Butcherman is the font for MAGAmerica where cruelty is the point

 By Hal Brown

Click above to enlarge image

The train of thought which led to me writing this began with reading this story in my daily mail from Yahoo News:

A Loud GOP Minority Pledges to Make Trouble on Ukraine Military Aid

Then I read 

Auschwitz film early favorite at Cannes

Examples of how the GOP is cruel went though my mind as I thought about their immigration policy and abortion bans. I thought about DeSantis and his war against what he calls woke, and how woke is really a synonym for having empathy for all, not merely some select, people.

I then thought about the phrase which has become a meme ever since The Atlantic writer Adam Serwer published his book of essays entitled The Cruelty is the Point: The Past, Present and Future of Trump's America. (You can read or listen to an interview with him here.)

Adam Serwer on Twitter:

It is just that so many people don't care about the hardships of others. It is that they actually relish knowing these "others" are suffering or, if they are policy shapers, making them suffer.

Thinking I might write something about this I did a web search of the phrase "the cruelty is the point" and scanned though a number of the articles (showing in illustration to this blog). I realized that I didn't have anything particularly original to add. 

Suffice to say that if empathy was a human gene which could be measured in a DNA test the results would show many Americans would come up woefully lacking. 

I wasn't up for writing about malignant narcissism which I've often addressed (here for example), or sadistic personality disorder for that matter...

What did occur to me to write about was how frequently I found myself using a font in blog illustrations which I don't see anybody else using, perhaps because it isn't in the standard lists of free fonts. The font is called butcherman and you have to search for it. I use BeFunky to add it to images I sometimes use in my blogs...

Google fonts and other programs also has it:

Click to enlarge and note the phrase Google uses.

The letters in butcherman are all bleeding.

 To me these letters represent those people who are literally or figuratively bleeding whether as a result on not being able to get an abortion, immigrants fleeing persecution, or in Ukraine where every day citizens know they may be killed. 

I think of those who can look at the misfortune of others  and not feel even a glimmer of empathy for them. The font is called butcherman, but these people are actually butcher men.

Addendum: 

Just another example: 2024 Republican Hopefuls Rush To Defend Man Who Killed Jordan Neely

Then there's this:

A first-grade teacher who spoke out against a Wisconsin school district’s decision to ban “Rainbowland” by Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton from a spring concert is facing termination, USA Today reports.

and this:

The latest news is that Florida investigators want to interview some of Jenna Barber's fifth grade students. She dared to show a Disney film with a gay character and was suspended.

If you don't see Diquis comment section below click here.

Dumbo Dumping DeSantis

 By Hal Brown

While Mickey Mouse has come to represent all things Disney, Dumbo, released in 1941, was the fourth Disney film. There's a Disney Fantasy ride where visitors can experience the flying elephant. 

There have been images of DeSantis being chased by Mickey Mouse. I augmented one of them here.

I haven't seen any of Dumbo dumping on him so I made one to complement this blog. Those are my rolls of Charmin in the background in case a few people don't "get" the other meaning of dumping..

If you watch "Morning Joe" like I do you know that co-host Mika Brzezinski often rolls her eyes when her husband Joe Scarborough and the male regulars spend time talking sports. This morning she demonstrated that the sports jargon has rubbed off on her. In talking about Ron DeSantis going after Disney in his culture war which resulted in their losing out on the 2000 jobs that would have come with the now called off $1 billion previously planned expansion she noted that this was a rookie move.

This came as a result of the latest counter-offensive coming from Disney and its CEO Bob Iger in announcing that he was canceling its plans for building a $1 billion campus in Florida.

Mika noted what Bob Iger was doing yesterday. He was with Harrison Ford at the Cannes film festival.

Yesterday I wrote this blog about DeSantis and his war against woke basically as an excuse for using this snarky illustration which I made.

This was the top of the page page article on HUFFPOST which was about another aspect of the DeSantis war against woke:

Click above to read article

If you read HUFFOST you know that their main page featured article often has alterations in the title which is different than the title of the article. This main page title was no different in calling the Sunshine State shady. All states have adopted one or more nicknames to promote characteristics that they are proud of. Florida has lots of sunshine. There are two definitions of sunshine. 

