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Performative violence: Charlie Kirk and the meme-ification of terror

Mimi Mihailescu @kagegirl.bsky.social · 2d

New article on @ecprtheloop.bsky.social: How Charlie Kirk’s murder reveals the terrifying intersection of meme culture and political violence. When terror becomes content optimised for engagement, what’s left of democracy?

theloop.ecpr.eu/performative...

#academicsky #meme #violence #CharlieKirk

The engraved bullets that killed Charlie Kirk in September 2025 were not simply evidence; they were content designed for viral circulation. Mimi Mihăilescu argues that this represents a trajectory fir...

The reality show republic: the Trump-Musk ego war

Mimi Mihailescu @kagegirl.bsky.social · Jul 29

Trump. Musk. One stage. No script. Democracy’s the casualty.

Read my piece in @ecprtheloop.bsky.social

👉 theloop.ecpr.eu/the-reality-...

#EgoWars #Trump #Musk #AcademicSky

The once steady alliance between Donald Trump and Elon Musk has now become a bitter feud. It has transformed what should be serious political discourse into a social media spectacle that perfectly enc...

The reality show republic: the Trump-Musk ego war

Reposted by Mimi Mihailescu

The Loop @ecprtheloop.bsky.social · Jul 29

🤺 The once steady alliance between Trump and Musk has now become a bitter feud.
📺 @kagegirl.bsky.social argues that #AmericanDemocracy is crumbling into a grotesque theatre where the world's most powerful men treat governance like a reality show. #USpolitics
👉 buff.ly/AvqKwkz

The once steady alliance between Donald Trump and Elon Musk has now become a bitter feud. It has transformed what should be serious political discourse into a social media spectacle that perfectly…

buff.ly

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Mimi Mihailescu @kagegirl.bsky.social · Jul 10

Thank you!!

Mimi Mihailescu @kagegirl.bsky.social · Jul 10

Thank you!! Looking forward to celebrating with you!!

Mimi Mihailescu @kagegirl.bsky.social · Jul 10

Thank you!!!

Romania's misogynist political apparatus

Mimi Mihailescu @kagegirl.bsky.social · Jul 8

🎓 Just defended and got awarded my PhD thesis on #memes

Huge thanks to @iuliacioroianu.bsky.social, @aurelmondon.bsky.social & @hildecoffe.bsky.social for supporting my deep dive into meme maddens.

And to @uniofbath.bsky.social for letting me do this #research!

#PhD #Viva #PhDone #AcademicSky

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Reposted by Mimi Mihailescu

The Loop @ecprtheloop.bsky.social · Jul 3

On 31 May, Romanian reality star #TeodoraMarcu was shot dead by her former partner. 🪧 Thousands protested, but the state was silent.  
❌ @kagegirl.bsky.social argues Romania’s democracy must confront the systems that render women's deaths politically acceptable.
👉 bit.ly/4exx9xN

In May, Romanian reality star Teodora Marcu was shot dead by her former partner. Thousands marched in protest, but the state remained silent. Mimi Mihăilescu argues that Romania’s democracy, which has...

Romania's misogynist political apparatus

Mimi Mihailescu @kagegirl.bsky.social · Jul 3

Romanian politics has never protected women. It silences them, sidelines them, and only reacts after tragedy. The 2025 protests demand a reckoning.

My latest for @ecprtheloop.bsky.social 👇

theloop.ecpr.eu/romanias-sys...

#Romania #Protest #Feminism #Democracy #AcademicSky

In May, Romanian reality star Teodora Marcu was shot dead by her former partner. Thousands marched in protest, but the state remained silent. Mimi Mihăilescu argues that Romania’s democracy, which has...

How Călin Georgescu's TikTok tactics rewired Romanian politics

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Reposted by Mimi Mihailescu

The Loop @ecprtheloop.bsky.social · Jun 16

👏 Congratulations to @kagegirl.bsky.social who made the Loop Best Blog 2024 shortlist for their article 'How Călin Georgescu's TikTok tactics rewired Romanian politics'.
#Romania #CalinGeorgescu
➡️ ow.ly/lVq250W3kJp

In an unexpected twist to Romania’s 2024 presidential election, Călin Georgescu, virtually unknown a year ago, has emerged as a serious contender. Georgescu's ascent has been marked by antisemitic rhe...

ow.ly

Never Mess with the “Memers”: How Meme Creators are Redefining Contemporary Politics - Australian Institute of International Affairs

Mimi Mihailescu @kagegirl.bsky.social · Jun 6

What if the most powerful political influencers in #Romania aren’t politicians, but meme creators? 👀

🧠 Read the analysis of my research via @aiianational.bsky.social :

www.internationalaffairs.org.au/australianou...

#AcademicSky #meme #research #politics

In Romania’s elections, a satirical meme about corruption reached more citizens than most traditional campaign advertisements, and it wasn’t created by any political party. Meme creators are revolutio...

www.internationalaffairs.org.au

Mimi Mihailescu @kagegirl.bsky.social · May 22

🇷🇴 Romania's 2025 elections: Expertise rebranded as a Trojan horse

Politicians convinced voters that knowledge = foreign invasion. How did we get here? My analysis for @ecprtheloop.bsky.social‬ ⬇️

theloop.ecpr.eu/romanias-202...

#Romania #Elections #NicușorDan #GeorgeSimion #academicsky

Romania’s 2025 elections and the allure of anti-intellectualism

In Romania's 2025 presidential election, far-right political actors portrayed intellectuals as not just ineffective, but as a threat to Romanian values. Mimi Mihăilescu reveals how their rhetoric, whi...

