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You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?

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You think you just fell out of a coconut tree? (0:22)
Harris remarks "You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?" at a May 2023 White House swearing-in ceremony.
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"You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?" is a rhetorical question raised by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris during remarks delivered at a May 2023 White House ceremony.

While footage from her speech attracted attention as an Internet meme in early 2024, the quote began circulating more widely amidst speculation that President Joe Biden would end his re-election campaign following a poor debate performance in June. Use of "coconut tree" memes referring to Harris expanded widely in July alongside the launch of her 2024 presidential campaign.

Remarks

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Harris and Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona attended a May 10, 2023, swearing-in ceremony for the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics (a Hispanic and Latino education initiative)[1] in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Addressing the new commissioners, Harris advised that work to achieve educational equity requires not only mustering financial resources but also addressing the cultural context that isolates students from their communities. Referring to a saying from her late mother Shyamala Gopalan, Harris said:

Part of the extension of the work you will do is, yes, focused on our young leaders and our young people, but understanding we also then have to be clear about the needs of their parents and their grandparents and their teachers and their communities, because none of us just live in a silo. Everything is in context.

My mother used to—she would give us a hard time sometimes, and she would say to us, "I don't know what's wrong with you young people. You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?" (Laughs.)

You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you.[2][3]

Use online

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Footage from the speech attracted attention beginning February 2024. Initial social media activity about the remarks, mostly by Republicans, mocked them as incomprehensible or ludicrous.[4][5] As speculation about Harris replacing Biden on the Democratic presidential ticket intensified in June 2024, the video was shared largely by her supporters, including members of the #KHive online community. The term "coconut-pilled", parodying the redpilled men's rights phenomenon, indicated support for a Harris candidacy among Democratic operatives and voters.[6][7] It began circulating more widely in June, after a poorly received debate performance by President Biden led to speculation that he might withdraw from his re-election campaign.[6]

In the days leading up to and after Biden's July 21 announcement that he would not seek re-election, supporters of Harris created memes and videos referencing coconuts and coconut trees as a sign of support for her bid for the nomination.[8] Coconuts and coconut trees have become integrated in a larger series of memes celebrating Harris's candidacy, including her once-professed love of Venn diagrams, the Charli XCX album Brat, and Harris's often-employed phrase "what can be, unburdened by what has been."[6][9] In these memes, to "fall out of a coconut tree" typically means that one lacks awareness of one's surroundings, akin to the phrase "living under a rock".[10]

The New York Times reported that enthusiasm for Harris and the coconut tree meme was driving a Washington-area surge in demand for piña coladas.[10]

By elected officials

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Biden's decision to drop out of the race and his subsequent endorsement of Harris as the party nominee led to intensified use of the "coconut tree" meme in reference to Harris, including by state and federal officials.[11][8] Minutes after Biden's announcement, Colorado governor Jared Polis tweeted emoji of a coconut, palm tree and American flag.[12] Later that evening, Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz posted a picture of himself climbing a coconut tree along with a message of support.[4] On July 22, after Illinois Governor JB Pritzker endorsed Harris, he responded to journalists speculating about his own presidential ambitions by tweeting, "You think I just fell out of a coconut tree?"[2]

When the Biden campaign Twitter account transitioned to "Kamala HQ" on July 21, the updated profile bio simply read "Providing context", a reference to the remarks.[13]

Reception

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Commentators noted that use of the coconut tree meme to depict Harris as ditzy may be grounded in sexism or in racist mockery of her Indian and Jamaican heritage, given the tropical symbolism of the coconut tree.[14][15] But as supporters began championing the video, Washington Post columnist Monica Hesse identified that it could aid depictions of the candidate as youthful and feminine, in contrast both to Biden and Republican nominee and current elected president: Donald Trump.[15]

