A Guide to Children’s Culture for Out-of-Touch Adults: Who Will Get the “youth Vote”?
This week we look at how young people view two long-standing American traditions that occur every four years: the presidential election and the Summer Olympics.
How does each candidate fare with young people?
An estimated 55% of people aged 18 to 29 voted for president in 2020 , more than in any election since 1972, so young people’s votes matter. As you know, I am an internationally recognized expert on what young people think and how to influence them politically. (And yes, I can get a high-paying political consultant position with a PAC or Super PAC on both sides of the political aisle.) So I decided to compare how presidential candidates are doing with young voters and determine the winner of the youth vote.
Donald Trump
The success of Donald Trump, who was defeated in a close election in 2020, depends on his expansion of support from groups that did not vote for him last time. Last week he reached out to African Americans at the National Association of Black Journalists , and it went very well. Trump reached out to young voters this week by appearing as a guest on video game streamer Adin Ross’ livestream on Kick. Ross, who was banned from streaming site Twitch for “hateful behavior” and has previously hosted white supremacist Nick Fuentes and alleged trafficker Andrew Tate, gave Trump a Rolex watch and a Tesla Cybertruck wrapped in a photo of Trump nearly killed by a killer . As for how the “historic” meeting went, Trump did the “TikTok Dance” with Ross, then, presumably because he heard kids liked rock ‘n’ roll music, Trump turned on the Cybertruck’s system and stumbled upon some Grandfather’s Stone: “California Dreamin'” by the Mamas & the Papas, “God Only Knows” by the Beach Boys, and “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley.
I asked my astute 17-year-old son if the outreach had any effect on him, and he rolled his eyes and said, “Trump is trying to reach young people with this broadcast, but he forgot that 12-year-olds can.” I vote.”
Kamala Harris
Since we looked at Trump tunes, Kamala Harris’ music tastes include Kamea’s “Word Up,” Kendrick Lamar’s “Humble” and E-40’s “Yup.” She also listens to Charlie Mingus on vinyl ( swoon ), which dampens the aging hipster vote. Music aside, since taking over as the presumptive Democratic nominee to replace that other guy a couple of weeks ago, Harris has enjoyed an outpouring of support, enthusiasm and memes from young people on social media. If we had regulated the election with online enthusiasm, Harris would have won in a landslide, but then Ron Paul would have won in 2008. In any case, Harris didn’t have to do much outreach to young people, because not being an ancient crank is enough for Harris to beat Trump by 20 points with voters 18 to 34. Her populist vice-presidential pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, seems to resemble young people about the father they would like to have, and it probably wouldn’t hurt.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Since he began his presidential campaign, RFK Jr. has admitted that he once ate a barbecued dog (it may have been a goat), dumped the carcass of a dead bear in Central Park , and that worms ate part of his brain . Definitely the best choice for young people.
What is a “quiet holiday”?
The newest trend among older working Gen Zers and younger Millennials is the “quiet getaway.” An offshoot of the “quiet layoff,” a quiet leave is when a work-from-home employee travels while continuing to do his or her job without informing his supervisor that he is filing TPS reports from Tahiti rather than Yonkers. I feel like working while on vacation is just work and not vacation, but if a change of scenery helps employees avoid scratching their eyes out, I don’t know why anyone would have a problem with it. I don’t know why anyone feels the need to hide it either. But I’m no one’s boss.
Meme Kings and Queens of the Olympic Games
The Olympics have been in full swing for almost two weeks now and several athletes have risen to the top of the internet thanks to their meme skills. Here are the most memed 2024 Olympians, in no particular order:
Steve Nedoroshik, horse expert from the USA.
Yusuf Dikech, Turkey’s answer to John Wick
“Gifted” pole vaulter Anthony Ammirati
Cheese-loving gymnast Georgia Villa
Simone Biles applauds Donald Trump
Viral Videos of the Week: Old White Dudes Are Racist
There’s a theme emerging in viral videos this week: “old white dudes are racist” is trending right now. Here are three examples of this genre:
Donald Trump wonders when Harris became black
Trump says: “She was Indian all the way, and then all of a sudden she turned around and went – she became black. I think someone should look into this.” But who , in his opinion, should look into this? Does he look to some governing body that determines the blackness of people to make a decision?
Racism in Virginia City
TikToker unclerickyd1 posted video of a horrific encounter with a group of racists in Virginia City, Virginia this week . After being told that there is a “hanging tree” for people like him, Uncle Ricky is surrounded and stalked by a group of elderly weirdos, some of whom wear Trump hats.
Unlike Trump, the people captured in this video, especially the main instigators Gary Miller and Janice Cusack Miller, are going through some things . They have been condemned by the city in which they live. The Sheriff’s Department is beginning an investigation into the incident. The organizers of the event they attended revoked their registration. Details about them have been widely circulated online, along with evidence that they are not accepted in polite society. In response, they deleted their company’s Facebook account due to negative comments and shut down their Yelp page due to one-star reviews. Janice Cusack Miller appears to have attempted to delete her Facebook page, but instead posted a photo with instructions on how to delete her Facebook profile .
Grandfather’s funeral was called a gang meeting
This third video tells a more complex story about how an old white dude became a racist . Said old white dude insists his black neighbors are having a gang meeting even though they are having a family gathering for a funeral. Twist in the story: Unlike the people of Virginia City and (probably) Donald Trump, this old white dude seems to be suffering from dementia – the way he drags himself, the confused look in his eyes, the insistence that a car is blocking his way, even though this is clearly not the case, everything suggests that “Mr. James” is no longer right in the head. His seemingly humiliated wife tries to force him back into the house, but Mr. James’s neighbors kindly respond. They are patient and understanding, although they have every right to yell at him.