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sirfrogsworth · 6 years ago

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Here’s a hot take from conservative pundit and massive transphobe music fan, Ben Shapiro. Normally I would tackle the more serious topics Ben discusses, but this really felt like it deserved a response.

Though, if I wanted to take a more serious angle, I suppose I could make the argument that rap is a huge part of the black community’s cultural identity & heritage and by belittling it, Ben is insulting and diminishing one of a marginalized group’s main creative outlets used to communicate their struggles.

But that would be racist!

Ben isn’t racist!

He is constantly explaining over and over just how not-racist he is. Which is what all non-racists have to do. Right?

So this has nothing to do with racism and Ben has some solid FACTS explaining why.

HE LIKES JAZZ, OKAY?

AND OPINIONS ARE NEVER RACIST... I GUESS?

EVEN THOUGH HE SAID IT WAS A FACT.

THAT WAS LIKE THE FIRST THING HE SAID.

“FACT:”

I’M SO CONFUSED AND I THINK I’m going to turn capslock off now.

To be clear, this will just be a casual, not-serious analysis of Ben’s totally not-racist FACT that rap is not-music.

Let’s get this not-party started...

You see, Ben is famous for his motto, “Facts don’t care about your feelings.”

He’s even leveraged his factual wisdom and made it into merchandise.

That’s a real thing people can buy. It even has 6 whole reviews on Amazon!

Amazon customer Beyond the Box rated it with 3 stars saying, “It's okay but small.”

(Aww, okay but small! Just like the 5′9″ brainchild who coined the phrase.)

Reviewer Tim S. described the shirt’s fit as, “Liberals are destroying the country.”

(I’m pretty sure that means it’s a tad itchy. Helpful review, Tim!)

Before I saw Ben’s factual tweet, I really FELT like rap was an amazing musical artform. It took poetry and made it musical. It gave people a new way to express themselves that didn’t require expensive music lessons or even instruments. You didn’t even have to be able to sing! A friend could just bang out a beat on a table while you let those rhymes flow. It made creating music more accessible. And as long as you had decent rhythm you could participate. It FELT groundbreaking at the time.

The very first cassette tape I bought was Good Vibrations by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. (I know that isn’t a great start, but I was like 10, okay?) The very first compact disc I bought was 2 Legit 2 Quit by MC Hammer. (Don’t laugh, he was the bomb in 1991.) As I reached my formative years, I started listening to DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, Beastie Boys, and House of Pain.

I jump’d around. (squeeEEEEEee)

But as some of you may have noticed, most of my musical selections were very mainstream. You’ve probably also noticed that I am very... white.

I think it is a chronic condition.

My skin is nearly translucent due to lack of sunlight. I often say things like “indubitably” and “bloviate” and “I’m sure this chicken will be fine with minimal seasoning.” And at one point I owned the entire Creed discography.

Before I get “those” comments... I am not ashamed of my whiteness. Nor am I guilty about it. I was just in desperate need of a hip-hop education.

Using the official Rules of Republican Conduct™, if I want to talk with authority about something with a racial component, all I need is a single black friend.

Interesting Froggie Fun Fact... I went to a mostly black high school!

Check this out...

That’s TWO black friends!

Shawn is the one teaching me a complicated handshake I instantly forgot. And Marcus is photobombing us in the back there.

I wish I could say our school was super progressive and everyone got along dandy. But in the mid-90s that just wasn’t the case. There were no major conflicts, but a lot of the white kids would sort of... self-segregate. They’d all choose lockers in the same alcove. They’d sit in the same area at lunch and in class. Cross-fraternization was rare unless an extracurricular activity was involved. And not a lot of them would interact with black kids outside of school.

That said, I did not get the segregation memo. I talked to and got along with everyone. I’m not saying I was some amazing colorblind trailblazer crossing racial boundaries at every turn. My locker was in the white section too. And I only had two black friends (not pictured) that I hung out with outside of school.

But I do think humor can break down a lot of barriers. And I used comedy to cross those invisible lines from time to time.

Do you remember “Yo Mama” jokes?

Like uhhh... Yo mama so old, her social security number is 1. Yo mama so lazy, she stuck her nose out the window and let the wind blow it. Yo mama so classless, she’s a Marxist utopia.

You get it.

Before school or before class, a lot of kids would have these competitions. They would face off with their best motherly insults and typically the person who received the loudest “OH DAAAAAAMMMMN!” would be declared the winner.

One day I just kind of decided to make fun of Shawn’s mama. Perhaps a risky move in hindsight, but when I think of a good joke, I’m compelled to set it free with reckless abandon.

After a few seconds of stunned silence I got the loudest OH DAMN of anyone.

We were instantly friends.

And then his friends were my friends too! It’s a moment even my electroshock therapy could not erase.

Again, I wasn’t disrupting the rampant self-segregation or affecting major change at our school. Our friendship didn’t go outside the school premises. It ended after graduation and I have no idea what they’re up to these days. But it was still a lot of fun joking around with them when we were supposed to be doing homework.

After my acceptance into the group, Shawn and I started a sort of cultural exchange. He would tell me about all of the amazing music he was into. And I explained why Batman: The Animated Series was not a kid’s cartoon. IT WAS ANIMATION. (I was unusually sensitive about that in high school.)

He introduced me to a wide range of artists of color. Old and new (at the time). We talked about Boyz II Men, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Prince. He introduced me to Mary J Blige who I follow to this day. And Aaliyah :(

He also taught me all about not-music.

You know... rappers.

I’ll be honest, sometimes this was challenging for me. I did not like or understand everything he suggested. I had a lot of racist baggage leftover from an all-white Catholic elementary school (some of which still lingers deep in my subconscious) and my brain resisted for longer than I care to admit. But after seeing Shawn’s passion for this not-music, I became rap-curious and willing to keep an open mind.

Let me try to name-drop from memory...

Puff Daddy, Lauryn Hill, Wu-Tang Clan, Naughty By Nature, Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, Dr. Dre, Biggie Smalls, Ice Cube, and some guy named Tupac Shakur. You’ve probably never heard of him.

He’d even sneak a Walkman in his backpack so he and his friends could sample his latest acquisitions.

He’d be like, “Hey Ben, you want to listen to some Master P?” And I’d be like, “Sure! You wanna listen to Nine Inch Nails?” And he’d be like, “Naw, I’m good.”

Okay, so the cultural exchange could be a bit one-sided at times.

But Batman bonded us all.

When I was at home, I still mostly listened to Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Stone Temple Pilots on repeat. I am not trying to present myself as this epic rap connoisseur. And I do not listen to a great deal of hip-hop these days. Mostly due to lack of guidance. I don’t have a Shawn in my life anymore.

