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Sunday, July 22, 2018

Our Cartoon President

I just noticed yesterday that there is a TV cartoon series (Showtime) about Donald Trump called "Our Cartoon President". Lol. Only in America, right? Well, not only. I suppose this could happen in any western country (if there was another such that could find an equally foolish Head of State). But I'll tell you where this wouldn't happen (and I do mean "wouldn't"). Russia, that's where. 

The funny thing about the cartoon, kind of a Family Guy style thing, is that it's actually not very funny. That's because Donnie and his band of goons have actually said and done most of what is depicted in the cartoon episodes. In other words, we've already heard the 'jokes'. Another reason it is not funny is that this rampant government stupidity is currently very negatively affecting any number of people who are having the suffer the real-time consequences--the poor, minorities, people in need of health insurance, people on Social Security and Welfare, Veterans, asylum seekers, refugees fleeing war and death, and so on and so on. I can see that it would be funny at some future time, when the threat is gone, times are better, and people can laugh at the absurdities that an earlier generation endured, but right now, in the middle of the mess, not so much. 

And, of course, the people who need to see a graphic, cartoon-style representation of what's going on in order to grasp the meaning of the same will not be likely to watch the show in the first place, because nobody likes to feel stupid or, indeed, complicit. 

I suppose that to some extent the show might work in a cathartic way in as far as humor might provide us with a moment of relief, appealing to the 'misery loves company' effect. In other words, 'Whew, it's not just me. This whole thing really is bat-shit crazy!' 

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