I agree with you, perhaps things have gone off the rails. Especially concerning the Emperor in charge. We the people must stand or rise up together, no kings 3 or perhaps donate to those people who truly want to serve the people such as, The New York new mayor. According to Miss Joy Reid after his swearing in the second time he went to visit a housing that needs to be repaired or replaced, perhaps by habitat for humanity. I was a board member in Maine chosen by the beloved President Carter we talked online for quite sometime. I told him Mr President, I did not vote for you, he said that’s alright I am Hilary Clinton delegate, but I voted for Senator Bernie Sanders. We managed to get a house built for a nice couple and their family. As for the singer, she has problems even speaking in public. Thank you, for the article.
So true she seems to have not noticed she won't be the 'right' colour for this regime. Or maybe she thinks if she sucks up enough she might get special dispensation.
Nancee — thank you. And you’re dead on: that’s the part that makes this so embarrassing.
Nicki’s new “friends” are selling her a fantasy where she gets to be the cool exception—the edgy celebrity who “sees through the system” and gets welcomed into the VIP section. But in their version of America, the VIP section has a very clear dress code… and she’s not on the list.
And that’s what always gets me about these Turning Point culture stunts: the right doesn’t recruit people like Nicki because they respect them. They recruit them because they’re useful. It’s optics. It’s reach. It’s laundering ideology through celebrity so it feels like entertainment instead of propaganda.
So yes — “poor Nicki” is right. Because she’s acting like she’s joining a movement, when she’s really being used as a marketing asset by people who would absolutely toss her the second she stopped being profitable.
Last night Rachel Maddow made the case for Emperor Cheeto’s foreign policy She went through all the excuses that have been raised Cheeto wants to put up the middle finger to a Nobel laureate; it’s the cocaine/fentanyl; it’s broadening campaign support from his wealthy cronies in the oil industry or at Koch Industries; it’s to support Big Oil in order to diminish green initiatives and oppose the ideas of global warming; it’s the poor quality Venezuelan oil or tar/asphalt; it’s to underscore his own “rigged” 2020 election claims by pointing to Maduro’s Venezuelan rigged elections to support election denialism; it’s to serve as a distraction to domestic inadequacies of inflation, ACA subsidies, ICE raids, losses in court, the Epstein files
All of these are plausible but with Paul Ryckoff as her guest (https://bit.ly/4971Mcw at 32minutes) Maddow makes the point that Cheeto wants to dominate the Western Hemisphere and use the powerful US military to achieve his goal But more than that Cheeto wants to show that he alone is in control of the military and get them used to following his unconstitutional use of the them Sure they won’t be asked to shoot peaceful demonstrators But what about just deploying them for the 2026 midterm elections to intimidate voters What would be so wrong with that?
Leave the critical thinking to the rest of Americans because the Turning Point Diva model doesn’t work. Not a fan of TP or Minaj. She deserves to slide back under a rock like the rest of MAGA “culture” artists
Laura — I feel you. The “Turning Point Diva” model is basically: swap policy for spectacle, swap coalition-building for clout-chasing, and then act surprised when the whole thing doesn’t move a single persuadable voter.
And I’m with you on not being a fan of TP or Minaj. But I can’t quite co-sign the “slide back under a rock” part, only because I don’t think she’s going anywhere—and that’s exactly why I’m writing about it. The right keeps trying to smuggle politics through celebrity culture because it bypasses people’s critical thinking. It’s not that they want her “ideas.” They want her reach.
So yeah: this mess is annoying, it’s unserious, and it’s absolutely a distraction. But it’s a strategic distraction—which means we have to call it out for what it is, not just roll our eyes and hope it disappears.
I have felt, since Trump was reelected, that we are living in a "reality TV show". Not a very good one for sure. Nicki's appearance at TPUSA looked like something Trump would have set up on The Apprentice. I had to turn it off. (Not sure why I watched in the first place.) I'll be honest - until his death - I would not have been able to pick Charlie Kirk out of a line up. Since that time, he and his wife have been incessantly throw in my face. I'm sorry he was killed, but, from what I could see, he was not a very nice person. That he became one of the casualties of gun violence, and that he spoke of, as the price for "gun freedom" was richly bizarre. I have to shake my head in wonder at what our country has become. I'm 77 now and hope to live to see this regime fall and most of his cabinet go to jail. I don't think he is well enough to last soo much longer and he would probably be able to slither out of being put in jail anyway. Now - I must go take my vitimans and go for a walk, if I hope to make it three more years. I do enjoy reading your take on things - keep up the good work
Mary — you’re not wrong: ever since Trump got back into power, a lot of this country has felt like a reality show that jumped the shark three seasons ago… except the writers are cruel, the budget is unlimited, and the consequences are real.