Shawn was able to get me to a place where even if I didn’t like what I was listening to, I understood why other people enjoyed it. Rap had this amazing history spanning decades. It always reflected society back on itself and provided relatable experiences for people who were underrepresented in other forms of media.

You don’t have to like something to understand why it is important.

I learned to truly appreciate rap and many of Shawn’s suggestions made an appearance on my super rad 90s Winamp playlist.

Sometimes when I was having a bad day, it was nice to have a good day to fall back on.

So when I was very whitely bobbing my head to the beat of that communal Walkman, I didn’t think my friends were stupid. I didn’t think I was stupid. I didn’t FEEL stupid.

But facts are facts. And my feels about facts don’t matter.

So who is this Ben Shapiro: God of Facts?

Ben Shapiro is known for being a master debater. You can find videos of him CRUSHING LIBRULS WITH LOGIC. Or DESTROYING FEMINISTS with TRU FACTS. Perhaps even DEMOLISHING SOCIALISTS with STATISTICS.

At least that is what his YouTube video titles want you to think.

Yeesh.

I think these delightful titles started with his fanboys. They’d get all orgasmic after witnessing some “amazing” rebuttal and then post these clips with promises of a verbal massacre. But, in a show of pure ego, Ben decided he would also follow this naming convention and he now titles his own videos the same way.

That’s not at all cringy, Ben. You’re just being meta! Contributing to a meme everyone loves. No one thinks it is sad.

I made a compilation of Ben’s greatest titles of DESTRUCTION which you can find here.

Some notable examples...

First, we have Ben facing off against his OWN WIFE! Who is a totally real person and A DOCTOR.

Did you know his wife is a doctor? You can tell by the title. And the description. And by the stock image of a lady doctor he used instead of an actual picture of his wife... who is a doctor.

It’s actually an obnoxious adorable video in which he recalls an amusing anecdote about his sitcom marriage... to a doctor. His “hilarious” story (as described by the video description) is all about how he gets angry at his doctor wife for losing her phone. And when they find out it was under her seat the whole time, he suggests wanting to murder her and hide her body in a lake. SO HILARIOUS!

Also, if you wish to purchase Ben Shapiro’s doctor wife (who is a... nurse?), it is $65 for Standard Definition.

Sometimes Ben’s clever clickbait titling system backfires a little.

When I initially read these I thought Ben had solved some major societal problems.

Wow! Thanks, Ben! Those issues were really escalating lately and it was getting scary. Because of you, there is no more racism. No more privilege. Just pure equality. I feel like an updated version of Imagine is due.

Other times these titles kinda make Ben seem like a mass murderer.

I’ve got some sad news. All of your favorite musicians are dead.

They will be missed.

And then my favorite one of all...

Apparently Ben used time travel to go back and ANNIHILATE SOCIALISM at the source.

Yes, Ben loves to debate. He just can’t help himself. His big Harvard brain is pretty relentless when it comes to DESTROYMOLISHING The Left.

He’s great at taking standard conservative talking points, couching them in academic speak, and peppering them with dubious facts that don’t always hold up to scrutiny afterward.

In some of his videos, he’ll take statements out of context, misrepresent people’s arguments, and then deliver a rant he has had plenty of time to prepare for. Unlike the amazing Shaun, who makes sure to present the opposing argument as truthfully as possible while even encouraging people to watch the original video he is critiquing.

I will give Ben credit in one regard. He does actually argue with people face to face on a regular basis. But more often than not, his “debates” are not actually that spectacular. One side makes their points. Ben makes his points. And people will perceive a “victory” based on what they personally believe.

Like if Ben says “ABORTION BAD!” and you also think “ABORTION BAD!” then you’d be like, he totally CRUSHED that SJW BABY KILLER.

But, in the end, the issue is still stuck in a stalemate as it has been for decades.

Being good at debate prep does not make Ben correct. He is just very confident in his wrongness.

Ben rarely goes into a situation where he doesn’t know what topics he will be discussing. He also knows pretty much every question he could possibly be asked. Some might even argue Ben often cherry picks his opponents and the subject matter, creates scenarios and chooses platforms where his point of view will be well received, and uses bad faith tactics to give the appearance of the upper hand. Then that is all polished and edited to make perfect YouTube soundbites.

But all of that is speculation and this post is about FACTS.

Ben’s facts are just too powerful to dispute. I doubt anyone is up to the challenge. Not even a transgender woman with epic makeup, glorious costumes, creative lighting schemes, and a degree in philosophy could take him to task.

It’s just... unpossible.

*cough* Contrapoints *cough*

Sorry, had a froggie in my throat.

SO... now that we know Ben is a Harvard educated 5′9″ agent of DESTRUCTION, let’s see him defend “rap isn’t music” using his fancy debating skillz.

It took him 6 years to come up with this, so I’m betting it’s bulletproof.

Ben Shapiro DESTROYGASMS hip-hop with UNDERWHELMING TWEET.

CHECKMATE, RAPPERS!

WAIT, I GET IT.

He plays CLASSICAL music.

If you’ll allow me to expound his logic, being a classically trained musician makes you more special than a regular musician. It makes him an arbiter of what is and is not music. I forgot that classical musicians were automatically given that power.

I know Ben only ever presents facts, so I’d like to take him at his word, but I think I’d like to see this music meister perform something. Just to be sure he has the proper classical credentials to make these bold claims.

Here is a music video he produced for The Daily Wire. It’s clearly a high budget homage to one of the most thrilling television themes in recent history.

youtube

Did anyone else feel like they were watching 3 emotionless robots play the blandest arrangement ever conceived?

Or was that just me?

SUCH ENERGY.

I will say, those special effects were... something.

And Ben really PWNED CNN. I’m sure they felt that slice all the way in their Atlanta headquarters.

Ben, if you’re reading this, that video was totally funny in the way you intended. People are definitely laughing with you and not at you. I didn’t cringe even a little.

But does this prove that Ben is a proper CLASSICAL musician? With all the power and privileges that entails?

Does he have the authority to judge musical worthiness?

Despite his robotic performance, I suppose he did hit all the correct notes and everything.

Is music like facts? Does music care about your feelings?

I think what we need is a comparison. Something we can judge Ben’s performance against in order to gauge his level of classical musicianship.

This is Tina Guo.

She is a Chinese-American immigrant from Shanghai. She moved here at the age of 5. She probably was able to sneak in because there wasn’t a border wall yet. She is taking the jobs of American classical musicians. Which is probably why Ben isn’t in a top-tier symphony orchestra as we speak.

