We need @ladygaga as a fact checker, every time there’s a lie she goes “THAT’S GOSSIP!” #VPDebate
— Matt Rogers (@MattRogersTho) October 8, 2020
After all was said and done, the consensus was that both candidates put in a better showing than their presidential running mates.
Harris was widely judged to have put in the stronger performance, making history as the first Black and South Asian woman to participate in a presidential election debate, and as many pointed out, exemplifying the grace with which women of colour are forced to carry themselves with in order to make it in a world where white men can “straight up lie” and still make it to the highest offices in the land.
Listen. The amount of mind Olympics Kamala has to do to not come across as angry, emotional, combative but also be firm, warm, honest, direct …all while this mf’er is straight up lying and gaslighting her.
Whew. The strength and the talent of Black women.
— Maya Watson (@mayawatson) October 8, 2020