And yes — Nicki at TPUSA did have that “this looks like something Trump would’ve staged on The Apprentice” energy. That’s part of what makes it so gross: the whole thing is designed to feel like spectacle first, politics second. You did the healthiest thing possible by turning it off.
On Charlie Kirk: I hear you. A lot of people only learned who he was once he started getting boosted everywhere. And regardless of what anyone thinks of him, I’m never going to treat political violence like it’s entertainment or a karmic punchline. The fact that gun violence keeps touching everything — even the very people who’ve helped normalize it — is exactly the kind of moral rot you’re talking about. That “price for gun freedom” irony is bleak, and it shouldn’t take anyone dying for the country to get serious about it.
I also feel you on the exhaustion. When you say you’re 77 and you just want to live long enough to see this regime fall and see real accountability — that hit me. And I’m with you on the “slither out of consequences” fear too. That’s why I keep coming back to institutions, courts, and elections: because hope without structure is just wishful thinking, and wishful thinking is how we got here.
Now go take those vitamins and take that walk. Seriously. I’m not joking — protect your body and your peace, because we need you still watching, still talking, still calling this mess what it is. And thank you for reading and sticking with my work, Mary.
I intend to do just that. I hope you take care as well. You are an important voice in this struggle. I'll keep speaking out and prostesting any where that I can and you keep these great articles coming. With any amount of luck, we will both see the end of this and a brighter day on the horizon.
Alan & Jan — 😂 trust me, I hate that I even have to write about Nicki Minaj. Nothing about my day is improved by typing the words “Turning Point Diva” with a straight face.
But that’s also why I can’t dismiss it as “Nicki who?” Because the whole trick is that it doesn’t have to matter to us for it to matter to the millions of people who still follow her, quote her, and let her set a vibe. In 2026 and 2028, the right isn’t trying to win policy debates — they’re trying to win attention lanes. They’re laundering politics through celebrity so it feels like culture, not ideology.
So yes, it’s distraction. Absolutely. But it’s not irrelevance — the distraction is the strategy. And as much as I’d rather be doing literally anything else, ignoring it is how they keep getting away with it.
Another brilliant column, Professor Ealy. You have taken a moment that can leave one in stupefied horror and dissected it so that we can understand its nuanced underpinnings. A la with Kanye, this egregious branding behavior is part base stupidity, part historical illiteracy and part full-on opportunism, as she blithely expands into a new "market." Yes, it's both garden variety stupidity and lazy, willful ignorance. But it also reeks of a kind of Stockholm syndrome. And that's not just creepy but sure to end badly. Still, the sex offender connection does give her bona fide Republican cred.
Barbara — thank you. I really appreciate this, because you named exactly what I was trying to do: take something that feels like pure “wait…are we really here?” and break it down so people can see the mechanics underneath it.
And yes — the Kanye comparison is dead-on in the sense that this is branding behavior as much as it is politics: opportunism dressed up as “truth-telling,” with a side of historical illiteracy and that full-on “new market” expansion you mentioned. It’s not just a bad take. It’s a deliberate repositioning.
I also hear you on the “Stockholm syndrome” vibe. There is something eerie about watching someone chase validation from a political ecosystem that has spent years telling us—explicitly and implicitly—who it values and who it doesn’t. That’s why I keep coming back to the same point: it’s not just stupid, it’s self-destructive. And when it’s done at scale, it becomes socially destructive too.
And your last line? Dark, but accurate: that “sex offender connection” point isn’t just a throwaway insult — it’s the grotesque hypocrisy at the center of the whole performance. The same people who scream “protect the kids” the loudest keep finding ways to excuse, minimize, or ignore the exact kind of danger they claim to be crusading against. That contradiction isn’t incidental — it’s the tell.