Tina is a cello prodigy who was trained classically. She attended the USC Thornton School of Music for professional cello studies on a full scholarship where she studied under Nathaniel Rosen and Eleonore Schoenfeld--some of the most influential cellists of the 20th century.

As a teenager, she made a huge splash on YouTube by casually playing Flight of the Bumblebee. No biggie. I’m sure Ben can play that too.

Oh, and do you remember that badass Wonder Woman theme written by famous composer Hans Zimmer?

That was her playing the lead.

Now for the comparison.

Watch Librul Immigrant DESTROY the Game of Thrones theme that she produced, recorded, and arranged ALL BY HERSELF without the help of a BIG STRONG MAN.

youtube

I don’t know.

I think that was a smidge better than Ben’s version.

What do you folks think?

So here is the dilemma.

We have two CLASSICAL musicians who are at nearly identical skill levels...

HOWEVER... after some investigation...

It’s possible Tina Guo thinks rap... might be music.

*GASP*

THE EVIDENCE

One of her favorite ways to practice improvisation is to jam along with hip-hop backing tracks she finds on YouTube.

Now, conservatives like Ben LOVE dictionary definitions. It’s their go-to debate tactic when trying to legitimize the idea that there is “racism” toward white folks. So let’s use the dictionary really quick.

When I looked up what this “jamming” word meant, it sent me to “jam session.”

I was shocked by what I found.

Musicians? MUSIC? But those backing tracks she practiced with are used for rap non-music.

BEN I AM CONFUSED.

I think I need to dig deeper. TO GOOGLE!

After scouring the internet for almost 2 minutes I was able to find something even more shocking.

Here is LIBRUL CLASSICAL SNOWFLAKE IMMIGRANT FEMINIST MUSICIAN sharing the stage with a NON-MUSIC RAP ARTIST CUCK.

That kinda looks like Tina Guo... and LUPE FIASCO.

*DOUBLE GASP*

And I’ve double checked this... it seems this Lupe fellow is definitely a rapper.

WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?

I mean, she has her cello. And he has a microphone. But it’s a FACT that rap isn’t music. So I guess they are doing some experimental anti-music performance together.

ANOTHER SHOCKING IMAGE HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION AFTER ANOTHER 12 SECONDS OF GOOGLING.

What the heck, Tina?

Why are you, A CLASSICAL MUSICIAN, on a stage with Common? Another rapper!

I’m a little worried Tina might be stupid.

Ben’s FACT clearly states if you think rap is music, then you are stupid.

And not only is Tina playing music near a rapper... I’m pretty sure she is playing music WITH a rapper.

That’s like... double stupid.

I really don’t know what to feel about these facts I’ve uncovered.

These FACTS kinda FEEL like bullshit.

I’m probably wrong.

Or maybe it is a fluke!

All of Ben Shapiro’s other facts have been incontrovertible.

For instance, I can take comfort in the absolute fact that Ben Shapiro is a solid 5 feet 9 inches tall. It gives me solace knowing he can ride any roller coaster he wants.

Sick burn, Ben. Though you’re kind of implying that when Milo sees you he is giving you blowjobs. I’m sure you’re fine with that implication. It’s not like you’re homophobic or anything, right? You keep saying you aren’t over and over again.

The important thing is that everyone knows you’re a big boy. Two inches taller than Napoleon! Small but okay!

I mean, it would be silly to lie about such a thing so easily disproved, right? And there is nothing to be ashamed of if you are a shorter individual. My mom is short and I think she’s the best!

So I’m confident you are 5′9″ as you have stated.

I CAN’T FEEL ANY MORE FACTS, BEN.

MY SOUL CAN’T TAKE IT.

You know what... screw it.

I’m going to make this a little serious.

Not liking rap isn’t racist.

Telling people they are stupid for liking rap is super racist.

And being too stubborn to apologize for a 6-year-old tweet compounds that racism.

Liking jazz is just the musical version of “I have a black friend.”

Not understanding that rap is a cultural staple vital to the black community and then comparing it to frickin’ Titanic makes it profoundly racist.

And... *takes a deep breath* continually defending a shitty 6-year-old tweet as recent as last July, even though you could probably just apologize, blame it on youthful ignorance, delete it, and never have to deal with it again, just because you can’t admit you ever said anything wrong...

Well, that just makes you look...

#you are a blight on the name Benjamin #trigger warning #racism #transphobia #long post

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redshiftsinger · 3 years ago

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One of the best stories I have that I can't actually prove even though it seems like there should be proof is that one time, I accidentally photobombed Orrin Hatch.

I went along to some republican election night thing with some friends out of curiosity. I hated it, of course -- yay weird pseudo-formal event with shitty snacks and a bunch of people I didn't dare actually try to make conversation with because of knowing that the second anything remotely ideological came up I'd have to either lie or admit that I deeply despise everything they stand for.

Anyway I was bored out of my skull, uncomfortably overdressed because I'd been led to believe the event was more formal than it actually was, nibbling lousy snacks for a lack of anything better to do, wishing my friends would hurry up and get as bored as I was so we could all leave. I was just in the middle of stifling a MASSIVE, jaw-unhinging yawn when camera flashes started going off a few feet away, and I whipped around in surprise, jaw still fucking unhinged (and I mean this quite literally, one side of my jaw is fucked up and dislocates extremely easily), and realized Orrin Hatch is standing right there doing some photo op bullshit.

I wish I had access to any of the dud pictures that definitely did not make the editorial cut.

And also, good riddance to bad rubbish.

I do not believe in hell, but when someone like Orrin Hatch dies, I make an exception, and hope.

Hatch was just terrible. When Birch Bayh noted that anti-abortion activists only cared about life between conception and birth, Hatch actually said on the Senate floor that there was a “remarkable similarity between those who believe in abortion and those who are spending us into bankruptcy.”

What that similarity was, I have no idea, since it doesn’t make a lick of sense. But that word salad worked in Utah and among the growing powerful rightwing extremists making up the Republican Party, who thought Orrin might be interesting presidential material.

What made Hatch appealing to the New Right is that he was a hatchet man. They were sick of compromise. They wanted full-out aggression with no holds barred. That was Orrin Hatch.

Although still a first-term senator, when the AFL-CIO and Democrats pushed labor law reform in the early years of the Carter administration, it was the young Orrin Hatch chosen to be the pit bull against it. He called the business lobby when he arrived in Washington “a bunch of gutless wonders.” And he provided them the gut.

