Politics
For the umpteenth time, let's talk about Trump. Kinda.
I'm getting very tired of the Never-Ending Post-Election Freakout of the Left, especially from those in entertainment and media. It's getting sillier and sillier the longer the transition to a Trump presidency continues. I've liked about 75% of his cabinet picks, which is better than I originally hoped, while the media seems to throw a fit every time Trump picks someone that touches a nerve. (Mnuchin for Treasury? Goldman Sachs connections! Mattis for Defense? He's a general! Tillerson for State? He's friends with Putin!) Some of these reactions raise valid concerns. Others do not. When the media reacts with concern every time Trump does something, though, at some point people will start tuning it out.
Much of the Left has left the Denial phase of grieving over their election loss, and have entered Anger, Bargaining, and Depression. Notable examples of each have popped up just this week.
Under Anger, we have the continued blame game that tries to pin Trump's victory on "fake news," Russians "hacking the election," racism, or nearly anything other than bad strategy by the Clinton campaign and an American population fed up with elites in politics and culture. There is zero evidence that "fake news" (which no one seems to be able to adequately define, except in the vague "I-know-it-when-I-see-it" sense), the hack of the DNC by Russians, or supposed racial hatred was the crucial factor that won the election for Trump. To me, such arguments come off as overstatement at best and willful denial of reality at worst.
The Bargaining response emerges in the recent activist push to ask electors to change their vote from Trump to someone else on Monday. A few days ago, a bunch of actors and celebrities decided that the only thing to do was to make a video pleading with Republican electors cast their vote for someone else, anybody else but Trump. This video not only serves as an example of more lecturing of the "common folk" by celebrities using their star power to comment on politics, it is bound to be completely ineffective. Why would anyone think that 37 Republican electors will be swayed not to vote for Trump by a bunch of famous people talking at them? (By the way, if you're wondering, I disagree with Evan McMullin's embrace of the "faithless electors" movement, mostly because Trump is doing a better job of placing conservative thinkers in positions of power than Clinton would. I find it doubtful that the electors would switch their votes to someone besides Clinton to throw the election to the House of Representatives, as McMullin hopes.)
And finally, Depression is evident in Michelle Obama's Eeyore-esque (boy, that's a lot of E's) proclamation that "we are feeling what not having hope feels like," as though she was speaking for the nation. In reality, though, she's speaking for a subset of the population that's nowhere close to the majority – the group on the Left who think that what goes on in Washington will heavily affect their daily lives, and who think about national politics constantly. I suspect the rest of the nation is more concerned with whether Rogue One: A Star Wars Story redeems the Star Wars prequels, or whether CeeLo Green is alright. With regard to the subset the First Lady is speaking for, I'm sorry that they feel hopeless, and I would love to come alongside them and reassure them that a Trump presidency probably won't turn out as badly for them as they think.
As Stephen Colbert said the night of the election, maybe this year we OD'd on politics as a nation, and we need to come down off of that high. Some of us are coming down a bit faster than others, I think. Suffice it to say, I really hope that the portion of the Left that's still freaking out calms down soon.
Movie of the Week
I saw Moana this week. The animation and voice work in this movie are excellent. I don't know where they found the voice for Moana, but she is going places. And of course The Rock can do no wrong these days. Lin-Manuel Miranda's capable and creative songwriting hands are all over this soundtrack, which has some of the best Disney music in a while - yes, better than Frozen. (Fight me.)
As for the plot, well, it's a Disney movie. The formula is predictable. Hero/heroine is unhappy with their station in life and wants adventure, so they cast off and enter a world of wonder and magic with their animal sidekick, where they undertake a song-filled quest that will teach them something about who they are, and they succeed and live happily ever after. Moana hits all these beats with gusto. It even gives its heroine two animal sidekicks, though one only shows up briefly at the beginning and end. However, while most Disney heroines have "true love" involved somewhere in their quest, this one changes the formula slightly by cutting that element out entirely.
I liked Moana just fine, and I think you would too if you like a good Disney movie. 3/5 Stars.
(I haven't seen Rogue One: A Star Wars Story quite yet. That's next week. NO SPOILERS IN THE COMMENTS!!)
Sports
IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIIIIIIIME OF THE YEEEEEEEAR.
Not Christmas, silly. Bowl season.
I love me some bonus college football, and this year, there are some matchups that are great! There are others that are technically football games. Lucky for you, I have collected the matchups that are great below, along with their dates and start times. You should watch them! Here they are, with all times CST.
- San Diego State vs. Houston (Las Vegas Bowl, already happened)
- Memphis vs. Western Kentucky (Boca Raton Bowl, Dec. 20, 6p, ESPN)
- Boise State vs. Baylor (Cactus Bowl, Dec. 27, 9:15p, ESPN)
- Indiana vs. Utah (Foster Farms Bowl, Dec. 28, 7:30p, FOX)
- Texas A&M vs. Kansas State (Texas Bowl, Dec. 28, 8p, ESPN)
- Oklahoma State vs. Colorado (Alamo Bowl, Dec. 29, 8p, ESPN)
- Michigan vs. Florida State (Orange Bowl, Dec. 30, 7p, ESPN)
- LSU vs. Louisville (Citrus Bowl, Dec. 31, 10a, ABC)
- Alabama vs. Washington (Peach Bowl, Dec. 31, 2p, ESPN)
- Ohio State vs. Clemson (Fiesta Bowl, Dec. 31, 6p, ESPN)
- Western Michigan vs. Wisconsin (Cotton Bowl, Jan. 2, 12p, ESPN)
- USC vs. Penn State (Rose Bowl, Jan. 2, 4p, ESPN)
- Auburn vs. Oklahoma (Sugar Bowl, Jan. 2, 7:30p, ESPN)
- National Championship Game (Jan. 9, 7:30p, ESPN)
Let me explain why I have these games on this list. You may raise your eyebrows at the Boca Raton Bowl, but Memphis won the American Athletic Conference this year and WKU is always good for a point or 70. Boise State should trounce Baylor, but you never know with an explosive team like the Bears. In the Foster Farms Bowl we have two excellent offensive powerhouses that punched above their weight and challenged top-tier teams this year. The Texas Bowl will be a clash of styles and conferences, as KSU tries to grind out a win against the sputtering but high-flying Aggies.
Then we get to the good stuff. You do not want to miss any of the games I have listed after the Texas Bowl.
Michigan is consistently entertaining and Jimbo Fisher gets FSU ready to play in big games. LSU and Louisville both have very good and very meh things about them, so seeing a game between them should be intriguing. Bama should destroy Washington, but you never know, maybe the Huskies will get in a pass or two (they won't). I have no idea who will win the Fiesta Bowl, which is usually the sign of a really good game waiting to happen. The Cotton Bowl is a true underdog story, with #RowTheBoat in the role of David trying to take down the lumbering Goliath that is Wisconsin. The Rose Bowl is another game I don't really know how to pick, because both teams are very good. In the Sugar Bowl, Oklahoma should beat Auburn, but the Tigers may sneak up on OU if they're distracted by recent off-the-field issues. And of course you should watch the National Championship, because you're a cool person.
Finally, don't watch Florida vs. Iowa in the Outback Bowl. You're welcome.
Etc.
I saw my sister in a wonderful production of Beauty and the Beast this past weekend. She did wonderfully, and the production was fantastic. Next week I will be taking off because Christmas, so I will Update you again on New Year's Eve! Merry Christmas to you all.
No comments:
Post a Comment