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Watching The Trump Show on BBC2 – I can’t believe what close former staff are saying about him. Well, it’s what I think of him, but I wasn’t expecting them to say it.
Not much loyalty, eh? The 2nd episode is up on iPlayer. It's quite a useful reminder of how crazy that first year was - especially the first month. 2nd episode goes back to Stormy and Access Hollywood.
As depressing and stuffed with clustershambles / omnif*ck as it was, the Trump show was a good watch... interesting how the characters have spoken about things.
Is Antifa actually pronounced that way?
I love the way she dispenses with the deference and just calls him out. Not very diplomatic but then any parent knows sometimes you just need to get down to their level.
Is Antifa actually pronounced that way?
Since it's a concept invented by Trump & Co, I'd say he can pronounce it however he likes.
He really is a stranger to the truth.
A friend from Texas was saying that there are still loads more Trump placards outside people's houses than Biden ones.
But the guy who drives around the neighbourhood in a golf buggy has taken the Trump signs off his buggy.
Jesus Christ, is Mitt Romney tweeting in Comic Sans, or is that some other shit typeface?
https://twitter.com/MittRomney/status/1317138673654259713
Fixed this for you:
A friend from Texas was saying that there are still loads more Trump placards outside people’s houses (in white neighbourhoods) than Biden ones.
Fixed this for you:
A friend from Texas was saying that there are still loads more Trump placards outside people’s houses (in white neighbourhoods) than Biden ones.
My friend isn't white.
Does that change anything? Is it predominately white neighbourhoods where there are more Trump placards than Biden ones? Or is it also true of predominately black neighbourhoods? I can guess, but I don’t know… could you ask? Please?
Is Trump boasting about TV ratings after the simultaneous broadcasts? You know how he loves to boast about TV ratings…
This is probably a fairly accurate reflection on how it would have gone if it had been allowed to happen..
https://www.gzeromedia.com/puppet-regime/the-pandemic-presidential-debate-we-deserve
Spoke to my friend in Texas this evening. Texas is historically red through and through. As it very slowly has more middle class areas and people moving in to Texas then there are counties which are blue, but it is a long way from the state changing. No surprise to see majority Trump support and nothing to worry about.
🤦🏻♂️
What is The Babylon Bee?
The Babylon Bee is the world’s best satire site, totally inerrant in all its truth claims. We write satire about Christian stuff, political stuff, and everyday life.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1317044556328730625?s=19
Retweeting satire stories thinking they are real news sure sounds like something a "someone's crazy uncle" would do!
I’m not bright enough to embed it, but Trump’s niece’s response to last night is classic.
The Lincoln Project - again...
https://twitter.com/projectlincoln/status/1316811506613325824
Retweeting satire stories thinking they are real news sure sounds like something a “someone’s crazy uncle” would do!
And more to the point ....Retweeting on Twitter a claim that Twitter has been shut down.
Loving that Lincoln Project ad. Cocaine
Its highly amusing to me watching Trump just disintegrate mentally.
Let’s just wait until he loses before we start gloating.... I don’t want to tempt fate
Satire like that only backfires in this day and age. It just adds to the ‘noise’ flavour that sounds convincing enough to the kind of people who wish to believe it at face value. When/if they discover it’s ‘satire’ (whut, like FAAKE??) they won’t be subsequently disillusioned with their Golden God (Trump), no - instead they’ll instantly pivot to ‘LiBrUls PoSt FaKe NewS ShOcKer’ and so double-down harder. And actually believe that it is both fake and true.
Trump will also claim that he’s being ‘sarcastic’ or some gobbledyshite, ie
‘fake news, fake news, I knew it was fake that’s why I posted. Where there’s smoke there’s fire folks. Libruls are very nasty people. Can’t trust them. You just can’t trust them. That’s why I tweeted it, to expose their lies which are unfortunately true. Unfortunately true. Are they? I don’t know? People are saying...you know, very high up and good people are saying it could be true. ’
Or he’ll just ignore it as his people will believe it anyway.
Unbelievable times we live in.
Let’s just wait until he loses before we start gloating
There is no way he will lose.