He was determined that workers would gain no rights in this nation. Worse, he succeeded in that goal, leading the way to gutting anything Democrats proposed on labor issues. What tool did he use?

Our old friend, the filibuster.

The filibuster’s history is mostly known for holding up bills that would move toward racial equality and there’s a good reason for that. But senators also used it, in the days before it became an everyday part of obstruction by the Republican Party, specifically against workers’ rights legislation. Hatch killed labor law reform. There were 59 votes for it. Such is the disaster of the world’s worst deliberative body.

https://www.editorialboard.com/orrin-hatch-champion-of-revanchist-values-and-father-of-judicial-extremism-is-dead/

#it was Obama's second win #and it WAS a bit funny internally celebrating while the rest of the room was full of gnashing of teeth

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johnlharrisr-blog · 4 years ago

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(RNS) — It started in 2004 as a little Bible study looking at the political implications of Jesus’ teaching and the social dimensions of the gospel. Four years later, during the 2008 presidential election, I published a book with Chris Haw called “Jesus for President” and took the movement out on a national tour, traveling through nearly every U.S. state in a bus that ran on waste vegetable oil, hosting packed-out rallies in different cities each night.

We had some solid ideas for serious change in America back then. Like putting the Amish in charge of Homeland Security and melting all of our weapons into garden tools and enacting the biblical year of Jubilee, where property is redistributed and financial debts are forgiven. We were dead serious about some of those ideas (and still are).

A lot has changed since 2008. A lot has changed since 2016. Heck, a lot has changed since last month, and week and day.

One thing that has not changed is that Christians still have a hard time knowing how to engage with politics, especially during an election year.

RELATED: Voting my conscience in this election may mean staying home

Some Christians ignore politics altogether, preferring to focus on matters like saving souls and getting people into heaven. They often quote Scripture about how our “citizenship is in heaven” and insist that this world is not our home. Politics don’t belong in the pulpit, they say (unless it’s abortion or marriage equality). Jesus didn’t come to overthrow Caesar and take over Rome, but to establish an altogether new kingdom that is not of this world. So it goes.

Another group of Christians has totally bought into partisan politics and married itself to these Christians’ favorite candidate or party. If they are evangelicals, that usually means the Republican Party. As my friend the Rev. Tony Campolo says: “Mixing our faith with a political party is sort of like mixing ice cream with cow manure. It doesn’t mess up the manure, but it sure messes up the ice cream.”

More recently, I have become familiar with the progressive version of the savior complex; it still messes up the ice cream.

As people of faith, we are desperately in need of a better political imagination — one not confined by party or candidate or the culture wars at all, but one wholly rooted in our faith. We need to be as peculiar as we are political. Jesus was both — political and peculiar.

Nearly every time Jesus opened his mouth, he talked about the “kingdom of God.” The word he used for “kingdom” was the same word as “empire.” But his empire is upside down. The first are last, and the last are first. The mighty are cast from their thrones, and the rich are sent away empty. The poor are blessed, and the peacemakers are “the children of God.” Literally, Jesus blesses the people this world has cursed and rebukes the people this world has idolized.

According to Jesus, the kingdom of God is not just something we hope for when we die. It is something we are to make “on earth as it is in heaven,” apparently while we’re alive, now. It is an invitation to join a revolution that transforms the world from what it is into what God wants it to be.

We know because he talked about the real stuff and real people — unjust judges, day laborers, widows and orphans: political stuff. The golden rule — love your neighbors as yourselves — can’t be followed if we ignoring the policies and powers that are crushing the lives of our neighbors. Jesus was political in the sense that the word “politics” derives from “citizens” — meaning our neighbors.

As much as Jesus’ vocation was political, it was also peculiar. His entire life (and death) is a parody of power, political satire on a whole new level, a political photobomb that took attention off of the centers of power and put the spotlight on the margins.

Jesus came straight out of Nazareth: a brown-skinned, Palestinian, Jewish refugee from a town out of which people said, “Nothing good could come.” This was what determined his view of power. When confronted by tax collectors about whether he paid his taxes, he pulled money out of the mouth of a fish, questioning what really is Caesar’s and what is God’s.

He called Herod a fox and flipped tables in the Temple. He included the excluded and challenged the chosen. Entering Jerusalem, he did not ride a warhorse with a military entourage like Caesar, but a borrowed donkey. Political satire. Street theater of the holiest kind. Instead of the iron fist of tyrants, Jesus ruled with a towel washing his disciples’ feet. He was accused of insurrection, arrested, beaten, tortured by the state and finally executed.

His execution, directed by the Romans, was also political parody of the highest order. His throne was an old rugged cross. His crown was not made from olive branches like Caesar’s, but thorns. Nailed to the cross read a sign, “King of the Jews.”

Jesus outdid the Romans’ attempt to join in his parody by rising from the dead — the greatest act of protest in history.

The word “savior” was not just used for Jesus. It was also used for Caesar. On the imperial walls in Asia Minor, nearly a decade before the birth of Christ, these words were written: “emperor Augustus … who being sent to us and our descendants as Savior, has put an end to war and has set all things in order, having become god manifest… the birthday of the god Augustus has been for the whole world the beginning of the good news…”

Sound familiar?

The words attributed to Jesus in the Gospels — Lord, savior, Incarnation — were already attributed to Caesar. The imperial calendar revolved around the birthday of Caesar, not Christ. You start to see why the politics of Jesus are so radical, so revolutionary and so controversial. Every time the early Christians declared “Jesus is Lord,” they were also declaring, “Caesar is not.”

That confession was deeply and subversively political. It was just as strange to say “Jesus is my Lord” 2,000 years ago as it would be to declare him commander in chief today. It was an invitation to a new political imagination centered on the person, teaching and peculiar politics of Christ.

One of the greatest temptations during election year is to misplace our hope. We are tempted to put our hope in a party or a candidate who we think will save us from the chaos we are in. But as the old hymn goes, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. … On Christ the solid rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.” There is a lot of sinking sand these days. Lots of big promises and empty words. We are bound to be disappointed if we put too much hope in a person or a party.

Joining the politics of Jesus is about joining God’s redemptive plan to save the world. It is about allegiance, hope and a new kingdom. So I am indeed hopeful in 2020 — not because I have found a candidate who fulfills my deepest hopes, but because I have learned how to hope differently. My hope does not lie in Donald Trump or Joe Biden, or even America. My hope is in Christ alone.

Now that we’ve established that — let me be clear. I will be voting on Nov. 3. But I will not be looking for a political savior. I will be looking to do damage control. I’ll be trying to harness the principalities and powers of darkness that are hurting so many children of God. I’ll be voting for the politicians who I believe will do the least amount of damage to the world, and alleviate the most suffering for the most people. Though that may sound cynical, I think that’s an appropriate theological posture to have.

