Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[smjjames]

I've never really watched the reality shows (I did watch some of Survivor, but didn't become a fan of it, or reality shows), though I've heard of things like epiliptic trees and jumping the shark

These aren't anything to do with reality shows.

'Epileptic trees' is basically conspiracy theories applied to TV shows. Say, if you were watching Friends and had a whole theory about how it was an elaborate virtual reality game they'd signed up for or how Ross had a double life as a serial killer or something.

'Jumping the shark' is the moment when a series crosses the line in some form and becomes too silly/awful. It's named for Happy Days, the episode where Fonzie literally jumped over a shark for a stunt.

For those that HAVE watched reality shows though, the trajectory described is correct, right? Getting more outrageous/flashy/stunty as the show tries to outdo itself?

Equally problematic is his not reading the intel briefings daily. Maybe he'd prefer to listen to a transcript of the briefings if he's that type of person, but I'd imagine that the briefings are pretty lengthy and recording a spoken transcript would be more time extensive than just printing one out.

[Loud Whispers]

So, an observation that Trump is treating his transition and very likely the Presidency like a reality show.
I know that people have said that this whole election has felt like a reality show, but this observation follows it's logic to it's end. I've never really watched the reality shows (I did watch some of Survivor, but didn't become a fan of it, or reality shows), though I've heard of things like epiliptic trees and jumping the shark and doing all kinds of wierd stuff.
Basically, the implication is that he'll become more outrageous, and as we've seen, he never backs down, EVER, not even his campaign staff could get him off of tangents that other people would just apologise for and move on. He's already slammed the gauntlet down at China, the real test would be his first month or two in office.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Very strange thing I've noticed in american politics just how many people act as if they are living not reality, but movies

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Not exactly a new phenomenon. Politics is just so melodramatic that it's more noticeable, in much the same way that Congressmorphs make all sorts of extreme statements about the President's jobs and powers. They don't have to actually do anything, nor can they, so they're free to talk.

I think "story-izing" everything is just a part of the human condition. If you want to get real euphoric, everybody who believes in a religion is making themselves a part of a universal struggle of good vs. evil or harmony or incest or whatever.

[Loud Whispers]

I think there's a big difference between believing in a grand metanarrative like a religious struggle between good and evil, a communist struggle between proleteriat and beorgoisie, a philosophical struggle between truth and falsehood etc. and believing you are in a hollywood drama
There's an additional layer of detachment between reality and the person in the latter case. Sorta like the difference between someone who watches a movie and takes up its ideas versus a baneposter who has so completely become absorbed in baneposting that every waking moment is obsessed over making references to the flight plan. I liken this as the fandom to the fans, the possessed to the religious

[Sergarr]

So Trump just decided to attack Boeing with his Tweeter, for, allegedly, too costly Air Force One replacement program for future presidents (i.e. most likely not Trump himself).

President-elect Donald Trump stops to talk to the media in the lobby of Trump Tower December 6, 2016 in New York.   Trump: Boeing is 'doing a number' with new Air Force One deal 
6 Hours Ago | 00:32

President-elect Donald Trump unexpectedly started negotiating with Boeing over the price of a new Air Force One on Tuesday morning.

First over Twitter, Trump threatened to cancel the order for a new Air Force One, which would be used for future presidents. He said the cost of the new 747 was more than $4 billion.

...

When asked by reporters about the money already spent by Boeing, Trump said, "They've got to work that out."

This has already caused the Boeing shares to drop by more than 1.6%. The future of American politics, everyone!

EDIT: Apparently it was a temporary swing (in the share cost), but still, it's not a good sign when your President does things like this out of nowhere.

[redwallzyl]

its not like its the most important plane in the world or anything...

[TheDarkStar]

A view of the next four years: Companies do well with no regulations except for specific ones that Trump randomly decides to have issues with.

[Sergarr]

So as it seems, the most likely reason why Trump has decided to threaten Boeing was because of an interview with Boeing CEO, who criticized Trump's policy re:China.

whew lads

[TheDarkStar]

So as it seems, the most likely reason why Trump has decided to threaten Boeing was because of an interview with Boeing CEO, who criticized Trump's policy re:China.

whew lads

So really it's "companies do well without regulation as long as they always agree with Trump".

[redwallzyl]

trouble is without regulation everyone who is not the company pays the price they avoided. supporting deregulation is the calling card of the corporate shill.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

I think there's a big difference between believing in a grand metanarrative like a religious struggle between good and evil, a communist struggle between proleteriat and beorgoisie, a philosophical struggle between truth and falsehood etc. and believing you are in a hollywood drama
There's an additional layer of detachment between reality and the person in the latter case. Sorta like the difference between someone who watches a movie and takes up its ideas versus a baneposter who has so completely become absorbed in baneposting that every waking moment is obsessed over making references to the flight plan. I liken this as the fandom to the fans, the possessed to the religious

You're not wrong, but your initial example is more metanarrative than straight Hollywood. Not that it's not dumb, but it is saying "if you're all about this YA dystopian fiction where we resist bad governments, this is the real deal". Somebody being generous could claim that it is an attempt to connect the popular culture of the young to our political realities.

Understanding things as being likened to dramatic stories looks a lot like the basis of human abstract thought, which brings about various degrees of usefulness and delusion. I'm sure plenty of politicians see themselves as being Juror Eight, Mr. Smith, or Atticus Finch even if they're smart enough to not say so.

Fuckin Herman Cain stole his tax plan from SimCity and referenced Pokemon in his concession speech, for fuck's sake. We're all a bunch of losers.

[Loud Whispers]

Pokemon Go to the polls

[Shadowlord]

SimCity taught me that loans are bad and that power plants explode after 50 years.

[Loud Whispers]

Trump just got Japan to invest 50 billion gorillion dollars into the USA

[MetalSlimeHunt]

SoftBank provided my wifi when I was in Taiwan, it was weird.