It's Giving 2016

I'm already fried.

I’m dead today. I had two new tenants move in last weekend, work was crazy, 4th of July jam sesh (I sing with my dad’s classic rock garage band, believe or not), non-stop m80 fireworks on the 4th that scared my cats and my new tenants (my townhouse is in the ghetto), and just all around social media exhaustion because of you know what.

You see, I’m trying to be more present on social media. To put myself out there because I’m a writer and that’s you do in 2024. You’ve heard me talk about it before. It’s so annoying though. I mean, it could actually be fun and it is momentarily, but it never ever lasts. I took a break from Twitter last year because it was non-stop politics, and I’m so over politics. Politics combined with political correctness have ruined our culture and I stand by the that statement.

So now I’m on Threads which might be the most insufferable platform ever created. It’s just people asking stupid questions like they’re on Chat GPT (have apps ruined dating? why is the sky blue?) or people adding adding “newly diagnosed ADHD” next to their pronouns in their bios, or people complaining about problematic 80s movies (16 Candles is horrifying!) and now, it’s politics. Goddamn politics.

The irony is that this political season is so rich with satire, it’s hard not to tune in. It’s like watching a car crash video on TikTok, where you know it’s going to be bad, really really bad. And I’m talking no matter which way you slice it, the shit is going to hit the fan come November.

As someone who is in the middle and who is irritated with both presidential prospects, I can’t help but find this all hilariously funny—we’re in our eighth year of this circus.

So anyway, this past week was giving 2016 and specifically, Threads was giving Facebook 2016. People announcing they’re leaving the country, democracy is dead, blah, blah, blah. People losing their shit. We’ve all heard this before. And blocking is the new, exciting trend on there. “Listen here, I’ll block anyone who doesn’t align with my values!” Oh, will you shut the fuck up please.

With every new terrified tweet, my stomach turned. Not because of what they were saying (you’re entitled to your opinion), although some of it was insufferable, but because here we are eight years later still in crisis mode with people bitching about the same shit, and all I can think is, do I really have to listen to this again?

Yes, being in the middle is where you sit back and observe for the most part because you don’t want to get your head ripped off. I’ve found people really don’t like when you’re in the “middle” and can’t tell which side you’re on. You’re supposed to pick a team, don’tcha know? But the conservatives think I’m part of the depopulation conspiracy because I’m over 40 and single and childless (“blame women!” they once swarmed me on Twitter) and the libs think I’m a facist/racist/transphobe if I don’t agree 100% with their side of the aisle 100% of the time. There is no winning. So most of the time I keep my mouth shut. And I live in California, which means if you don’t toe the liberal line, prepare to get major blowback.

I will say that my friends irl on the right have never given me shit when we’ve disagreed, and I’ve had several friends irl on the left threaten to end our friendship because I had a different opinion than theirs or if I voted, listen to this, independent. People have lost their goddamn minds. One of my best friends even ghosted me over a political discussion (that I didn’t even want to have in the first place) never to hear from her again. So there’s that.

But yes, I still have friends on both sides. And I like it that way. I just wish I could say what I really think without fear of losing another friend.

I didn’t vote in the 2016 election (shocker) so I really had no dogs in the fight. If these are the two candidates you’re giving me, then I’m sitting this one out. When Trump was elected, I was surprised like everyone else, but I was even more surprised at the tantrums being thrown by grown adults on social media the next day. Public meltdowns. And for four years I had to listen to people I know and love bitch with fervor about Trump literally every single time I saw them. One of them even saying, “He haunts me in my dreams!”

Sigh.

Yes, Trump is a spectacle and sure, he says stupid things, but my God, get a grip. Your tantrums are not making it any better. Because it looks like it’s in the cards that he’s going to get elected again. Since the other side seems hell bent on shooting themselves in the foot by running, not just an old guy, but a guy who clearly has dementia or something of the sort that we can all clearly see. And if you think that’s not a big deal, then what you’re really saying is whoever is actually president doesn’t matter.

Guess they should have had that primary.

For most of the people I know here in California, another Trump win would be the end of their world and I really, really, for the love of God, do not want to listen to them have a melt down about it for the next four years. I’m tired.

Yet…the satire is rich and I guess for a writer, it’s a gift. And it keeps giving. And giving. I wonder what’s in store for this week. There has got to be another bomb dropped in this week’s episode. And I guess the timing is fitting. This socially awkward political era is aligning perfectly with my mid-life crisis.

Anyway, Love Island has been cray this season.

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