The Royal We

In America today, it’s all Trump, all the time. We’re collectively addicted to him. The nonstop scandals and outrages suck us in; they amount to Trump porn.

You see? They are delusional.

I can’t even remember when was the last conversation I had with an American about Trump. It wasn’t this year, that’s for sure. Nobody cares about these “scandals and outrages.” But reporters don’t notice because they project their crazy onto us.

39 responses to “The Royal We”

  1. Vic Crain Avatar

    I agree that the media coverage is absurd. I disagree that ignoring Trump is appropriate. People have a right to be angry that the man elected to lead the country is an imbecile, lacking manners, any aesthetic sense, common sense, and the ability to process complex information. If you’re not angry, then one simply doesn’t care about the US, and most Americans really don’t. The number of Southerners who would like the see the US cater to Russia is absurd. They really don’t care what flag they live under as long as there is someone worse off than they are that they can oppress.

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    1. Clarissa Avatar

      People definitely have a right to be angry but I’m not seeing anyone who is. The coverage has been so out there that nobody cares any more. There’s only that many times that you can hear this this is finally the worst of the worst of the worst and take it seriously.

      Like

  2. Dreidel Avatar
    Dreidel

    “The number of Southerners who would like the see the US cater to Russia is absurd.”

    Really?? Where did this totally nonsensical idea come from?

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    1. Clarissa Avatar

      If by Southerners we mean the editorial board of The Nation, then yes, absolutely.

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      1. Dreidel Avatar
        Dreidel

        “If by Southerners we mean the editorial board of The Nation, then yes, absolutely.”

        They’re all Yankees living in New York. City 🙂

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        1. Clarissa Avatar

          They are to the South of St Petersburg, though.

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  3. Stringer Bell Avatar
    Stringer Bell

    “But reporters don’t notice because they project their crazy onto us.”

    It’s been a bumper year for traditional news media since Trump got elected. Clearly, whatever news they’re producing is being consumed like crazy. Do you think the networks and newspapers are running stories about Trump at a financial loss?

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      1. Dreidel Avatar
        Dreidel

        Stringer Bell is right: The cable news channels and print media make their bottom line by telling viewers/readers what they want to hear. MSNBC and CNN keep saying in endless gossip and speculation that Trump’s political doom is imminent, and many Fox programs spend all their time using the same innuendo techniques to attack Mueller and defend Trump. (That’s why I now mostly watch reruns of “The X-Files” and “Wanted: Dead or Alive” when I pay attention to whatever’s playing on my television.)

        It could be worse. Unlike some Internet “news” websites, most U.S. media outlets aren’t obsessed with the British royal family and the tiniest details of the lives of its dashing young princes and their wives, newborns, and controversial brides-to be.

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        1. Tal Hartsfeld Avatar

          Which U.S. media outlets have YOU been watching?
          Certainly none in my area, or any of the major television network ones.

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    1. Clarissa Avatar

      Yes, Rachel Maddow is having her best years in life. She defeated Fox News by becoming them. It’s kind of funny.

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      1. Stringer Bell Avatar
        Stringer Bell

        She’s an idiot. My point remains: on what basis are you saying “Nobody cares about these “scandals and outrages.”? Clearly a lot of people care, which is why the media keeps churning out these stories.

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      2. Portia Avatar
        Portia

        I have seen in many comment sections that they just tune in to see if Trump is toast yet, that one more straw has broken the camel’s back and they can breathe a sigh of relief that “the system” is still in place to protect the planet. Unfortunately, the U.S. govt is a body that can no longer fight off the cancer destroying and it seems to be taking as many of us down with it as it can.

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        1. Clarissa Avatar

          “Unfortunately, the U.S. govt is a body that can no longer fight off the cancer destroying and it seems to be taking as many of us down with it as it can.”

          • I don’t know anybody who “has been taken down by the US government.” Do you? 🙂

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          1. Portia Avatar
            Portia

            The cancer, not the govt. I know plenty of people taken down by cancer. Sorry that was not clear, and if you don’t care for the metaphor.

