“Republican Makeup:” TikTok Politics at Their Worst
The “Trying Republican makeup” TikTok trend, seemingly harmless, mocks a U.S. liberal’s stereotype of Republican women today, a prime example of political polarization and tribalism in American politics. Photo courtesy of Gage Skidmore.
Orange-toned foundation complete with dark streaks of contour, raccoon-like eyeliner beneath garish glittery eyeshadow, and a pasty nude lip—welcome to the “Trying Republican makeup” TikTok trend. While it seems harmless, the comically unattractive makeup looks produced in the TikTok trend exemplify an American Democrat’s stereotype of Republican women today, demonstrating the depths of political polarization that inspire us to become “meaner” partisans. In turn, the trend alienates voters who otherwise might benefit and support Democrats' issue positions. Liberals’ stylistic critique of “Republican makeup” falls short of real substance; rather, it ridicules women for adhering to societal expectations perpetuated by powerful Republican leaders—expectations that withstand the current vogue.
Admittedly, American political parties have long fought in similarly demeaning terms. In the Election of 1800, James Callender called John Adams a “hideous hermaphroditical character” in a print campaign. 224 years later, tactics have not changed much; in a viral moment last year, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) insulted the eyelashes of Representative Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), to which Crockett retorted that Greene had a “bleach blond, bad-built butch body.” Today, however, this partisan disparagement is not just limited to bickering politicians; it takes place every day on social media.
One TikTokker, @maggiechristine1024, said in a video, “I think my favorite thing about this Republican makeup trend is that it is literally just 2016 makeup,” an accurate assessment. Another TikTok, which displays similarly jarring contours, uneven eyeliner, and clumpy mascara that could easily be captioned the “Republican makeup,” reads “POV: it’s 2016,” instead. Even creators ridiculing this makeup are aware that this style of makeup comes from a lack of knowledge, with one creator regretfully admitting that “the sad part” of the trend is that it mirrors the makeup she did before learning otherwise.
As Americans cluster geographically by party, Democrats, saturated in large cities, adapt quickly to trends. By engaging in this caricature, liberals reinforce the stereotype of themselves as urbane cultural elites who relish the opportunity to mock people from the South or rural areas whose makeup is, perhaps, slightly dated compared to the newest trends in wealthy, progressive cities. Mocking “Republican makeup” acts as judgment of those who aren’t willing or able to keep up with stylistic trends we think they ought to.
Suzanne Lambert, one of the creators behind the “Republican makeup” trend, grew up conservative before turning liberal. In an interview with Dazed, Lambert reflected on her ideological shift from conservative to liberal. She explains, “Growing up as a girl from the South, my perception of the Democratic Party was that they were snobby New Englanders who looked down on Southerners, because a lot of them do.”
The 2024 Election seems to justify Lambert’s assessment. As per a Pew Research analysis, voters without a college degree, one potential indicator of socioeconomic status, have shifted to the Republican party. The 2024 presidential election even saw a rightward shift in Black and Latino voters and voters without college degrees. In light of this shift, Democrats quickly came out with analyses as to where the faults lay. Senator Bernie Sanders argued that, “It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people would find that the working class has abandoned them.” Trump had promised to upend a system that working-class voters were not seeing the benefits of, a promise the Democratic party failed to disprove. In response, a shocked bloc of progressive voters has resorted to name-calling. To debunk the idea that they are “snobby New Englanders,” Democrats must try to connect with, rather than alienate, voters like those Lambert grew up with.
However, in defense of trends such as “Republican Makeup,” Trump’s victory in 2024 emboldened attacks on progressives from the right. Buttressed by a growing belief among progressives that “the liberal side of the culture war has not been overtly cruel enough to fit into American politics,” this toxic political discourse has generated calls for a “meaner” Democratic party. If wearing eyeliner, sporting Doc Martens, and dying your hair blue has long been the stereotype of a radical progressive, why shouldn’t liberals respond with trends like ‘Republican makeup”?
One creator comments as he packs on dark eyeshadow, “They do hate black people, but they love a black eyeshadow.” Another creator jokes, “My blush is gone, who stole it? It must be an immigrant!” before piling on the pink. The first creator’s comment section is filled with 213 users applauding the accuracy of his satire; notably absent are any conservatives themselves.
Despite how tempting it is to reciprocate name-calling, Democratic attempts to mirror explosive conservative rhetoric have rarely gone over well. As seen by Hillary Clinton’s infamous remark in 2016 that half of Trump supporters belonged in a “basket of deplorables” due to “racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic views,” attempting to beat Trumpist Republicans at their own game has rarely succeeded. Recalling Lambert’s early recollections of Democrats as “snobby New Englanders,” the “Republican Makeup” trend only reinforces this stereotype.
Tellingly, when asked by Dazed whether the goal of “Republican makeup” is to “bring these women to the left” she responded, “I don’t think reaching a middle ground will happen soon.” While Lambert is likely correct, it is clear that the trend she created isn’t doing much to help this drift.
Satirizing political leaders with power for their xenophobic, racist, or homophobic views is an understandable goal of comedy today. One participant in the trend, responding to the comment: “be kind and don’t make fun of people when they disagree with you,” retorts, “we are not judging you for your makeup, we are judging you for your beliefs,” going on to criticize Donald Trump’s inhumane immigration policies. But do the creators mocking women’s makeup t comment on Donald Trump’s immigration policies, or any Republican policies?
More likely, these displays mock the way that Republican women choose to perform their femininity. Makeup is fundamentally a societal expectation, and critiquing it holds individual women accountable for what conservative patriarchy has decreed as ideal womanhood.
Suzanne Lambert says that she’s happy some people are not offended. Yet, conservative women who “take the joke” are responding to a joke about makeup, not the alleged greater criticism of all Republican bigotry. Cindy Swearingen on TikTok admits she may have applied too much eyeshadow, even acknowledging one teasing comment she found funny, but like other responses, she says she enjoys her self-expression the way it is. The video concludes with a personal statement of empathy towards others, indirectly identifying some partaking in the trend as lacking such empathy. In thinking about our Internet political behavior as partisans, we must center empathy, which lies at the root of this issue.
Comedy has long been an appropriate form of political satire. Not all political mockery supplements political polarization. “Trying Republican Makeup” is specific in that it displays our willingness to mock women, Republican women, for something as surface-level as their makeup. A comedic move that is not only unproductive politically but counterintuitive to liberals, who generally support rejecting systems that suppress women. Democrats, particularly the new generation, can instead use empathy as a novel tactic for the coalition-building it has alienated in recent years. For satire to work, you need to be satirizing a greater system. Making fun of women in rural areas isn’t that.
Colette Carbonara (BC’28) is a staff writer at Columbia Political Review, planning to study political science.