There are those who will opt out because they don’t want to “hold their noses” and vote, and still others who refuse to choose between the “lesser of two evils.”

But opting out also has consequences. Privilege is being able to choose which issues matter and which ones do not. Privilege is being able to opt out of decisions that have life and death consequences for other people. I believe this election is a referendum, and we have power that we can steward on Nov. 3. I want to look back and say I did everything I could to stand against fear, and racism and violence… including vote. We need to use every tool in our toolbox.

If you have a hard time voting for a particular candidate this year, perhaps consider what it means to vote for the people Jesus blessed. Vote for the poor. Vote for immigrants. Vote for families separated at our border and for the kids in cages. Vote for those without health care. Vote for those who are incarcerated and those who aren’t allowed to vote. Vote for the victims of violence. Vote for Breonna Taylor.

Vote for love. When we vote for love over fear, we can rest confidently that we voted our faith and put flesh on our prayers.

So, I will vote on Nov. 3. I will vote against hatred, and fear, and misogyny. I will vote against Trump and those who have enabled his hurtful policies and hateful rhetoric. And I will do it because I have pledged my ultimate allegiance to Christ.

Surely, Election Day is not the only day we make a difference. I will also vote every day before Nov. 3 and every day after Nov. 3. Change is not confined to one day every four years. Change happens every day. We vote with our lives. Social change doesn’t come from the top down. It comes from the bottom up — just like water boils.

The holy work of “seeking first the kingdom of God” is not confined to a ballot box. No matter who gets elected in November, we will need to be in the streets in January holding them accountable.

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americanbackyard · 5 years ago

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American Backyard!

Oh how many times have I gotten on here and complained about those pesky trump supporters who went out and voted for a second-rate-tabloid-cover-celeb-turned-short-lived reality TV show host, a remarkably bad businessman with half a dozen failed businesses, multiple bankruptcies including a casino of all things, failed marriages to strange women, a father who was a member of the Ku Klux Klan, a draft dodger, and a racist (see lawsuits pertaining to renting to African Americans. Also see full page ad regarding the Central Park Five). Those supporters said he spoke to them but really, they spoke for themselves when they decided that this person should be the president. He didn’t speak for anyone. I hate to use Billy Joel’s lyrics but he didn’t start the fire, it was always burning...

We tend to say that these people are brainwashed. Well, maybe they are and maybe they aren’t. Most of them go to work every day, raise families, have mortgages and bills, take vacations, and like pretty most people in this country, are consumers, so they can’t be completely stupid. They just have their mind set regarding what they think is important and how they feel about other people in this country. They also show what knowledge they do and don’t have about current affairs, important issues, the world, the future, etc. But above all they have shown us all that they are certainly susceptible to the branding of trump’s campaign back in 2016, but really, they aren’t the only ones who voluntarily follow the piper to the river. There are others...

Many people have laid blame on Bernie supporters and Democrats who stayed home because they hated Hillary Clinton for trump’s election. Of course let’s just put aside for a moment that it was The Electoral College and not the American voters who put donnie in The White House. And what a white house it is at the moment... What I find bothersome is the correlation between trump voters, Bernie Or Busters, and Never Hillarys, that all led to what should have been a larger gap between popular votes between the presidential candidates. The difference in votes for Clinton was more than the entire population of Chicago, and what was said to be a bad turnout was actually the third highest turnout in the last ten elections. Yup. Imagine that. Only 2008 (Obama/McCain, #1) and 2004 (W/Kerry, #2) had higher turnouts than trump/Clinton.

So what’s my beef? Why am I still writing this? Why are you still reading it? Thank you by the way, you totally rock! My issue is that before we make fun of the trumpaholics out there who we like to brag were brainwashed or conned by Russian trolls, we need to address the others who suffered the same fate, and if not by trolls or some elaborate scheme to alter election turnout, which obviously did NOT work, then the attitudes of certain American voters.

The Bernie or Busters, did they or did they not show up on election day to cast their votes to keep trump out and put Clinton in? We will NEVER know that statistic and anyone who tries to tell you some stats on it is likely full or crap. There is NO way to track that. Nada, Nyet. All the info for that comes 100% from Op/Ed pieces. The Never Hillary crowd that supposedly didn’t show up at the polls... Really? Seriously. Really? She won by almost three million votes in the third most popular election in over three-and-half decades. 1980. Ronald Reagan, Rubik’s Cube, Mt. St. Helen’s, Post-its, CNN, and the Republican campaign against Jimmy Carter that led people to believe that Carter was weak and Reagan was strong, using some somewhat dirty tricks and obvious lies to convince the general public that America needed Ronnie. There’a pattern they’ve utilized several times now to win, besides stealing elections using The EC. Bash Carter. Bash Kerry. Bash Clinton. We’ll leave Gore out of this because although he was cheated, he also was a wishy washy candidate. So let’s get to my formal complaint!

IF you voted for donald trump in 2016 I accuse you of being inept at voting. IF you refused to vote for Hillary Clinton in 2016 because Bernie got screwed, (and I truly believe he did, trust me, I was a “Brunch with Bernie” fan for many years), I accuse you of being inept at voting. IF you didn’t vote for the only Dem on the ballot or stayed home on election day because you hate Clinton I accuse you of being inept at voting. Hello “president” trump. Thank you. Let’s face it, the election was NOT affected by Bernie or Busters. It was NOT affected by Never Hillarys. It was absolutely affected by the crooked hands of The GOP. Do not play into the blame game. EVERYTHING you heard about Bernie or Busters and Never Hillarys was in HINDSIGHT. That is how they want to manipulate 2020, and it will work because no one will read this but if enough people vote like in Obama/Romney, where the gap was almost five million, we have a chance of ousting the vile sellouts in DC we are stuck with.

NO MORE BLAME GAME! If things are really important to people in this country, on both sides, which hold a vast majority to the goofball maga hat wearing toadies and photobombers on Fox News and other truly fringe group websites that overstate their audiences and the wonderful groups that profit off them because they are nothing more than a demographic, (who btw will suffer greatly if trump is out of DC), like a lot of hardcore “Christians” and “patriots”, then the people of America will speak. The best part is that the voting booth is one of those rare places where you truly do have control of how you feel. And NEVER forget that local voting is imperative to your community, even if you feel letdown by federal voting. It all starts with our mayor, your city council, your state, etc.