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            1. Clarissa Avatar

              Yes, cancer is very cruel. I’m sorry you are losing people you know. :-((

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              1. Portia Avatar
                Portia

                the satyrical approach might suit you nicely:

                https://www.mcsweeneys.net/columns/dispatches-from-the-resistance

                I enjoyed lurking in your blog until you started your polemic style

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              2. Clarissa Avatar

                I started my polemic style from day one of the blog’s existence, so you probably lurked somewhere else if you read any non-polemic things. 🙂

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              3. Portia Avatar
                Portia

                Well, TBH, defamatory is what I meant. Placing quotes around words to falsely indicate that is what I wrote, essentially putting words in my mouth.
                YOUR words, not mine: “has been taken down by the US government.”
                Ostensibly to make me seem like an anti-govt conspiracy nut. It gives me a little chill to see that you are a post-secondary school teacher. I’m going, now, I think we’ve both had enough.

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              4. Clarissa Avatar

                You either take yourself way too seriously or are trolling. Both possibilities are equally boring.

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              5. Portia Avatar
                Portia

                You are trolling your own comment section, sad. You’ve obviously no respect for commenters who you perceive as violating your own self-importance.

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              6. Clarissa Avatar

                I’m guessing you are not a native speaker of English. It’s very normal to see insult where non is intended when you don’t have a great grasp on the vocabulary. There are some great vocabulary building devices out there. They are called books. I highly recommend.

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              7. Portia Avatar
                Portia

                lol! Now I get gaslighting! I love it

                Like

              8. Clarissa Avatar

                I’m not sure what you mean by “now.” This is an ancient post. The world has moved on.

                Like

              9.  Avatar
                Anonymous
            2. Portia Avatar
              Portia

              and yet, here you still are. damn those notifications

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              1. Clarissa Avatar

                Yes, I’m still on my blog. What a surprise.

                Like

  4. Editor (Retired) Avatar

    Clarissa, I believe you’ve nailed it.

    Like

  5. Demotrash Avatar
    Demotrash

    There’s definitely still people who are addicted to him like that. I’ve also definitely had more conversations about Trump than I’d like this year. My dad isn’t even one of the crazy people and he brought up something about the Stormy Daniels saga the other day. I envy you your position, but the media is unfortunately not making up the hype as far as I can see, although they’re largely responsible for fanning the flames.

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  6. Z Avatar

    There is a LOT to say about Trump and that should be said, the judges being appointed, the laws being passed, the executive orders, the activities of ICE, etc. Yes, I care.

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    1. Clarissa Avatar

      I can see you are following the coverage even less than I do because nobody is covering any of this. All the coverage goes to the prostitute, the prostitute’s lawyer, the lawyer who paid the prostitute’s lawyer, and the lawyer who made comments to another lawyer about the lawyer who paid the prostitute’s lawyer. I’m guessing you don’t care much about any of this. 🙂

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      1. Z Avatar

        Well, there is actually coverage on environment, immigration, civil rights, judicial appointments, etc. and it is way important ! !

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        1. Clarissa Avatar

          I’m sure you can find it if you look very hard. But there is no comparison with how intensely the ridiculous stuff about the prostitutes etc is being covered.

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  7. Shakti Avatar
    Shakti

    I can’t even remember when was the last conversation I had with an American about Trump
    To be fair, much of the particulars cannot be discussed in polite company, casual company, or in front of children.
    And I thought the Starr Report was bad.

    I don’t rely on actual tv shows for news and haven’t for years. And if someone like me, who overcompensated by following politics, live commenting on blogs, and hate watching SOTUs for years stops bothering with “news”, what must other people be doing?

    But you have a point that the lead coverage is nonsense that amounts to As the Prostitute(s) Pee and Presidential Blurt Machine…eh.

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    1. Clarissa Avatar

      I think it would be a lot more productive to drop the argument that “he’s evil incarnate and have you heard about peeing prostitutes and OMG he’s about to start a nuclear holocaust” and adopt the much more realistic argument that “he’s a run of the mill Republican president and this is why that’s bad.”

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    2. Shakti Avatar
      Shakti

      Giuliani: It is possible Michael Cohen paid off other women for Trump

      We’re going to die of collective stupidity. LMAO. And if we survive, just imagine the batshit Trump appointee judges in all those federal vacancies so helpfully held open by Mitch McConnell, whose wife is conveniently a Cabinet member.

      Meanwhile:Hawaii’s Big Island volcano proved it’s …active.

      Arizona is still undergoing a drought

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      1. Clarissa Avatar

        Collective stupidity is exactly what I’m talking about.

        Yesterday on the news,the mention of the Hawaii earthquake was so brief before a return to the prostitute payoffs that I even thought I might have imagined it. It was crazy.

        As for the Arizona drought, this is honestly the first time I hear about it.

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A conservative literary critic and college professor