Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Trump at the Oscars

19.5 million people watched the Oscars on TV.  Movie stars. Costumes. Big music and dance routines. 

Trump wasn't the center of attention. 

That was unbearable.

Maybe it is political genius. Maybe it is a debilitating case of narcissism. Maybe it is just workmanlike political positioning and pleasing your base. 

Maybe Trump is sad that he was left out. Maybe he was angry about it. 

Jimmy Kimmel, reading Trump's social media text

Maybe Trump "won" the exchange.  After all, he got to slam Jimmy Kimmel; he got to mis-name and insult George Stephanopoulos; he got to call the show woke and unfair.

It was a big party and he wasn't invited, so he dissed the party, calling it disjointed, boring, and low-rated.

Donald Trump acts like a teenager with a bad attitude. A juvenile delinquent. The kind of kid who is in trouble with the law because he vandalizes other people's things and calls people names and who gets complaints from girls because he accidentally-on-purpose touches their breasts or crotches as he crowds past them in the hall. If there is a party going on by the popular kids, and he isn't invited, he sends a stink bomb to the party. He is incorrigible and breaks the law and doesn't seem to care. He is the rich kid, the kid with a cool car, the kid whose family has far more money that the teachers or the principal will ever have. He is untouchable and knows it and acts like it.

It is amazing to me that Republicans of generally good character tolerate him and even like him, but they do. Whatever happened to the party of Reagan, Dole, Romney? Would they raise their sons to be like Trump?

And part of why it works for Trump isthat he is, indeed, the center of attention. He's a star, and when you are a star they let you, as he said in the Access Hollywood revelation. Women let you. Men support you. Voters vote for you. Biden was doing whatever he was doing back at the White House. Maybe something useful, but who knows? 

We know what Trump was doing. He was throwing a stink bomb and millions of people noticed. 







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7 comments:

Mike Steely said...

“MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN” raises the question: When does Trump think America was greater than it is now? In an interview with the New York Times in March of 2016, he explained that it was at the onset of the 20th century and again in the years after WWII. It’s no surprise that he would prefer America before the Civil Rights movement – a time when a White men could lynch Blacks with impunity. Trump’s history of racism is well documented. For example, he rose to power by being the biggest blowhard in the racist “Birther” movement.

That Republicans of supposedly “good character” have embraced a racist criminal who tried to overturn an election just shows how much more devoted they are to their party and power than to their country.

Rick Millward said...

At first I thought the segment was a mistake but on reflection I decided it was interesting in that it acknowledged that Trump - the entertainer - is a member of the club. I can't tell if that elevates Trump, or disparages the club.

Kimmel read the comment because he is in a well publicized feud, a battle of wits with Trump, which he routinely wins in my opinion, so it served him to bring this into the show and had a weird appropriateness considering that Hollywood is also a target for right wing.

BTW, Jimmy's response was..."He's up past his jailtime."

Did it spoil the show? No, for me it was just another joke. Ha Ha...

David Norris said...

Trump did what Trump does;tried to show off in front of as many as possible. In fact, however, he united a great many of us in laughter at him by setting Kimmel up for his line, "aren't you late for your jail time?" Classic backfire.

Mike said...

If, as Rick states, Kimmel is in a battle of wits with Trump, he’s battling an unarmed opponent. Nonetheless, he’s doing a public service by exposing that besides being lawless and power-mad, Trump is also venal and stupid. The question is, do Republicans like him in spite of it or because of it? I’m thinking it’s a case of like attracts like.

Ed Cooper said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mc said...

TFG has convinced his cult that they will benefit from hating others. It's so very christian..

Ed Cooper said...

One of the very few times I find myself in disagreement with Peter. If Republicans are of " Good,Character" they aren't in hiding, but speaking out, clearly and loudly against the Orange Menace. Currently, that would be Elizabeth Cheney and possibly Adam Kinzinger, but certainly not any active member of either House of Congress.