Romania’s 2025 elections and the allure of anti-intellectualism

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Reposted by Mimi Mihailescu

The Loop @ecprtheloop.bsky.social · May 22

🗳️ In the #RomanianElection, far-right politicians portrayed intellectuals as not just ineffective, but as a threat to Romanian values.
🗣️ @kagegirl.bsky.social‬ reveals how their rhetoric is winning votes and reshaping how an entire country determines what is true.
👉 bit.ly/45nd4Yy

In Romania's 2025 presidential election, far-right political actors portrayed intellectuals as not just ineffective, but as a threat to Romanian values. Mimi Mihăilescu reveals how their rhetoric, whi...

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Mimi Mihailescu @kagegirl.bsky.social · May 12

Absolutely! The dichotomy of being a foreigner in the country of residence, while feeling alienated from your own native one, drives a lot of powerful emotions. Propaganda lives through emotions…

The Diaspora Paradox and the Transformation of Expatriate Politics

Mimi Mihailescu @kagegirl.bsky.social · May 12

Romania’s diaspora: sleeping giant or mirror to our political failures? My latest for @e-international.bsky.social on how expats are reshaping Romanian politics. The myth of a uniformly liberal diaspora is over.

Read here: www.e-ir.info/2025/05/11/t...

#Romania #Diaspora #Politics #academicsky

Is Romania’s diaspora the sleeping giant we refuse to understand, or a mirror reflecting our political failures?

www.e-ir.info

Seeing is believing: how protest visuals are rewriting Romania’s future

Mimi Mihailescu @kagegirl.bsky.social · May 5

Just submitted my #PhD thesis 🎓💀

Proof that with enough ☕ + 😵‍💫, you can turn shitposting into scholarship 💻📚✨

Pray for my examiners 🙏 They have to read it unironically

#PhDLife #MemeWarfare #ThesisSubmitted

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Mimi Mihailescu @kagegirl.bsky.social · Apr 15

Presented my Very Serious Academic Paper™ on #meme communities as digital third places- aka how #shitposting builds community.Yes, the infamous red cap also made a cameo!

The other #research I got to see? Chef’s kiss.

Big thanks to @polstudiesassoc.bsky.social + @techpolicy.bsky.social #PSA25

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Reposted by Mimi Mihailescu

PSA Technology, Internet, & Policy (TIP) @techpolicy.bsky.social · Apr 14

It's Disinformation and Memes time. So far we've heard about Romanian meme communities, and how we can inoculate against deep fake Images!

#psa25 #commsky @polstudiesassoc.bsky.social

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Mimi Mihailescu @kagegirl.bsky.social · Apr 13

Spoke on the “PhDs for PhDs” panel at the @polstudiesassoc.bsky.social Early Career Network pre-conference today. Grateful to share a bit of the messy magic that is the #PhD journey.

Even more hyped to present my own research on meme communities and third places tomorrow at #PSA25.

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Mimi Mihailescu @kagegirl.bsky.social · Apr 3

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but in #Romania, #protest visuals tell entire novels. 🇷🇴📸

When both sides demand change, but in opposite directions, whose future gets written? Read my latest for @ecprtheloop.bsky.social

🔗 theloop.ecpr.eu/seeing-is-be...

#academicsky #politics

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but protest visuals, especially during political upheaval, read like novels. Mimi Mihăilescu shows how visuals aren't just for documentation – they persuade, p...

Seeing is believing: how protest visuals are rewriting Romania’s future

Reposted by Mimi Mihailescu

The Loop @ecprtheloop.bsky.social · Apr 3

🖼️ A picture's worth a thousand words, but protest visuals read like novels.
🪧@kagegirl.bsky.social shows how visuals aren't just documentation, but shape public opinion.
🚨In Romania, where 2 protest factions are currently clashing, visuals are on the frontline of political warfare
bit.ly/44cKGI3

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but protest visuals, especially during political upheaval, read like novels. Mimi Mihăilescu shows how visuals aren't just for documentation – they persuade, p...

How Elon Musk Gave MAGA a Dark, Gothic Makeover

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Mimi Mihailescu @kagegirl.bsky.social · Mar 31

🚨 Dark MAGA isn’t just a hat - it’s an aesthetic, a vibe, and a meme-fuelled political subculture.

I spoke with @wsj.com about how this edgier, fashwave-inspired movement and why even #Musk is in on the trend.
📰 Read more: wsj.com/style/fashion/elon-musk-dark-maga-hat-cap-gothic-trump-81e963cf

The billionaire CEO’s army of acolytes wears black caps, jeans and slogan T-shirts.

wsj.com

JD Vance: The Man, The Meme, The Bipartisan Paradox

Mimi Mihailescu @kagegirl.bsky.social · Mar 18

JD Vance isn’t just a politician. He’s a #meme in motion. His image, warped by #Democrats and #Republicans alike, isn’t about policy but the power of #memes to redefine political reality.

Read my latest #blog 👉 shorturl.at/Uhche #JDVance #US #Politics #AcademicSky

Vance’s case represents the transformation of politics into a spectacle where engagement is measured not by votes, but by clicks, shares, and digital distortions.

shorturl.at

Why are MAGA followers claiming Google is exposing crimes by the DC elite?

Mimi Mihailescu @kagegirl.bsky.social · Mar 7

🚨 Conspiracy strikes again! 🚨
I spoke to @erin-hale.bsky.social sky.social for @aljazeera.com about how MAGA supporters see everything as part of a grand plot as #Trump “cleans house.” Their proof? Google searches. No, really.
Read more: www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/2/...

Trump supporters are seizing on Google searches to claim Washington elites are fearful of being exposed for crimes.

www.aljazeera.com