Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Doug Mills
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis took to social media on Monday to accuse the media of ‘gaslighting’ the American people. He ridiculed the coverage of Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign and referenced the film Mean Girls in his critique. Using the movie’s famous phrase “fetch,” DeSantis shared his thoughts on X (formerly Twitter).
He posted, “Is it possible to completely manufacture a cultural phenomenon by taking a vapid, leftist San Francisco Democrat and turning her into something that she’s not through nonstop gaslighting? Corporate media is certainly trying to make ‘fetch’ happen.” The term “fetch,” popularized by the movie Mean Girls, was used in the film to mean ‘cool’ or ‘awesome.’
DeSantis’s post also included the New York Magazine’s latest cover, which featured the headline, “Welcome to Kamalot.” In response to DeSantis’s remark, some users on social media suggested he might not be familiar with the film. One user wrote, “He never saw Mean Girls. One of his staffers told him about it.” Another critic quipped, “DeSantis whipping out the big words… that he’s apparently learning from movies made 20 years ago…”
Additionally, some mockingly added, “Stop being so weird Ron. You know you would take the Ronalot cover shoot if offered.” Another user commented, “Man whose extremely online, media-manufactured clout led to global humiliation has thoughts on a woman who will actually be her party’s nomination.”
DeSantis’s comments came amid widespread mockery of the ‘Kamalot’ cover, which debuted on Monday. The New York Magazine issue, captioned “Welcome to Kamalot! Our new issue grapples with the two weeks that reshaped the 2024 election — and the thrill of taking a risk on Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee,” highlighted Harris’s campaign following President Joe Biden’s historic exit from his reelection bid.
The cover received a mixed reception online, with some finding it cringeworthy. One user joked, “At first I thought it was a dung ball, but then I realized it was a giant coconut. Why are they making a gaffe she made the symbol of her campaign?” Another outraged user questioned, “So…with a Jamaican/Indian woman apparently the Dem nominee you picked a coconut? Coconuts are normally associated with monkeys in media.
Have you guys talked to your artists about this unfortunate implication?” Critics deemed the situation ’embarrassing,’ with one stating, “Basically tech ditched anything related to her past failures and unpopularity while media tried to sell us the idea she was never disliked and is in fact the greatest thing ever. You all are loathsome.”