Seriously: thank you for the read, and for putting language to what this moment feels like.
Great essay on a problem that has really begun to show it's face. I am twice your age(84) and your piece really helped me put some language that helps me state my uneasiness about the immediate clusterf**k and into the future. To be ignorant is not a sin and it is an problem that can be solved. On the other hand, stupid can't. I fear for my country and everyone in the WORLD!!
Terry — thank you for reading, and thank you for saying that. And first off: 84?! The fact that you’re still paying attention, still thinking critically, and still naming what you’re seeing is exactly the kind of civic muscle we need right now.
And you nailed the core distinction. Being uninformed is fixable. That’s just a knowledge gap — people can learn, people can grow, people can change their minds when they’re given real information and a reason to care. What’s dangerous in 2025 is something else: willful ignorance mixed with ego, grievance, and influencer culture — where people don’t just get things wrong, they cling to being wrong because it feels like belonging.
That’s why I wrote it the way I did. This isn’t really about Nicki Minaj’s music or even her personal opinions in a vacuum. It’s about celebrity-as-shortcut: how a famous face can launder a bad idea into something that looks “normal,” and how audiences can absorb politics the same way they absorb a meme — fast, emotional, uncritical.
And I hear you on the uneasiness. A lot of folks feel that “immediate cluster” energy you mentioned — like we’re watching a country get pulled into chaos by people who treat politics like performance art. That’s exactly why it matters that regular people keep saying, “No. Facts still exist. Character still matters. And no, you don’t get to lie to the public just because you’re famous.”
Thank you again, Terry. I’m genuinely grateful you took the time to engage with it.
Lil’ Nick has tossed herself into the dustbin of fourth tier “celebrities “…..she can open for Kid Rock now….how much must you hate yourself to suck up to a Party who despises you?
And yeah, that’s the part that keeps sticking in my throat: it’s not just that she wandered into MAGA cosplay for attention — it’s that she’s auditioning for a movement that will use her face and still despise her demographic. They don’t love her. They love the optics of her. They love being able to point at a Black woman on stage and go, “See? Even she agrees,” while pushing the same ugly politics that always land hardest on Black communities, queer folks, and anybody who isn’t already protected by proximity to power.
So framing it as it as “fourth tier” might be generous — I frame it as relevancy desperation turning into legitimacy laundering. When the applause gets louder in the worst room, some people start mistaking noise for belonging.
And to your last question: I don’t know if it’s self-hate or just ego, money, and audience capture. But either way? It’s embarrassing — and it deserves to be called exactly what it is.
Damn.. your writing is crisp and filled with very sharp knives...... my ham-fisted three phrases are "performative" & "all style no substance" &"vacuous"...you added those simplistic phrases into your rich garden and it grew into this amazing articulate piece ... bullseye .... thank you
“Crisp and filled with very sharp knives” is exactly the energy I was aiming for, because this whole era is full of people trying to sell performance as substance and hoping nobody notices the swap. And you’re right: “performative,” “all style no substance,” “vacuous” can sound simple on their own — but when you drop them into the right context, they expose the scam. Because that’s what a lot of this is: a scam. Not confusion. Not “both sides.” Just a loud, profitable aesthetic pretending to be insight.
I really appreciate you reading it the way you did — and for calling out what you saw so clearly. Seriously. Thank you.
Two areas have gone completely off the rails here in the US...1) lack of critical thinking skills, which has made it impossible for too many citizens being able to discern between reality and "performative reality TV" for profit; and the "influencer community". Because so many citizens are incurious, too lazy to actually read, dismissive of actual expertise on any given subject, but rather absorb whatever the lastest influencer of the month spews.
Claudia — you just laid out the problem in plain English, and that’s exactly why it hits.
That first piece you named — the collapse of critical thinking — is the silent catastrophe underneath everything else. Too many people aren’t evaluating claims anymore; they’re consuming them the way they consume entertainment. So reality becomes “performative reality TV,” and whichever storyline is loudest wins, even if it’s built on nonsense.
And you’re right about the influencer ecosystem too. It rewards confidence over competence, heat over light, and speed over accuracy. When people stop reading, stop checking sources, and start treating expertise like an “opinion,” the public square turns into a carousel of vibes where whoever “sounds right” gets promoted.
