Refining Meme Research

My research explores the theme of gender (as per the binary system in place) and race and how internet memes frame historical and controversial events.

This case study is focused on the Brett Kavanagh hearing regarding the allegations made by Dr. Ford against him. The memes are directly from Kavanaugh’s reaction of said claims from the hearing on September 27, 2018.

My proposed research question is: What messages are sent when internet memes are made regarding legislative hearings, specifically the Kavanagh hearing regarding allegations of sexual assault when featuring reactions targeting racial or gender?

To answer this question, I will study 10 internet memes highlighting Kavanagh’s reaction to the allegations during the hearing and observing how his response is compared to someone of a different gender or race.

Memes will be selected on the following criteria: include an image of Brett Kavanagh, are from the hearing held on September 27th, and text referencing gender and/or race.

Below are two examples in which I will include within this study. Both memes feature Kavanagh at the hearing and focus on either gender or race. These two memes specifically look at gender, in how there are double standards for women in the professional domain.

Credit: X 

This first meme depicts one of the many infamous images of Kavanagh, in which he is seen losing his composure during this rather severe moment. It directly highlights how women are told to keep their emotions in check; otherwise, they are deemed unstable enough for any position. However, when he lost his composure, he was considered to be as someone who was hurt and a passionate man trying to defend himself.

Credit: X 

The second meme showcases another infamous moment from the trial in which Kavanagh is screaming, and the women behind him show a range of emotions. This text indirectly calls out the notion that women should smile more, we even have the term “resting bitch face” because if women are not smiling, they are deemed to be a “bitch”.

These two memes highlight some of the main critiques made by women in how Kavanagh handled himself and was revered by those in support of him.