In fact his worshippers just tweet the next lie for him. Easyjob! Ready-cooked.
https://twitter.com/randymelder/status/1317075676810289152?s=20
There is no way he will lose.
Ho Ho.
trump is finished.
p7eavan,
It's satire that got us here in the first place. Look how HIGNFY propelled the careers of BJ, Farage and JRM. I think it's fair to say that without HIGNFY we wouldn't have Brexit. Every time Hislop or the host sneered contemptuously at Farage he just rocked his head back and laughed, he didn't need a riposte, he was just counting the votes he was accumulating during the exchange.
I remember the day after the Brexit referendum I was working with an artist who comes from Derry, (he wasn't too concerned seeing as he still had an Irish passport). He said that he never watched HIGNFY when he was back home because his dad hated it, saying "nobody likes a smart arse" This is what the right wing knows but is beyond the intelligence of the Oxbridge mafia that has hegemony over the BBC.
Trump is a symptom not a cause, as are the mob in charge over here.The dangers of a Trump victory are obvious and immediate. The dangers of a Biden presidency are less obvious and might take a bit longer to become evident but a Biden presidency won't be able to deal with the systemic problems that America is facing.
I was watching C4 news last night where there was a segment covering 'black votes matter' in a poor neighbourhood. It was heart breaking watching dirt poor African Americans casting their vote for Biden, the literal architect of mass incarceration. I wondered how many of the citizens casting their vote had a member of their family in prison as a direct result of the Clinton / Biden 'three strikes' policy.
I reflected upon the scenes at Ferguson a few years back, where we saw a police force armed to the teeth doing their best impression of Apartheid South Africa. Under Obama the police had turned into a paramillitary force, spending all the cash they'd extorted from the people they are supposed to serve via a tsunami of fines for traffic stops and code violations. (fines for code violations had increased 500% in the previous year, someone's got to pay for all those tanks, gums and imperial stormtrooper costumes)
What a f**cking choice. The danger of a Biden presidency is that things will be just swept back under the carpet, Black Americans will be expected to stop their protests and be gratefull that at least they don't have Trump as their president anymore. We might think that Biden will bring things back to normal but normal has always been s**t for some Americans, part of me wishes to see Trump return and the whole s**t show go up in flames.
It’s satire that got us here in the first place. Look how HIGNFY propelled the careers of BJ, Farage and JRM. I think it’s fair to say that without HIGNFY we wouldn’t have Brexit.
So it’s Merton & Hislop we should blame?
Seriously?!
We might think that Biden will bring things back to normal but normal has always been s**t for some Americans,
A rock & a hard place..
"So it’s Merton & Hislop we should blame? Seriously?"
Deadly serious. Whilst you were laughing at Farage he was laughing at you.
He's still laughing, all the way to the bank. He turned the conservative party into the Brexit party. He couldn't get elected to parliament yet was invited on to the show more frequently than any other politician. The BBC also invited him on to Question Time 34 times. Yes, 34 f***ing times for an un elected politician to rant away about politics.
You're not laughing anymore are you? Still wondering why the country has gone s**t shaped? Its simple, the country and the media is run by a bunch Oxbridge educated f***wits. The BBC harks on about diversity but their idea of diversity is employing someone that didn't go to Cambridge, (Lenny Henry joke I heard the other day)
If you hark on about diversity but show none yourself then you reap what you sow. HIGNY has constantly belittled the working classes and those less 'educated'. Whilst it's proved quite entertaining for some of us, its boiled the piss of half of the Country. If you can't see that then I'm blaming you for Brexit too.
Watch the Grayson Perry 3 parter about Americas troubles on C4 catch up if you can, he came to pretty much the same conclusions that I have, basically that liberal complacency, smugness, self interest and virtue signaling has given birth to a monster.
It’s satire that got us here in the first place. Look how HIGNFY propelled the careers of BJ, Farage and JRM. I think it’s fair to say that without HIGNFY we wouldn’t have Brexit.
So it’s Merton & Hislop we should blame?
Seriously?!
