Dear Leader's Latest Vanity Endeavor

How telling is it that they’re either too stupid or too lazy
to use the right damned font?

It’s still the Gulf of Mexico.  It’s still the Department of Defense.  It’s still the Kennedy Center.  When we are finally rid of the Sociopath-in-Chief, these titles, at least, can return to normalcy will some dispatch.  It will take longer to recover from the crippling blows to the country’s international reputation, the exploitation of the poor to benefit a handful of corrupt billionaires, or, perhaps most problematically, the willingness of far too many Americans from SCOTUS to Congresscritters to everyday citizens to let him get away with this shit.

The latest exploit of Curie’s least favorite narcissist, as you probably know, Gentle Reader, was to arbitrarily and illegally re-name the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts after himself.  Oh, sure, he didn’t actually do so alone; his hand-picked gaggle of sycophants the Kennedy Center board did so, presumably although not provably at his behest.  And, to be fair, he didn’t totally co-opt the name; he just gave himself top billing.  As one does.

Whatever you may think of their respective presidencies, Gentle Reader, Mr. Kennedy was a patron of the arts; Mr. Trump is a patron of Mr. Trump.  Kennedy was assassinated before the founding of the National Endowment for the Arts, but he certainly set things in motion for that agency to exist.  The White House Historical Society (an independent agency, or Trump’s Ministry of Truth would have scrubbed their website by now) writes that:

President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s advocacy for the arts endures as a vital part of their White House legacy. From 1961 to 1963, the White House became a focal point for the arts and cultural engagement. The Kennedys hosted numerous concerts and performances and infused the Executive Mansion and the country with the same vitality, youth, and idealism that followed them on their journey to the White House.

That’s a little purple, but essentially accurate.

By contrast, Mr. Trump shows no indication of ever having read a book (let alone of the poetry which JFK adored), and apparently believes that mediocrities like Sylvester Stallone and KISS are worthy recipients of Kennedy Center honors.  The most outstanding artist of this year’s recipients, Michael Crawford, is a native Briton living in New Zealand, and reportedly received the recognition because Phantom of the Opera was Dear Leader’s favorite musical: i.e., not for a lifetime of outstanding work, just because DJT liked a show he was in.  (Sigh.)  For what it’s worth, although Curmie isn’t a particular fan of the genres represented by George Strait or Gloria Gaynor, he does not object to their being honored.  

When GOP lapdogs Congress voted to name the Center’s opera house after Melania, Curmie responded thus: “Naming literally anything after a vulgar trophy wife known primarily for posing for some soft-core porn is beyond laughable.  Remember, this is the couple who broke tradition by not attending the Kennedy Center Awards during 45’s term.  ‘Appreciation of the arts,’  my ass.” This is worse, because although it’s unlikely that many Republicans would actually defy one of Dear Leader on one of his vain and petulant whims, this time they haven’t yet bothered to go through that process.  But the signage on the building has already been changed.  

Of course, Designated Liar Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt proclaimed the decision to have been “unanimous.”  That assertion has been called into question by JFK’s grandson, Jack Schlossberg.  He tweeted that “Microphones were muted and the board meeting and vote NOT unanimous.”  This was confirmed by Rep. Joyce Beatty, who posted that “The White House claims the vote to rename the Kennedy Center was ‘unanimous.’ That is false. I was muted on the call and denied the opportunity to speak or register my opposition. That is not consensus. That is censorship.”  Actually, it’s worse than that.  It’s about yet another lie emanating from this utterly corrupt administration.

Well, of course, that’s only true if a Democratic Rep and a Democratic candidate are telling the truth.  That’s more likely than that Leavitt is doing so, but it’s well short of a certainty. Pols are pols, after all.  And Schlossberg’s contention that “Trump explicitly motivated to act by JACK FOR NEW YORK.  Our campaign represents everything Trump can’t stand or defeat,” shall we say, at the very least borders on the vainglorious. 

But no rational person believes that the Kennedy Center ought to be re-named in honor of an anti-intellectual, narcissistic, vulgarian like Donald Trump.  A unanimous decision or not, approved by Congress or not, this is beyond embarrassing… and it’s the new reality, because we sure as hell can’t count on SCOTUS to do their jobs.  Jolly.