Tone-perfect. Great blog. Very funny. Laughing is good. I read somewhere that if there is one thing authoritarians dislike the most it's being made fun of. Tremendous fun being made here. The best.
Impossibly strange, Monica. I don't like feeling that I can never look away, but if I stare at it long enough, look it right in the eyes like Max and the wild things, it loses some of its power.
You nailed these, really. This is really clever and eerily on point. I can't imagine the fortitude and wherewithal it took to mimic and maintain this voice, but you did it so well!
Thanks, Amy. For someone who makes a point of minimizing direct listening and reading as much as I can, it definitely required a deep, unpleasant dive. I'm relieved to know it ended up where I hoped it might. Now I need brain bleach!
Gotta do something with all this...ENERGY! Thanks for reading along, Prue. It must feel to you as though we Americans are utterly obsessed with ourselves these days.
I think we are all obsessed with our own nation’s approach to the world. It’s just that currently thanks to all shades of turnip, the American approach is eye-bogglingly cruel. The man, his officers and followers repulse me to a level I would prefer not to feel at my age.
What I can’t understand, nor many of us outside the USA, is why there has not been a complete insurrection if the rest of the USA don’t approve of his shenanigans. Other countries have had coups easily and for less reason.
I just ask what is wrong with America? Get RID of him! Time waits for no man.
As to my view of where the USA should sit in a global theatre without the Giant Turnip, let’s just say there’s a helluva lot to prove to the rest of the world… with apologies to those I respect greatly.
I understand your reaction, Prue, and I share the deep concern. What looks like collective passivity from the outside is, in reality, the consequence of a constitutional system designed to prevent sudden or extra-legal transfers of power—even when it’s deeply frustrating. Americans can't just “oust” a president outside the legal framework without undermining the very democracy we’re trying to preserve. Impeachment, elections, and judicial review are the available tools, not coups. Ironically, the very mechanisms that protect us from dictatorship also slow down our ability to respond swiftly to what many, even here, see as an authoritarian threat.
And yes, some would argue we are living through a coup from within the system. The tension is real, and people are scared. But resorting to insurrection ourselves would likely do more harm than good, both domestically and globally. The U.S. still has to prove itself, but ideally through resilience, not rebellion. There are multitudes who appreciate the solidarity!
Elizabeth! This is such a treat. You absolutely inhabited that voice. SO FUNNY!
Reminiscent of those people who leave Yelp reviews on national parks. "Grand Canyon, what a waste of time. One star!"
You have to love when the dumbest people appoint themselves as critics for us all. I saw a preview of the new documentary about Jeff Buckley the other night (highly recommend) and I slipped out between the end of the film and the Q and A. A middle aged lady in mom jeans was yelling to no one in particular "SO THIS GUY MADE ONE ALBUM AND WAS FAMOUS FOR A YEAR AND I AM SUPPOSED TO GIVE A SHIT?" All I could do is laugh. xoxxooxoxo ❤️
There was a recent Substack post about a guy who wrote humorous stories about a farm dog for farmer and rancher journals, where they enjoyed a modest reception, but they accidentally became very popular with kids. Parents and school librarians started buying his books, which actually initially annoyed the author, because he thought some of the humor was too subtle for kids, yet he started receiving reports about how kids were checking them out and reading them to one another during recess. He inadvertently found his true audience.
He said that he was surprised by the reception his work received from kids, because if he had actually intended them for kids when he wrote, he probably would’ve talked down to kids.
Good lessen to learn.
Thanks for the fun reminder about how much fun children’s books can be.
Like movies intended for children, I marvel at how the authors make them just as meaningful for adults. Because no grown-up is going to read a book they hate over and over again.
My kids became big Napoleon Dynamite fans when the movie first came out at the pirated dvd stores in Baku. After all, the movie was about our people here in Idaho, or at least the back east crowd over near the Wyoming-Idaho border. I watched it with them and it became part of our family lore, especially the saving a few tater tots from school lunch in the pockets to stave off afternoon hunger. Tater tots are also a cultural tradition among our people.
After my son was married, we were all at his in-laws and the kids got a copy of the movie and showed it to them. My son’s father-in-law saw zero entertainment value in it and appeared baffled, probably from a lack of cross cultural fluency.
This is brilliant, wonderfully subversive and hilarious!
Thanks for laughing with me, Ann. Subversive feels like where I'm meant to be these days.
Great caricature. I wonder when he last read a book.
Ha! Thanks, John. He might be more of a vibes-via-text guy.
I'm guessing you had great fun with this one!
Yes, and... I can't say it's the easiest headspace to occupy for as long as was necessary, but eking out a little bit of agency was worth it.
Tone-perfect. Great blog. Very funny. Laughing is good. I read somewhere that if there is one thing authoritarians dislike the most it's being made fun of. Tremendous fun being made here. The best.
Me? Make fun? 🤐 Thanks for coming along for the ride, Stew.
The devil, dictators, and evil men can’t endure being laughed at!
My friend, Ann, used the word subversive in her comment. High praise. ☺️
Oh my! You are brilliant, Elizabeth! Thank you.
Brilliant in the sense of shining light where it needs to land. I'll take it! Thanks, Suzanne.
So much fun. As I say often these days - truth is stranger than fiction.
Impossibly strange, Monica. I don't like feeling that I can never look away, but if I stare at it long enough, look it right in the eyes like Max and the wild things, it loses some of its power.
