The only way to fight right wing insanity is through humor.
Today the "Washington Post" did a lengthy story about children trying to bring their mother back from the dark side, from believing in falsehoods, like Trump won the election, etc. Her kids mailed her the facts, she came back with disproven videos. You see there's an entire disinformation network doing its best to keep the truth from citizens while it simultaneously fills their ears with crap. You can check the story out here: wapo.st/3thpBGW But it will have no effect, it's like watching four years of MSNBC, I hope it makes you feel good, because it's not going to move the needle.
But John Oliver just might.
Once again, distribution is king. And right now the channel is so overcrowded that great can't surface. Furthermore, the platform of choice is Netflix. If you sell your project to another streaming outlet when Netflix has put in a bid and wants it, we know you're not a true artist. A true artist wants their work to be seen and heard first and foremost. Money is secondary. If we had true artists with stature in today's musical landscape right now there'd be an anti-NFT song climbing the charts. But no, everybody wants to know how they can make that bread too. Remember when Neil Young won the VMA for "This Note's For You"? It wasn't a hit by traditional metrics, but in terms of mindshare...it's got more than almost anything else that was released that year, it's got staying power, that's what happens when you speak the truth, because like Leonard Cohen sang, everybody knows.
So most leftist outlets criticize Tucker Carlson via facts. Not knowing it's all about emotion. And style. The key is to get under Carlson's skin. And if Oliver's takedowns were on cable news or Netflix instead of HBO, you know Carlson would respond soon.
Tucker doesn't respond to the traditional news media, he shrugs off their commentary, by eviscerating the platforms wholesale. But John Oliver, a man who consistently bites the hand that feeds him, every week he seems to take down AT&T, knows how to do it. And the truth is, stunningly, when Oliver makes a statement, there are usually effects. Last week it was about Florida's concerted effort to limit unemployment payments. It's pretty ugly. But the problem is the perpetrators are on record. Yes, you think you're preaching to the choir and nobody knows, but the truth is you're leaving digital bread crumbs that can be followed, one to another.
Watch this Oliver clip: bit.ly/3bJtjTq
By time it's over you will no longer debate Dr. Seuss. Oliver lays it out so clearly, and so convincingly, that the case is closed. And in doing so, he nails Carlson. Who does have a thin skin. Remember when he freaked out about the possible release of the address of his Maine vacation house? It was a preemptive false strike: wapo.st/3qJ8jQY, but Tucker thought it was true, he was freaked out about being canceled, the same way he canceled Taylor Lorenz this week: bit.ly/3tkWYsp But the truth is Carlson is just fighting a culture war so his viewers won't pay attention to the real issues.
And is the real issue Andrew Cuomo's harassment of women?
OF COURSE NOT! It's about Covid-19 and Democratic power. You could take down Andrew Cuomo and a Republican could gain the seat. But Cuomo lied about nursing homes! Well, the truth is most of the public doesn't care about that, they believe Cuomo was on the front line of the pandemic and he cares about them. Republicans are willing to overlook any behavior, all aligned with the Trump doctrine and its adherents, but Democrats are detached from what their voters believe.
We've seen this movie before, in Virginia, with Ralph Northam: nyti.ms/30Ct1HZ Caught in a racist photo, Northam refused to step down and Blacks stood behind him, BECAUSE HE WAS GOOD FOR THEM!
But you won't get any of the talking heads, worried about today as opposed to tomorrow game, to bring this up. Wow, this is a great story, we'll get ratings, let's run with it. The bubble-headed bleach blonde comes on at 5. Whoops, can you even say that forty years later, even if it's true?
The Democrats are all about winning the battle and losing the war.
As for due process...
Read this story:
"They Didn't Show THIS On TV! See The Creepy Messages Mia Farrow Sent Woody Allen During Custody Brawl": bit.ly/3rVCFBz
Turns out Farrow was sending messages and even posting a sign that Allen was a child molester BEFORE she taped the interview with Dylan that is the linchpin of the HBO series. What are you gonna do with that?
I don't know. But the government refused to prosecute Woody. But we've been convinced public opinion, swayed by the media, trumps the legal system.
Now maybe Woody Allen should be canceled for his relationship with Soon-Yi. But...
Then again, we know Trump did it, but he wasn't convicted, at least not yet, and his constituents don't even believe he did it, CRAZY!
So, did Cuomo do it? Shouldn't we have due process first? And does this automatically disqualify him from office? I'm not saying I endorse the alleged behavior, but we're all flawed, but if that's the case you're excised from the Democratic Party.
The Democrats are losing this war. Just like with "fake news," the right has embraced "cancel culture," twisting its meaning to the detriment of the left.
This is where we are in America today. The penumbra is more important than the core. We consistently lose the plot. Everything's for show. No one is playing the long game.
Before Cuomo is forced out, one must determine not only who will replace him, but the odds a Democrat will win in the next gubernatorial election.
And there's a very good chance this will all blow over before the next election, like with Ralph Northam.
I'm not the only one asking these questions. Turns out the "New York Times" is too: nyti.ms/30DPrsd
But we live in an era of groupthink, where everybody's afraid to go against the grain. And then a bloviating bully speaks his truth and gets elected president. Ever think about that? Trump tapped into something, and not all of it was racism.
So, hopefully John Oliver will continue to take on Tucker Carlson, he's done so twice already this season. You know Tucker was not popular in school. He feels inadequate, his hot spots are right under the surface. That's the battle we should be fighting, that's the danger, the right wing. Cuomo is imperfect, maybe he should go.
But maybe he should not.
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