General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDonald J. Trump - the sitcom president.
The 45th president of the United States, Donald Trump, is a sitcom character. That's all he is. He's no different than your average Homer Simpson or Peter Griffin. Let's extrapolate on this for a minute.
He's a large, overweight, semi-balding oafish doofus who lacks reading comprehension beyond a 4th grade level. He spends all day, every day in front of the TV. He wears the same suit every day and is always trying to cover up the fact that he has very little to no hair. He only occasionally emerges from his TV induced stupor to indulge in all of his favorite vices. Which happen to be tweeting, golfing, fast food, and the occasional MAGA rally. And when he does that, he's almost certainly guaranteed to embarrass himself - both publicly and personally. When he does that, he usually walks away and lets someone else fix it.
Now let's look at the family aspect of this dynamic. He has a hot trophy wife who hates his guts and is somehow still inexplicably married to him despite all of his failures. He has a hot daughter who gets away with everything. He also has the daughter who he treats like garbage (think Lisa or Meg). He has a son who is mysteriously neither seen nor heard, much like a graduate of the revered Milford Academy from Arrested Development. He has two other sons who constantly get in trouble and embarrass themselves in their own ways.
Need more proof that he's a sitcom character? Look at his friends, or the people who he considers friends. There's Sean Hannity, the angry asshole and yes man who will always convince the leader that his schemes are a good idea. Or Mike Pence, the guy who thinks the schemes are a bad idea but goes along with them anyway. And then there's Rudy Giuliani and Roger Stone, the creepy next door neighbors. And their scheming collaborators Julian Assange, Jeannie Pirro, Laura Ingraham, Sebastian Gorka, and Steve Bannon. Who are people who the wife tells you should never, under any circumstances listen to, but you do anyways. And every time you do, you always get into trouble.
Trump is the character who's never had a steady job in his whole life and is constantly looking for the next get rich quick scheme and the easy way out when said get rich quick scheme fails. All of his ventures have been fails. He's the kind of guy who would buy his own slaughterhouse because he wasn't getting quality meat products. Or would start his own airline because he had bad service on a flight. Or would start his own vodka brand to get his own high quality cocktails because, reasons. And when those things fail, he moves onto the next wacky adventure.
Which brings us to our latest episode. People are dying from his latest fuck up. And he's attempting to weasel his way out of this by offering another get rich quick scheme. But it's not working and this won't be resolved in half an hour. This is sweeps week where the simple half hour will turn into a two or three part episode. He's attempted to weasel his way out of this by hawking something dangerous and unproven, which has backfired in his face big time.
Trump thinks he can weasel his way out of this and we'll be back to normal by next week's wacky adventure. But he can't weasel his way out of this one by hawking dangerous cures. This is one colossal fuck up that will last the whole season or not. It's not going to end with a lecture on the evils of modern society and a kiss from mommy. It will probably result in the end of this series. Which can't come soon enough. And he definitely won't be going out on a high note. It won't end the way he thinks it's going to end.
Even in the Simpsons Movie, Homer realized how bad his fuck up was, and how it was eventually going to cost the lives of everyone he thought he cared about, and set out to right the wrong that he wrought on society. Trump on the other hand, doesn't have that kind of integrity. He's leaving us to our own devices and we will all suffer from it. But onto next week's episode!
Arkansas Granny
(31,513 posts)Laelth
(32,017 posts)-Laelth
Initech
(100,054 posts)With the idea that he could get his own fresh eggs at home. But then the chicken turns out to be a rooster and he gets into the world of underground cockfighting. Trump seems like the kind of guy who would put the Trump name on such a misadventure. Like Charlottesville was just one episode in this sitcom.
And that misadventure would come complete with an ending that, as Sideshow Bob put it, is so formulaic that it could have spewed from the Powerbook of the laziest Hollywood hack. Now to haul ass to Lollapalooza!
empedocles
(15,751 posts)malaise
(268,846 posts)https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213364513
Blue Owl
(50,327 posts)it's more of a "shit-com" than a "sit-com", what with the daily shitshow and all...
malaise
(268,846 posts)Nicely played
Wounded Bear
(58,620 posts)I prefer the reality show corollary my self.
HotTeaBag
(1,206 posts)This shit would have to be actually funny. And it is not.
Initech
(100,054 posts)But you can't deny the sitcom qualities of his personal life. It really does feel episodic.
Wounded Bear
(58,620 posts)it never ends. This "sitcom" won't have a happy ending.
Initech
(100,054 posts)BUT HOW DOES IT END???
CatWoman
(79,294 posts)Initech
(100,054 posts)underpants
(182,727 posts)Gleasons character is the that all are based on. Always with the get rich schemes. The Kramdens didnt have kids but I think that was from Gleasons choice (money, staging).
You nailed it.
We are seeing a crack in Trumps armor. A few days ago he read words that could sort be heard as caring, empathetic, even commiserate, at least sounding like he gives a ripping flip. Then yesterday, I think, he said that maybe he got lucky. Trump doesnt get lucky-he wins, dominates, is simply superior...at least to the rabble. Hes cooked and he knows it. He cant talk his way out if this one and talking is the LAST thing he needs to do right now.
Initech
(100,054 posts)underpants
(182,727 posts)Things that come to mind while cutting the grass ( yeah manual powered)
Remember how wonderful Republicans told us prison was? Three meals a day. Free room. Hell! ALL THE TV YOU COULD WATCH. Sure theres things like freedom and sex but really isnt this what they told was just the life?
I guess it wasnt as good as they thought it was going to be.
Initech
(100,054 posts)They will get to experience it for themselves!
uponit7771
(90,323 posts)ProfessorGAC
(64,960 posts)He's Tim Taylor, with no guru to put wisdom into his cement head.
Initech
(100,054 posts)And then makes her pay the body shop fees. Yeah there's no Wilson to be his spirit guide either. Except maybe Paula "Everywhere I stand is holy" White.
jcgoldie
(11,627 posts)Shittiest sitcom ever!
Initech
(100,054 posts)grumpyduck
(6,231 posts)It's a farce.
There are some good definitions of farce as a genre of theatre online. Worth perusing.
Baked Potato
(7,733 posts)Its pitiful all the attributes you ascribe to Dump are exactly what millions of his voters are. The only thing separating Trump from a common deadbeat of the worst kind is money. Money gave him power to place himself out front of the rest of his ilk.
JHB
(37,158 posts)Malice. Vicious, rancid malice.
He likes hurting people. To a degree that even Montgomery Burns can't match.
Initech
(100,054 posts)I'd say he's more on the realm of Seinfeld's George Costanza, especially in the 8th and 9th seasons when he was outed as being a rageaholic.
Maybe throw in a bit of GOB from Arrested Development for good measure.