My hope is the big orange balloon starts to lose more air and finally collapse.
You nailed these, really. This is really clever and eerily on point. I can't imagine the fortitude and wherewithal it took to mimic and maintain this voice, but you did it so well!
Thanks, Amy. For someone who makes a point of minimizing direct listening and reading as much as I can, it definitely required a deep, unpleasant dive. I'm relieved to know it ended up where I hoped it might. Now I need brain bleach!
I can imagine!
Snort!!!!!
You clever satirist, you!
Gotta do something with all this...ENERGY! Thanks for reading along, Prue. It must feel to you as though we Americans are utterly obsessed with ourselves these days.
I think we are all obsessed with our own nation’s approach to the world. It’s just that currently thanks to all shades of turnip, the American approach is eye-bogglingly cruel. The man, his officers and followers repulse me to a level I would prefer not to feel at my age.
What I can’t understand, nor many of us outside the USA, is why there has not been a complete insurrection if the rest of the USA don’t approve of his shenanigans. Other countries have had coups easily and for less reason.
I just ask what is wrong with America? Get RID of him! Time waits for no man.
As to my view of where the USA should sit in a global theatre without the Giant Turnip, let’s just say there’s a helluva lot to prove to the rest of the world… with apologies to those I respect greatly.
I understand your reaction, Prue, and I share the deep concern. What looks like collective passivity from the outside is, in reality, the consequence of a constitutional system designed to prevent sudden or extra-legal transfers of power—even when it’s deeply frustrating. Americans can't just “oust” a president outside the legal framework without undermining the very democracy we’re trying to preserve. Impeachment, elections, and judicial review are the available tools, not coups. Ironically, the very mechanisms that protect us from dictatorship also slow down our ability to respond swiftly to what many, even here, see as an authoritarian threat.
And yes, some would argue we are living through a coup from within the system. The tension is real, and people are scared. But resorting to insurrection ourselves would likely do more harm than good, both domestically and globally. The U.S. still has to prove itself, but ideally through resilience, not rebellion. There are multitudes who appreciate the solidarity!
Thanks for the great comic relief! Loved it!
Relief! Relief! We need relief! 😅 Thanks for joining in my little side trip, Nancy.
Elizabeth! This is such a treat. You absolutely inhabited that voice. SO FUNNY!
Reminiscent of those people who leave Yelp reviews on national parks. "Grand Canyon, what a waste of time. One star!"
You have to love when the dumbest people appoint themselves as critics for us all. I saw a preview of the new documentary about Jeff Buckley the other night (highly recommend) and I slipped out between the end of the film and the Q and A. A middle aged lady in mom jeans was yelling to no one in particular "SO THIS GUY MADE ONE ALBUM AND WAS FAMOUS FOR A YEAR AND I AM SUPPOSED TO GIVE A SHIT?" All I could do is laugh. xoxxooxoxo ❤️
I'm choosing to laugh, although in all honesty -- my own post included -- sometimes weeping feels like the best response.
Grand Canyon. One star. Hahahahaaaaaaahhhhhgggh!
Holy delightful!! 💕 and a wee bit terrifying? 😁
Maybe more than a wee bit (having that voice in my head for that long was like living in purgatory), but it sure is fun to make fun.
Hahaha! I can only imagine. ;)
Sheer genius.😂
Thanks, Cynthia! So good to see you here.
I read several of those to my kids.
There was a recent Substack post about a guy who wrote humorous stories about a farm dog for farmer and rancher journals, where they enjoyed a modest reception, but they accidentally became very popular with kids. Parents and school librarians started buying his books, which actually initially annoyed the author, because he thought some of the humor was too subtle for kids, yet he started receiving reports about how kids were checking them out and reading them to one another during recess. He inadvertently found his true audience.
He said that he was surprised by the reception his work received from kids, because if he had actually intended them for kids when he wrote, he probably would’ve talked down to kids.
Good lessen to learn.
Thanks for the fun reminder about how much fun children’s books can be.
Like movies intended for children, I marvel at how the authors make them just as meaningful for adults. Because no grown-up is going to read a book they hate over and over again.
Thanks for joining in on the joke, Switter.
My kids became big Napoleon Dynamite fans when the movie first came out at the pirated dvd stores in Baku. After all, the movie was about our people here in Idaho, or at least the back east crowd over near the Wyoming-Idaho border. I watched it with them and it became part of our family lore, especially the saving a few tater tots from school lunch in the pockets to stave off afternoon hunger. Tater tots are also a cultural tradition among our people.
After my son was married, we were all at his in-laws and the kids got a copy of the movie and showed it to them. My son’s father-in-law saw zero entertainment value in it and appeared baffled, probably from a lack of cross cultural fluency.
Napoleon Dynamite is a family favorite here, too. So many of those lines made it into our vernacular.
"Build her a cake or something."
"Tina, you fat lard, come get some dinner."
"We both know I'm training to be a cage fighter."
"Make yourself a dang quesadilla."
🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷
Poor Tina. It didn’t end well for her, but at least she didn’t die alone.
“I love technology.”
!!!
SWITTER!! I didn't know (until now, and Google) about Tina. :(
And that school bus full of kids drove by just as it happened.
I forgot to mention the raw egg drink the lads had for lunch at the chicken farm when they were catching chickens to earn money for their prom suits.
This made me laugh!
This made me smile! Thanks for getting the humor here, June, and for being here to do so.