I think its a bit of a stretch to suggest HIGNFY had any role to play given the effort and resource Murdoch has put into over the last 30 years.
The problem with satire really is it makes no difference because. Part of its function its it has to be funny and entertaining regardless of what truths it reveals or position it takes - even if you or your supporters are the target of satire the fact thats its entertaining makes it flattering. If everyone in the room is laughing you can't really tell the difference between who is laughing with and who is laughing at you. The people laughing can't tell the difference either so whatever view anyone holds its reinforced by the sense that its a popular view.
Spitting Image ruthlessly satirised the Thatcher and Major governments, people watched it, enjoyed it because it was funny.... and kept on voting conservative.
So it’s Merton & Hislop we should blame?
Seriously?!
It's an interesting point of view that topical satire shows gave these dangerous idiots and the ideas they front additional oxygen, and by "playing along" and joining in, Farage and Johnson got a personal fan base their policies would never have got otherwise.
I'm not saying they are solely responsible, but there might be an element of truth in there.
But what is the alternative? Remove comedy and satire from the programming? You would still have these clowns on serious programmes appealing to their echo chambers. At least with satire and comedy other people can maybe see how hollow they are.
This thread is not about Brexit or Farage though, it’s about Trump. We should stick to hoping the Tango Fascist will get kicked out.
Deadly serious.
The two politicians that stand out to me that HIGNFY have taken the piss out of were Roy Hattersley who was replaced with a bucket labeled The Right Honourable tub 'o' Lard MP when he failed to turn up, and Peter Mandleson when he was upset at BBC for reporting on him accurately and not liking it v much, and the quiz made a joke of not mentioning his name.
Satire shows take the micky of the political class, not just the right-wing, it's just that the Tories have been in power for so long
So it’s Merton & Hislop we should blame?
Nonsense.
What are the viewing figures for HIGNFY? A quick google comes up with 4 million. About 6% of the population. And most of them will be left leaning.
If Johnson had stuck to his pro Europe stance we wouldn't be in this mess now.
It's the ****ing Tories that have caused every single problem in this country.
Spitting Image ruthlessly satirised the Thatcher and Major governments, people watched it, enjoyed it and kept on voting conservative.
Different kind of satire. That’s coarse mockery with silly faces but you know who they are. The British love a bit of piss-taking and inflated-ego pricking. When it becomes sticky and confusing these days is the kind of satire practised by Sacha Baron Cohen when it’s aimed at (say) Republicans. ‘Who is America’ is a prime example.
Poe’s Law.
I call it the ‘Cassidy Boon Effect’. You may not know who ‘Cassidy Boon’ is. But millions upon millions of kids your kid’s age will know. They also now believe that feminism/women’s rights/metoo etc etc (and in many cases women in general) are represented by ‘Cassidy Boon’. A comedic sketch in which a young woman claimed that she sued a lifeguard for ‘raping her while she was unconscious underwater’.
On first seeing this I immediately thought it was a parody of a horrendous young woman looking for attention by vlogging inane drivel
But after reading just a few comments - I checked to to be sure 😉
Yes...‘Cassidy Boon’ was a satirical character (from a now defunct satirical ‘news‘ page very much in the style of ‘The Onion’) and she was played by an actor. Very much in the way that ‘Borat’ was played by an actor. Straight play. Turned out that for the taste (and demographic) of The Internet - the satire was deceptively sophisticated (which was to be it’s undoing)
This is where it gets interesting (and horrifying). The Bad Faith Actors come in and mop up. The real purveyors of outrage. The story is long and tortuous, but to summarise - the old satirical sketch (4 years is a lifetime on the internet) was resurrected and exploited as click-bait. It became more popular as a ‘real’ story than it ever was as the satire it was designed to be. Fake ‘reactions’ to ‘Cassidy Boon’ popped up like mushrooms and went viral. ‘OMG, FEMINISTS ARE CRAZY. THIS IS THE END OF THE WORLD. I LOST FAITH IN HUMANITY’. Etc etc etc. And millions upon millions of impressionable tweenies see this stuff on youtube. The meme is fixed. The narrative has changed.
