Lately I have curtailed my absorption of news. “The News” is not new. It is more like watching reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond or The Big Bang Theory. How many times can the lovable but klutzy Raymond say or do something that creates a commotion that has everybody going bat-shit crazy? Donald Trump, that lovable but crusty president has turned “The News” into a nightly sitcom reruns.
For most of its existence “The News”: news papers, magazines, radio news, and TV news was hard pressed to make a profit. It relied on advertising. But with Trump whole networks and pod casters have popped up to deliver us non-stop Trump news. All Trump has to do is say anything and everybody along the political spectrum jumps into critical analyses mode. It feeds the news monkey with stay tuned to what Trump will say next. It is WWE news wrestlemania.
“The New,” however, has taken a more turn to sitcoms. Screenrant.com writes, “Sitcoms love tropes because they are often predictable. Although novelty wins when creating media content, predictability also enables audiences to enjoy new stories. As a result, even the most creative TV shows follow cinematic tropes that bring some comfort to a show.” I am not sure if the current antics of the administration are bringing “comfort news” to its viewers; but it does have people tuning in to is predictability.
Leonard and Sheldon are brilliant physicists, the kind of “beautiful minds” that understand how the universe works. But none of that genius helps them interact with people, especially women. All this begins to change when a free-spirited beauty named Penny moves in next door.–warnerbrothers.com
The zany antics from the cast of Everybody Loves Donald have created novel ways to present predictable governmental “news” content into “must see TV.” It has people tuning in just to see how Trump will piss off those Dems. Who can resist watching liberals running around with their hair on fire and their backsides smoking. New executive orders come shooting out of the White House like bats flying out of a cave at night. Each day brings out new tropes from deporting suspected immigrant gang members to El Salvador jails with the adding of homegrown criminals to the mix. And lest not forget the changing of geographical names and holidays–and even creating new ones with military parades.
We have even seen the president faked out on Truth Social in Pontific regalia. I am sure this will be a hot Halloween costume this year–depending on the tariffs. It is ironic that in the 1960 election people were concerned that if John F. Kennedy, a Catholic, were elected president the Pope would be lurking in the inner sanctums of the White House, unseen, as his consigliere. In 1963, when Kennedy met Pope Paul VI many were waiting to see if Kennedy would kneel before the Pope and kiss his ring. He didn’t. But now we have a president who dresses up as the Pope–on AI. And why not, after all he has his own God Bless America Bible that comes in a Camo edition for $74.99.
All this really does is create a news feeding frenzy; or what Cambridge Dictionary calls, “a situation in which people try to get as much as possible of something, for example information about an event, especially in an unpleasant way.” We could add to that “a fierce competition between people who all want the same thing.” And I will add regardless if you are on the far right or far left, Trump gets clicks. Trump has replaced the old journalism adage: If it bleeds it leads.
Trump has become the protagonist in “The News” feeding frenzy. There are still some news outlets with a fading belief in the sanctity of the Presidency. But not so the Office of the Vice Presidency. Some joke that the only real qualification for being vice president is to have a heartbeat. “The News” has taken a cue from sitcoms. It needs real comic relief. And what better way to do this is to give the protagonist a trusted sidekick.
Screenrant says, “The dumb sidekick is a very useful character in a sitcom. They act as tension breakers in heavy scenes.” And with democracy dancing on death’s doorsteps, enter J.D. Vance, the Jar Jar Binks of the Administration: “Mesa knowing mesa be big help with the negotiations.”
When it comes to President Trump, he is “The News tar baby.” A Fox News created tar baby. A creation that drives news ratings, social media hits, podcasts. Whatever he says or does goes viral. And most of it, like bringing back the Birdman of Alcatraz, is nonsense. It is becoming old. It is losing its originality. Trump has to keep dipping into the absurd to keep it spontaneous and engaging so “The News” will cover each new posting, executive order or rambling interview regardless, he is the president. “The News” media, its viewers and readers are getting mired deeper into the goo of the tar baby. The problem is the media is the tar puppet of the Trump’s administration. It is reporting on nonsense that should be buried back on the page with public notices and personals ads, pages that no longer exist. It is not being bombarded with fake news. It is being overwhelmed with irrelevant news.
mystoryorhistory 