That’s why I keep coming back to this: the danger isn’t just that an influencer says something ignorant — it’s that millions of people are trained to accept the influencer as the method of knowing. No curiosity, no follow-up, no friction. Just absorption.
Appreciate you putting it this clearly — because until we name the mechanics, we’ll keep arguing about the symptoms.
Whew. I was in the dark on this. But it sure points out the things people do or say to be accepted or sound--well, acceptable. Sort of like saying--some of my best friends in high school were cheerleaders. (yep! that was a thing) Or saying I have black friends. (Yep, that was thing too) All stupid and childish remarks. Etc. Rap is way out of my music sphere, but this isn't about rap is it. I do understand how we can say stupid and dangerous things in hopes of being accepted. A behavior we hope we all outgrow and become wiser as we grow beyond teenage stuff. With all the social media there are just so many ways our words can get out there and at its worse, hurt. Thanks, Kristoffer. Always thoughtful and interesting.
P.S. Oops! I think. I just went looking to read about Nicki Minaj. I really had no idea who she was. Just saw articles about petitions to deport her. What the Heck!? And who is circulating these petitions?
Maxine — I hear you, and you’re dead-on about the accepted vs. acceptable thing. People will bend themselves into pretzels to get applause, and it’s the same energy as those “some of my best friends…” performances — not substance, just positioning. And like you said, social media makes it worse because the dumb doesn’t just land and die; it gets clipped, travels, and hardens into “truth” for people who don’t think very hard.
On the deportation/petition noise: even if people were serious about that (most of it is just performative internet theater), it wouldn’t solve anything. If she’s spreading propaganda, she can spread that message from a foreign country and it will still hit the States. Borders don’t stop content. If anything, the outrage machine would love the martyr storyline because it gives her even more attention and the same garbage still circulates here.
And I’m also not surprised you’d never really heard of her like that. Honestly, I’m not sure her reach ever extended meaningfully beyond her primary demographic in a deep way. She’s famous, sure — but not universally embedded across audiences the way some artists are. Which is part of why this whole Turning Point moment reads like a cheap controversy-fueled “comeback.” She’s 43, nobody was really talking about her in a dominant way right before this, and now she’s suddenly back in the headlines — but for all the wrong reasons. Not music. Not artistry. A political stunt.
And your “PS” is the perfect snapshot of the internet right now: you go looking for one piece of information and suddenly you’re drowning in petitions, rage bait, and viral nonsense. Who circulates it? The engagement economy — people who confuse venting with strategy, and accounts/outlets that profit off outrage more than clarity.
So yeah, your point stands: this isn’t just childish behavior, it’s dangerous when it gets mixed with politics. And that’s why I call it out.
Carol — thank you. I really appreciate you saying that.
A lot of the time the hardest part isn’t writing the piece, it’s deciding to write it at all—because the goal isn’t to “pick on” somebody, it’s to keep the line clear between entertainment and propaganda. When celebrities step into politics and start laundering bad ideas with fame and vibes, somebody has to say: no, that’s not harmless.
So seriously—thank you for understanding the difference.
Great article as always you forgot to mention Nikki is an immigrant from Trinidad and Tobago. She cant vote in US elections because of that. she did all of that to help for PDF of bro and husband out.On tiktok her fans was throwing away their cds albums of hers.(as they should) Celebrities should understand we the people no matter what their political views , we the public have our own lived experience. I really wish people understood everything Trump dies rule. It would save us time and you time as well.
I m not sayin we dont get scammed I m saying because of so much available information we are able to determine for ourselves whats good/bad.
Fyi my thoughts about George Clooney and my forever beef with him are on your substack.
Nenapoma — I appreciate you, and you’re making a couple important points.
On the Trinidad & Tobago piece: whether Nicki can vote in U.S. elections or not, she can still influence U.S. elections. That’s the part people keep missing. Voting is one lever. Celebrity reach is another — and it’s a big one. When you walk onto a stage like that and run PR for the right, you’re not “just talking,” you’re helping shape what people think is normal, acceptable, and “cool.”
