"I’ve written hundreds of thousands of words, but these few were—and, are likely, to remain—the most immediately effective and consequential of my entire career."
Sci-fi author John Scalzi has said something similar, in that he'll have written dozens of books and thousands of blog posts but the most famous thing he's done will always be that he taped bacon to his cat.
This is pretty funny. Having heard through the years a non-ending litany of speculations that Putin is dead (or some of his clones at least), I thought to myself that the speculations on the Dear Leader's demise is yet another sign of America's collapse into Russianness.
I had a much smaller post, but one that still did decent numbers on my tiny account, and today I'm just left kind of distraught. It was so obvious to me that "they haven't announced his death yet because he killed himself and they're trying to cover it up" was a joke. But people reacted like it was a serious claim, and a serious conspiracy theory, and a few days later I'm seeing people melt down over AI-upscaled photos. Did I contribute to this in some small way? If I did, is there any way to avoid contributing to mass psychosis when everyone in this country is so incredibly fucking stupid?
A quick look at what flies as a conspiracy theory (and they fly in their hundreds like bats out of a cave), should persuade all of us to go easy on the word 'serious'.
Which, all the same, makes it all the funnier when the theories are accidental.
"Rumors are unverified stories of perceived importance that are EMOTIONALLY RESONANT and develop in an atmosphere of ambiguity on subjects of public interest...."
I was in Scotland when this broke containment, and because it was about 2 am in the US, I took it more seriously than I like to think I would have.
I entered into a brief world of fantasy, like a hungry cartoon character fantasizing about a steak: stretched out by a swimming pool, watching wealthy retirees do their morning laps, and wondering "am I going to get to be the one to tell them?"
I suppose if I had known this was all because of your dork ass, I would have been deprived of my own dream of agency!
It is a truth universally acknowledged in the labor movement that working class Americans who resist the union movement see themselves as temporarily embarrassed millionaires (who have no need for collective action because… bootstraps). It should be more widely acknowledged that saying nothing and feeling self-important, clicking on everything but doing nothing is a summation of the entire experience of social media. Americans are having a hard time thinking about the agency required today because Americans (largely) do not think in terms of collective action. Peaceful protest marches barely qualify.
It’s fun to be a scamp, and the left-liberal project would benefit from a closer embrace of the jokin around havin a good time community
"I’ve written hundreds of thousands of words, but these few were—and, are likely, to remain—the most immediately effective and consequential of my entire career."
Sci-fi author John Scalzi has said something similar, in that he'll have written dozens of books and thousands of blog posts but the most famous thing he's done will always be that he taped bacon to his cat.
You forgot to add that your reach was such that you showed up on my Swiftie stan watchlist as Trump is among his other crimes a "Taylor anti."
So true, I wish I had remembered this!
This is pretty funny. Having heard through the years a non-ending litany of speculations that Putin is dead (or some of his clones at least), I thought to myself that the speculations on the Dear Leader's demise is yet another sign of America's collapse into Russianness.
Oh great. I guess this means you’ll never post primarily on Bluesky now.
I had a much smaller post, but one that still did decent numbers on my tiny account, and today I'm just left kind of distraught. It was so obvious to me that "they haven't announced his death yet because he killed himself and they're trying to cover it up" was a joke. But people reacted like it was a serious claim, and a serious conspiracy theory, and a few days later I'm seeing people melt down over AI-upscaled photos. Did I contribute to this in some small way? If I did, is there any way to avoid contributing to mass psychosis when everyone in this country is so incredibly fucking stupid?
You are much more moral than me!
I'm probably just more neurotic lol
"a serious conspiracy theory"
A quick look at what flies as a conspiracy theory (and they fly in their hundreds like bats out of a cave), should persuade all of us to go easy on the word 'serious'.
Which, all the same, makes it all the funnier when the theories are accidental.
I just mean that people did seem like they were being serious, not joking
One of the funniest echos (& the most meta), Psychology Today on "The Trump is Dead Rumor":
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/its-catching/202509/the-trump-is-dead-rumor/amp
"Rumors are unverified stories of perceived importance that are EMOTIONALLY RESONANT and develop in an atmosphere of ambiguity on subjects of public interest...."
In the future, everyone will be the chief idiot on social media for fifteen minutes.
I read it in Trent Rezor/Neitzche’s voice “Your Trump is dead, and no one cares”
Awesome. Good op, as it raised doubts about the guy.
I'm looking forward to see if Trump riffs off of it, if and when he reemerges this afternoon.
Best writer and now best comedian? Would love a colab between you and The Elephant Graveyard.
Tinkerbell, IIRC, tells me if we wish hard enough…?
I was in Scotland when this broke containment, and because it was about 2 am in the US, I took it more seriously than I like to think I would have.
I entered into a brief world of fantasy, like a hungry cartoon character fantasizing about a steak: stretched out by a swimming pool, watching wealthy retirees do their morning laps, and wondering "am I going to get to be the one to tell them?"
I suppose if I had known this was all because of your dork ass, I would have been deprived of my own dream of agency!
You made me smile. I needed that.
It is a truth universally acknowledged in the labor movement that working class Americans who resist the union movement see themselves as temporarily embarrassed millionaires (who have no need for collective action because… bootstraps). It should be more widely acknowledged that saying nothing and feeling self-important, clicking on everything but doing nothing is a summation of the entire experience of social media. Americans are having a hard time thinking about the agency required today because Americans (largely) do not think in terms of collective action. Peaceful protest marches barely qualify.
Ahh… but has our beloved Fuhrer been seen in public yet?
All appropriate thoughts and prayers in any case.