No era el trabajo minucioso de ajustar con precisión el interletraje de un texto lo que le molestaba. Era la estética: las paletas limpias y apagadas y las composiciones austeras que sus profesores, compañeros de clase y el propio mundo del diseño gráfico parecían considerar como el estándar predominante de sofisticación.

Como distracción, indagó en un sitio web, ahora desaparecido, llamado Internet Archaeology, que preservaba páginas de los primeros años del diseño en internet, en la década de 1990 y principios de la de 2000, en plataformas como GeoCities, Blingee y MySpace.

Allí encontró algo gloriosamente diferente: colores chillones, diseño de mal gusto, gráficos de baja calidad y una filosofía de “hazlo tú mismo” que parecía ir en contra de todo lo que le estaban enseñando.

“Lo que disfruto de ver sitios como GeoCities es que la expresión personal y hablar de las cosas era más importante que hacer que todo se viera único y uniforme”, le dijo al sitio web The Creative Independent en 2017. “Se te permitía jugar con tu diseño web y tu texto”.

Ese noviembre, comenzó a publicar en una página de Tumblr a la que llamó AnimatedText. Usando un conjunto de programas, algunos de ellos con más de 30 años de antigüedad, diseñó GIF en 3D deliberadamente chillones de frases irónicas y oraciones cortas y de humor negro.

pic.twitter.com/LqonIBjW6L

— Animated Text (@animatedtext) June 19, 2020

En cuestión de meses, tenía miles de seguidores; decenas de miles más la siguieron en marzo de 2013, después de que el rapero Frank Ocean republicara uno de sus GIF: “no eres gucci jajaja”. Su número de seguidores eventualmente creció a medio millón, muchos de ellos profesionales del diseño como ella.

La estética retromaximalista de Frazier no representaba exactamente la nostalgia. Pero su adopción de una era más temprana, cruda y, podría decirse, más divertida de internet reflejaba un creciente rechazo contra la corporativización de la vida en línea, a medida que las otrora salvajes comunidades de GeoCities daban paso a la insipidez de los grupos de Facebook y los hilos de Twitter.

Get your mind out of my pants! pic.twitter.com/GeADDGxg0p

— Animated Text (@animatedtext) August 12, 2024

Su trabajo abrió la puerta a diseñadores y artistas que se opusieron a los elegantes tonos tierra de la década de 2010 con diseños deliberadamente “malos” y una actitud irónicamente nihilista, ejemplificada por su primer GIF en volverse viral, “jajaja nada importa”.

“Creo que fue una de las grandes artistas pop de la cultura de internet del siglo XXI”, dijo Adrian Chen, escritor y colaborador de Frazier, en una entrevista. “De la misma manera que alguien como Andy Warhol, al reapropiarse de toda esta cultura pop desechada u olvidada de una época anterior, mostró cómo realmente puedes hacer tuyas estas cosas”.

Frazier murió el 29 de junio en un hospital de Oakland, California, tres semanas después de haber sido ingresada por una emergencia relacionada con el corazón. Tenía 35 años. Su hermana, Lisa Frazier, confirmó la muerte, que no había sido ampliamente reportada en ese momento.

Catherine Louise Frazier nació el 5 de abril de 1991 en Montgomery, Alabama, donde su padre, Hollis Gorman, era obrero. Su madre, Annie (McCants) Frazier, la crió. Después de la muerte de su madre, cuando tenía 10 años, Cat vivió un tiempo con familiares y con una familia de acogida en Atlanta.

gamers, i'm hopped up on coffee and ready to make several catastrophic mistakes pic.twitter.com/JTc8peNUE6

— Animated Text (@animatedtext) February 26, 2024

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Después de graduarse de Pratt con un título en estudios críticos y visuales en 2013, Frazier trabajó en empleos de diseño en Nueva York, Las Vegas y California, incluso para Super Deluxe, una empresa de producción de videos basada en internet propiedad de AT&T.

