On April 15, Cardi B went live on Instagram to host a public conversation with Sen. Bernie Sanders. In the past, Cardi B has been vocal about her support for Sen. Sanders. Along with publicly endorsing him, Cardi has also encouraged her fans to get informed and involved in the political sphere of social life, saying that engaging with politics “isn’t about being smart, this is something [...] you can watch the news and you can understand.” This statement suggests that the average voter has the cognitive skills to read the performances of political actors. These political performances become accessible to the public through their iconicity; icons are essential for communicating and experiencing public life. Cardi B’s livestream with Bernie Sanders functioned as an effective performance of populism and thus became iconicized.
At the start of the livestream, Cardi appears in a neon blue wig and long acrylic nails. As she begins to talk, an off-camera assistant contours her chest with a brush. This initial display of grandiosity emphasizes Cardi’s power as an actor. “I’ve been really sad. I’ve been very very sad lately,” she continues with a frown, as her assistant brings her a mango. She proceeds to cut into the mango with her acrylic nail. “It's hard to feel good when so many people around you is going through a lot of shit,” she says, continuing to peel the mango. Her casual demeanor and mannerisms, paired with the grandiosity of the mise en scene, define Cardi as an ordinary yet powerful actor in this performance.
Cardi then goes on to invite her guest, Bernie Sanders, to the livestream stage. Her face lights up when he appears on the split screen. This splitting of the stage into two screens allows the audience to experience both Cardi and Sen.Sanders’ performances in conjunction. This split visual quality of the mise en scene also mimics the way in which many viewers are communicating during quarantine, making Cardi and Bernie Sanders’ performances more visually accessible and relatable.
In welcoming Sen. Sanders, Cardi yells, “Uncle Bernie! Uncle Bernie, how you doin’?” Sen.Sanders responds, saying that, “I’m good Cardi, I want you to look at my nails. How are they looking?” He lifts up his hands to the camera. Here, Bernie offers up his physicality as an actor to be judged by both Cardi B and her viewers. In doing so, Sanders denies the imperviousness of his power as a political figure, and allows Cardi’s audience to pass judgement on him as their equal. Cardi responds to his question, saying that “they’re looking very quarantine, but it’s okay Uncle Bernie.” Here, Cardi reinforces the nickname “Uncle Bernie”. In calling Sen. Sanders “uncle”, Cardi lowers his role as political figure, making him more accessible to her audience. An uncle is a guiding, familiar role which serves the purposes of this populist performance better than that of senator, which carries elitist connotations. In return, by addressing her as “Cardi”, Sanders suggests a familiarity with Cardi B, while also acknowledging her power as a celebrity.
As their conversation progresses, Cardi presents the reason behind the livestream: “I want you to tell my platform why you’re endorsing Biden and why we should vote for him.” This acts as the thesis statement for the livestream, and she punctuates its importance by throwing up her arm and pumping her fist; a common gesture, which further reinforces her ordinary persona. Bernie’s response is just as personable as Cardi’s statement. He responds by making a promise to her, saying that, “what I am also trying to do right now, Cardi, is to work with Joe to see that he becomes a more progressive candidate… I think you will be pleased to hear what he has to say.” Here, Sen. Sanders addresses Cardi personally and suggests that he acts on behalf of common people like her. In doing so, Sanders further aligns himself with the common people, distancing himself from the elite.
Cardi is seemingly pleased with his statement, as she ends up claiming that “[Bernie’s] going to always have my support. Joe Biden for twenty twenty.” Cardi then throws up two peace signs in the air. In publicly announcing her endorsement of Biden, Cardi B aligns herself with the power of the elite. Yet, with her relatable hand gestures, she maintains her alignment with the people. Throughout the livestream, Cardi’s appearance and mannerisms consistently oppose those of the elite, yet her persona performs power. Overall, the livestream comes off as a casual interaction between friends, rather than a political performance. The casual and accessible nature of the livestream is what brings it a ritual-like quality, and is thus what makes the performance so effective.
In the end, both actors are able to benefit equally from the livestream. By appearing in the public eye with Cardi B, the character of Sanders becomes more simple and relevant. As he becomes entangled in the same relatable identity that Cardi’s performative persona embodies, he is able to escape from the coded identity of an elite politician. Thus, Sanders’ association with Cardi normalizes him as someone that is able to understand and represent the average American. On the other hand, even in appearing alongside a political figure like Sen. Sanders, Cardi B is able to maintain the relatability and commonality of her status; this reinforces her as truly acting on behalf of the people. Additionally, in appearing alongside a political figure, she gains the status of political association.
Although the combination of performative power within the livestream was peculiar, and the juxtaposition between actors was especially apparent in the split-screen nature of their performance, the livestream was ultimately successful. It served as the perfect platform for both actors to present themselves as existing on the same social level as the audience, with Bernie acting as a caring uncle, and Cardi as a concerned citizen. Through the accessible mise en scene of their performance and the relatable script employed by each, Cardi B and Sen. Sanders’ performance of populism was successfully iconicized in the media.
Although the combination of performative power within the livestream was peculiar, and the juxtaposition between actors was especially apparent in the split-screen nature of their performance, the livestream was ultimately successful. It served as the perfect platform for both actors to present themselves as existing on the same social level as the audience, with Bernie acting as a caring uncle, and Cardi as a concerned citizen. Through the accessible mise en scene of their performance and the relatable script employed by each, Cardi B and Sen. Sanders’ performance of populism was successfully iconicized in the media.
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