The Lapdogs and Their Master Need to Lighten Up

   Here are a couple of truths, dear readers: The first is, there is little question that the current occupant of the Oval Office and his MAGA lapdogs can dish it out. Few things describe this most recent, and annoying, populist movement more than its juvenile irreverence toward established institutions and its willingness to obliterate traditional standards of civility as it targets political enemies (and sometimes even friends during some in-house frat-fight). Trump’s social-media posts and statements are filled with invective and merciless mocking. And never let it be said that Trump and his minions gave up a chance to childishly mock their political foes. 

    Trump’s anti-intellectual, schoolyard taunts are rarely sophisticated, as they frequently zero in on personal appearance. “He’s got the smallest neck I’ve ever seen. And the biggest head. We call him watermelon head. How can that big fat face stand on a neck that looked like this finger?” Trump said about Sen. Adam Schiff (D–Calif.). OK, I laughed when he called him “Adam Schifty Schiff,” but that’s only because it was so childishly stupid. And for his fans/supporters, I suppose that’s the appeal...sadly. But think about this for a moment. The previous quote was uttered by the so-called leader of the free world. It’s a frighteningly childish quote that should be mocked by anyone who got past the fourth grade. But I digress. 

    One of Trump’s ugliest insults—harkening back to his first election—was when he mocked a disabled reporter by imitating his hand motions. We know this is how Trump operates. You can find hundreds of examples with a Google search or on his Truth Social account. Even the official White House account does this—when it’s not portraying Trump as some kind of Kim Jong Un-style superhero.

    The second truth is that it’s all so sadly funny. Whenever anyone calls the “Trumpists” out on things like this, Trump defenders act as if they are just so above it all. “Don’t you know the president is just trolling?” “Get a sense of humor.” “You must be suffering from TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome).” On and on it goes. In full disclosure, I think I greatly value humor and have mocked my share of people over the years. But I find bullying taunts to be crass and the sign of those displaying low human capital.

    In politics, I prefer Ronald Reagan’s brand of humor, as it was actually funny, incisive, and intelligent. It could be biting: “A recession is when your neighbor loses his job. A depression is when you lose yours. And recovery is when Jimmy Carter loses his.” He reportedly penned that one himself. But his humor often was self-deprecating. After getting criticized for his work ethic, Reagan said: “It’s true that hard work never killed anybody, but I figure why take the chance?” That, boys and girls, is a great line!

    By contrast, the new, so-called Republican standard-bearer (it pains me to type those words) cannot bear the slightest criticism. Even a ho-hum taunt brings a furious reaction—sometimes followed by a cease-and-desist letter. Trump takes himself very seriously. I’ve never heard anything from him that’s self-deprecating. Yet self-deprecation is a sign not just of intelligence, but of emotional well-being. Only dictators—real or wannabe—and troubled personalities maintain a veneer of perfection. (“I'm the greatest president ever.” Yes, dear reader, he actually uttered those words.)

    Someone once said that “We choose humor as a mechanism through which leaders express their concern for others (vs. the self) because of the potential for humor to be both a weapon to harm others, and a tool to build relationships.” Great leaders use humor—especially the self-deprecating variety—as a tool to elevate organizations (and nations), whereas self-centered ones use it to diminish others. You see the parallels.

    Recently, one of the breakfast guys asked if I watched South Park. I said no, (replying with tongue firmly in cheek) that I get most of my humor from the editorial pages of The New York Times, and from reading the Book of Revelation. See what I did there? You really are an idiot. Well, my friend sent me a link to a South Park episode which shows Trump suing the tiny town of South Park when its parents resist ‘anti-woke’ policies, threatening anyone who isn't sufficiently pro-Trump, and literally getting into bed naked with Satan. It also showed Trump with a tiny penis. The cartoon is the epitome of irreverent humor. Its targets are all over the map. It’s not my type of humor, but I am more than willing to laugh even when a show like that aims at things I like and respect. It’s called being a grown-up. 

    Yet, a White House that routinely displays viciousness couldn’t bear being on the receiving end. It called South Park a “fourth-rate” show that is “hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention.” First of all, why in the name of Abraham Lincoln, would a President of the United States give a damn what a cartoon parodies about him. And secondly, MAGA soldiers can be remarkably thin-skinned, which is the dictionary definition of people who can dish it out but can’t take it. I’m a stickler for applying standards consistently to both ends of the political spectrum. And I wish I could say that I’m shocked by this frightening lack of self-awareness...but, alas, I’m not. Trump’s a child, masquerading as an adult.

    Additionally, the President has also undertaken a variety of not-so-funny assaults on the media, which many people in the press have documented. These sophomoric verbal assaults (think Biff in the “Back To The Future” films) seem designed to take a hammer to criticism. Some media outlets have rolled over, but I think the best response is to keep up the pressure. The South Park producers offered a mock apology for their episode, which seemed like the appropriate response.

    In democratic societies, the public is free to ridicule its leaders. Not only are we free to do it, one might consider it mandatory. I would even argue that making fun of our leaders is healthy for a polity. But you can’t stop mockery even in unfree ones. Jokes in the old Soviet Union could be amazingly clever, as the jokesters had to navigate a world of informants, secret police and humorless apparatchiks. Now, would I prefer a little more decorum in our own political discourse. Sure I would! But, and there is always a “But,” since the MAGA lapdogs won’t stop dishing out their childish insults, they should get better at taking them. Grow up.