White House pets (and stuff)
Sep. 11th, 2021 05:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
primeidealRemember the takes about "Obama had Bo the dog and HW Bush had Millie the cat but Trump doesn't have any pets, clearly we cannot trust him to be a caring and empathic leader!" ? Not only was it kind of absurd because of how trivial it was next to all the substantial reasons not to vote for Trump, but it was also kind of absurd because you don't need to display empathy towards a furry and needy creature to be a good leader. (I would not make a good president for many reasons, but I don't think my lack of pet ownership is one of them.)
Now, you might say that the absurdity was the point, and amid all the terrible campaign behavior Trump was displaying and the frustration of the race, sharing silly hot takes was amusing for its own sake. But I think there are some people who do, at least on occasion, reason that way. And "this person is not displaying their emotion in the proper emotive way like good people" is just...an astoundingly bad take. Especially when there are a thousand other reasons why the person in question is(/was/would be) doing terrible!
Very tangentially, I've been thinking about how or if I would write a character who uses Milnesian Capitals because they see life as a Narrative with a Conflict between Right and Wrong and other such Personifications all the Time. I think it's likely to be very Annoying but in very Specific Contexts it could be Effective.
Now, you might say that the absurdity was the point, and amid all the terrible campaign behavior Trump was displaying and the frustration of the race, sharing silly hot takes was amusing for its own sake. But I think there are some people who do, at least on occasion, reason that way. And "this person is not displaying their emotion in the proper emotive way like good people" is just...an astoundingly bad take. Especially when there are a thousand other reasons why the person in question is(/was/would be) doing terrible!
Very tangentially, I've been thinking about how or if I would write a character who uses Milnesian Capitals because they see life as a Narrative with a Conflict between Right and Wrong and other such Personifications all the Time. I think it's likely to be very Annoying but in very Specific Contexts it could be Effective.
