Unpublished work, penned on October 18, 2018
The Simpsons are known for their Treehouse of Horror episodes. The Trump administration is now well known for its own abominable White House of Horror installments. While I am extremely grateful for many ghoulish Simpsons tales of light hearted fun, I watch the Trump administration with a sense of despair, feeling trapped in this White House of Horror: panicked by a democracy in Afib as Donald Trump and associates ghoulishly abet the arrhythmia and stand by with no intention to resuscitate. It is pure, unadulterated horror, all too real to be considered a Halloween treat, but a diabolical trick on all humanity.
The Simpsons take the macabre to its laughable, cartoonish conclusion, not only in the Treehouse episodes, but also in its regular prime time adventures. The Tell-Tale Heart was spoofed on at least a couple occasions: Lisa’s Rival and The Telltale Head. Another Poe classic, The Raven, was the subject of another Simpsons episode. Steven King’s The Shining also was parodied. Be it Poe, King, or other horror specialists, the Simpsons borrowed from the best. The show’s rendition of master terror[isms] is screamingly funny!
There is nothing funny about Donald Trump’s White House of Horror. Indeed, Trump stirs up the worst in people, as recent developments illustrate. Pipe bombs were mailed to a number of Trump critics. The alleged perpetrator was egged on by Trump’s slanderous, abhorrent rhetoric. He has parroted unsubstantiated claims many times despite having been debunked by many sources on numerous occasions. The irresponsible chants have energized a militant base, likely leading to mass shootings and other lawless acts. The killings at a Pittsburgh synagogue is another example of senseless acts carried out by emboldened outliers. Horrific by any standard, and something the law prohibiting falsely yelling fire in a crowded theatre should protect against. Sadly, it seems Donald Trump and his brand are immune from prosecution. Perhaps thankfully so, because, for Trump, it would be a ratings buster.
Just as disturbing is Trump’s ill-advised expansion in the arena of nuclear proliferation; climate change annihilation; economic suicide in the form of taxes, tariffs, treaties, and trade; Trump’s border watch; and international intrigue by giving the green light to political assassination. No Emmys will be won, but there is no exhilaration better than human extinction in one form or another. It is the best form of terror[ism] around, right?
Wrong! Very wrong! The macabre in a variety of forms is fun. The Simpsons and many others do it well. But the White House of Horror episodes stand out as disturbing, indecent, and abhorrent. When we learn where to draw the line, lest we continue to get a trick, when all we really want is a treat? Happy Halloween!