Meidas+: Dear Morning Joe, We Are Part of "The Real World." Elitist condescension makes it worse

[Dennis Donovan]

Meidas+ - Dear Morning Joe, We Are Part of "The Real World"

Elitist condescension makes it worse, not better.

Ron Filipkowski
Nov 19, 2024

After social media across multiple platforms erupted over Joe and Mika’s trip to MAL to kiss the ring, or, as Joe put it, “restarting my communications with Trump,” the response this morning was to insult the critics. Scarborough opened the show with this:

“Yesterday, I saw for the first time what a massive disconnect there was between social media and the real world because we were flooded from phone calls from people all day, literally around the world, very positive, very supportive.”

So, the millions of people who expressed outrage that J&M went to the home of the man they have called a serial sexual abuser of women and the second coming of Hitler are disconnected from the real world, but J&M’s friends calling them from around the world have their finger on the pulse? I guess we will find out when the ratings from this week come out whether this is just cranks on social media or real people who used to watch their show. (The show’s ratings had already tanked since the election even before this).

Sure, the consensus of the opinions on social media don’t always reflect society as a whole or the views of the entire country. I get that. But that’s not really the issue here. Morning Joe’s audience is largely the very same people who are complaining on social media - educated, sophisticated people who follow the news very closely and are on social media. So, with this dismissive statement, Joe insults his own audience yet again.

I guess I’m just not sophisticated enough to understand why a TV host would go to someone’s house to kiss and make up who accused him of murdering a staffer to cover up an extramarital affair (with no evidence). Or who viciously insulted his wife over her intellect, looks, and plastic surgery. I guess those of us in the imaginary social media world don’t get the nuance of how it is necessary to kiss the ring of that person in order to provide TV commentary to a largely progressive audience.

/snip

[Earthrise]

1. Maybe Joe should lead us in singing, "We are the world...." at the start of each show.

I won't be there, but some people will.

I've heard plenty of people say we need to be polite and loving to everyone - and that's true, but it's not true.

If I catch my neighbor sexually molesting an adolescent, should I prioritize politeness and be loving towards them? After they've been in jail for many years, maybe. Before that, I owe the world my outrage - anger motivates speaking out and pushing for change.