We absolutely cannot go through another four years of this bullshit. DO what you can to get people to vote. It may seem useless at times but in the end it really isn’t. You might not win but you still have a voice, and someone somewhere is watching. And remember, your local elections are truly some of the most important that you might partake in as they will directly affect you the most and the quickest. Let’s not get sloppy America! This is your backyard!

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sirocc-blog · 6 years ago

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#hollywood #acting #filmshooting #funny #filming #sexy #selfie #setlife #sexyface #photo #photos #photobomb #shooting #meme #memes #jokes #places #comedy #sketchcomedy #blackcameraman OK I’m a be honest forget about your political affiliation if you’re a democrat or a republican independent just looking at these pictures something don’t feel right about this man he’s just not supposed to be in power it’s something evil latches about this man i’m sorry it just doesn’t seem right morally I have never seen photos of a father and daughter like this 🤨 (at Coronado, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bub4pcugKzz/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=k62rn35ec032

#hollywood #acting #filmshooting #funny #filming #sexy #selfie #setlife #sexyface #photo #photos #photobomb #shooting #meme #memes #jokes #places #comedy #sketchcomedy #blackcameraman

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bearhatarmy · 6 years ago

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But that would be racist! Ben isn’t racist! He is constantly explaining over and over just how not-racist he is. Which is what all non-racists have to do.

This has nothing to do with racism and Ben has some solid FACTS explaining why.

HE LIKES JAZZ, OKAY?

AND OPINIONS ARE NEVER RACIST.

I GUESS.

EVEN THOUGH HE SAID IT WAS A FACT.

So, to be clear, this will just be a not-serious analysis about Ben’s totally not-racist FACT that rap is not-music.

Let’s get this not-party started...

You see, Ben is famous for his motto, “Facts don’t care about your feelings.”

He’s even leveraged his factual wisdom and made it into merchandise.

That’s a real thing people can buy. It even has 6 whole reviews on Amazon!

Beyond the Box rated it with 3 stars saying, “It's okay but small.”

(Aww, just like Ben!)

And Tim S. described the shirt’s fit as “Liberals are destroying the country.”

(I’m pretty sure that means it’s a tad itchy.)

Before I saw Ben’s factual tweet, I really FELT like rap was an amazing musical artform. It took poetry and made it musical. It gave people a new way to express themselves that didn’t require expensive music lessons or even instruments. A friend could just bang on a table while you let it flow. It made creating music more accessible. And as long as you had good rhythm you could participate. It FELT groundbreaking at the time.

The very first cassette tape I bought was Good Vibrations by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. (I know that isn’t a great start, but I was like 10, okay?) The very first compact disc I bought was 2 Legit 2 Quit by MC Hammer. (Don’t laugh, he was the shit in 1991.) As I reached my formative years, I started listening to DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, Beastie Boys, and House of Pain.

I jump’d around. (squeeEEEEEee)

But as some of you may have noticed, most of my musical selections were very mainstream. You’ve probably also noticed that I am very... white.

To this day, even! I think it is a chronic condition.

My skin is near translucent due to lack of sunlight. I often say things like “indubitably” and “bloviate” and “I’m sure this chicken will be fine with minimal seasoning.” And at one point I owned the entire Creed discography.

I was in desperate need of a Hip Hop education.

Now using the official Rules of Republican Conduct™, if I want to talk about something with a racial component, all I need is a single black friend. This will absolve me of any consequences.

Interesting Froggie Fun Fact... I went to a mostly black high school!

Check this out...

That’s TWO black friends!

Shawn is the one teaching me a complicated handshake I instantly forgot. And Marcus is photobombing us in the back there.

I wish I could say our school was super progressive and everyone got along dandy. But in the mid-90s that just wasn’t the case. There were no major conflicts, but a lot of the white kids would sort of... self segregate. They’d all choose lockers in the same area. They’d sit in the same area at lunch and in class. And not a lot of them would interact with black kids outside of school.

That said, I did not get the segregation memo. I got along with everyone. I’m not saying I was some amazing colorblind trailblazer crossing racial boundaries at every turn. My locker was in the white section too. And I only had two black friends (not pictured) that I hung out with outside of school.

But I do think humor can break down a lot of barriers. And I used comedy to cross those invisible lines from time to time.

Do you remember “Yo Mama” jokes?

Like uhhh... Yo mama so old, her social security number is 1. Yo mama so lazy, she stuck her nose out the window and let the wind blow it. Yo mama so classless, she’s a Marxist utopia.

You get it.

One day I just kind of decided to make fun of Shawn’s mama. After a few seconds of stunned silence I got the loudest OH DAMN of anyone and we were suddenly friends. And then his friends were my friends too. Our friendship didn’t go outside the school premises, but it was still a lot of fun joking around with them at lunch or when we were supposed to be doing homework.

Shawn and I started a sort of cultural exchange. He would tell me about all of the amazing music he was into. And I explained why Batman: The Animated Series was not a kid’s cartoon. IT WAS ANIMATION. Says it right in the name.

He also told me about not-music.

Ya know... rappers.

I’ll be honest, sometimes this was challenging for me. I did not like or understand everything he suggested. I had a lot of racist baggage leftover from an all-white Catholic elementary school and my brain resisted for longer than I care to admit. But after seeing Shawn’s passion for this not-music, I became rap-curious and willing to keep an open mind.

Let me try to name-drop from memory...

Puff Daddy, Lauryn Hill, Wu-Tang Clan, Naughty By Nature, Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, Dr. Dre, Biggie Smalls, Ice Cube, and some guy named Tupac Shakur. You’ve probably never heard of him.

He’d even sneak a Walkman in his backpack so he and his friends could sample his latest acquisitions.

He’d be like, “Hey Ben, you want to listen to some Master P?” And I’d be like, “Sure! You wanna listen to Nine Inch Nails?” And he’d be like, “Naw, I’m good.”

Okay, so the cultural exchange could be a bit one-sided at times. But Batman bonded us all.

Admittedly, when I was at home, I still mostly listened to Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Stone Temple Pilots on repeat. And I do not listen to a great deal of Hip Hop these days. Mostly due to lack of guidance. I don’t have a Shawn in my life anymore. (But that Cardi B Money song was crazy good. And I’m not just saying that cuz the video had boobs.)

Shawn was able to get me to a place where even if I didn’t like what I was listening to, I understood why other people enjoyed it. I really learned to appreciate rap and many of Shawn’s suggestions made an appearance on my super rad 90s Winamp playlist.

Sometimes when I was having a bad day, it was nice to have a good day to fall back on.

