Carly Fiorina Jepsen combines the best of two Carlys on one Tumblr

By Joe Blevins | September 24, 2015 | 5:58pm

Aux Features Music

How, in this media-saturated age, can a political candidate tell when they have truly captured the public’s imagination? One possible answer: a Tumblr combining pictures of said candidate with the lyrics of a pop star who happens to share the same first name. Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina recently managed to distinguish herself from a ridiculously crowded GOP field with her eloquent performance on the second televised Republican debate of 2015. Seemingly overnight, the former business executive and philanthropist vaulted from semi-obscurity to become a real factor in the GOP race for the White House. And now, the candidate has seen herself immortalized in the form of a Tumblr called Carly Fiorina Jepsen, which consists of images of Ms. Fiorina emblazoned with lyrics from the songs of Canadian songbird Carly Rae Jepsen, who is currently undergoing somewhat of a career resurgence with her Emotion album. The juxtapositions are sometimes enlightening, touching on Fiorina’s status as the only female candidate in the Republican race:

“Both Carlys… are having a moment simultaneously,” explains Patrick D’Arcy, the New York writer behind the novelty Tumblr. “Fiorina has a severity about her, and she’s been so serious in the debates, so it’s funny to contrast her with Carly Rae Jepsen’s bubblegum pop lyrics about looking for and being in love.” Funny or not, the Tumblr could ultimately be good for the Fiorina campaign if it gains any sort of traction, as the images have the overall effect of softening and humanizing the candidate, who might otherwise come across as being too poised and polished. Take the most recent addition to the Tumblr as an example. To an image of Fiorina looking very focused and businesslike, D’Arcy has added the legend “We can fall in love, and I can be your sweetie” from Jepsen’s “Sweetie.” Then again, D’Arcy has also taken the opportunity to show that Carly Fiorina is serious about her campaign, as evidenced by the following image: