The Man Whose Name Begins With a T and Ends With a Rump
Still Dominates American News
Would someone please tell me why a certain name that begins with a T and ends with a rump is on every news outlet, podcast, and talk show almost every day of every week of the year and has been for almost a decade?
Inquiring minds want to know?
I limit the amount of news I read every day. I never watch the news on TV. I also mix international news with national news. That gives me a broader perspective. Yes, even other countries in the world mention the name that begins with a T and ends with a rump, but thankfully, not nearly as much. There are so many things to report on. It would behoove the American public to become more aware of the world at large and less with the Joker.
But we're stuck.
We're stuck in our amazingly shallow pop culture where nothing of any consequence matters and only sleaze balls are outrageous enough to hold our attention for more than a few minutes.
We require the weird and wacky.
I no longer need to be convinced that the man whose name begins with a T and ends with a rump is and has been a horrible role model for the children of America.
Apparently, this is the best we can offer them.
We could instead teach them the names of major cities in other countries. They could study maps or learn a second language. Rather than a different story with the same lead character every damn day, we could spend time reporting on people who live on the other side of the world. What they eat for dinner and how they spend their free time.
We could broaden the horizons of our children.
Instead of making pop stars out of rich, spoiled, hedonists and promoting their message of narrow mindedness, we might shift our attention ever so slightly thereby providing a new lens through which we see the world at large.
But all we give our children is a monotonous, monotone, black and white view of the world and a life void of rich possibilities.
There’s a big, complex, and challenging world out there, but this is all we can offer our children. This is how the grownups see life, children. By telling the same story every day over and over again, we went from the fantasy world of reality TV to the real world of the American Horror Story. You can thank us later, kiddos.
We can no longer call this kind of reporting — current news.
Not after almost a decade of dominating the headlines. This is something else altogether. It’s a soap opera, an addiction to sensationalism, a form of entertainment. There’s been no former President who has dominated the headlines in quite the same way. Not even close. This repetitive story has become the American story and what our children will think is normal.
Today, three of the six headlines featured on my iPhone were about the man whose name begins with a T and ends with a rump.
Teresa is a retired educator, author, world traveler, and professional myth buster. You can find her books on Amazon.