And you’re also right about the motive question. A lot of this feels less like ideology and more like transaction + attention. I’m not married to any single theory about why she’s doing it — but I am married to the idea that if you’re going to use fame to spread obvious political lies (and culture-war panic), you don’t get to do it unchecked.
On the TikTok backlash / people tossing albums: I’m not here to tell anybody how to process disappointment. People can spend their money how they want. I just hope folks keep that same energy where it actually matters too: local races, school boards, judges, ballot measures — all the unsexy stuff that decides real life.
And yes to your broader point: there’s more information available than ever, and people can figure out what’s true. The problem is a lot of folks don’t want to. That’s where “being stupid becomes a choice” comes in. Trump-world runs on that choice — the constant incentive to pick the comforting lie over the inconvenient truth.
Also: I saw your note about your George Clooney thoughts — I’m coming to read your “forever beef” because I respect a sustained grudge with citations. 😭
Also I listened to Ron from Meidas Touch and he is totally right on this. All of the Maga Stars are from the 1980s. They are not even that relevant . I know Culture is downstream of Politics. The admin took a beating from Sabrina Carpenter , Oliva Rodrigo and will soon take a beating (maybe has taken a beating ) Bad Bunny in Feb when the superbowl happens.
I agree with you, perhaps things have gone off the rails. Especially concerning the Emperor in charge. We the people must stand or rise up together, no kings 3 or perhaps donate to those people who truly want to serve the people such as, The New York new mayor. According to Miss Joy Reid after his swearing in the second time he went to visit a housing that needs to be repaired or replaced, perhaps by habitat for humanity. I was a board member in Maine chosen by the beloved President Carter we talked online for quite sometime. I told him Mr President, I did not vote for you, he said that’s alright I am Hilary Clinton delegate, but I voted for Senator Bernie Sanders. We managed to get a house built for a nice couple and their family. As for the singer, she has problems even speaking in public. Thank you, for the article.
Bravo! Poor Nicki doesn't realize that her new friends' fantasy vision of how the country should look would never include her.
So true she seems to have not noticed she won't be the 'right' colour for this regime. Or maybe she thinks if she sucks up enough she might get special dispensation.
Nancee — thank you. And you’re dead on: that’s the part that makes this so embarrassing.
Nicki’s new “friends” are selling her a fantasy where she gets to be the cool exception—the edgy celebrity who “sees through the system” and gets welcomed into the VIP section. But in their version of America, the VIP section has a very clear dress code… and she’s not on the list.
And that’s what always gets me about these Turning Point culture stunts: the right doesn’t recruit people like Nicki because they respect them. They recruit them because they’re useful. It’s optics. It’s reach. It’s laundering ideology through celebrity so it feels like entertainment instead of propaganda.
So yes — “poor Nicki” is right. Because she’s acting like she’s joining a movement, when she’s really being used as a marketing asset by people who would absolutely toss her the second she stopped being profitable.
Cheeto And Control Of The Military
Last night Rachel Maddow made the case for Emperor Cheeto’s foreign policy She went through all the excuses that have been raised Cheeto wants to put up the middle finger to a Nobel laureate; it’s the cocaine/fentanyl; it’s broadening campaign support from his wealthy cronies in the oil industry or at Koch Industries; it’s to support Big Oil in order to diminish green initiatives and oppose the ideas of global warming; it’s the poor quality Venezuelan oil or tar/asphalt; it’s to underscore his own “rigged” 2020 election claims by pointing to Maduro’s Venezuelan rigged elections to support election denialism; it’s to serve as a distraction to domestic inadequacies of inflation, ACA subsidies, ICE raids, losses in court, the Epstein files
All of these are plausible but with Paul Ryckoff as her guest (https://bit.ly/4971Mcw at 32minutes) Maddow makes the point that Cheeto wants to dominate the Western Hemisphere and use the powerful US military to achieve his goal But more than that Cheeto wants to show that he alone is in control of the military and get them used to following his unconstitutional use of the them Sure they won’t be asked to shoot peaceful demonstrators But what about just deploying them for the 2026 midterm elections to intimidate voters What would be so wrong with that?
Leave the critical thinking to the rest of Americans because the Turning Point Diva model doesn’t work. Not a fan of TP or Minaj. She deserves to slide back under a rock like the rest of MAGA “culture” artists
Laura — I feel you. The “Turning Point Diva” model is basically: swap policy for spectacle, swap coalition-building for clout-chasing, and then act surprised when the whole thing doesn’t move a single persuadable voter.
