essays I like #2: “We Miss Catty Sassy Trump” by Cartoons Hate Her

It’s impressive for an essay to transform your perspective on anything, but it’s especially impressive when that topic is Donald Trump. I thought I had heard it all, but “Trump as a messy mean girl who has lost her way” was new to me.

This essay is remarkably disarming for what it is. My skepticism melted away as I was taken in by its contrarian energy and wholesomeness— a rare combination. Trump is kind of femme, but that’s a good thing? Trump has a guy who sings him showtunes to calm him down? Trump dispensed relationship advice on the Wendy Williams Show? These facts were crazy to me, but I also began realizing that they maybe shouldn’t be. I’m young, and the media landscape has made it near-impossible to think of Trump as a real real person for quite some time now.

My favorite part was its use of images. When I saw that pic of grumpy Trump trying to get in on the gossip, my brain broke a little bit. I closed my eyes and saw the mug shot, the assassination pic, the fire and the fury. Then I opened them and see Trump’s “He wanted the tea!!” face. Gosh. Could I really do anything besides laugh? And of course, that AI-generated image of that campy girly Trump talk show is forever burned into my brain.

“Believe me, looking at you, you will have no trouble getting guys.” After all the Bad that I’ve come to associate with Trump’s voice, this phrase is almost healing.

—K

Also, it’s kind of embarrassing that I don’t have a Cartoons Hate Her paid sub yet. Someone convince me!