Whereas, I respect nearly everyone's opinion here,

[PCIntern]

I feel compelled to state that the one thing of which I am absolutely certain is that no one has one clue as to what the future holds.

I’ll tell you one thing about this guy, is that he has authored the most compelling political/criminal/psychological/sexually charged thriller ever written or produced for the screen. I am of the sincere belief that many voted for him for the sheer excitement and plot twists which he brings to the scene.

If you ask Americans what the greatest TV/Film achievements are, likely every list will include near the top: The Godfather, Parts 1and 2; Goodfellas, the Sopranos, Breaking Bad, and The Wire. What do all of these have in common? Take a wild guess.

That’s what this event means for most Americans: the ability to root for an anti-hero who, in their minds, is unstoppable and immune to any retribution or punishment. In all save the last of the above-listed works of art, the hero survives and dies an essentially natural death. (Walter White in Breaking Bad is dying of a recurrence of his cancer, although a stray bullet seemed to have put him out of his misery).

This is a greater drama than the OJ Simpson murder trial, and as someone who watched and followed essentially every moment of that story, I never dreamed it could be eclipsed. But it has been…exponentially. Wait for the next chapter: you’ll be sitting on the edge of your seat.

And yes…I know. Many humans and animals will be hurt and damaged during the production of this story.

[mdbl]

1. Where's 007 when you need him?

[Justice matters.]

80. Or Batman and Robin...

Against the make-up cRazie$...

[Walleye]

2. So, Americans were so bored, that they decided to trash their country just to amuse themselves

With all the video games, sports on TV, movies, etc. they still can’t seem to entertain themselves

[allegorical oracle]

40. Could be that too many people have too much time to ruminate. Reminds me of my

horse vet. Every year he vanned thoroughbred foals to a Kentucky auction. Asked him what he did if the foals started fussing with each other. He replied, "I gently ease on the van's brakes. That makes them focus on keeping their balance, and that ends any squabbles."

Much of the so-called "greatest generation" grew up during the great depression only to find that World War II was threatening as they reached their teenage years. Those who survived the war were only too happy to be able to come home and foster a peaceful, "boring" home life.

[Walleye]

44. That is a good analogy, actually I really like boring now that I'm old

[FormerOstrich]

56. Not only that but

I strive for dull and boring!!

[allegorical oracle]

84. Yep. A generation that has the luxury of peace and boredom has the time and space to

learn who they are and to help others.

[orangecrush]

86. Same

[uponit7771]

104. RIGHT !!! I don't want to wonder about my vehicle or my government ... not my kind of excitement

[travelingthrulife]

61. This is a video game to them. The Tech Boys just whipped our ass this round.

They don't really care about this country, just getting game tokens.

[gab13by13]

3. That's what they want us to do "wait."

Better start fighting them now. Whatever we imagine TSF/Musk is going to do will be far worse than we imagined. That is a pattern and it isn't going to change.

Many will be murdered, this will be a Pinochet-style regime.

These are the people who will be running our country, in this order;

Putin
Musk
Trump.

[BlueKota]

37. I am not certain how much longer Trump

stays on that list. He is nothing more than a useful puppets to them, and when he out lives his usefulness, will be easily discarded.

[Magoo48]

81. Yup. Now is not the time to wait. Now is time to consider the untold number of ways to mresist.

Now is the time to decide which ways to resist I can start with now, and begin.
I will resist and have a good humor while doing it.

[thomski64]

4. to quote from the Hunger Games...

"...it's a TV show.."

[allegorical oracle]

85. And TSF is the producer, the director, and the star of the show. Hope it ends without

a sequel.

[Redleg]

5. Interesting points

My thesis is that his supporters
1) believe both parties are bad,
2) believe the government doesn't help the right people,
3) believe that Trump is an outsider to DC,
4) believe Trump's bullshit that only he can fix the problems,
5) are willing to watch Trump burn the whole thing down

[yardwork]

22. I think you're both right.

[Escape]

7. So...

We are now living in a lavishly financed, poorly cast, hastily written reality show about bad guys and gangsters and fanatics and fools.

I will probably watch something else.

[japple]

9. I've got a huge stack/list of books to be read. Thank dog for Stephen King and other

great writers who can whisk you away into another world, at least for awhile.

