The first time you find yourself on Spill, you have the impression that you are on a pre-Brexit social network, an event which marked the scale and harmfulness of disinformation and misinformation on social media.
It might take you back to that bygone era, when, being present on social media didn’t mean being personally attacked or targeted by trolls. It might take you back to the time when some thought social media was fun, a platform to entertain and get entertained.
The social platform provides some nostalgia for what social media was like before the influencer economy took hold and when divisions were not yet so deep within our society. There is normalcy in the conversations, an absence of anxiety or pressure; a form of floating serenity.
Spill is for the culture, Black culture. It is the affirmation of Black identity. Overall, it is the affirmation of those who feel oppressed on other platforms.
It is the return on laughing at oneself, having fun and, in some way, showing empathy.
No wonder Spill, created in January 2023 by Alphonzo “Phonz” Terrell and Devaris Brown, two former Twitter employees fired by Elon Musk after he acquired the social network in October 2022, has become the platform of minorities and those in search of virtual safety.
The social network is pleasing of the eyes as its visuals are in the service of the words. And the consequential election between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump is no exception.
With ten days to go until Election Day, most of the politically-related spills (tweets or posts) are about that. Most of them sound like the users support the Democratic candidate. Take the example of this laundry list which outlines what Harris is supposed to do once elected on November 5.
“Kamala Harris’ to do list,” was posted by @ldbarronsr30, a user whose bio identifies him as Leroy D Barron Sr. There are 15 things he expects her to do if she wins. Among them, cutting taxes for more than 100 million Americans, strengthening Medicare, protecting Social Security, restoring reproductive freedom and legalizing recreational marijuana.
The user, a retired city planning consultant, who says he lives in Mississippi, is very active on this day. Aside the laundry list, he posted another spill showing Harris standing between the last two Democratic presidents, Joe Biden and Barack Obama, all three wearing big smiles. The photo, which is clearly a deep fake generated by AI, depicts them in tan suits, a nod to the controversy caused in August 2014 when Obama appeared in a pale khaki suit at a press conference to discuss the possibility of a U.S. military intervention in Syria.
“Harris for President,” is the message accompanying the photo.
The comments are polite. “Is this an Al image?” asked one user.
Another user is more vocal about his choice. He goes so far as to repeat Harris’ latest criticisms of Trump, by calling the former president a “fascist.” He posted a spill showing the Republican candidate in front of a mirror. Trump sees himself, based on the reflection in the mirror, as a king. He wears a crown. “Fascist Trump,” the user wrote in capital letters. Below he asked: “Democracy or Autocracy?”
“Turn the Page/Save America,” the user begged, encouraging people to vote, and especially to vote for the Harris-Walz ticket.
Spill is a tea room where guests “spill the tea” with a smile. It is civilized, not toxic. The users themselves are keen to remind you to leave your worst instincts at the door.
“Voting for whoever you [check mark] is a vote for that person & that person only,” one user spilled, prompting another user to stipulate another rule: “And criticism of a candidate isn’t an endorsement of OTHER candidates.” Basically, users must respect each other’s opinions.
During the 48 hours I spent on the platform in this final stretch of this election, it is clear that Harris is the candidate of choice for most users. They praise her recent media blitzkrieg, including her decision to appear on podcasts with a predominantly male audience like “Club Shay Shay,” the podcast of Super Bowl champion Shannon Sharpe.
“Club shay shay has a lot of reach so yes, this is a great idea for her campaigning,” one user applauded, following a post of another user about the announcement, while another believed that “she needs the reach out to Males. so [sic] it’s a great idea.”
The interview with Harris will air on Monday, October 28, just eight days before Election Day. Club Shay Shay has become a go-to place for guests looking for massive exposure. Launched in 2020, the podcast attracts people from different worlds, from sports to entertainment and culture and at the top of the year was responsible for the candid and viral Katt Williams interview.
Spill, however, is a reflection of a narrative that has been making headlines during this presidential election: The support for Democrats among Blacks, a traditional voting bloc for them, is slipping. Trump, despite racist statements in the past, has managed to cause cracks.
A female user was taking issue with the main argument of Harris and the Democrats that the end of Roe will herald the end of other social rights, if Republicans and Trump win.
“Reps wanna take away reproductive rights,” the user spilled, quoting some campaign rhetoric. Then, the user, who uses the handle @theinfamouskee, offered their criticism: “Dems never protected them either.”
There is also a kind of Kamala fatigue among some Spill users. This is the case with the user who posted a mocking spill, after receiving a text message from the candidate’s campaign inviting him to a scheduled rally on the National Mall, where she plans to deliver her closing argument. This is the same place where Trump delivered his defiant speech hours before his supporters stormed the Capital on January 6, 2021.
“Kamala Harris is having a campaign speech on the National Mall on 10/29! We’d love to see you there,” the message began. To which the user replied, “Sure! Can you fly me out?”
“Agree fly me out! They so bogus,” another user commented with two laughing emojis.
Harris would be the next president, if Black Twitter were the sole voter group. But her victory would not be by the margins Democrats enjoyed in the past, because Trump has managed to appeal to some Black folks. Those folks seem to appreciate his authenticity even if it means turning a blind eye to his abrasive personality and non-stop lies. The final split could be 80/20 for Harris. Not an ideal margin for her, coming from a constituent which tends to reject divisions and bullying, things usually attached to Trump.
This post originally appeared on Medium and is edited and republished with author's permission. Read more of Luc Olinga's work on Medium.