INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The year is almost over, but we've finally reached peak 2018.Here's the bizarre spectacle we never knew we needed to epitomize these times:
President Donald Trump on Thursday tweeted a fairly mundane missive, at least by his standards
"Farm Bill signing in 15 minutes!" he wrote, alerting his followers that he was about to sign off on legislation that Congress passed
But then he added a video of himself performing at the 2005 Emmys alongside actress/comedian Megan Mullally, in a skit in which the pair
riff on the "Green Acres" theme song.So what does the president's decade-plus-old performance have to do with the farm bill, one might ask
Well, see, in the skit, Trump is wearing overalls, which is an item of clothing worn by farmers (at least in Hollywood)
And he's holding a pitchfork, which everyone knows is an agricultural implement used by said farmers.In the 2005 TV awards ceremony, Trump
played Eddie Albert's "Green Acres" character, a Manhattanite who chucks city livin' for the pleasures of the country, while "Will and
Grace" star Mullally took the Ava Gabor role of the wife who just wants her Park Avenue lifestyle back (note that Mullally changed the
"Times Square!" lyric to "Trump Tower!" in honor of her duet partner).Moments after Trump tweeted, Mullally registered shock and maybe a
little embarrassment on the same social media platform
Her first message was a succinct "omg," which is pretty much the reaction of everyone who saw it, too
Next, she wrote "if you guys need me, i'll be in a hole in the ground."From another pol, the tweet might have seemed to be a playful,
But Trump doesn't really do humor, and definitely not the kind poking fun of himself
So let's unpack what's going on here.First, the president's well-documented obsession with celebrity is clearly on display
Back in 2005, he wasn't toxic to Hollywood types the way he is now (Kanye and Kid Rock being notable exceptions), so the tweet was a
reminder that he used to surround himself with famous people.And secondly, Trump's missive underscores his long-running preoccupation with
Ever since his show "The Apprentice" lost to "The Amazing Race" in the category of outstanding reality competition show in 2004, Trump has
been publicly venting about the awards
It even came up during a presidential debate with Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, who was needling Trump with a mention of the subject
after suggesting that he might not accept the outcome of the election if he lost."You know, every time Donald thinks things are not going in
his direction, he claims whatever it is rigged against him," Clinton said, later adding he "started tweeting that the Emmys were rigged
against him."To which Trump interjected, "Should have gotten it."(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by
TheIndianSubcontinent staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