En las entrevistas, a menudo hablaba de su frustración con los lectores que asumían que, como creadora en línea con un ingenio seco y sarcástico, tenía que ser un hombre blanco. Ella respondió subtitulando la cuenta como “chistes de papá si tu papá fuera una lesbiana negra”.

Frazier expandió su trabajo más allá de AnimatedText. En 2014 creó una cuenta separada de Tumblr, “Comentarios de Pornhub giratorios en 3D”. Y en 2016 se asoció con Chen y el colectivo de programación y diseño Useless Press para crear “Pregúntale a Cat”, en el que las personas podían enviarle mensajes de texto para pedirle consejos. Ella respondía, también por mensaje de texto, y luego publicaba sus consejos en línea, sin los detalles personales.

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Una publicación compartida por Cat Frazier (@itsanimatedtext)

Junto con su hermana, le sobreviven otras dos hermanas, Diane Mccants y Jacqueline Frazier, y un hermano, Timothy Frazier.

La madre de Frazier había padecido problemas de salud mental, y Frazier era muy consciente del papel que su arte podía desempeñar para ayudar a las personas a lidiar con el dolor, incluido el suyo.

“Siempre lo describo como la comida que comes en un funeral”, dijo en una entrevista de 2020 con la publicación de diseño AIGA Eye in Design. “Es nutritiva, y todos estamos juntos en este evento horrible, pero esto nos está ayudando a sobrellevarlo para que podamos hablar y reírnos al respecto”.

Clay Risen es periodista del Times en la sección de Obituarios.

The New York Times, data-cc, data-cc-nyt

Former Vice President Kamala Harris is set to join Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed at an upcoming roundtable in Michigan, according to his campaign.

The two will appear at a Black maternal health roundtable next Tuesday, raising questions about whether Harris might be trying to court the progressive wing of the party in preparation for a 2028 presidential run.

«I’m just really looking forward to having her here, and she is somebody who so many folks in communities like Detroit look up to as an inspirational leader,» El-Sayed told Politico in an interview on Wednesday.

DEMOCRATS’ CIVIL WAR HEADS TO MICHIGAN WHERE PROGRESSIVES FACE BIGGEST TEST YET IN HIGH-STAKES SENATE SHOWDOWN

«I’m grateful that she’s coming in and having conversations about what it takes to get the turnout up, so that we can get on to working on some of these issues in the U.S. Senate,» he continued.

The scheduled roundtable comes after Harris endorsed El-Sayed last month, praising his stance on issues like affordability.

«Dr. Abdul El-Sayed understands the power is with the people, and that the stakes couldn’t be higher in this election. While Michiganders struggle to afford everyday essentials — housing, gas, groceries, health care and child care — Trump and Republicans in Congress are giving away $1 trillion in tax breaks to the wealthy and powerful,» Harris wrote.

«Abdul knows that we need bold solutions to the crises facing America’s working families and he is ready to take on this fight,» Harris continued. «I proudly stand with him to ensure we win a Democratic Senate majority in Nov.»

The news of Harris’ upcoming visit to Michigan comes as The Detroit News, a prominent Michigan newspaper, endorsed El-Sayed’s Republican rival, Mike Rogers, for Senate on Wednesday.

«Mike Rogers is the prototype of a United States Senator,» the paper said in its endorsement, referencing his 14 years in the House, Army career, and private sector experience dealing with cybersecurity.

On the other hand, the paper skewered El-Sayed for his radical rhetoric, saying he «has worked so hard covering his tracks leading up to this Senate race that it’s impossible to know who he really is or where he would stand in the Senate.»

«He has deleted social media posts that reportedly called into question his attitude about America in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He’s taken down roughly 100 YouTube videos that paint an unflattering picture of him and his cultural views,» the paper concluded. «A candidate who feels the need to hide his past from voters is not someone who can be trusted to be the same person after Election Day as he was on the campaign trail.»

In addition to Harris’ visit, El-Sayed is expected to have a busy final stretch of his campaign before the November election as he attends multiple fundraisers in California and New York. 