[NJCher]

33. Likewise

I’m bored with it and I have more interesting pursuits.

Big yawn from me. I never could abide uncouth, stupid, obese, and vulgar characters anyway, be they anti heroes or whatever you want to call them.

[wnylib]

67. The modern version of the Colosseum gladiator fights.

Entertainment for the masses to watch people fight wild animals or fight each other to death.

[magicarpet]

102. Circus & Bread,...

All you can eat,... don't you know ?

[jaxexpat]

8. Aha, I have the perfect title, "Days of the Rubberneckers".

[Biophilic]

10. I've had some of the same thoughts.

People are so used to watching so called reality tv that they can’t really tell the difference between what’s actually real and what’s contrived. Since those shows have been good entertainment with no personal repercussions what’s the harm?

[MiHale]

12. Assassination plots have to be added to the drama...

Maybe leading up to a plot twist like in ‘Designated Survivor’. Naw, that’s all just fantasy.

[magicarpet]

103. Emperor meets dagger.

Anybody got a spare guillotine down cellar or in the garage ?

[Prairie Gates]

13. Just a minor edit

"If you ask American *men what the greatest TV/Film achievements are, likely every list will include near the top: The Godfather, Parts 1and 2; Goodfellas, the Sopranos, Breaking Bad, and The Wire."

[PCIntern]

31. Point taken, however...

In polls of all moviegoers, fascinatingly, the film which often comes out on top is Vertigo, a film about a neurotic, phobic, creepy guy who’s obsessed with a particular woman to the point of near-self-destruction.

I’ll take the anti-hero anytime.

[John1956PA]

39. I have that movie on DVD.

"Vertigo" gas been a favorite of mine ever since I viewed in on NBC Saturday Night At The Movies back in the 1960s. Hitchcok and his cinematographer went to great lengths to get the colors in the scenes just right. The scene with Kim Novak walking into the restaurant is breathtaking.

[Farmer-Rick]

70. Yeah, those don't appeal to me

I only watched 2 of them and only liked one of them.

I think the books were much better for the Godfather.

[Blue_Roses]

14. Great point!

They love the chaos, because that's how many of them have lived their own lives.

[DownriverDem]

16. The only way Americans

will wake up is when they feel the pain and hurt. Let it rip!

[Bumbles]

19. The pleasure/pain syndrome

"St. Maximos painted a vivid picture of our loss of true freedom and free choice, and our embrace of death rather than life.

The more we frantically pursue pleasure for its own sake and allow this pursuit to drive our lives, the greater the pain. The greater the pain, the more intensive the pursuit and the delusion that more of the same will assuage it. We are caught in an endless cycle like dogs chasing our tails. We are trapped."

https://readingsinphilokalia.com/2020/04/07/pain-dispassion-and-pleasure-st-maximos-the-confessor/

[KPN]

73. 666 is alive and well. Meanwhile, there can be no real freedom without freedom from

religion.

[Bumbles]

75. Or any other cult.

[Bumbles]

76. Or any other cult.

[KPN]

59. I'm not sure even that will wake most Americans up.

The trillionaires, billionaires and hyena media will somehow spin that feeling of hurt and pain into something caused by the “communists” who want to take over the country. At which point, too many of those who somehow still have their lips above water will tack to the “middle” while proclaiming “I’m socially liberal!”

[Farmer-Rick]

72. The economic crash is coming

They will feel the pain of another crash in about 2 years.....maybe less. I would recommend you pull some cash out of the bank and stock up on supplies.

Trump will destroy our economy like he bankrupted all of his businesses. It's coming. And it will probably be followed by riots and unrest.

The thing is that the filthy-rich want all the money. But if and when they take all the money, it becomes worthless.

Also, I think Putin is wanting Trump to send him American troops to fight Russia's wars. That's why the purge of the Generals started before Trump even got sworn in. Trump has obligations to the person who put him in power.

[Ray Bruns]

17. I'm sticking with "The American populace is littered with morons"

[defacto7]

34. Same thing

[Trust_Reality]

87. Yep

[AverageOldGuy]

18. IF we survive . . .

. . . When the made for tv series “Trump” is produced, I hope I’m around to see it. At age 80 I may not make it.