And I’m with you on not being a fan of TP or Minaj. But I can’t quite co-sign the “slide back under a rock” part, only because I don’t think she’s going anywhere—and that’s exactly why I’m writing about it. The right keeps trying to smuggle politics through celebrity culture because it bypasses people’s critical thinking. It’s not that they want her “ideas.” They want her reach.
So yeah: this mess is annoying, it’s unserious, and it’s absolutely a distraction. But it’s a strategic distraction—which means we have to call it out for what it is, not just roll our eyes and hope it disappears.
I have felt, since Trump was reelected, that we are living in a "reality TV show". Not a very good one for sure. Nicki's appearance at TPUSA looked like something Trump would have set up on The Apprentice. I had to turn it off. (Not sure why I watched in the first place.) I'll be honest - until his death - I would not have been able to pick Charlie Kirk out of a line up. Since that time, he and his wife have been incessantly throw in my face. I'm sorry he was killed, but, from what I could see, he was not a very nice person. That he became one of the casualties of gun violence, and that he spoke of, as the price for "gun freedom" was richly bizarre. I have to shake my head in wonder at what our country has become. I'm 77 now and hope to live to see this regime fall and most of his cabinet go to jail. I don't think he is well enough to last soo much longer and he would probably be able to slither out of being put in jail anyway. Now - I must go take my vitimans and go for a walk, if I hope to make it three more years. I do enjoy reading your take on things - keep up the good work
Mary — you’re not wrong: ever since Trump got back into power, a lot of this country has felt like a reality show that jumped the shark three seasons ago… except the writers are cruel, the budget is unlimited, and the consequences are real.
And yes — Nicki at TPUSA did have that “this looks like something Trump would’ve staged on The Apprentice” energy. That’s part of what makes it so gross: the whole thing is designed to feel like spectacle first, politics second. You did the healthiest thing possible by turning it off.
On Charlie Kirk: I hear you. A lot of people only learned who he was once he started getting boosted everywhere. And regardless of what anyone thinks of him, I’m never going to treat political violence like it’s entertainment or a karmic punchline. The fact that gun violence keeps touching everything — even the very people who’ve helped normalize it — is exactly the kind of moral rot you’re talking about. That “price for gun freedom” irony is bleak, and it shouldn’t take anyone dying for the country to get serious about it.
I also feel you on the exhaustion. When you say you’re 77 and you just want to live long enough to see this regime fall and see real accountability — that hit me. And I’m with you on the “slither out of consequences” fear too. That’s why I keep coming back to institutions, courts, and elections: because hope without structure is just wishful thinking, and wishful thinking is how we got here.
Now go take those vitamins and take that walk. Seriously. I’m not joking — protect your body and your peace, because we need you still watching, still talking, still calling this mess what it is. And thank you for reading and sticking with my work, Mary.
I intend to do just that. I hope you take care as well. You are an important voice in this struggle. I'll keep speaking out and prostesting any where that I can and you keep these great articles coming. With any amount of luck, we will both see the end of this and a brighter day on the horizon.
Nicki who? Minaj what? Oh yea, she has those two gender-and-race-free middle names that are so popular—Distraction Irrelevance.
Alan & Jan — 😂 trust me, I hate that I even have to write about Nicki Minaj. Nothing about my day is improved by typing the words “Turning Point Diva” with a straight face.
But that’s also why I can’t dismiss it as “Nicki who?” Because the whole trick is that it doesn’t have to matter to us for it to matter to the millions of people who still follow her, quote her, and let her set a vibe. In 2026 and 2028, the right isn’t trying to win policy debates — they’re trying to win attention lanes. They’re laundering politics through celebrity so it feels like culture, not ideology.
So yes, it’s distraction. Absolutely. But it’s not irrelevance — the distraction is the strategy. And as much as I’d rather be doing literally anything else, ignoring it is how they keep getting away with it.
Yes, definitely get the “willfully stupid lifestyle” part. Good for you to call it out.
