“Saturday Night Lie: How ‘Comedic’ Trump Trolling Encompasses a Complete Materialization of Frank Zappa’s Dystopic View of Politics”

When I first saw the semi-famous quote from Frank Zappa, that “Government is the entertainment division of the military-industrial complex,” [1] [2] [3] I have to admit it was a hefty step ahead of me: I still believed in, if nothing else, at least our leaders’ proclivities for acting as good role models for young people, something at which Trump’s undeniably failed [4]. In reality, I’m not sure if it’s the bleeding heart aspiring teacher in me or what, but I’m still clinging to a SCRAP of hope that our governmental officials can catalyze auspicious change and progress in our society, with no little help from Obama, with his ACA, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, with her brilliantly eloquent and cognizant quote that “I’d like to look at foreign policy through a humanitarian lens and achieving peace more than JUST national security… Peace IS national security [5].”

Well perhaps it’s possible that the truth to Zappa’s statement is transitive and if so, we’re currently living in a swell, or increased, period of its applicable truth level. For grotesquely obvious evidence of this you need only view Saturday Night Live’s “Weekend Update” [6] segment, featuring Michael Che and Colin Jost [7], in which the idea is to report things that are going on in the world, the way a news program would, but then interpolate opinion or a sort of “commentary of the masses” analysis, as if it were actually two people at home sitting and making fun of the news, albeit in an ambitious intellectual vein.

Unfortunately, the show’s current reliance on Donald Trump for “comedic value,” manifest as a sort of garishly obvious fleecing of a public official, has rendered the show almost completely monochromatic and obviated, or at least affirmed the relevance of an absorption of, Zappa’s quote that “Government is the entertainment division of the military-industrial complex,” later reincarnated as I mention as “Politics is the entertainment branch of industry,” an equal in spirit. For a while during “Weekend Update,” which just last year I thought featured some pretty witty commentary about things like women caring more about yarn than the entirety of humanity [8], they were literally just moving from one joke about Trump’s tweets to another, with very little extenuating postulation on their dubious semantic interfaces other than just what any ordinary person on the street would see as a complete oaf, as which Trump is obviously being presented to us by what Zappa termed the “military-industrial complex,” or simply, “industry,” to follow his other permutation of the quote. Later in the show, the cast brought out two actors who were meant to play Trump’s two buffoonish sons, one of whom, granted, did show some comedic moxie by mentioning that the other had made the accomplishment of developing “a crush on a girl,” a girl who ends up being, as the other agreed, “my wife.”

Obviously, then, Trump is the head of maligned and ridiculous “politics” these days and the “military-industrial complex” could be chalked up to whatever conglomerate currently owns NBC, the entity theoretically benefitting from the variable “entertainment” level of said politics (I haven’t taken the time to look up what company this is, as I currently regret to say).

..

[1] For some reason I can’t seem to locate it now but I remember seeing a 1968 BBC interview as the original source of this quote, which would certainly make sense, in a temporal context.

..

[2] The quote’s materialization as “Politics is the entertainment branch of industry” is explained as Zappa citing, or paraphrasing, himself, in a later 1987 interview with Keyboard Magazine.

..

[3] Based on this “quote”’s evolution over time, a moral progress on the part of the artist himself seems to be suggested, that “politics” are the banal entertainment cog but “government” is needed for civilized society, corroborated later with Keyboard by the artist: “We have a diverse population in the United States, with all kinds of different needs that have to be taken care of… That is the righteous function of government.”

..

[4] For proof of this I look to, aside from just the bare fact that he goes on Twitter at all and makes “political tweets,” his reference to Senator Chuck Schumer as the “head clown” leading the congressional democrats.

..

[5] https://www.facebook.com/alexandriaocasiocortezprogressives/posts/peace-is-national-security/648439768868032/.

..

[6] Interestingly, when Norm Macdonald hosted the segment in around the late ’90s, he would introduce the skit with the announcement “And now the fake news.” Now, he was not the arbiter of the SNL bit, a token which would belong to Kevin Nealon or rather someone before him who initiated the segment, but was the first on the show, and perhaps, in our society at large, to apply the term “fake news” to something pervasive and commercially rendered, the type of the in which the newspaper The Onion would later dip his hands. This is all of course before, and autonomous from, this recent “fake news scare” which to me seems more like a “fake news scare scare,” the uncertainty of goings on in the minds of the masses theoretically behooving foul play on the parts of governmental officials like Trump.

..

