Tuesday, May 30, 2017

The Two Foxes

There is more than one Fox.


The Simpsons mock Trump.

Foolish, not strong.

President Trump's favorite news show is Fox and Friends.  If you wake up early you can see for yourself why he would like it.

   There is no chaos at the White House.  It is a well oiled machine of executive competence.
   The real problem is relentless sabotage by Obama holdovers.
   There is no problem whatever with "Russian meddling" in our affairs.

   Trump is the victim of questions being raised about Trump, based on rumors and suspicions.
   Trump and Republicans were always completely supportive of Obama so these questions raised about Trump are unfair.
   Trump hates leaks and leaks damage America.
Trump loves this program.  Fawning adoration.
   The economy is much, much stronger now than it was 8 years ago and Trump deserves the credit.
   Unemployment numbers are great now and Trump deserves the credit.
   Everyone else in the media picks on Trump.  Picking on the president is un-American.
   Trump and Fox always gave Obama their full support year after year, so it is doubly unfair that Trump is getting criticized when he himself had been so nice and helpful.
   American culture and religion are under attack from atheists, Muslims, liberals, feminists, globalists, people with alternative lifestyles, college professors, foreigners, immigrants, flag-burners, and the mainstream media.

Meanwhile, there is another Fox.  The Fox of The Simpsons.  They don't just mock Trump, they mock Trump's people, his politics, his eccentricities, his hair, his management style, his work ethic, and his attention to Fox News.  They mock Bill O'Reily.  


Click Here: First 100 Days
Take two minutes and sit back and relax.   Click on the links to each of these one-minute clips from current Simpsons shows.   They are funny.  They are savage.  

This blog had observed that direct confrontation of Trump worked poorly in the campaign.  When Rubio attempted to mock Trump it appeared to backfire on Rubio because it seemed out of character.   People who insulted Trump looked like smaller versions of Trump.  But Trump may be vulnerable to humor and hard satire--if it comes from a place where humor and satire are in character.  

Late night TV hosts have picked up that theme.  The Simpsons at prime time on Fox is doing it.  Possibly satire will be read by the public as essentially trivial.  Certainly there needs to be a serious opponent, a non-Trump alternative.   But Trump may be susceptible to having his authority and presence undermined by third parties, and the closer those third parties are to Trump the more powerful and credible they are.

Click Here: First 125 Days. Up to the minute.
Again, click on the links.   Enjoy the humor.  It comes quickly.
    

1 comment:

Rick Millward said...

I ask, "Why is this humorous?".

Is it ok to laugh because it's a ludicrous situation and not threatening, or are we being foolishly distracted by opportunistic entertainers? Two aspects I observe:

1. Comics who are starting personal feuds with Trump. The late night shows, stand up acts, Bill Mahr, etc,. are commenting from a personal point of view, in many cases to provoke a response they can exploit. They increasingly try to outdo each other with the result now being jokes that offend everyone.

2. A steady stream of cartoons, memes and other social media postings that point out the contradictions, gaffes and hypocrisy of the administration and those who follow it. They are mostly ironical, not necessarily funny like a talking dog.

The news networks as well, mitigate the seriousness by interspersing stories of dire threats to our democracy with commercials and mindless content as if to say, "Be worried, but not so much that you'll stop consuming".

I enjoy a good joke as much as anyone, but I think we've past the point where this can be laughed off. "But Trump may be susceptible to having his authority and presence undermined by third parties..." While likely true, wouldn't this actually be dangerously irresponsible, perhaps leading to unintended consequences?