Satire

[elisi]

Musk responds to backlash over gesture at Trump rally: "Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The 'everyone is Hitler' attack is sooo tired."

From this week's Private Eye, presented without comment:



~

We have been watching S4 of The Boys very very slowly because it's so grim. But the satire is also SO on point. A couple of days ago we watched episode 6, where (spoilers) a presidential candidate tells a room full of billionaires the following:

"The truth is America is not a democracy. The word "democracy" makes people feel safe. But the founders never trusted the masses, because the truth is, the masses are f*ck¡ng stupid. Anyone who owns a "Live, Laugh, Love" mug shouldn't have a say in how a country is run. People are a labor force that need a kind, but firm hand. There are no nations. There's Apple, Exxon and Berkshire Hathaway. Corporations are the real superpowers here. You should be able to operate without any regulation or restriction whatsoever. After all, you're billionaires. You are smart enough to know what's best. Bottom line? You support me, and that is what you'll f*ck¡ng get."

It'll be interesting to see if S5 (the final one) will be allowed to air [uncensored]...

Comments

[kerk_hiraeth]

Can't remember where I first saw it, but it was around the time Biden took office; maybe a little after but someone pointed out that the purpose of the 'American Revolution', and it's constitution, was to keep the reins of power white priviliged class of landowners in power as they foresaw the floods of people coming in from lands less and less like them.

Which was why the electoral college was decided upon as a means of reducing conflict between libertarian 'free farmers' in the, mostly, northern states and the , mostly, slave-owning southern states. Indeed Maine exists because they needed to balance the numbers between the two.

America's demise is underway principally because it has refused to deal with the racism and bigotry at it's heart. I think it was New Jersey where women, property-owning of course, had the vote taken away from them when the United States were created.

kerk

[elisi]

*nods along to everything*

Those who fail to learn from history (and as a consequence change) are doomed to repeat it.

[jerusha]

The satire really is on point.

[elisi]

It's SO GOOD. (And so hard to watch 😬)

To quote Dan Harmon's old rant and 'minimum definition of interhuman communication'

[(Anonymous)]

"It’s not politics to say you’re not a Nazi! It’s like taking a shit! You just do it or you explode! You die if you don’t shit, and you die if you don’t say you’re not a Nazi!"


Or, you know, at least you should anyway, etc.

Re: To quote Dan Harmon's old rant and 'minimum definition of interhuman communication'

[elisi]

Genuine gigglesnort! Poor ickle Elmo, he can't help it...

[yourlibrarian]

I watched a few seasons of The Boys but couldn't take the violence and grimness after a while. But I did like a lot of its messaging. This is absolutely the way superheroes would likely be used in our society.

[elisi]

I watched a few seasons of The Boys but couldn't take the violence and grimness after a while.
It doesn't get any less, so yeah. I don't want to watch, but I want to have watched. So we are getting through it. But it's... difficult.

But I did like a lot of its messaging.
It's so PAINFULLY on point.

This is absolutely the way superheroes would likely be used in our society.
IKR? The cynicism is biting, and yet. Not lies told.

[kazzy_cee]

I haven't watch The Boys, but goodness me that sounds interesting. I might have to check it out.

[elisi]

It's very good, very VERY cynical, violent, sexual (trust me, you canNOT imagine the things they do) and... just grim.

But also a fantastic glimpse into a parallel universe where superheroes exist.

[corvus_kari]

Nice cartoon from Private Eye.
This year has started off grimly and frighteningly, and there's no sign it'll ease up.
People excusing Muck due to him "having autism" or explaining away what he did, or that it wasn't a particular salute can all collectively do one.

I'm wondering if it will reach such a point where other countries will have to put a foot down and block these US billionaire's apps from their countries. I mean, why not? They will only become stronger and take more and more data and power.

The blocking of them will be very inconvenient for a few weeks, but I'm sure other sites will quickly emerge, and people will congregate on those instead, yes there won't be the levels of security of the larger sites, but I recall the times when sites used to go down due to DDOS attacks etc.

I do miss the era of posting boards, where there were a couple of mods - sure it was perhaps an unfair system if a mod didn't take a liking to you, but at the same time most groups had ground rules, and if you broke them, you were kicked. With these massive apps, the nastiest people are now immune from being kicked, and that is very, very scary indeed.

[elisi]

People excusing Muck due to him "having autism" or explaining away what he did, or that it wasn't a particular salute can all collectively do one.
Very much agreed. (Ditto NG using autism as an excuse.)

I'm wondering if it will reach such a point where other countries will have to put a foot down and block these US billionaire's apps from their countries. I mean, why not? They will only become stronger and take more and more data and power.
I hope so. And we can see it happening already with X.

The blocking of them will be very inconvenient for a few weeks, but I'm sure other sites will quickly emerge, and people will congregate on those instead, yes there won't be the levels of security of the larger sites, but I recall the times when sites used to go down due to DDOS attacks etc.
You reminded me of the next post I was going to make. ^_^ Here's to a decentralised internet!

I do miss the era of posting boards, where there were a couple of mods - sure it was perhaps an unfair system if a mod didn't take a liking to you, but at the same time most groups had ground rules, and if you broke them, you were kicked. With these massive apps, the nastiest people are now immune from being kicked, and that is very, very scary indeed.
A good moderator is worth their weight in gold. I used to read Ta-Nehesi Coat's posts on the Atlantic. He had open comments, but he moderated very very strictly (no weighing in if you were unfamiliar with the topic, one warning and then a ban etc), and it became this really interesting place with complex and thoughtful dialogue. Never quite seen anything since.