Well, all this is interesting to me, anyway, and that's what matters here. The Internet is a terrible thing for someone like me, who finds almost everything interesting.
Pages
▼
Sunday, April 29, 2018
Michelle Wolf at the 2018 White House Correspondents' Dinner
I had to post this. But then, I always post these, don't I? Laugh or cringe - and you'll likely do both - these are the kinds of things powerful people should be hearing.
Oh, sure, afterwards we always hear how mean the comedian has been. These are some of the most powerful people in the country! And yes, I mean the media figures, too, not just the politicians. Michelle Wolf isn't punching down here.
When Donald Trump makes fun of a disabled reporter or attacks a Gold Star family, what makes him and his supporters off-limits? Wolf didn't just poke fun at Republicans, either - although since they control all three branches of our federal government, plus most states, do you really think that would even be an issue if she had?
Again, Michelle Wolf was punching up, not down, here. Like last year, Donald Trump was too much of a coward to even attend the event. Well, that's exactly why we need comedians like this. Powerful people - and again, I'm including the most powerful people in the media - need to have their feet held to the fire.
I'm actually impressed that the White House Correspondents' Association keeps doing this. So far, they don't seem to be chickening out and choosing 'safe' comedians, either. Stephen Colbert in 2006? Seth Meyers in 2011? (That's the one that really pissed off Trump.) Cecily Strong, Larry Wilmore, Hasan Minhaj, and now Michelle Wolf?
Donald Trump chickens out. Republican congressional leaders chicken out, too. I'm even... slightly impressed by Sarah HuckaSanders just for showing up, although it pains me to say that. Although, since she works for Trump, maybe she had no choice about it?
Never underestimate the power of the court jester.
ReplyDeleteAnd RIGHT ON CUE, Trump and the rest of the Republicans got all butt-hurt about Wolf's remarks. That's ALWAYS been their weakness; they can dish it out, but they can't take it (and they call US snowflakes?). It's exactly what she wanted. The goal of the heckler is to get a response. Once she got that response, she won.
Predictably, Trump just couldn't keep his mouth shut, rage-Tweeting that Wolf "bombed." Meanwhile, she's smiling gleefully and thinking "I'm in his head, I have real estate in there." :)
It's good publicity for Michelle Wolf, Jeff. Unfortunately, it's also good for Trump, don't you think? He needs that constant drumbeat of outrage, anger, and victimization to keep his supporters energized.
ReplyDeleteRight now, liberals seem to have an enthusiasm advantage, but Republicans have been playing this same card for a long, long time. They live or die on outrage, anger, and victimization - and on bigotry, of course - and they're very experienced at this.
And there is literally nothing they won't do to stay in power. I'm still very worried. Even a blowout election in November won't likely give Democrats control of the Senate, even if we can overcome gerrymandering and voter suppression to take back the House (which isn't guaranteed, itself).
Either way, Republicans will still control the White House and the Supreme Court, and we'll need another blowout election in 2020. Can Democrats maintain their enthusiasm? Can we keep from fighting among ourselves? Can we resist propaganda from the Russians and the Republican Party, both?
And it's not just the right-wing complaining about Wolf. Inevitably, we'll keep hearing from 'moderates' - and even some liberals - that we go too far, that we need to be nicer to the crazies who are destroying our country, that we need to 'compromise' (basically, by giving Republicans everything they want).
The media love people like that, which makes people like me get angry and frustrated. Admittedly, I seem to live in a permanent state of anger these days - justified anger, I'd say. But that's just because I pay attention. You, too, I know.
PS. I just saw today's tweet from Donald Trump complaining about the dinner, which includes this line: "The filthy “comedian” totally bombed (couldn’t even deliver her lines-much like the Seth Meyers weak performance)."
ReplyDeleteHeh, heh. He's still pissed about Seth Meyers' roasting him in 2011! Can you believe it?
The funniest part of that was seeing Trump's face (since he did attend the dinner that year), just steaming about the jokes told at his expense. But he's still furious about it!
A three-year-old would have grown up by now and gotten over his tantrum. Not Trump, though. Our president is a perpetual three-year-old.