I came across this picture of 45 as the “American Idiot.” Green Day’s song by the same title popped into my head, with a few changes (many thanks to Billie Joe Armstrong , Frank E., Iii Wright , and Michael Pritchard who wrote and performed the original score and I was heavily influenced by Weird Al Yankovitch’s ability to remake lyrics), as sung from 45’s perspective:
I wanna be The American Idiot!
I wanna watch me on the tee vee
Can you hear the sounds of democracy failing
The rise of an autocratic, petty tyrant
Welcome to my kind of nightmare
All across the Fox media nation
Where nothing’s meant to be okay
Television dreams of tomorrow
You’re all the ones who are meant to follow
The Great Orange Messiah
I wanna be The American Idiot!
I gotta watch me on the tee vee
Can you hear the sound of political norms breaking
The fall of Democracy in the United States
Well, maybe I’m a fascist American
I’m a part of the MAGA agenda
Now everybody do the Russian Propoganda
And sing along to the age of the corrupt oligarchy
Welcome to my own kind of nightmare
All across the Fox media nation
Where I’m the only one who’s going to be okay
Television dreams of tomorrow
You’re all meant to follow
The Great Orange Messiah
And, then, another version from a supporter of 45:
I gotta be an American idiot
I wanna watch the nation on Fox
Can you hear the fall of democracy
The failure of the American dream
Welcome to a new kind of nightmare
All across the Fox media nation
Where non-believers are not meant to be okay
Television dreams of tomorrow
We’re all meant to follow
Our great, dear, orange leader
Well maybe I’m an immigrant in America
I’m not part of the MAGA agenda
Now everybody do the Russian Propaganda
And sing along to the tune of Putin . . .
I wrote this a while ago. It helped to alleviate some of the stress over the last few months’ worth of news, a bit of dark humor in an otherwise completely bonkers era in American history. I just noticed that I had neglected to publish it, so I figured, “Why let a perfectly good diary that’s ready to go just sit in my drafts?” I hope it helps . . .
I do think that supporters need to build stronger, better walls between their idea of religion and their idea of American politics. It is seriously dangerous how they seem to conflate these two ideas, how they can justify anything and everything that their anointed ones (remember the cult-like fashion some of W’s supporters? And, how, with time, Reagan became beatified?) do. It is seriously creepy how some of 45’s supporters bestow mystical and religious significance to modern politicians. It always makes me laugh when I realize that most of the people who do this happen to be American Evangelicals . . . sects of Christianity that is more akin to cults of personality than actually following the teachings of Christ as put down in the New Testament. These particular people tend to screech against homosexuality using quotes from the Old Testament while noshing on cheese burgers and wearing a mixture of polyester, cotton and lycra/spandex . . . they are, in my humble observation, the epitome of hypocrisy.
So, what do you think? I’d perform it, but I make Bob Dylan sound good when I sing.