Of course, I’m being privileged to LIVE THROUGH IT!!!

[Bumbles]

21. My son lamented that, at 82, what may be my final years, will be spent in the omni-presence of Trump and his ilk.

I'd rather read the book.

[Walleye]

45. It's bad enough he ruins our country, he also ruins our golden years. We worked so hard for a lifetime.

[northoftheborder]

52. I will not live long enough to see

The country put back together.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

97. I won't have any golden years

Because I will be gone before then

[BigmanPigman]

99. No one learned any lessons from Covid

It has been forgotten as well as the millions who died as a result of the fucking moron's severe hatred of all living things. Many of us will not make it to our golden years thanks to the sadistic, greedy, hate filled monsters who are now in control of everything we value.

[Bluethroughu]

20. It's unnecessary...we still have the king.

Why abdicate the responsibility to the country and our Constitution?

[Bettie]

23. Maybe the reason I don't understand why they could vote for that

piece of shit is that I never enjoyed any of those shows. An "anti-hero" is really just a villain with better PR. I enjoy watching basically decent people overcome odds or people who learn and change over the course of a story.

Interesting insight.

[Walleye]

47. I've never watched reality shows. I don't enjoy domestic conflict. And ignoramuses.

Plus, reality shows were started to break the union during the writers strike. They are not very good TV shows.

[Bettie]

51. I told my DH a few days ago

that the first episode of Survivor was the death knell of our society.

He says I said that back when it first started as well.

[mnhtnbb]

66. I'm with you. Never watched reality shows,

Unless the competitive performing shows like Dancing with the Stars, American Idol, and The Voice count. And I haven't watched any of them for years.

My favorite series?
Outlander
The West Wing
The Newsroom

I like well written, well acted, well produced shows/ movies with more than token female characters in predictable roles.

I get it, now, because I have zero interest in watching the con man of bad TV destroy our country. I can't watch the news because I can't stand the sight or sound of that orange a$$hole.

[Walleye]

71. Me either, always been interested in news all my life. Can't watch it now.

Thanks for that Donald

[GusBob]

24. Cool! Let's throw on some Beastie Boys and start a riot

Let’s do our part of the drama and kick some ass

[Martin Eden]

25. The forecast calls for pain

I can't predict when or if the dark clouds will dissipate.

[Martin Eden]

26. Dr. Strangelove (or how I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb)

As long as we're citing favorite movies, I thought I'd throw that in there.

And Now for Something Completely Different

Harold and Maude

[Walleye]

49. Very good, Dr. Strangelove is probably my favorite movie

[calimary]

100. All I've got to throw in is "A Hard Day's Night" and "HELP".

And a few Woody Allen movies. The funny ones. I'm in no mood for dramas, suspense, or horror movies right now. Especially when it feels like we're LIVING them, whether we want to or not.

[allegorical oracle]

27. So agree with your take on our situation. He continues the intrigue, much like the way

Henry VIII's reign has remained popular for centuries. Humans seem fixated on rogues.

[brush]

28. Really? That's your take away from all this? The MFer is about to lose fascism and the military on the nation...

and film, TV and drama possibilities is not what's on most people's minds.

[PCIntern]

77. It certainly is...

You think people aren’t affected by what they have watched for decades on tv?

Really?

[cer7711]

29. Yep. Trump is an Agent of Chaos.

Last edited Thu Nov 14, 2024, 10:13 AM - Edit history (1)

I think you're on to something there.
Though a woefully wrong-headed, morally bankrupt and shockingly idiotic action, many who voted for Trump have confimed in divers interviews that their vote constituted the equivalent of swinging a nihilist orange wrecking ball at the system.

[Hugin]

30. Many were enthralled with "Game of Thrones" as well...

Which brings to mind a lurking question.

If it has been decided to cast aside a 240 something year old republic in favor of empire. Shouldn’t the living people (yes, there are many) who have a prior claim to the throne of the mid-north americas be cycled through before the johnny-come-lately Trumps?

[LSparkle]

57. OMG you're right ... he even used GOT graphics ...

In some campaign poster. I’m not a fan but that show has softened the public up for the carnage to come.

