cross-posted from: https://midwest.social/post/20164905
Most people need a major traumatic life event to go into Punisher mode. Those events are happening more often, and if bullets (or nukes) ever really start flying people will pick sides really quickly. Their food and sports entertainment aren't supporting cultural lethargy as well as they used to.
don't bottom shame, please
I believe it's a commentary on the top, not the bottom necessarily.
I read it as straightforwardly homophobic, it's not a top vs bottom as much as gay = bad, cowardly, weak, inauthentic while straight / "normal" = good, heroic, principled.
What makes you think the assassin isn’t gay?
The meme uses the "man checking oven" template to mark Trump supporters as stereotypically "gay" and contrasts this with a picture of the assassin in which there are no stereotypical signs of sexuality, which of course implies straightness in our heteronormative society.
Sure it is entirely possible the assassin could be gay IRL by coincidence, but this isn't a helpful for understanding or interpreting the meme, since contrast between gay and straight is clearly created and this contrast is used to make a normative claim, i.e. Trump supporters are gay (i.e. bad) for being hypocritical, while the CEO killer is based by living up to the Punisher anti-hero vigilante ethos and thus not gay (i.e. straight, normal, good).
Maybe the meme uses homophobia because it will upset homophobic Trump supporters more, since they don't want to be associated with being "gay". Still, it appeals to and uses homophobic logic by associating the marked-as-gay traits with something villainous and the "unmarked" (which is the heteronormative default of "normal" straightness) with a hero.
oh, you're right that makes a lot more sense
Except the Punisher/warrior/tattered flag sticker fanboys all just want you to STFU because they're armed and want to beat your ass if you disagree with their fascist views or the jacked up truck lights blinding you.
The Punisher was anti-fascist in the sense of:
He’s the part that screams in rage at the million frustrations and injustices, major and minor, plaguing the average person in the twentieth century. He’s the violent part of us that yearns to do something about it. Quickly. Simply. Finally.
So killing the Big Insurance exec would fit the Punisher's M.O. perfectly.
Unfortunately, despite the creator's deliberate attempts to have the character stand for positive change like BLM the Punisher still seems to be a mostly right-wing character despite the Left's pointing out the character's anti-fascist bent. The character shot civilians, talked about black-on-black crime, fought communists...basically just someone who lets their rage loose to beat the shit out of or kill people and disregard any consequences in a might-makes-right world. He's not pro-fascist or right wing at all, but he certainty helps out that ideology sometimes. Of course, the right wing just takes the might-makes-right part and runs with it while disregarding what sort of actual justice the charter tends to pursue with his violence - and it isn't about being forced to wear masks or letting women have autonomy over their reproductive rights.
That turned into a Punisher explanation I wasn't expecting to do...
If you think that's confusing, just remember there are right-wing fascist Trekkies
Lol yea, Star Trek, the very show known to push progressive societal boundaries (*of the time relative to the shows airing, TOS being a 60s show has a very different message than say TNG in the 80s or ENT in the 2000s or SNW of now) and they think it's some sort of right leaning show just now being "corrupted by woke"
It’s not too much of a stretch for TOS to be construed as fascist. It’s a human-chauvinist show that, despite the claims that the Federation is peaceful, winds up kicking ass everywhere they go. The Federation being an all-controlling, powerful entity that dictates the actions of its citizens and military/exploration arm. Pretty authoritarian on the surface.
Believe it or not, fascism isn’t inherently anti-progressive. You’re just forced to conform to that government’s brand of progressiveness.
Believe it or not, fascism isn’t inherently anti-progressive. You’re just forced to conform to that government’s brand of progressiveness.
Well, fascism is. I think that quote would work better of you changed that to authoritarianism.
If you think that's confusing, just remember there are right-wing fascist Trekkies
Their favourite episodes must be all the alternate universe ones.
Needs more trucknuts
If they were an award for political meme of the year, I vote this one 🤌
I vote it for Best Supporting Caption.
Oh I forgot about the submarine... the rich should do that one more often
Fucking hilarious.
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