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Jessica's avatar

In defense of America's greatest president, I don't think Trump is particularly sexually sadistic, as that would require more attention to the object of his desires than he's willing or able to give.

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ted whalen's avatar

Throwing a few more scattered thoughts on the pile:

Whether the dystopian imaginary was put forward as a real possibility to be fought against or as more of an extended reductio argument/riff intended to show that the rhetoric was completely empty.

The extent to which that sort of weakly identity-based stuff tied in with trends in comedy around that time (continuing today) where performers started pursuing the "clapter" [what an unlovable neologism!] response of recognition and agreement. A lot of the point of Chapo seemed to me to be that not only was this stuff thin gruel politically, even as entertainment it was pretty weak.

The ascendance of "omg, so relatable, yasss" (designed for the "that's literally me" identification reaction) content as having pernicious effects on the culture

Finally, on a more christmanian note: to what extent was the centrist use of identity stuff comparable to the use of religion by the right- "hey guys, who else loves praise songs? God is great, who's with me? this for-profit prison will have mandatory Bible study!"

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