In late September, El-Sayed is scheduled to attend a Hollywood fundraiser at the home of George Soros’ nephew, Jeffrey Soros, who is a movie producer. In addition to Soros and his wife, the host committee includes several Obama alums, including Crooked Media’s «Pod Save America» hosts Tommy Vietor and Jon Favreau. Ben Rhodes, the failed architect of Obama’s Iran deal, is also on the host committee.

El-Sayed will also be visiting San Francisco during this West Coast swing.

12 RACES SCRAMBLE SENATE BATTLEFIELD AS DEMOCRATS EYE COMEBACK

Next month, El-Sayed will also be going to New York City to attend a fundraiser hosted by several far-left activists, where the price to attend ranges from $250 to $57,800.

Harris’ endorsement of El-Sayed marks just her second major progressive candidate endorsement in the 2026 midterms. She is also supporting Troy Jackson, the Democratic nominee in Maine who is backed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).

Before the midterms, Harris also supported New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who was also DSA-endorsed, but only stated that she «supported the Democrat in the race.»

For his own part, El-Sayed has rejected terms like «progressive» and «moderate» and is not backed by the DSA.

But like Mamdani, El-Sayed has made affordability — and the role of government — key pieces of his campaign. In addition to calling for lowering housing costs, he’s advocated for Medicare for All, opposes corporate tax carve-outs, and he supports tuition-free access to higher education.

Harris has also received support from El-Sayed in the past.

Notably, after now-former President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 election, El-Sayed called on the party to rally behind Harris, citing her «potential» for leadership.

«Considering all the dangers of the Republican nominee … it’s time for all of us to unite behind Kamala Harris to defeat Trump,» El-Sayed wrote in a post in July 2024.

DEMOCRATS WHO ‘NEVER VOTED REPUBLICAN’ BACK ROGERS OVER EL-SAYED IN RAZOR-CLOSE RACE

El-Sayed’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment from Digital on whether El-Sayed might support Harris if she decided to run for the White House in 2028.

michigan, kamala harris, midterm elections, abdul el sayed

Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump’s «hero» Supreme Court justice, isn’t closing the door on the United States Postal Service (USPS) enacting Trump’s ballot-mail rules in the future, although he agreed with the majority that implementing them ahead of the 2026 midterm elections is too soon.

«In my view, based on the briefing the Court has received at this interim stage, there is at least a fair prospect that the final rule falls within the Postal Service’s statutory authority,» Kavanaugh wrote in his concurring opinion in United States Postal Service, et al. v. California, et al.

The concurrence comes roughly three months after Kavanaugh laid out a legal pathway for Trump to implement his executive order curtailing birthright citizenship in his concurrence in Trump v. Barbara. Kavanaugh also offered a blueprint for implementing Trump’s sweeping tariffs in his dissent in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump.

«I would note though that Justice Kavanaugh threw the government a lifeline by saying that he views it as likely that they do have the statutory authority. And I think if you read the dissent, you can see where Justices Thomas and Alito are on questions like that as well,» Jason Snead, executive director of Honest Elections Project, told Digital.

TRUMP BLASTS SUPREME COURT ‘DISASTER’ AFTER JUSTICES RULE AGAINST HIM ON MAIL-IN VOTING

The Supreme Court on Monday denied the Trump administration’s emergency request to lift a lower court injunction blocking the U.S. Postal Service rule, ruling that the government was «unlikely to succeed on the merits» of its challenge.

The decision leaves the rule blocked for the 2026 midterms after ballots have already been sent. But as the litigation continues, the case could return to the Supreme Court.

«I think there’s a fair chance that it winds back up in front of the Supreme Court eventually,» Snead told Digital.

A dissent written by Justice Samuel Alito and joined by Justice Clarence Thomas also raised questions about whether the policy could ultimately survive the legal challenge and take effect before 2028

«I do think that as a practical matter, the rule is not going to be implemented in time for the midterms. I think that’s a done deal at this point. But I do hold out hope that there will be some additional litigation over this that could allow this rule to be implementing ahead of the 2028 presidential election,» Snead said.

