Why does “weird” work? Republicans love to appeal to a supposed silent majority. The new insult helps intervene.
Why does “weird” work? Republicans love to appeal to a supposed silent majority. The new insult helps intervene.
The new Democratic insult helps intervene in the classic Republican appeal to a supposed silent majority.
It works because they're fascists.
One of the main pillars of every fascist movement is "we're the only normal ones". It's how they justify othering, persecuting, and abusing everyone who's not a cishet white fascist Christian, preferably male.
To a fascist, anyone who's not "normal" is one of the OTHERS and thus scary and evil and needs to be suppressed and hidden away, if not violently eradicated.
138Small note
It’s how they justify othering, persecuting, and abusing everyone who’s not a cishet white fascist Christian, preferably male.
This is incorrect
It’s how they justify othering, persecuting, and abusing everyone who’s not like them
You can have Fascism in any circle. “Communist” Occupied China is an example of non-white Fascism. And you could point to some military groups in Africa as well
9You can have Fascism in any circle. “Communist” Occupied China is an example of non-white Fascism. And you could point to some military groups in Africa as well
I know. The part you quoted was in a separate paragraph because it was specifically about the American Fascist Party rather than fascists in general.
Other examples include Modi's fascist Hindunationalism and Netanyahu's fascist apartheid state where the favored religion is Judaism.
19
They are ultra conformists, so weird is definitely a word that cuts.
101The day when "weird and rapey" is popularly used to explain Republican politics is the day the left finally gets their collective heads out of their asses and starts calling a spade a spade.
70The "spade" aphorism is a reference to slavery and not ideal to use, no judgement just passing it along 🙂
-2Not originally (npr link) but I get where you're coming from 🙂
13
I can't wait for the killing blow of when Harris is accused of being weird, hopefully by Trump himself, and she responds by saying of course she's weird, everyone is a bit weird.
That's the normal response to being accused of being weird. The weird response is to get defensive and start slinging school yard comebacks, because in the back of your mind you know your weird is using furniture to masturbate or to have sexual thoughts about your own children.
65He already did a “no u”.
16I feel like even something as simple as a "Yes, and?" Would work wonders.
5
I think the secret is it’s just one word that everyone knows. Democrats have a bad tendency to over-explain: “This book makes these 57 points and if you cross reference with these charts and apply this formula you’ll see….” Meanwhile, Trump will just say “what a loser.” Maybe Democrats are finally learning to keep it simple.
Yes people should want to make informed decisions, but maybe part of effective campaigning these days is accepting they don’t.
62It’s fallout from the devolution of our educational system. And, well, generational lead poisoning. And I guess we’ll find out what microplastics do to our brains in the coming decades too.
Anyways, it’s frustrating that talking points have to be “dumbed down” to such an extreme degree, but at the end of the day, I’m glad that the Harris campaign is being pragmatic about doing what they have to do with their messaging to actually reach low-info/low intelligence voters.
12
It works because they’re fucking weird! There’s normal people who are Republican voters but the Republican Party is basically all weird people. If a motherfucker dresses like he’s in a barbershop quartet in high school or college, you know damn good and well what party they’re going to support (musical theater kids excluded, obviously). It’s not normal to call in the genital inspector and demand to see a youth sports participant’s crotch because they whooped your daughter in U-11 soccer. Ted Cruz is a Republican and he’s the weirdest person on Earth.
And that’s doubly true nowadays where you have to know extended lore from the Fox News extended universe to know what the fuck they’re even talking about.
Edit: And who the fuck makes Christmas cards where their whole family is holding guns? Plenty people treasure the second amendment and send normal fucking Christmas cards.
54And that’s doubly true nowadays where you have to know extended lore from the Fox News extended universe to know what the fuck they’re even talking about.
I'm going to borrow this little sliver of gold.
18
It cuts because republicans are groomers and "weird" is what teenage girls call guys they don't like.
Being called weird is what happens when your plan of statutory rape fails.
44Silent? They never shut the fuck up.
