The Anti-MAGA Hat Goes Global - The New York Times


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Global Impact of Parody MAGA Hat

A customized red hat, reading "Make America Go Away," created in Greenland, has gained significant international attention. Initially posted on Facebook by Aannguaq Reimer-Johansen, a consultant at KNI, the hat's design parodies the iconic "Make America Great Again" hat.

Media Coverage and Social Response

The hat's image spread rapidly across social media platforms, including appearances on "The Daily Show" and "The View." The overwhelmingly positive response fueled a global demand for similar anti-MAGA merchandise.

Political Symbolism and International Reactions

The article highlights the power of the MAGA hat as a readily identifiable political symbol. This recognizability has been effectively leveraged in the opposition to create parody items. Comparisons are made to the French Resistance, connecting the hat to historical movements.

Canadian Context

The trend follows a similar protest in Canada earlier this year, where Premier Doug Ford wore a hat stating "Canada Is Not For Sale" in response to President Trump's threats.

  • The Greenland hat showcases the global reach of political symbols and their appropriation for counter-narratives.
  • The immediate recognizability of the original MAGA hat has made it a surprisingly effective canvas for opposition.
  • The success of the parody demonstrates the power of social media in spreading political messages internationally.
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The recent visit by Vice President JD Vance, his wife, Usha, and the national security adviser Michael Waltz to the U.S. military base in Greenland may have been met with a cold shoulder, but it did produce at least one hot item.

The week before the Vances’ arrival, Aannguaq Reimer-Johansen, a consultant at KNI, a trading conglomerate in Greenland, posted a photo on his Facebook page of what looked like a bright red MAGA hat. Only, instead of the usual “Make America Great Again” in white letters, Mr. Reimer-Johansen’s cap read “Make America Go Away.”

It touched a nerve — and not just locally. The hats ended up on “The Daily Show” and “The View.” Across social media, the general reaction was “I want one.” Tina Brown compared it to “the French Resistance on ice,” thus connecting the red cap to the “bonnets rouges” of the French Revolution.

It turns out that the very success of the MAGA hat as a symbol of political allegiance — its instant recognizability, even on the small screens of smartphones — has also made it an effective weapon of the opposition, at least internationally. Parody with a point.

The Greenland hats come in the wake of a Canadian hat protest that began earlier this year in response to President Trump’s threats to make Canada the 51st state. That was when Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, wore a trucker hat that looked like a “dark MAGA” hat, only this one bore the words “Canada Is Not For Sale.”

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