In a stunning display of tantrum-throwing, Donald Trump has decided to shut down the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for two years following its Fourth of July celebrations. The 79-year-old president claims this is about "construction, revitalization, and complete rebuilding," but let's be real – it's just a classic case of a narcissist losing his temper.
This move comes on the heels of several high-profile artists canceling shows at the Kennedy Center due to the taint of performing at a venue with Trump's name attached to it. The list of cancellations is so long that it has its own Wikipedia page, featuring luminaries like Philip Glass, Béla Fleck, and even the entire cast of "Hamilton." It's clear that Trump's attempt to bully artists into playing his venue has backfired spectacularly.
Trump's obsession with the Kennedy Center is a symptom of a deeper issue – his own insecurity about being excluded from circles of people with good taste. He feels intimidated by the cultural power of the 35th president and his wife, Jacqueline, and resents that he can't grow up and appreciate art beyond middle-of-the-road Broadway show tunes. This reflects the larger MAGA movement's anger at the culture for not dumbing itself down to placate their own pedestrian tastes.
The recent tantrum over Bad Bunny headlining the Super Bowl's halftime show is just another example of this trend. Instead of shrugging off different tastes, MAGA has whipped themselves into a frenzy, insisting that they're owed a pop culture that favors their blinkered views. This is a classic case of people refusing to accept that others have better, more modern or more interesting tastes.
The faith that Trump and his allies can seize people's hearts and minds through force has not abated in Trumpworld. However, as the president recently discovered, this approach only ends in embarrassment. His threat to bulldoze the Kennedy Center just to spite everyone who cares about it is a textbook case of the end game of this endless, pointless grievance – a hope that MAGA can take cultural popularity by force.
The right's cultural resentment is all about destroying what they can't create. Censorship, book bans, and terrorizing drag shows are just symptoms of this. But while they may win temporary battles, they'll never win the larger war. The more they come after people's entertainment, the bigger the backlash will become.
In the end, Trump's Kennedy Center tantrum is a pyrrhic victory at best. Most artists will simply play elsewhere and sell more tickets as fans rally to their side. It's time for MAGA to accept that they can't dictate what people watch or listen to – and that their attempt to do so will only lead to further ridicule and defeat.
This move comes on the heels of several high-profile artists canceling shows at the Kennedy Center due to the taint of performing at a venue with Trump's name attached to it. The list of cancellations is so long that it has its own Wikipedia page, featuring luminaries like Philip Glass, Béla Fleck, and even the entire cast of "Hamilton." It's clear that Trump's attempt to bully artists into playing his venue has backfired spectacularly.
Trump's obsession with the Kennedy Center is a symptom of a deeper issue – his own insecurity about being excluded from circles of people with good taste. He feels intimidated by the cultural power of the 35th president and his wife, Jacqueline, and resents that he can't grow up and appreciate art beyond middle-of-the-road Broadway show tunes. This reflects the larger MAGA movement's anger at the culture for not dumbing itself down to placate their own pedestrian tastes.
The recent tantrum over Bad Bunny headlining the Super Bowl's halftime show is just another example of this trend. Instead of shrugging off different tastes, MAGA has whipped themselves into a frenzy, insisting that they're owed a pop culture that favors their blinkered views. This is a classic case of people refusing to accept that others have better, more modern or more interesting tastes.
The faith that Trump and his allies can seize people's hearts and minds through force has not abated in Trumpworld. However, as the president recently discovered, this approach only ends in embarrassment. His threat to bulldoze the Kennedy Center just to spite everyone who cares about it is a textbook case of the end game of this endless, pointless grievance – a hope that MAGA can take cultural popularity by force.
The right's cultural resentment is all about destroying what they can't create. Censorship, book bans, and terrorizing drag shows are just symptoms of this. But while they may win temporary battles, they'll never win the larger war. The more they come after people's entertainment, the bigger the backlash will become.
In the end, Trump's Kennedy Center tantrum is a pyrrhic victory at best. Most artists will simply play elsewhere and sell more tickets as fans rally to their side. It's time for MAGA to accept that they can't dictate what people watch or listen to – and that their attempt to do so will only lead to further ridicule and defeat.