42The silent majority is neither of those things.
37Yells. Screams. Smashes plate on the floor. Smashes plate against the wall. Flings boogers at everyone. Pulls out a gun and literally shoots somebody in the face. "Nobody is paying attention to me. I am the silent majority."
4
I think pretending there are A LOT of people like you that want this specific thing that is kind of weird is an attempt to appeal to authority of slightly more invested in politics "masses". If someone tells a conservative and disconnected corn farmer that ALL conservatives care about that trans thing and that it's a danger to your style of life, and that they mutilate children, then they might not check if any of that is true. Just assume that someone did, since apparently all their conservative friends are in on it. And you might just make a fool out of yourself if you ask any questions, since you know you don't really belong with "silent conservative majority" because unlike them you're not invested in politics and didn't do your research... So you better keep your mouth shut and go along with the flow. Same thing with facism. Also preys on embarassed ignorance of the "silent majority" ...imo
8
“Weird” reverses and intervenes at the crucial point of transmission of that idea. No, it says, the appeals by the right to supposed family values (anti-trans bigotry; restricting no-fault divorce; slashing public school funding; hatred of immigrants) are not normal. They aren’t fundamental American values that the liberal elites have somehow derailed. They are, instead, deeply strange. And “we” (a new silent majority that Walz invokes in his use of “weird”) are tired of it.
This sums it up pretty nicely.
40Until he ruins his point by trying to claim the silent majority in turn.
-11
Because it hits at what they are all about: identity.
32Why do bullies get mad when you start fighting back? It's a gawd damned "mystery!"
31Betraying one’s country is really fucking weird.
30More to the point, supporting someone that legitimately betrayed the country and is trying to end democracy is really fucking weird.
7Especially if the person they are supporting to take lead is a dementia addled, racist rapist. Super weird.
5
Why aren't there rolls of stickers on Amazon of pictures of Republicans with the word "weird" under them to stick on gas pumps?
26Sounds like an opportunity to make some money. You could be the change you want to see.
14Probably because liberals are less likely to vandalize people's property, and buy a roll of stickers. You could probably make more money on large format stickers individually.
10How are you any less weird? You support Zionism, just like many Republicans. You are SO WEIRD! Why aren't there rolls of stickers like that for you, @JustZ@lemmy.world, and for all the other genocide deniers?
-1
Use the ol' timey word for it and call them queer. Start referring to conservatives as "the queers" just to troll them
23The actual queers are gonna hate that. Maybe they can call another queervention (or was it queervalcade?) and get back to us on using it for trolling.
Hopefully one of their ambassadors will swing by and share an opinion. My Gay Agenda says, "In usage of the word "queer," stay where you are and wait for help."
16
It works because that was Trump's angle on Harris... But she ran with it first.
19It works because he's fucking creepy weird and Harris is maximally as weird as your fun aunt that sneaks a bit of cooking sherry while making a meal.
51
I think the main reason the "weird" approach works is simply because it is true. They are weird.
And the reason why it hurts Trump so much is exactly that truth hurts.
9I mean it's not like it was untrue to call him a rapist or wannabe dictator
4
It doesn't work, only voting works.
8It can work. You only need to peel off a few of the normal people and blunt his momentum. While as always you do need the rest of the population to turn up and vote.
Trumps greatest fear would be dancing up on stage at a rally and having the audience silent then slowly start laughing at him when he starts talking his nonsense.
Like the UN did.
The emperor has no clothes. He is weird.
5I don't disagree with the sentiment, but I just don't see it changing any minds. I fear that anyone who could be convinced not to vote for Trump because he's "weird" will be just as easily convinced not to vote for Harris for some equally vague, trivial reason. I say focus on the issues where Democrats can actually have an advantage, and leave the shit-flinging to the troglodytes that live in it.
1
Hmm, and how do you sway fence sitters and braindead centrists?
-1
Soooo, I kind of got déjà vu reading this article because ... Six days ago I "foresaw" the relevance of "weird." Comment thread here (I think) or just check out post my post history.