So when I was very whitely bobbing my head to the beat of that communal Walkman, I didn’t think my friends were stupid. I didn’t think I was stupid. I didn’t FEEL stupid.

But facts are facts. And my feels about facts don’t matter.

You see, Ben Shapiro is known for being a master debater. You can find videos of him CRUSHING LIBRULS WITH LOGIC. Or DESTROYING FEMINISTS with TRU FACTS. Perhaps even DEMOLISHING SOCIALISTS with STATISTICS.

His big Harvard brain is pretty relentless when it comes to DESTROYMOLISHING The Left.

He’s great at taking standard conservative talking points, couching them in academic speak, and peppering them with dubious facts that don’t always hold up to scrutiny after the fact. Some might argue he cherry picks his opponents and the subject matter, creates scenarios where his point of view will be well received, and uses bad faith tactics to give the appearance of the upper hand.

But that would be speculation and this post is all about FACTS.

And Ben’s facts are too powerful to dispute. I doubt anyone is up to the challenge. Not even a transgender woman with epic makeup, glorious costumes, creative lighting schemes, and a degree in philosophy could take him to task.

It’s just... unpossible.

*cough* Contrapoints *cough*

Sorry, had a froggie in my throat.

SO... let’s see Ben defend “rap isn’t music” using his fancy debating skillz. It took him 6 years to come up with this, so I’m betting it’s bulletproof.

OH I SEE.

He plays CLASSICAL music.

CHECKMATE, RAPPERS!

Ben Shapiro DESTROYGASMS Hip Hop with UNDERWHELMING TWEET.

If you’ll allow me to expound his logic, being a classically trained musician makes you more specialer than a regular musician. It makes him an arbiter of what is and is not music. I forgot that classical musicians were automatically given that power.

I know Ben only ever presents facts, so I’d like to take him at his word, but I think I’d like to see this music master perform something. Just to be sure he has the proper classical credentials to make these bold claims.

Here is a music video he produced for The Daily Wire. Clearly a high budget homage to one of the most thrilling television themes in recent history.

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Did anyone else feel like they were watching 3 robots play the blandest arrangement ever conceived? Or was that just me? SUCH ENERGY.

I will say, those special effects were... something.

And Ben really PWNED CNN. I’m sure they felt that slice all the way in their Atlanta headquarters.

Ben, if you’re reading this, that video was totally funny in the way you intended. People are definitely laughing with you and not at you. I didn’t cringe even a little.

But does this prove that Ben is a proper CLASSICAL musician? With all the power and privileges that entails?

Does he have the authority to judge musical worthiness?

Despite his robotic performance, I suppose he did hit all the correct notes and everything.

Is music like facts? Does music care about your feelings?

I think what we need is a comparison. Something we can judge Ben’s performance against in order to gauge his level of classical musicianship.

This is Tina Guo.

She is a Chinese-American immigrant from Shanghai. She moved here at the age of 5. She probably was able to sneak in because there wasn’t a border wall yet. She is taking the jobs of American classical musicians. Probably why Ben isn’t in a top-tier symphony orchestra as we speak.

She also made a huge splash on YouTube casually playing Flight of the Bumblebee as a teenager. No biggie. I’m sure Ben can play that too.

Oh, and do you remember that badass Wonder Woman theme written by famous composer Hans Zimmer?

That was her playing the lead.

Now for the comparison.

Watch Librul Immigrant DESTROY the Game of Thrones theme that she arranged ALL BY HERSELF without the help of a BIG STRONG MAN.

youtube

I don’t know.

I think that was a smidge better than Ben’s version.

What do you folks think?

So here is the dilemma.

We have two CLASSICAL musicians who are at nearly identical skill levels...

HOWEVER... after some investigation...

It’s possible Tina Guo thinks rap... might be music.

*GASP*

THE EVIDENCE

One of her favorite ways to practice improvisation is to jam along with Hip Hop tracks she finds on YouTube.

Now, conservatives like Ben LOVE dictionary definitions. It’s their go-to debate tactic when trying to legitimize the idea of racism toward white folks. So let’s use the dictionary really quick.

When I looked up what this “jamming” word meant, it sent me to “jam session.” I was shocked by what I found.

Musicians? MUSIC? But those backing tracks she practiced to were used for rap non-music. BEN I AM CONFUSED.

I think I need to dig deeper.

After scouring the internet for almost 2 minutes I was able to find something even more shocking.

Here is LIBRUL CLASSICAL SNOWFLAKE IMMIGRANT FEMINIST MUSICIAN sharing the stage with a CUCK NON-MUSIC RAP ARTIST.

That kinda looks like Tina Guo... and LUPE FIASCO.

*DOUBLE GASP*

And I’ve double checked this... it seems this Lupe fellow is definitely a rapper.

WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?

I mean, she has her cello. And he has a microphone. But it’s a FACT that rap isn’t music. So I guess they are doing some experimental anti-music performance together.

ANOTHER SHOCKING IMAGE HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION AFTER ANOTHER 12 SECONDS OF GOOGLING.

What the heck, Tina?

Why are you, A CLASSICAL MUSICIAN, on a stage with Common? Another rapper!

I’m a little worried that Tina might be stupid.

Ben’s FACT clearly states if you think rap is music, then you are stupid.

And not only is Tina playing music near a rapper... I’m pretty sure she is playing music WITH a rapper.

That’s like... double stupid.

I really don’t know what to feel about these facts I’ve uncovered.

These FACTS kinda FEEL like bullshit.

At least I can take comfort in the absolute fact that Ben Shapiro is a solid 5 feet 9 inches tall. It gives me comfort knowing he can ride any roller coaster he wants.

The important thing is that everyone knows how you’re a big boy. Two inches taller than Napoleon!

I mean, it would be silly to lie about such a thing so easily disproved, right? And there is nothing to be ashamed of if you are a shorter individual. My mom is short I think she’s the best!

So I’m confident you are 5′9″ as you have stated.

I CAN’T FEEL ANY MORE FACTS, BEN.

MY SOUL CAN’T TAKE IT.

You know what... screw it.

I’m going to make it serious.

Not liking rap isn’t racist.

Telling people they are stupid for liking rap is super racist.

And being too stubborn to apologize for a 6-year-old tweet compounds that racism.

Liking jazz is just the musical version of “I have a black friend.”

Not understanding that rap is a cultural staple vital to the black community and then comparing it to frickin’ Titanic makes it profoundly racist.

Well, that just makes you look...

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nickyschneiderus · 6 years ago

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Everyone is already clamoring for Beto O’Rourke to run for president

It’s been only a handful of hours since the first polls closed in last night’s midterms—but both Democrats and Republicans online are already chatting about the next major election: who will face President Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential race.