Another brilliant column, Professor Ealy. You have taken a moment that can leave one in stupefied horror and dissected it so that we can understand its nuanced underpinnings. A la with Kanye, this egregious branding behavior is part base stupidity, part historical illiteracy and part full-on opportunism, as she blithely expands into a new "market." Yes, it's both garden variety stupidity and lazy, willful ignorance. But it also reeks of a kind of Stockholm syndrome. And that's not just creepy but sure to end badly. Still, the sex offender connection does give her bona fide Republican cred.
Barbara — thank you. I really appreciate this, because you named exactly what I was trying to do: take something that feels like pure “wait…are we really here?” and break it down so people can see the mechanics underneath it.
And yes — the Kanye comparison is dead-on in the sense that this is branding behavior as much as it is politics: opportunism dressed up as “truth-telling,” with a side of historical illiteracy and that full-on “new market” expansion you mentioned. It’s not just a bad take. It’s a deliberate repositioning.
I also hear you on the “Stockholm syndrome” vibe. There is something eerie about watching someone chase validation from a political ecosystem that has spent years telling us—explicitly and implicitly—who it values and who it doesn’t. That’s why I keep coming back to the same point: it’s not just stupid, it’s self-destructive. And when it’s done at scale, it becomes socially destructive too.
And your last line? Dark, but accurate: that “sex offender connection” point isn’t just a throwaway insult — it’s the grotesque hypocrisy at the center of the whole performance. The same people who scream “protect the kids” the loudest keep finding ways to excuse, minimize, or ignore the exact kind of danger they claim to be crusading against. That contradiction isn’t incidental — it’s the tell.
Seriously: thank you for the read, and for putting language to what this moment feels like.
Great essay on a problem that has really begun to show it's face. I am twice your age(84) and your piece really helped me put some language that helps me state my uneasiness about the immediate clusterf**k and into the future. To be ignorant is not a sin and it is an problem that can be solved. On the other hand, stupid can't. I fear for my country and everyone in the WORLD!!
Terry — thank you for reading, and thank you for saying that. And first off: 84?! The fact that you’re still paying attention, still thinking critically, and still naming what you’re seeing is exactly the kind of civic muscle we need right now.
And you nailed the core distinction. Being uninformed is fixable. That’s just a knowledge gap — people can learn, people can grow, people can change their minds when they’re given real information and a reason to care. What’s dangerous in 2025 is something else: willful ignorance mixed with ego, grievance, and influencer culture — where people don’t just get things wrong, they cling to being wrong because it feels like belonging.
That’s why I wrote it the way I did. This isn’t really about Nicki Minaj’s music or even her personal opinions in a vacuum. It’s about celebrity-as-shortcut: how a famous face can launder a bad idea into something that looks “normal,” and how audiences can absorb politics the same way they absorb a meme — fast, emotional, uncritical.
And I hear you on the uneasiness. A lot of folks feel that “immediate cluster” energy you mentioned — like we’re watching a country get pulled into chaos by people who treat politics like performance art. That’s exactly why it matters that regular people keep saying, “No. Facts still exist. Character still matters. And no, you don’t get to lie to the public just because you’re famous.”
Thank you again, Terry. I’m genuinely grateful you took the time to engage with it.
thanks! 1st time someone read my comment & then reply!
Lil’ Nick has tossed herself into the dustbin of fourth tier “celebrities “…..she can open for Kid Rock now….how much must you hate yourself to suck up to a Party who despises you?
CE — that “open for Kid Rock” line is surgical 😭
And yeah, that’s the part that keeps sticking in my throat: it’s not just that she wandered into MAGA cosplay for attention — it’s that she’s auditioning for a movement that will use her face and still despise her demographic. They don’t love her. They love the optics of her. They love being able to point at a Black woman on stage and go, “See? Even she agrees,” while pushing the same ugly politics that always land hardest on Black communities, queer folks, and anybody who isn’t already protected by proximity to power.
So framing it as it as “fourth tier” might be generous — I frame it as relevancy desperation turning into legitimacy laundering. When the applause gets louder in the worst room, some people start mistaking noise for belonging.
And to your last question: I don’t know if it’s self-hate or just ego, money, and audience capture. But either way? It’s embarrassing — and it deserves to be called exactly what it is.
