The Coconut Tree: Why The Characterisation of Politicians Has Killed Political Accountability

Photo courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

"You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?" 

No, this is not the opening line of the Moana sequel. These were the famed words spoken by Kamala Harris which skyrocketed her to TikTok success. The sound now has thousands of uses and is perhaps one of the most well known phrases spoken by the presidential candidate, especially amongst young people on social media. Indeed, individuals have gone as far as to remix her voice with Charli XCX BRAT lyrics. 

Is this a problem? Perhaps.

Ask a young person today what they remember of Boris Johnson's political career. Some will remind you of the tens of thousands of COVID deaths under his administration. Some will cite the parties held by the Tories during the national lockdown. But a significant proportion of them will mention the beautiful 'bloo' passport Johnson introduced, or perhaps even the photo of him dangling dejectedly on a zip-line, legs akimbo, clad in union jacks.

This characterisation of our politicians, accelerated by quirky media sound bites (honourable mention- Theresa May wheat-gate), is perhaps indicative of something much more sinister. Indeed, by 'celebretising' our politicians, do we not risk removing accountability for them?

One only has to look as far as the 2016 UK election to see the impact of treating our politicians like celebrities. Johnson manipulated his image such that voters saw only the maladroit character he proclaimed to be, and not the politician behind the comically-posh voice, who once labelled gay men 'tank-topped bum-boys' and Muslim women 'letterboxes'. His mendacity and incoherence was labelled as a testament to his 'informal and silly' character, as opposed to an indictment of his dishonesty. 

Trump’s recent media sound bites further illustrates this. Audios from his debates are circulating on social media, namely his proclamation that he has ‘concepts of a plan’, or him drolly announcing that ‘Ron DeSantis needs a personality transplant’. Using these audios for comedic content may seem harmless, but it contributes to the conflation of political leaders with celebrities.

In Trump’s case, his fabricated personality permits him to say almost anything without losing approval from his supporters. His vague ‘concepts of a plan’ are not seen as a sign of incompetence, but as him ‘trolling the media’. This is problematic. For Trump, veneration has replaced healthy scepticism and accountability; anything distasteful he does can be simply attributed to his ‘authentic self’. 

Even by 'memefying' our politicians, we render them harmless, rather than incredibly important world leaders who wield immense power on the world stage. 'Grandpa' Joe doesn’t seem half as endearing when one examines his decisions to fund arms used in the Gazan genocide. 

This phenomenon of treating politicians like celebrities has begun to occur across the scope of the political spectrum. Making speed edits of Alexandra Ocasio Cortez, or calling Zarah Sultana a #Girlboss, can be just as harmful. Ultimately, politicians are public servants before anything else. Whilst showing support for them is great, forming a cult of personality around them is not. It causes politicians to be treated like celebrities, overlooking their mistakes and ethical violations, in favour of ‘funny clips of Boris Johnson at Peppa Pig world’.

This is not to say social media cannot provide an excellent platform for raising political awareness, nor that there is no place for humour on the global political stage. Political satire has been around for decades. But the characterisation of politicians isn't satire: it is a calculated strategy that risks diminishing scrutiny for politicians. 

And whilst the Coconut Nut Tree Remix is objectively great, and whilst anything that prevents a convicted wotsit from getting into office seems ideal, it is worth considering whether treating our elected representatives as famed celebrities is the most wise decision, in particular when we seek to maintain scrutiny over them.