The Postal Service rule requires federal ballot-mail envelopes to include an election-mail logo, be scannable by high-speed processing equipment, and carry a specialized barcode unique to each voter. States would also have to upload certain voter information to a Postal Service portal.

A coalition of 24 Democratic state attorneys general sued the Trump administration, alleging the rule violates the Constitution’s Elections Clause, which grants Congress the power to regulate elections. The Trump administration argued the USPS is regulating the mail, not election procedures.

TRUMP SCORES SUPREME COURT WIN ON MAIL-IN VOTING RESTRICTIONS BEFORE MIDTERMS

«So this case is still alive and well, and I think that Kavanaugh has given us all some hope that as it progresses eventually, this rule might be allowed to go into effect hopefully in time for the 2028 election since the left has successfully killed it for 2026,» Snead continued.

Iowa Solicitor General Eric Wessan also pointed to timing as a major factor, noting that earlier litigation and an injunction in Massachusetts delayed the Postal Service’s ability to publish the final rule.

«So I’m not surprised now, close to the deadline when ballots have to go out to people that the Supreme Court took the approach of maintaining the status quo, although I think that Justice Alito’s dissent highlights a lot of issues with the approach taken by the majority, and I would not be sure that the same result would be what the Supreme Court reaches in advance of, for example, the 2028 election,» Wessan said.

Alito, joined by Justice Clarence Thomas, dissented, arguing that the government had made the necessary showing for a stay. He also questioned whether some plaintiffs had standing and described that those plaintiffs relying on a «Hail Mary pass» the Supreme Court has previously said «rarely succeeds.»

FEDERAL JUDGE AGAIN BLOCKS TRUMP’S MAIL BALLOT ORDER JUST BEFORE MIDTERMS

«The hail mary passes seem to be succeeding to a certain extent,» Wessan said. «So the president’s executive order was issued five months ago, and the injunction followed pretty shortly after. And as the Supreme Court recognized in the litigation earlier, that injunction against the executive order was improper.»

«But the amount of time that it took to get that resolved by the Supreme Court put the Postal Service in a very tough spot timing-wise with rolling it out for the election coming up in November, especially because states are on the verge of having to send ballots out, whether to the armed services or otherwise,» Wessan continued.

Abhishek Kambil said the lack of a fuller explanation from the court’s majority stood out to him.

«I think the biggest surprise was the fact that it came with an unreasoned order, especially right after they granted a stay in Missouri, which was also on an unreasoned order. So, in cases like this, where there’s a lot at stake, you would hope that in in in a stay opinion that the Supreme Court would explain its reasoning,» Kambil said.

JACKSON RIPS INTO SUPREME COURT COLLEAGUES’ ‘SERIOUS LEGAL ERROR’ ON TRUMP MAIL-IN VOTING ORDER

«So, I think the biggest thing that surprised me was the lack of explanation, especially given Justice Alito had a pretty methodical dissent explaining all the ways the majority got wrong, and we don’t know exactly how the majority decided to deny the stay,» Kambil told Digital.

Wessan said that he expects the rule to remain sidelined this year while leaving open the possibility of a different outcome later.

«This rule won’t be in effect for the 2026 election, but it very well may end up in effect for the 2028 election, and this is just one of many actions the administration is taking to help with voter integrity,» Wessan said.

Snead argued that without a looming election, Democratic states may have a tougher time fighting against implementing the USPS rules.

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«So they’re going to have a difficult time and a steeper hill to climb if they’re trying to explain in 2027, for instance, why they can’t possibly comply with basic rules like this over a two-year time frame,» Snead told Digital. «And just so folks understand what we’re talking about. We’re talking about taking best practices about mail ballot envelope design that have been long standing and making that mandatory guidance.»

«And we’re also talking about getting lists of eligible mail voters that states already have so that the Postal Service can essentially create manifests and that will allow them to know who they’re sending ballots to and it will allow those ballots to be tracked. So this is a very basic, very simple thing,» Snead continued.

politics, federal courts, elections disputes, voting, supreme court