"Better a fallen rocket than never a burst of light."
~ Tom Stoppard, The Invention of Love

Friday, August 25, 2017

News Satire Roundup: August 20th-August 24th

Sunday, August 20 – The picture of Trump shortly after his inauguration with advisors, of which only Pence is still standing, was an apt summation of the White House.  John celebrated Steve Bannon’s departure but pointed out that it hasn’t exactly cleared the administration of white nationalist ideology – cue Trump’s Tuesday remarks on Charlottesville.  More than the remarks themselves, John focused on GOP responses to it, how many avoided specifically calling out Trump and how many stayed silent altogether.  The main story was on nuclear waste storage.  John naturally discussed the health hazards of living near improperly-stored waste, as well as the potentially-catastrophic results of accidents, but what he really looked at was how ill-equipped we are to handle it despite decades of knowing just how dangerous it is – sobering story (though John brought some levity to it with his fear of American Girl dolls.)


Monday, August 21 – The show opened with a fun montage of a Fox News anchor freaking out with excitement over the eclipse.  Then Trevor talked about his “relaxing” vacation amid protests in South Africa before coming home just in time for Charlottesville.  Obviously, they’re coming at all this a week late, but I still thought Trevor had some good stuff to say.  He looked at an alt-right supporter quibbling over the definition of “racist” and pointed out a disheartening poll that showed two-thirds of Republicans approving Trump’s statement.  Next up was a closer look at white supremacists and what they believe, with Roy criticizing them for blowing it when they have a “hook-up” with the president.  The guest, author Joshua Green, talked about his book on Steve Bannon’s role in the administration.  He had some good points about why someone like Trump could be drawn in by someone like Bannon.

Tuesday, August 22 – Odd opening with Indian and Chinese soldiers fighting by throwing rocks at each on a disputed border.  The big story tonight was Trump’s plan for Afghanistan.  Trevor hit the highlights of the speech – Trump in “book report” mode, lack of specifics, and use of his “losers” catchphrase (Trevor’s riff imagining Obama using “bazinga” was awesome) – and Desi and Ronny donned uniforms to offer their Afghanistan advice, knowing Trump only listens to generals.  Decent story on the Secret Service running low on funds, although I would’ve preferred a little more on how much money they’re putting into Trump businesses when the family travels.  Senator Amy Klobuchar was the guest.  I liked her comments about working across the aisle, and she had great things to say about protecting voter rights and lowering the costs of prescription drugs.

Wednesday, August 23 – The big Trump news of the day was his rally in Phoenix, where he railed against his various enemies and, as Trevor put it, touted himself as “the real victim” of Charlottesville.  That latter point was the crux of the piece, with Trump misquoting himself, acting like context doesn’t matter, and pretending he never equated protestors with Neo-Nazis.  Roy also came out to analyze, not the speech itself, but the supporters standing behind Trump while he gave it.  Most particularly, he looked at the self-proclaimed “Michael the Black man,” a Trump supporter and former cult member with a race-baiting conspiracy website.  I really liked the interview with Bryan Stevenson and Andra Day of the Lynching in America project.  The comparison between how America and other countries have dealt with their past atrocities was excellent, and as a promotion for the project, Day also performed a cover of “Strange Fruit.”

Thursday, August 24 – Opening blurb on Hillary Clinton’s forthcoming memoir, with Trevor looking forward to the book but questioning her audiobook game.  It led into a piece on “different Trumps,” similar to what they’ve done before on Trump’s wildly-divergent personas depending on the occasion.  Here, Trevor contrasted the three Trumps we saw in speeches on three consecutive days, highlighting the importance that it wasn’t just the performance that changed, but the entire message.  Jordan came on to do a little promotion for his new show, which seems a lot like The Colbert Report, only satirizing more of the Alex Jones/Breitbart-type fringe media.  Nnamdi Asomugha of the film Crown Heights was the guest, along with Colin Warner, about whom the story is based.  It looks like an intense film, and after Atlanta and Get Out, I’m ready to see Lakeith Stanfield in just about anything.

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