The author brings up a ton of specific points I called out, including using similar words like "flip" the script and referencing how "basket of deplorables" was too directed. Were we all thinking sbout "weird" in this context six days ago already? If not... I am weirded out, y'all.
8"Deplorables" and alot of other seemingly insulting, derogatory things could be worn as a badge of honor by that group. For people who pride themselves on being conservative and the representatives of "normality", "Weird" isn't something you can easily call yourself, you're not weird, you're the normal one, it's society that's weird for being so permissive. And then just being called "weird" is hard to defend against because everyone has some weird thing about themselves, just existing as a human being is a weird experience.
Weird isn't bad, weird is just normal, it's just life, but in their eyes, weird IS bad, it's probably a part of themselves that they themselves know is wrong. I think alot of the blatant lies they tell the world aren't just for other people, part of it is for themselves too, to make the weirdness of fascism go down a bit easier, to make it seem like they're supporting it for justifiable reasons.
2i maintain that this is because Kendrick Lamar thoroughly undermined Drake earlier this summer with a similar approach
2
I'm not sure I agree with the analysis, I think Vaush said it best.
https://youtube.com/shorts/mDS9bv8Sj7I
I want to TLDR it but I can't because I'm too drunk and all my attempts have failed. Watch the clip if you can/want.
6TL;DR: "No 14 year old boy will stop following someone if they're considered evil and bad, but they will stop if they're considered cringe".
37
Same reason they buy unnecessary giant trucks.
It isn't for loading their junk around.
3The words we've been using before -- fascists, neonazis, dictators -- oddly enough seem to make Republicans laugh at Democrats because we make them sound scary/we sound scared. Calling them weird trivializes them, and reduces them to barely under creepy uncle status. Calling them weird stings because they think themselves the epitome of normal -- they think they're the "real" Americans, not the aberrant ones.
3Because it is simple and understandable.
Because it renders their grievances in the petty light they need to be seen in.
Because it hits a nerve for them.
Because it disempowers and dismisses them.
Because it's not overtly combative.
But really really because it is true.
3Another Jones discussing why it works
2Weird works for some people as it allows them to express disdain without getting violent
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If you have any questions or comments about me, you can make a post to LW Support lemmy community.0Most eyerolling analysis I've read in awhile. I don't know why people suddenly turned against Trump but it certainly wasn't because of the term "werid".
-17You don't know why? That's so "weird". Are you actually from Seattle?
5I think weird and similar thoughts are sticking for a few reasons.
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The obvious: Trump was running as the more vigorous and confident candidate and it was working very well, peaking with the debate. But Biden stunned Trump's campaign and stepped down. Trump's team seems wholly unprepared for this. Now Trump is the old guy yapping not about policy, but about how Kamala isn't black. It's cringe.
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Vance. Trump picked a carbon copy of himself (or a guy pretending to be a carbon copy of him, anyway) but when Vance says these Trumpian things they sound well, weird, coming from a 39 year old guy. For a young guy to be saying that childless adults have less value and should have fewer votes is damn weird. But if Trump said it, it wouldn't even make the news.
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I think the article is right in that you can call Trump and Vance weird without directly insulting their followers. But I also think another subtlety is that is doesn't distance the left from the right as much as other attacks might. You're not calling Trump Hitler and immediately raising the hackles of a conservative and forcing him to dig in against you.
5Yes, yes, yes. It's also sticks though. It's hard to defend against without proving the point, and it's already an easy point to prove.
That's, I think, why it's landing so well. These are weird, weird people. We've all been thinking it and saying it to each other. Remember they did that press conference at a landscape supply company? Wtf?
But their weirdness didn't become Zeitgeist, until, I think the biggest thing, it's finally coming from the bully pulpit.
Corporate media was never going to point out how their ownership class and their bullshit are completely weird, but the bully pulpit is called that because it cannot be ignored. My two cents on it. Agree with your post wholly, too.
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