[7] Although in as racist form as ever, the primary Youtube links available upon Google searches list “Colin Jost and Michael Che,” relegating the black constituent, Che, to the latter, despite his name’s alphabetical premiereship. They also position the white panelist, Jost, to the viewership’s left within the camera eye, as if to suggest his forerunning status on the show. It’s little but it isn’t, I’m thinkin’?

..

[8] The exact joke, administered by Che, was something like a news report that the world was entering a mode of climate change in 2030 that could kill off all humanity, but women would be more up in arms if you’d announced that yarn were going to become extinct in 2030.

 

91 thoughts on ““Saturday Night Lie: How ‘Comedic’ Trump Trolling Encompasses a Complete Materialization of Frank Zappa’s Dystopic View of Politics”

  1. Hi there, I found your web site by means of Google whilst searching for a comparable
    subject, your site came up, it looks good.

    I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.[X-N-E-W-L-I-N-S-P-I-N-X]Hello there, simply became alert to your blog through Google, and found that it is really informative.
    I’m going to watch out for brussels. I’ll appreciate in the
    event you continue this in future. A lot of folks will be benefited out of your
    writing. Cheers!

    Also visit my web site https://mpc-install.com/punbb-1.4.6/viewtopic.php?id=365402

  2. Howdy would you mind stating which blog platform you’re working with?
    I’m looking to start my own blog in the near future but I’m having a tough time deciding between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal.
    The reason I ask is because your design and style seems different then most blogs and I’m looking for something completely
    unique. P.S Sorry for getting off-topic but I had to ask!

    Also visit my blog post – king855apk

  3. Right here is the perfect blog for anybody who really wants to understand
    this topic. You realize so much its almost hard to argue with you (not that I personally would want to?HaHa).

    You certainly put a fresh spin on a topic that has been written about
    for ages. Great stuff, just wonderful!

    my page – Emilio

  4. I’ll right away grasp your rss feed as I can’t to find your
    e-mail subscription hyperlink or e-newsletter service. Do you have any?

    Please allow me realize in order that I may just subscribe.

    Thanks.

    Also visit my web-site; 918kiss 2 11

  5. We are a bunch of volunteers and starting a new scheme in our community.
    Your site provided us with valuable info to work on. You’ve done an impressive task and our whole
    community will probably be grateful to you.

    Also visit my blog; clubriders.men

  6. I want to convey my appreciation for your kind-heartedness in support of individuals that have the
    need for help with the topic. Your personal dedication to getting the message throughout turned out to be especially effective and have in every
    case enabled guys and women much like me to realize their endeavors.
    Your personal informative useful information signifies a whole lot
    a person like me and still more to my fellow workers.
    Many thanks; from all of us.

    My web blog – http://anapa-alrosa.com.ru/modules.php?name=Your_Account&op=userinfo&username=PentonMartha

  7. I wanted to check up and let you know how much I valued discovering this blog today.
    I might consider it a real honor to operate at my workplace and be able to operate on the tips provided on your web page and also be a part of visitors’
    remarks like this. Should a position involving guest publisher become on offer at your end,
    remember to let me know.

    My site … http://www.hotelforrest.ru

  8. Can I simply say what a comfort to uncover somebody that genuinely understands
    what they’re discussing online. You definitely realize
    how to bring a problem to light and make
    it important. More and more people should check
    this out and understand this side of the story.

    I was surprised that you’re not more popular because you most certainly possess the gift.

    Feel free to surf to my blog post – http://www.1stanapa.ru

  9. Excellent post. I used to be checking continuously this
    weblog and I’m impressed! Very helpful information specially the final phase :
    ) I deal with such information much. I used to be looking for this certain info for a
    long time. Thank you and good luck.

    My web-site: mpc-install.com

  10. Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew
    of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest
    twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping
    maybe you would have some experience with something like this.
    Please let me know if you run into anything.
    I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new
    updates.

    my web blog chengdian.cc

  11. Pretty section of content. I just stumbled upon your website and in accession capital to assert
    that I get in fact enjoyed account your blog posts.
    Any way I’ll be subscribing to your augment and even I achievement you access
    consistently rapidly.

    Also visit my webpage … Tri-Bol Testo

  12. Заказать консультацию психолога.
    Консультация у психологов Консультация
    психолога онлайн. Приглашаем вас
    на консультации детского психолога.
    Психолог,Психолог онлайн.
    Онлайн консультация. Услуги
    аналитического психолога, психотерапевта.
    Услуги консультации психолога.

Leave a Comment