[WestMichRad]

32. I'm still hoping...

that my life has somehow slipped into an alternate bizarre universe, and that there’s a faint chance that I could suddenly find myself back in some more rational setting.

This simply cannot be reality. It’s just too strange, in a most horrifying way.

[defacto7]

35. I could not agree with you more.

[SomedayKindaLove]

36. 18 year old son, Harris voter, Trump hater

Said he “almost” wanted to see what would happen if Trump won. That’s the allure Trump has, so easy for others to cross that line.

I’ll also never forget my 7 year old stepson seeing video during 9/11 of a plane hitting a building and the fire plume it created and saying, in awe, “It is beautiful.”

Seems there is something about catastrophe that entices young males souls.

[Walleye]

68. That's weird because we already saw what happened when Trump was president

Prescription there is a weird denial, hypnosis, and amnesia in this country

[Farmer-Rick]

74. Yeah,

I heard others say Dumpy Trumpy was an outsider?????????

He was president 4 years ago. How is that being an outsider?????? He appointed those sexually abusive and repressed Supreme Court Judges. How is he the outsider for stupid sake?

[Walleye]

79. They also say "he's not a politician". You can't be more politician than running for president.

But they are really saying is, he’s a lousy politician.

[nowforever]

38. Analysis

The power elite have decided to to cut their own throats. By their relentless greed they have opted to destroy humanity, unwittingly of course, their wealth and power will fade as the planet burns. Humans are the parasite the Earth must rid itself of.

[hunter]

41. I've never seen any of those movies or television series.

Maybe I'm too scarred from real world violence and depravity to find them entertaining.

[FakeNoose]

69. These are stories where the star of the movie or the series

... plays a guy (or could be a woman) you hate to root for, but you do anyway. Then everything goes wrong and you're glad when he loses and the real "good guys" win. So in the end you feel a little crazy that you rooted for the anti-hero. For some reason that type of story has become very popular in our culture.

[Ndp5]

42. Respectfully disagree

This is a very male perspective. The OJ Simpson trial was not merely made-for-TV drama, it was a national referendum on whether male wealth and celebrity trumped women’s lives.

Decades later, Americans are still getting the answer to that question wrong.

I do think it says something about our culture, and all the free air time for Trump, that some people (mostly men) are still fascinated by Trump.

He’s a narcissist who is utterly desperate for the national spotlight. That’s not compelling or dramatic, it’s just pathetic.

[niyad]

63. Welcome to our DU family.

[Kid Berwyn]

43. Ian Fleming would agree.

Dr. No: SPECTRE. Special Executive for Counterintelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion. The four great cornerstones of power, headed by the greatest brains in the world.

Bond: Correction, criminal brains.

Dr. No: The successful criminal brain is always superior. It has to be.

And a nuclear reactor cooling pool full of destiny awaits…

[PCIntern]

78. A mountain of Bird guano in the book

[Kid Berwyn]

93. Pure gold.

Alchemy through mineral extraction.

[djacq]

46. The Dark Knight

"You Either Die A Hero Or You Live Long Enough To See Yourself Become The Villain."

[usonian]

48. Chaos is the goal, not just the means.

[evemac]

50. I was just thinking about this yesterday

I think many were motivated to create real life drama by electing him. The Matt Gaetz appointment may have been just to see how much he can stir up everyone and done in spite.
It's weird and sick.

[FalloutShelter]

53. Entertaining ourselves to death.

We have lost the thread on reality.

[valleyrogue]

54. This is why CNN's Zucker and other media figures promoted him.

He makes "great copy," not somebody drab and boring and competent like Joe Biden.

[Blue_Tires]

55. I had said the same on Twitter

But I didn't get any traction...

I liken Donnie to that most famous of American antiheroes, Bart Simpson.

[bucolic_frolic]

58. So the foolish voted for vicarious thrills thinking they are immune

I mean they really are that dumb.

[Dem4life1970]

60. Very well said.

I think you have made everything make sense. I have been searching for a narrative that makes his victory make sense and this one ties together all of the disparate elements into a whole. Thanks for this

[hay rick]

62. We live in interesting times.

History will probably offer a different take, but as one living through it, it feels more like an endless bad boy adventure. Look, the spoiled brat got away with this, he got away with that, etc. The anti-heroes in recent popular movies and TV series have extraordinary abilities and accomplishments that keep you rooting for them despite their flaws. Not Trump. Trump is cowardly, incapable, and inarticulate. Part of the pain of living in the current era is watching a relentlessly mediocre human being bulldoze the "shining city on a hill." The fact that this is not only possible, but happening, reflects badly on all of us.

