Hillary-Hating

AS A POLITICIAN WHO BECAME FAMOUS FOR BEING ANOTHER POLITICIAN’S WIFE, HILLARY CLINTON HAS LONG BEEN A LIGHTNING ROD FOR AMERICAN FEARS (AND HOPES) ABOUT THE STATE OF GENDER. ALTHOUGH MOST COMMENTATORS AGREE THAT SHE HAS BEEN HATED UBIQUITOUSLY SINCE 1992, SCHOLARSHIP ON HILLARY-HATING ALMOST ALWAYS CONSIDERS IT A MALE IMPULSE. THIS PAPER ASKS WHY RIGHT-WING AMERICAN FEMINISTS HATE HILLARY CLINTON. THE AUTHOR STUDIED “WOMEN FOR TRUMP” FACEBOOK PAGES, FOCUSING ON MEMES THAT PRESENT THE PRO-CHOICE CLINTON AS A MONSTROUS (ANTI-)MOTHER. HATRED OF CLINTON IS NOT PRODUCED BY ‘REASONABLE’ PUBLIC DEBATE, THIS PAPER ARGUES; MORE IMPORTANT ARE THE POTENT AFFECTIVE CHARGES CLINTON’S IMAGE CARRIES. A ‘MEMETIC’ ANALYSIS IS USED TO LOOK AT THE AFFECTIVE OBJECT-NESS OF CLINTON’S IMAGE: WHERE IT TRAVELS, WITH WHAT IMPETUS, AND WHAT RESPONSES IT PROVOKES. AFFECT PLAYS A CRUCIAL ROLE IN BOTH SHARING MEMES ONLINE AND THE WORKINGS OF MISOGYNY AND RACISM IN RIGHT-WING WOMEN’S PURSUIT OF THE AMERICAN DREAM.