Which is where we are. Satire will backfire if it’s also mocking the viewer. This is not the fault of satirists, it’s just a glitch in human nature and it’s mercilessly and shamelessly exploited by bad faith actors make a LOT of ad-revenue by churning out content that is designed to outrage people. Hypertabloidism. They don’t even need to seek a license for this material. Just steal an old satirical sketch and then ‘review it’ as if it is real. Better still ‘review’ some footage of a homeless women suffering untreated paranoid schizophrenia. And then post it up as a clip titled ‘FEMINIST GOES TOO FAR’. ‘FEMINIST STALKS POSTAL WORKERS’. Goes viral. The cultural narrative grows,
Post-truth culture. The narrative is what matters.
the kind of satire practised by Sacha Baron Cohen when it’s aimed at (say) Republicans. ‘Who is America’ is a prime example.
He also takes the piss out of the left wing in that.
There was a thread a while back about old TV shows that are now considered offensive. Many of them were (garbage like It Ain't Half Hot Mum, for example. Problem is when you have characters like Alf Garnett/Archie Bunker, who were intended to be ridiculous buffoons. I used to think that satirical shows like that served a useful purpose of exposing racism, the last few years have made me completely rethink that idea. Most people recognize that the characters are racist and their behavior is offensive, but for racists, it just serves to normalize the behaviour and they learn that they can get away with being offensive by portraying it as a joke or saying they are just being ironic. This is Donald Trump's strategy - say offensive things then just claim it was all a joke and his critics lack a sense of humour.
On a related note, many Breaking Bad fans did not understand that Walter White was a monster and hated on his wife for being a spoilsport and nag. They're so deluded about things that Anna Gunn got hate mail for playing the character.
What are the viewing figures for HIGNFY? A quick google comes up with 4 million. About 6% of the population. And most of them will be left leaning.
My Most Brexity Friend (MBF) despises Hislop and ‘that show’. Really despises it. It’s also weird to me that in order to ‘get’ satire you have to be automatically assumed as ‘left-leaning’. I haven’t watched much HIGNFY and so can’t remember that much of it - but if they spent too long mocking a populist/Nationalist grifter then ‘they get everything they deserve’. And so do we all, right? Because what if they were really mocking a Really Good Bloke?
The self-blame market. Big market. See also Jonathan Pie. At the end of the day both the ‘left’ and ‘right’ caricatures will just feed into the big narrative mincer and come out as further confirmation bias. Division/polarisation increases. It all becomes as simple and as moronic as Trump saying ‘Don’t vote for nasty people’.
Isn’t that just another version of ‘don’t vote for racists’?
the last few years have made me completely rethink that idea. Most people recognize that the characters are racist and their behavior is offensive, but for racists, it just serves to normalize the behaviour
Agree. But there’s a wider issue (I think)
Gullibility/misunderstanding (of a parody/satirical character) isn’t in itself evidence of sympathy with said character (although it may be)
I started a thread about satire now being fundamentally broken/dysfunctional - if you’d like to contribute 🙂
Trump is beyond parody. But I fear that ‘beyond’ means ‘ahead of’.
HIGNFY also relentlessly mocked Corbyn.
I know it's tempting to blame everything on snobby liberals but it's quite a stretch to blame them(/us 🙂 ) for Brexit.
There's been a big hoohah lately about how there's not enough right wing comedians on the BBC etc, but IMO that's because the type of people who want to become comedians are inherently likely to be more liberal. It seems they now want 'affirmative action' for a small number of unfunny right wing comedians, which is rather ironic.
Topics for the debate next week. Looking forward to Trump's environmental policies being discussed.
Moderator Kristen Welker of NBC released the six topics for the debate Friday through the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates. They are “Fighting COVID-19,” “American Families,” “Race in America,” “Climate Change,” “National Security,” and “Leadership.”
Looking forward to Trump’s environmental policies being discussed.
"No president has done more for {insert any issue here} than Donald Trump."
“No president has done more for {insert any issue here} than Donald Trump.”
You missed the pivot to Hunter's emails.