Trump will run against the winner of what is expected to be a wide open array of Democratic candidates. With the focus no longer on the midterms, all eyes are turning to who will first announce their intentions to take on the president.

Even Donald Trump Jr., the president’s son, decided its time to start focusing on the next election.

Welcome to the #2020 election cycle.

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) November 7, 2018

While a number of announcements from Democratic lawmakers are expected to happen in the coming months, it’s clear that many people online have one person they desperately want to run: Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-El Paso).

O’Rourke lost his bid to take Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-Tx.) seat in the Senate, but the closeness of his race and his immense popularity have people dreaming about a matchup against Trump.

Beto 2020. Let’s do this.

— olivia wilde (@oliviawilde) November 7, 2018

Ah shit Beto didn’t make it to the Senate. Oh well at least he’ll be president soon

— Ike Barinholtz (@ikebarinholtz) November 7, 2018

Beto lost? That’s ok. Now he can run for President.

— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) November 7, 2018

2020 is just around the corner! pic.twitter.com/AM7a7Kle6g

— Lonnie L Coble (@llcoble34) November 7, 2018

Beto O'Rourke President of the United States 2020 has my vote, signed sealed delivered. pic.twitter.com/eE4PwU6rzL

— Neal Alpert (@crazyuncle3) November 7, 2018

But O’Rourke’s potential candidacy wasn’t the only 2020-related issue people were chatting about.

Some believe the Democrats taking control of the House of Representatives and gaining several governor seats was a sign of things to come in the 2020 election.

Going to be very annoying but it's 3am so here's what happens if you take tonight's big statewide Dem wins in PA, MI, and WI and extrapolate them into 2020 (with FL and OH in Trump's column) pic.twitter.com/RHEHUHyUmY

— Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) November 7, 2018

We flipped the House.

We won a handful of Governors’ mansions.

We broke some (R) state trifectas & won some of our own.

We elected more women to Congress than ever before.

None of this was inevitable. We WORKED for this.

Remember this, because we can do even better in 2020.

— Nathan I Voted Rubin (@NathanHRubin) November 7, 2018

celebrate the wins, mourn the losses, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and let's get the fuck to work on 2020

— Jeff Tiedrich (@itsJeffTiedrich) November 7, 2018

The 2020 Senate map for the GOP is so ugly. pic.twitter.com/K2wmupFmvj

— Calvin (@calvinstowell) November 7, 2018

Headway made. 2020 starts tomorrow.

— Sam Riegel (@samriegel) November 7, 2018

Other people were clearly not ready for another hyper-focused election cycle.

Storing away my last bits of energy and sanity as everyone starts talking about 2020 pic.twitter.com/gPN9Zh4ZRX

— alanna kelsey claire bennett (@AlannaBennett) November 7, 2018

Like it or not, even two years away, 2020 is right around the corner.

Democrats to take control of the House, put pressure on Trump

Beto O’Rourke’s farewell in Senate race: ‘I’m so f*cking proud of you guys’

Mitch McConnell gets photobombed with a thumbs down while he votes

from Ricky Schneiderus Curation https://www.dailydot.com/layer8/beto-2020-presidential-election/

#Ricky Schneiderus Curation

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elizabethcariasa · 7 years ago

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Monopoly Man photobombs Equifax Senate hearing to protest proposed forced arbitration changes

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Everyone knows the Monopoly Man, even if we don't know his name. His classy duds, compete with top hat, and bushy mustache make him immediately recognizable.

For many of us, he and his board game were our introduction to high finance.

Now, however, he's branched out. He made a real-life appearance this week at a Congressional hearing.

Equifax visual protest: OK, it was someone dressed up like Rich Uncle Pennybags, which is the Monopoly Man's name.

And the impersonator stole the show from former Equifax CEO Richard Smith, who continued to make the Washington, D.C, rounds to take heat for the credit reporting bureau's data hack.

The fictional character photobombed Smith's Oct. 4 testimony before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. Pennybags' antics, from exaggerated shocked expressions to stroking of the fake handlebar 'stache to periodically peering through a monocle, came when Smith did, or more so when he didn't, answer Senators' questions.

It was just what a pair of consumer rights and financial reform advocacy groups wanted.

Americans for Financial Reform and Public Citizen sent the Monopoly-styled imitator to the Senate twice this week to protest forced arbitration clauses. These provisions are commonly used in the financial industry and limit consumers' ability to take disputes to court.

Consumer advocacy groups are fighting Republican efforts to weaken the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule adopted this year that weakens a company's ability to make arbitration mandatory.

Doubling down on forced arbitration: First, on Tuesday, Oct. 3, the faux wealthy relative uncle delivered Monopoly-inspired “Get out of jail” cards to all 100 Senate offices.

That's how consumer advocacy groups view efforts that restrict customers' options in holding banks and financial firms accountable.

Rich Uncle Pennybags, aka the Monopoly Man, visited Senate offices on behalf of Public Citizen and Americans for Financial Reform to defend limits on forced arbitration. Consumer activists say that requiring consumers to surrender their rights to sue is essentially a “Get Out of Jail Free” card for the financial industry.

Then on Wednesday, the Monopoly Man, who actually was portrayed by a woman, sat through Smith's Senate testimony and provided nonverbal background commentary.

Smith's Senate appearance basically echoed an earlier one before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He apologized for the company's security failure that allowed 145 million customer accounts to be hacked by identity thieves.

The Monopoly-inspired activism at the Upper Chamber's hearing, however, was a reminder that in its immediate response to the cyber breach, Equifax offered affected individuals the option to enroll in the company's free credit file monitoring and identity theft protection program, but only if they waived the right to take future legal action against the company.

After a public outcry, Equifax walked back its arbitration-only requirement.

Comical guise for serious message: Amanda Werner, a campaign manager for Americans for Financial Reform and Public Citizen, told The Washington Post that based on her viewing of "a lot of these hearings" she was able to determine which seat behind the witness table would be most visible.

"Once I got it, I went full in and just did as many visual gags as I could," Werner said.

It's not clear how many Senators noticed Werner or will take her groups' arguments into account when considering any changes to the current financial arbitration rules.

But for a while on Wednesday, some much-needed levity made an all-too-infrequent appearance on Capitol Hill.

You also might find these items of interest:

Protecting your financial and tax data from Equifax hackers

Creatively-named bill offers financial choices for bankers, not bank customers

Debt collection industry's latest sneaky tactic: using courts to stop debtor lawsuits

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christophergill8 · 7 years ago