“Such a nasty woman.”
With this four-word dismissal of Hillary Clinton at the final presidential debate, Donald Trump unwittingly set the Internet ablaze. The word “nasty” rang across the web—first in shock, then in an unstoppable cascade of support, as Clinton’s female fans claimed the insult as their own. From pulsing GIFs to a slew of homemade memes featuring “Madam Secretary, if ya nasty,” here’s the timeline of the speedy rise of the “nasty woman” takeback.
The origin: At the end of last night’s debate—which consisted mostly of Trump excusing sexual assault, dodging election-outcome acceptance, and loudly interrupting his stone-faced opponent—Clinton commented on Trump’s avoidance of paying taxes (true, by the way). In response, he interjected the now-infamous phrase. Watch for yourself:
This is pretty standard Trump trash talk toward women, but Clinton’s corner of the Internet wasn’t having it.
Google interest in “nasty woman” shot up.
Then, chatter quickly turned to Janet Jackson’s song “Nasty.”
Some lyrics got repurposed a bit.
#ImANastyWoman trended, as well as #ImANastyWomanBecause, #NastyWomenVote and #NastyWomanUnite, as high-profile, pro-Clinton women embraced the term as a feminist battle cry.
And men, too.
In a shrewd social move, Jeff Metz, who has no affiliation with the Clinton campaign, purchased the URL NastyWomenGetShitDone.com and made it redirect to HillaryClinton.com. His site joined brand-new Clinton campaign redirects MakeAmericaNastyAgain.com and BadHombres.org.
Demands for apparel quickly flooded social platforms.
The Internet’s craftswomen delivered.
By morning, Janet Jackson’s “Nasty” had resurged in popularity as an anthem. It even merited a quick and dirty mashup.
Come November 8 (or 28, depending on your sources), we’ll find out just how nasty this election can get.