1

a

: the sun's light or direct rays

b

: the warmth and light given by the sun's rays

c

: a spot or surface on which the sun's light shines

2

: someone or something (such as a person, condition, or influence) that radiates warmth, cheer, or happiness

DeSantis hardly is someone who fits the second meaning.

DeSantis can't win for losing. As I wrote about yesterday, he now has poked a mama bear elementary school teacher named Jenna Barbee for showing a Disney movie to her fifth grade class which has a gay character in it. This made her a national figure.

The DeSantis book ban is also biting him in the ass. There's a coincidence in that Penguin-Random House, along with a group of Florida citizens, is suing over his book bans. This is that one of the books being banned, which happens to be published by Simon and Schuster not Penguin, is about two male penguins raising a female chick.

Click above for more information

The inclusion of this book on the banned list has been the subject of many articles about the Florida book ban:

Click above to enlarge image

Even Donald Trump knew back in April that DeSantis was nuts to go after a beloved American company and major Florida employer. He actually predicted Disney's move although he anticipated a slow withdrawal of their Florida investment and what actually came was a major move.

Click above to enlarge image.

There's an aspect of the pursuit to win the GOP nomination that DeSantis probably hasn't considered . This is that Trump has a base which will forgive him anything. DeSantis has no such base. His going after Disney may be the final straw for Florida residents already wavering in their approval of him. If his polls go down in his home that this will be a major blow to his presidential aspirations, and this will be worse for him if his national polls take a major hit.

Trump, who has admitted that he sometimes watches "Morning Joe" must have been pleased if he saw how the Disney cancellation was covered this morning:

He made me do it... DeSantis showing his true colors.

 By Hal Brown

Another blog on DeSantis, Dumbo Dumps DeSantis, posted Friday, May 19 here.

..................................................................................................

Yesterday I read 

Ron DeSantis Signs Draconian Anti-Trans Bathroom Bill Into Law

and  I was inspired to spend almost the entire afternoon making the snarky irreverent illustration above in reaction to this news.

DeSamtis is wearing shorts in the colors of the transgender pride flag. The large flag is the LGBTQIA+ Progress flag. Of course, it's of Bud Lite he's drinking.

If you haven't followed the Bud Lite brouhaha here's the story.

However as much as I enjoyed sticking it to DeSantis by making him look like he and his wife were on an LGBTQ+ party boat, his relentless attack on what he calls woke and what I call compassionate and enlightened culture is serious business. It is downright cruel, and utterly devoid of empathy. Not only that, it is dangerous and a public health hazard.

I looked through a hundred photos of DeSantis like these to put together the illustration until I found one where he wasn't wearing a buttoned dress suit. Note here that his idea of warm weather casual is wearing jeans and a dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up.

You can find many casual photos of Trump relaxing, mostly playing golf. However DeSantis is almost always pictured wearing a suit. I finally found one I could use from this tweet.

It is difficult to see the awkwardly stiff DeSantis partying down in any way, shape, or form whether on a gay party cruise or anywhere. I have a feeling that if he tried to dance to a pop song like Trump does to YMCA and Macho Man he'd make the former president look like John Travolta in "Saturday Night Fever" in comparison.

Here are more illustrations of DeSantis. I made them for my blog about him going after Disney:

 I asked ChatGPT to make an image of him wearing an anti-woke Superman style costume. This was the result:

I'm sorry, but as an AI language model, I cannot create visual images. However, I can provide you with a written description of Ron DeSantis wearing an anti-woke Superman-style costume.

Ron DeSantis stands tall, clad in a bright blue and red costume reminiscent of the iconic superhero Superman. The costume is emblazoned with the phrase "Anti-Woke" in bold white letters across his chest. The suit is form-fitting and muscular, accentuating DeSantis' physique.

The blue material of the costume is covered in stars, representing the American flag, and the red cape flowing behind him in the breeze. DeSantis wears a pair of blue tights and red boots that reach up to his knees. His face is stern and focused, with a determined expression. As he stands with his fists on his hips, a symbol of strength and confidence, the people around him look on in awe. With his Anti-Woke Superman-style costume, DeSantis is ready to fight against the forces of political correctness and cultural Marxism that threaten the values of the American people.

Someone posting on Mastodon found this picture which I modified:

Whether it's going after Disney or what has been dubbed by critics his "don't say gay" law the anti-woke war DeSantis has been waging is seems to be resulting an a be careful what you wish for outcome.

