My readers disagreed. TOB was too serious for laughter, they said. Unaware, it seems, that laughter can be a deadly weapon.
For I lived through World War Two when the Allies (ie, the anti-Nazis) faced their own Orange Buffoon. And yes, although Adolf Hitler was a mass murderer, he did sport a ridiculous moustache. And Herman Göring, Hitler’s head of the Luftwaffe (ie, the air force), was inordinately fat. The cartoonists made hay and we did too. Songs too (To the tune Colonel Bogey):
Göring has two but very small,
Himmler is rather sim'lar,
But poor old Goebbels has no balls at all.
And if you don’t know who Himmler and Goebbels were, count yourself lucky.
Imagine, you’re in a bar and TOB walks in. Except he’s an ordinary Joe. What would your reaction be? The pancake make-up and the sugar-shovel hairdo would have you grinning straightaway. He orders a Diet Coke, so what’s he doing in a bar? But he speaks in that fluty, almost musical voice the real TOB reserves for saying the US is corrupt.
A half-drunk at the bar (It could be me.) says something disparaging. TOB forms his lips into the pre-kiss rosebud shape, simpers and makes a petulant sound. Where’ve you seen that before? That’s right: a six-week-old baby refusing milk.
Come on. This guy’s straight out of a circus. So treat him accordingly
Write a comic song. What does Trump rhyme with? You got it.
BREAKING NEWS
Tone Deaf readers didn't agree with my suggestion that laughing at the ex-president (say TOB, it's shorter) might undermine his outrageous behahaviour. General reaction: you don't laugh at Satan.
Others think differently. On YouTube Lawrence O'Donnell, MSNBC's very serious political commentator, asked three legal beagles (Andrew Weissman - former federal prosecutor, Neal Katyal - former acting Solicitor General, Bradley Moss - national security attorney) to react to TOB's answers to some surprisingly tough questions, with follow-ups - on Fox News! - about the purloined documents.
The atmosphere at MSNBC was unusual; fun was in the air. Even O'Donnell could hardly suppress his giggles. TOB's blundering was mercilessly exposed. Weissman characterised TOB as "uncertain" and "scared". Katyal said the present documents prosecutor, Jack Smith, could take on TOB as additional counsel and let him prosecute himself. Moss said the clip clearly showed TOB would be changing his plea to Insanity.
Very refreshing. Laughing at someone isn't often a sign of approval.
To “Imagine” (Lennon)
ReplyDeleteImagine there’s no Donald
It isn’t hard to dream
Of something simple happening
To make a headline scream
Donnie is no longer
And he went out with a pop
But the genie he un-bottled
Will remain forever - GOP
You may say you’re a MAGA
And you love your Second A
Your truck is taller than your house
But that don’t mean
Today is going to be your day
MikeM: You may be the only responder but it's great we're singing from the same hymn sheet, Much better than averting one's eyes or re-cycling the usual blah-blah. Coupla scansion doobies but, Hey! easily outweighed by the best line of all:
ReplyDeleteYour truck is taller than your house
Cruel on Mack drivers who voted Biden but, as the cliché goes, "You cain't fry an omelette without breaking egg-shells."
Ever thought? If worst comes to worst Upstate NY secedes from the Union. Or forces Palm Beach County to do just that.
I’ll go with “Your pick-up’s taller than your house” for the cock crow edit. “But that don’t mean” must follow a rhythm I guess conflated from some other tune. I was late and it was quick. I’m hoping the choice of “pop” won’t bring federal agents knocking. Fun challenge - more should try.
ReplyDeleteMikeM : No, no. I should never have been so mean-spirited. It wasn't that line, which MUST, in any case, remain as is. I just read your verse to VR and she smiled seraphically.
ReplyDeleteThanks Robbie - but I had to trace down the source of the rhythm I chose:
ReplyDelete“But that don’t mean
Today is gonna be your day”
Is after:
“But it’s all wrong
That is I think I disagree”
From: Strawberry Fields
MikeM: Fact is, although I have heard that Beatles/Lennon song I've never paid particular attention to it. And many, many modern-day pop songs don't scan. I really hate the fact that I may have cast doubt on what was a perfect, comical - yet indirect - allusion to a Trump voter. Thus tying in with the sentiment that kicked off this post: to laugh at Trump and to encourage others to do so.
DeleteLaughing at Trump is a national pastime. The memes are endless. I think it really is a good thing to laugh at him, he's ridiculous. I tried to compose a song, really. Had you asked for a limerick, I'm pretty sure I could have made one.
ReplyDeleteColette: I spared you four minutes of my valuable time. Look below:
DeleteSeveral excellent words rhyme with Trump
Take his posture; that belly's a slump
While as to his hair,
Is he really all there?
The mirror will say: What a chump!
Ha! Bravo.
Deleteridicule can be a powerful weapon. but if you really want to wound him, ignore him because for him any attention is good, good or bad keeps him in the spotlight.
ReplyDeleteellen abbott: I get your point but there's not much immediate pleasure in our doing nothing. He genuinely doesn't like being laughed at and this may be having a long-term effect. His mind is becoming more and more scrambled as proved by his answers to the Fox interview I refer to. Utterly incoherent. His supporters have shown they're prepared to dimiss the fact that he's several sorts of criminal; but how might they react to the suggestion that he's showing inescapable symptoms of mental illness?
Delete