Sometimes it takes a metaphor from professional wrestling to help make sense of our current political landscape. Professional wrestling hinges on bold black and white depictions of good and evil. There isn’t any room in the spotlight for wrestlers outside that spectrum (just like politics). So we’re left with two polarizing options that fans must align themselves with.
In his newest video, Steve Shives breaks down why this sort of polarization treats politics like entertainment and how that angle actually undermines the political system. It’s no coincidence that this sort of interpretation dovetails nicely with the first reality television star to become a sitting president.
Why do we take so much pleasure from rooting for the villain? Well, an attachment to storytelling may have pushed people toward a perverse need for conflict. We like to root for the person causing trouble because they keep things interesting and unpredictable, but we forget they they’re trying to upend the system.
Today, Donald Trump is that villain. Unfortunately it seems that the further along Trump gets in his presidency the more trouble he’s causing. The federal government of the United States has been turned on its head thanks to Trump. Yet, there are still many of his sycophantic supporters urging him ever onward despite his flagrant disregard for the wellbeing of the country.
Stop cheering on the villain, America.