Some Democratic strategists also noted that the coconut tree meme and others were driving augmented enthusiasm for Harris among members of Generation Z, which could potentially translate into an increase in youth voter turnout.[16][17] Media scholar David Karpf told Business Insider that the Harris campaign's encouragement of internet memes could foster an organic sense of grassroots enthusiasm akin to reception of the Obama 2008 campaign.[18] Vox's Christian Paz speculated that leaning into a goofy attitude could help Harris channel a "joyful warrior" ethos that combats sexist and racist stereotypes.[19]

According to Digital Cultures Lab founder Ramesh Srinivasan, Harris' mother, Gopalan, was born in the state of Tamil Nadu, where coconut trees are an important source of food and cooking oil. Harris, Srinivasan told the Los Angeles Times, is "fully coconut".[20]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Cohen, Li (July 22, 2024). "What to know about Kamala Harris' viral coconut tree meme: 'You exist in the context of all in which you live'". CBS News. Archived from the original on July 23, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Vaziri, Aidin (July 22, 2024). "How the coconut tree meme became the symbol of support for Kamala Harris". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  3. ^ "Remarks by Vice President Harris at Swearing-In Ceremony of Commissioners for the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics". The White House. May 10, 2023. Archived from the original on July 7, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Lukpat, Alyssa (July 22, 2024). "Why Kamala Harris Is Inspiring Coconut Tree Memes". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on July 25, 2024. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  5. ^ DeLetter, Emily (July 21, 2024). "'You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?' Kamala Harris meme resurfaces after Biden drops out". USA TodayY. Archived from the original on July 21, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c Schapitl, Lexie; Treisman, Rachel (July 22, 2024). "The Kamala Harris coconut tree meme, explained as best we can". NPR. Archived from the original on July 25, 2024. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  7. ^ Coleman, Theara (July 26, 2024). "The origin and evolution of the Kamala Harris coconut meme". The Week. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Kinnard, Meg; Yee, Curtis (July 22, 2024). "Harris steps into the limelight. And the coconut trees and memes have followed". Associated Press. Archived from the original on July 22, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  9. ^ Gerber, Dana (July 22, 2024). "A breakdown of the biggest Kamala Harris memes, for those who just fell out of a coconut tree". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on July 25, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  10. ^ a b Trebay, Guy (July 20, 2024). "Is This the Summer of the Kamala Harris Coconut Meme?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 23, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  11. ^ Javaid, Maham (July 22, 2024). "What coconut trees and Charli XCX's 'Brat' have to do with Kamala Harris". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on July 22, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  12. ^ Lowe, Lindsay (July 22, 2024). "Kamala Harris' coconut tree meme has resurfaced — explaining the viral quote". Today. Archived from the original on July 25, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  13. ^ Yang, Angela (July 22, 2024). "The internet has entered its Kamala Harris 'coconut tree' era". NBC News. Archived from the original on July 25, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  14. ^ Roberts, Molly (July 22, 2024). "Those Kamala Harris 'coconut tree' memes are organic. Handle with care". Opinion. Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  15. ^ a b Hesse, Monica (July 3, 2024). "Kamala Harris and the coconut tree of hope". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  16. ^ Roytburg, Eva (July 24, 2024). "Kamala Harris is wooing the cynical Gen Z vote with memes". Fortune. Archived from the original on September 17, 2024. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  17. ^ Anguiano, Dani (July 25, 2024). "Kamala Harris memes are all over the internet. Will tweets and TikToks turn into votes?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on September 17, 2024. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  18. ^ Bharade, Aditi; Goh, Amanda; Nelken-Zitser, Joshua; Weiss, Geoff (July 22, 2024). "Kamala Harris' media strategy right out the gate is young, fun, and unburdened by what has been". Business Insider. Archived from the original on July 24, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  19. ^ Paz, Christian (July 3, 2024). "Why is everyone talking about Kamala Harris and coconut trees?". Vox. Archived from the original on July 8, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  20. ^ Ebeledike, Neenma; Bonilla, Emely; Hayempour, Kayla; Branson-Potts, Hailey (July 24, 2024). "Coconuts, 'brat summer' and that laugh: The memeing of Kamala Harris". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 25, 2024. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
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