For example, a story which has been getting substantial national attention, as I write my blog this, is on MSNBC:

The teacher, Jenna Barbee, who is under investigation has put a very human face on the DeSantis insanity. I am not sure what an evil and scary groomer of children is supposed to look or sound like but I rather doubt many people who see her interviewed will think she fits this image.

You can watch the Morning Joe interview here:

The latest news is that Florida investigators want to interview some of Barber's fifth grade students. What are these children supposed to make of this?

So not only is DeSantis out to lure the Mickey Mouse into a killer trap (sensitive readers don't click here), but he's after elementary school teachers for daring to show a Disney film, the 2022 movie "Strange World,"  the first Disney movie with an openly gay character.

Read "Florida teacher investigated by state for showing Disney cartoon movie in class" from CNN.

The latest news is that DeSantis will probably announce his candidacy next week. This should be a fun race to watch. He's clearly the undog, and I don 't mean the cartoon superhero. It will be interesting to see how he combats the perception that he has the charisma of a stick in the mud. Watch for photo ops where he appears in shirtsleeves like everyone else does during a Florida summer.

He's staking his chances of beating Trump on two discreet hopes. First is that he's a saner younger and possibly more intelligent version of Trump. Second, that enough voters in the primary, and eventually the general election, care about his anti-woke war. Arguably the first is true. I rather doubt that second isn't. Even Trump doesn't particularly seem to care about being an anti-woke warrior. 

Update:

Click above to read article

Click here, scroll down, to comment.

YOUR FAVORITE PRSIDENT, ME is a mean version of Cliff Clavin.

 Trump's overnight rant on Truth Social:

"I WAS BEING FRAMED BY THE FBI AND THE DOJ, NOW IT CONTINUES WITH THE BOXES HOAX, THE 'PERFECT' PHONE CALL IN ATLANTA, THE MANHATTAN D.A., AND THE NEW YORK STATE A.G. SCAM. WHAT A GROUP, BUT ALL REPORT TO THE DOJ IN WASHINGTON. IT’S JAMES COMEY AND THE SLEAZEBAGS ALL OVER AGAIN. THEY ARE PLAYING ELECTION INTERFERENCE IN 2024 THROUGH ILLEGAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGAINST REPUBLICANS, IN PARTICULAR YOUR FAVORITE PRESIDENT, ME. THESE ARE CHEATING LOWLIFES, BUT WE WILL WIN. OUR COUNTRY IS GOING TO HELL!" (my bold)

When it comes to self-aggrandizement, between his referring to himself in the third person (see BBC article) and his constant stream of ME, ME, ME, he's like a mean version of Cliff Clavin :

In "Cheers" the mailman played by John Ratzenberger knew everything. Nonetheless he was a rather likable character. Sure, he could be shoehorned into the criteria for narcissistic personality disorder, but he wasn't a mean narcissist. He was a know-it-all but he didn't rant and rave and never insulted anyone. 

There's no comparing him to Donald Trump. Trump's unbounded narcissism pushes the limits of grandiosity into the realm of delusion. His widely mocked digital trading cards (which aren't even cards since they aren't are cardboard) are a good example. The reports that he actually considered leaving Johns Hopkins after he was treated for Covid and showing he was wearing a Superman t-shirt under his dress shirt is another example.

 The closest Clavin comes to a public figure who isn't particularly mean today is George Santos with the important difference being that Clavin was likable. Does anybody actually find Santos likable?

Clavin was also a rather sad figure where occasionally he lamented not being able to find a girlfriend. He once explained this was because they didn't want a boyfriend who worked in such a dangerous professional as being a mailman.

There are lots of videos of his funniest moments. Here's one of them.

Sam and Diane's on again off again romance was a central theme of the show. Cliff and Norm had something of a bromance. If I was involved with writing the script today I'd add a lot of thinly veiled sexual innuendo. 

I don't know whether John Ratzenberger still supports Trump although he used to:

Click above to read article from Fox News

From Business Insider:

The "Cheers" and "Toy Story" star announced his support for Trump on Fox News.

"I want us to become self-reliant again... The only candidate out there is Donald Trump, for me, because he's a builder," he said. "He understands better than anybody that if we lose the people — average age is 58 years old by the way of people that actually know how to build things — once they're gone, they're gone and we don't have anybody comin' up behind them."