[ancianita]

64. It's a great drama, for sure. But not for most Americans.

what this event means for most Americans: the ability to root for an anti-hero who, in their minds, is unstoppable and immune to any retribution or punishment.

The numbers tell the larger truth -- that 78% of this America did not vote for the drama.

Divide his total votes -- 75,875,555 -- by the current U.S. population -- 346,117,172.

Whatever drama the 22 percent enjoy will be temporary, and as usual, we Democrats in 2028 will run on cleaning up the Republican mess Reality. Consistently, the irresponsible kids wreck the house and the faithful servants of democracy clean it back up.

[PCIntern]

83. The Left will be glued to the teevee and liberal websites

As we always are.

[ancianita]

92. Cool. Believe what you wish. The Left can learn lessons glued to the teevee. So I'll still say "most."

Are you saying the Left can't learn lessons?

From my perspective, if all the DU'ers who've said they won't watch teevee just come here and get aggregate news -- it's more than I can remember in my 12 years here, but who's counting -- it's less than rational to assume that all DU'ers and the 72,877,294 who voted for Kamala are the Left.
For another, after losing more Left than we knew in 2024, and if you're right about whatever is left of the Left, they'll be just as silo'd into the information zone that brought their loss on Nov 5.

[dem4decades]

101. I guess i left The Left, cause I'm not glued to it, not even watching.

[dchill]

65. Me, I'm a Casablanca guy.

The bad guys got what they deserved. The good guys knew what their job was.

[republianmushroom]

82. Not quite true, I still have my1990's original magic fortune telling 8-ball.

It is as good as the polls.

[Trust_Reality]

91. This does help explain some of the craziness.

Pretty sure it is not something those voters are aware of. More like a subconscious pull. People do identify with TV/movie characters.

[OldBaldy1701E]

88. That's why the press loves him and will kiss his ass all day long!

The clicks, man! The clicks!

[misanthrope]

89. "The hero survives and dies an essentially natural death"?

Don Corleone survives and dies an essentially natural death, but his family is ruined.

Michael Corleone survives and ends up utterly alone and emotionally miserable. Everything he ever loved is destroyed. He dies an essentially natural death but his character suffers an even worse artistic fate by being part of the abomination that was Godfather III.

In Goodfellas, Joe Pesci's character, Tommy, is taken out. Robert De Niro's character, Jimmy goes to prison. Ray Liotta's character, Henry goes into witness protection (which is a life of ceaseless paranoia) and back to incarceration.

In the Sopranos, most all of the main characters die and their families are damaged. While the creators left artful wiggle room in the final scene, it is pretty much a given that Tony dies in that eatery.

To me, those stories all show a type of life best avoided. The psychological and physical destruction is too great.

[PCIntern]

96. Of course...

In the example of the Sopranos, the ambiguity of the final scene prevents obvious justice from being exhibited. Michael Corleone destroyed his own family. Not a week in jail for the protagonists. Lotsa misery for everyone else. Sound familiar?

[Emile]

90. I love a good roller coaster ride, but this one really scares me!

[BootinUp]

94. Trump runs a weak game.

And his margin of victory based on lies, is no mandate.

[Maggiemayhem]

95. I've always compared this situation to WWF with Trump as a ringmaster.

Elect a clown Expect a circus!

[uponit7771]

105. Except 500k Americans died last match because he lied about the lethality of Thunder Punches, nah ... I want boring AF

[Meowmee]

98. I have always seen that as a major flaw with this society in particular

The glorification of criminals... I have never liked the violence, the mob films etc. I do not need to be entertained by that and am not. This is real life, it is not a tv show, a movie etc. Millions of people were murdered by him. He needs to be stopped if at all possible now, and so do his supporters and the corrupt party that put him power.

People who do true good and who are truly intelligent or genius are not rewarded or appreciated the way they should be. It is part of it being an idiocrazy, yes. new word, it now will be even more of a kleptocrazy.