Wii the People
I’ve put in my 10,000 hours several times over at the intersection of news and humor, so I feel I’m qualified to assess whether something related to the news is funny or not. Using memeified videos that splice together scenes from Grand Theft Auto, NFL football hits, and Wii games is something I don’t find funny. And I’m guessing other people who don’t find it funny include relatives of service members in harm’s way, Iranians who desperately want to be rid of the regime but live in constant fear that those bombs being memefied might hit an unintended target (like, say a girls’ school), and our allies who once depended on a serious country run by serious people. While the attempt to make violent imagery fun might appeal to some toxic bros, one imagines even the Super Mario Bros wouldn’t mind if Donkey Kong took a hammer to this practice. But this isn’t just the usual trolling by an administration looking to own the libs. All of the people above are seeing these videos and the associated behavior from the administration as it relates to this war. And whether we like it or not, these bombastic bombing jokes are now attributed to the country, not just the puerile punks running the White House social media account. This is us. This is U.S.
+ The videos are a meme-match to the tone of Hegseth’s briefings, which ooze tough-guy testosterone, but seem more focused on attacking the press than explaining our plan of attack. Irate Pete Hegseth claims Iran’s leaders are ‘rats’ in hiding and demands a ‘patriotic press’ rewrite headlines. Meanwhile. Hegseth Says ‘The Sooner David Ellison Takes Over’ CNN ‘the Better.’ (At least when it comes to taking over the airwaves and replacing networks with state media, the strategy is crystal clear.)
+ The same clarity is not showing up in the messaging about the war. And Trump’s latest answer as to when the war will end won’t help. “When I feel it. When I feel it in my bones.”
+ All 6 U.S. crew are dead after a plane goes down in Iraq, as Mideast war toll mounts.
+ “The jockeying for Trump’s ear is a feature of his presidency, but this time the consequences are a matter of war and peace.” Reuters: With Iran war exit elusive, Trump aides vie to affect outcome.
+ The aides who want more (and potentially ground) troops seem to be getting a lot of ear time. Pentagon Is Moving Additional Marines, Warships to the Middle East.
+ “After earlier calling for Iranians to rise up, the president on Friday expressed skepticism about a popular uprising against the government.” Trump Says Iranians Face ‘Big Hurdle‘ to Overthrowing Regime.
+ Meanwhile, from the NYT: Trump Removes Sanctions on Russia to Help Oil Flow Amid Iran Conflict. (Come to think of it, Vladimir Putin may be the only person who thinks any of this is funny…)