Below, some of Trump's stable of celebrities: 

Trump has to worry about yet another lawsuit thanks to Rudy Giuliani

 Update:

Tuesday evening, MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace laid out the case for Joyce Vance.

"Joyce, do we know that? I mean, Rudy's charging $2 million? Jared takes it over in a way and I always think that when I hear that Don McGahn or General Kelly or Rod Rosenstein, you know are in a in a fit – You know how bad was it? It was so bad that these guys who sat there through child separations, who, good people on both sides, who grabbed him in the bleep, it was so bad that even those people were distraught."

"How do we know that that Jared didn't, didn't run afoul of any laws? We know that money was being peddled by Rudy. We know that Jared was in charge of it, and we know that it was a process that even by Trump's standards, offended the Chief of Staff, the White House counsel and the deputy attorney general."

Vance replied, "This is not difficult to investigate," because,"there is a finite universe of people that the FBI would need to talk to."

She says the five-year statute of limitations has not passed, and if she were still at DOJ, "I'd be jumping on this one now." From Raw Story 

............................................................................

I am not referring (in my title) to the upcoming second lawsuit by E. Jean Carroll, or the chance she will sue him again for what he said in the CNN appearance. (You can see Rachel Maddow's 12 minute interview her and her lawyer Robbie Kaplan form last night here.)

What I am referring to was reported on in depth in an 11 minute and a 5 minute segment on Lawrence O'Donnell's show last night:

    Noelle Dunphy’s lawsuit against Rudolph Giuliani accuses him of violating labor law, sexual harassment law, and laws against sexual assault but, as MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell points out, the lawsuit also claims there are audio recordings of Giuliani – some of which allegedly show Giuliani committed federal and state crimes. Giuliani denies the allegations.. Giuliani allegedly told Dunphy that he and then-President Trump were selling presidential pardons for $2 million, which the two men would split.  

Note the chyron.

Click the images to enlarge them.

Trump possibly being implicated aside, it is clear that Rudy is so far submersed and sinking into deep shit that he'll soon need a snorkel to breathe. This is because what he did is documented in audio recordings. Dunphy and her attorneys have recordings to verify the following:

Sasha Baron Cohen, the producer of the Borat movie, is interviewed in the O'Donnell segment.

The story is making the news elsewhere.

  It was the top story on HUFFPOST for example:

From MediaIte: 

15 Most Shocking and Disturbing Allegations in Giuliani Sex Abuse Complaint

Excerpt about Trump pay for pardons scheme:

Giuliani allegedly claimed Trump was selling pardons for $2 million and bragged he had ‘immunity’ from the law

Giuliani allegedly told Dunphy that he and then-President Trump were selling presidential pardons for $2 million, which the two men would split:

He also asked Ms. Dunphy if she knew anyone in need of a pardon, telling her that he was selling pardons for $2 million, which he and President Trump would split. He told Ms. Dunphy that she could refer individuals seeking pardons to him, so long as they did not go through “the normal channels” of the Office of the Pardon Attorney, because correspondence going to that office would be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.

Giuliani also allegedly bragged that his powerful connections meant he did not have to follow the law.

To date the most damaging thing that has happened to Rudy's reputation aside from the minor matter of being suspended from practicing law in New York  has been the humiliation of his Four Season Total Landscaping dripping hair dye appearance.

Rudy would have liked images like this to define him:

Of all the images of Rudy Giuliani there is now one that he has to live with as defining his entire career:

Now Rudy will be desperately defending himself in a trial that makes the dripping hair dye photos of him look dignified. 

It will be a delightful sideshow to follow the literal trial and the legal tribulations of Rudy the Wretched as he attempts to sell his defense. This, according what was described on Lawrence O'Donnell, involves his claiming that Dunphy was never actually his employee so he couldn't be exploiting her.  

While far less salacious, it will be much more enjoyable to see how the equally repulsive sexual predator Donald Trump is - dare I use the word -  exposed for participating in an tawdry pay for pardons scheme.

Unfortunately there are no recordings of Rudy discussing the pay for pardons scheme involving splitting the money with Trump, but Dunphy's lawyer indicated these could be verified through witnesses.