Teen Vogue. Yes, Teen Vogue gets it.
The term “normalization” now exists in our national conversation as a conceptual Band-Aid for the Trump administration’s authoritarian rejection of accountability. It’s often repeated, and often lacking in heft. We would do well to recenter our perspective around the definition of the word as it shreds the fabric of the American value system. Normalization (noun): the process by which something that was once considered intolerable is formally or informally condoned by society.
“Normalization” is a collective shift that tells a story about our culture. It is not any one opinion but the sum total of the majority’s thinking. Still, we all participate in this process. Just as no one is solely responsible, no one is off the hook. To varying degrees, our individual voices contribute to the shift. For anyone who cares about democracy and/or the truth, silence is not an option.
I’m going to cut to the chase with the receipts here, because we’ve wasted enough time messing around on this topic: Spicer’s Emmys appearance should be unacceptable because he is an accessory to an ongoing attack on American democracy. He spent seven months creating confusion and distress by disseminating misinformation from the mantle of the White House. On his first day on the job, his lie about inauguration crowd size blatantly contradicted photographic evidence. It was an act of gaslighting, seemingly intended to force the public to wonder what was true, as well as an implicit declaration of impunity: The Trump administration was going to lie, and it was going to get away with it. On Sunday night, under the confounding spell of “normalization,” the Emmys turned that act of propaganda into a literal joke.
The objection here appears to be that Spicer and Stephen Colbert, who (disappointingly) arranged the cameo and invited him onstage, were “in on the joke.” The sheer fact that Spicer can be treated as a joke of any kind is normalization. The comedic worth of the bit is irrelevant, and, by the way, it wasn’t funny. Furthermore, this issue extends beyond critique of an awards show. Spicer’s behavior is also being condoned by Harvard University, which earlier this month offered him visiting fellowship at its Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics.
The context of this week in politics makes Spicer’s redemption tour even more egregious. You’ll recall that the White House is actively using Spicer’s old podium to impale ESPN journalist Jemele Hill for asserting that Donald Trump is a white supremacist. Political commentators across the aisle have also spent the past week debating whether or not Hillary Clinton should be in the public eye promoting a book about her experience of the 2016 election. Meanwhile, a notorious liar who actively undermined the American perception of truth is rolling around in a ball pit of affection.
As MSNBC host Chris Hayes wrote on Twitter, “Power is all about who gets forgiven. Who gets fresh starts.” Spicer is embarking on a redemption tour that includes being embraced by Hollywood and Harvard, and he hasn’t even apologized beyond a half-baked admission of regret, when asked about the inauguration lie. There has been no true remorse or condemnation of Trump’s tactics, and if your argument is that he was “just following orders,” I’d encourage you to think about the other people in history who used that line to write off their crimes.
It is crucial that we learn from this red flag: We are less than a year into this presidency, and the Trump administration is decimating our social and political norms. A quick look at the things we collectively accept from the White House reveals that we pummeled past “worst-case scenario” several months ago. We all must raise our voices to push back on this process before the ideals we currently hold dear become unrecognizable. Normalization is about the lump sum of opinion, and it requires that the majority remain silent. We should all be screaming at the top of our lungs.
Teen Vogue has had some amazing writing in it for quite a while now.
Yeah, perhaps that’s the point. Go after the ones whose opinions haven’t been completely ossified.
BREAKING NEWS: Liar lies about his lying.
Also breaking news, liar should get an attorney, ASAP.
Tout les Toobz are buzzing this morning over a weird e-hooley between Mike (Payola) Allen and Sean Spicer, whose post-White House Redemption Tour has hit a few snags since he turned up at the Emmys like mold in the wainscoting. Before we begin, I have to ask: Do I really have to pick a side here?
Anyway, Allen tried to get in touch with Spicer via text and the former White House spokesfibber seems to have gone up the wall. From Josh’s joint:
Allen wrote in Axios Thursday morning that when he had learned Spicer has a propensity for taking detailed notes—something that could be of interest to special counsel Robert Mueller as he investigates President Donald Trump’s actions—he sent Spicer a text message asking about his note-taking practices at the White House. Spicer refused to answer Allen’s questions, though. “Mike, please stop texting/emailing me unsolicited anymore,” Spicer responded, per Allen. Pressed by the reporter, Spicer sent another text message reading, “From a legal standpoint I want to be clear: Do not email or text me again. Should you do again I will report to the appropriate authorities.” The former press secretary followed up with a similar email, threatening to “contact the appropriate legal authorities to address your harassment,” according to Allen.
Someone’s hearing the Hound of the Muellervilles howling out of the encroaching fog.
I will make the Toby Ziegler Bet—all of the money in my pockets against all the money in your pockets—that Spicer’s lawyers told him not to comment and, in his feverish fugitive’s brain, he translated this into some sort of criminality on Allen’s part simply for trying to get into contact with him. Life is getting stressful for some folks on the Trump Train.
But, still, do I really have to pick a side?
What kind of weird writing is this? It reminds me of Variety with their specialized vocabulary for talking about the business of Hollywood.
Finnegan’s shitpost
Somewhat annoying, surely. I mean, I have those who I read where I love that style of thing, but not necessarily when reading reported information. Usually I lean toward speaking plainly as to be understood sort of thing.
That being said, some of the writers at the Atlantic have a wonderful prose style they use in articles and I love it.
I think it just really falls to who it is and how well you attune to the writing or speaking style. We could say the same about the oration styles between Obama and Trump. There are those who actually love Trumps speaking ability and style, though I cannot fathom why.
Pierce is older. I think he was influenced by Hunter S. Thompson and the gonzo style.
Cross topic but
Dotard’s a perfectly cromulent Shakespearean insult.
I don’t know, do we know for sure Michael Steele wasn’t behind it? I hear people saying maybe he was. He just seems a little… shifty. Know what I mean?
Wait, are you telling me that Spicy might be, as a rule, less than truthful?
I don’t know, let’s have a playful interview on Jimmy Kimmel or something like that to get to the bottom of it! That rascal!