Damn.. your writing is crisp and filled with very sharp knives...... my ham-fisted three phrases are "performative" & "all style no substance" &"vacuous"...you added those simplistic phrases into your rich garden and it grew into this amazing articulate piece ... bullseye .... thank you
GingerLee — whew… thank you. 🙏🏾
“Crisp and filled with very sharp knives” is exactly the energy I was aiming for, because this whole era is full of people trying to sell performance as substance and hoping nobody notices the swap. And you’re right: “performative,” “all style no substance,” “vacuous” can sound simple on their own — but when you drop them into the right context, they expose the scam. Because that’s what a lot of this is: a scam. Not confusion. Not “both sides.” Just a loud, profitable aesthetic pretending to be insight.
I really appreciate you reading it the way you did — and for calling out what you saw so clearly. Seriously. Thank you.
Two areas have gone completely off the rails here in the US...1) lack of critical thinking skills, which has made it impossible for too many citizens being able to discern between reality and "performative reality TV" for profit; and the "influencer community". Because so many citizens are incurious, too lazy to actually read, dismissive of actual expertise on any given subject, but rather absorb whatever the lastest influencer of the month spews.
Claudia — you just laid out the problem in plain English, and that’s exactly why it hits.
That first piece you named — the collapse of critical thinking — is the silent catastrophe underneath everything else. Too many people aren’t evaluating claims anymore; they’re consuming them the way they consume entertainment. So reality becomes “performative reality TV,” and whichever storyline is loudest wins, even if it’s built on nonsense.
And you’re right about the influencer ecosystem too. It rewards confidence over competence, heat over light, and speed over accuracy. When people stop reading, stop checking sources, and start treating expertise like an “opinion,” the public square turns into a carousel of vibes where whoever “sounds right” gets promoted.
That’s why I keep coming back to this: the danger isn’t just that an influencer says something ignorant — it’s that millions of people are trained to accept the influencer as the method of knowing. No curiosity, no follow-up, no friction. Just absorption.
Appreciate you putting it this clearly — because until we name the mechanics, we’ll keep arguing about the symptoms.
Its beyond time to regulate both
Whew. I was in the dark on this. But it sure points out the things people do or say to be accepted or sound--well, acceptable. Sort of like saying--some of my best friends in high school were cheerleaders. (yep! that was a thing) Or saying I have black friends. (Yep, that was thing too) All stupid and childish remarks. Etc. Rap is way out of my music sphere, but this isn't about rap is it. I do understand how we can say stupid and dangerous things in hopes of being accepted. A behavior we hope we all outgrow and become wiser as we grow beyond teenage stuff. With all the social media there are just so many ways our words can get out there and at its worse, hurt. Thanks, Kristoffer. Always thoughtful and interesting.
P.S. Oops! I think. I just went looking to read about Nicki Minaj. I really had no idea who she was. Just saw articles about petitions to deport her. What the Heck!? And who is circulating these petitions?
Maxine — I hear you, and you’re dead-on about the accepted vs. acceptable thing. People will bend themselves into pretzels to get applause, and it’s the same energy as those “some of my best friends…” performances — not substance, just positioning. And like you said, social media makes it worse because the dumb doesn’t just land and die; it gets clipped, travels, and hardens into “truth” for people who don’t think very hard.
On the deportation/petition noise: even if people were serious about that (most of it is just performative internet theater), it wouldn’t solve anything. If she’s spreading propaganda, she can spread that message from a foreign country and it will still hit the States. Borders don’t stop content. If anything, the outrage machine would love the martyr storyline because it gives her even more attention and the same garbage still circulates here.
And I’m also not surprised you’d never really heard of her like that. Honestly, I’m not sure her reach ever extended meaningfully beyond her primary demographic in a deep way. She’s famous, sure — but not universally embedded across audiences the way some artists are. Which is part of why this whole Turning Point moment reads like a cheap controversy-fueled “comeback.” She’s 43, nobody was really talking about her in a dominant way right before this, and now she’s suddenly back in the headlines — but for all the wrong reasons. Not music. Not artistry. A political stunt.
And your “PS” is the perfect snapshot of the internet right now: you go looking for one piece of information and suddenly you’re drowning in petitions, rage bait, and viral nonsense. Who circulates it? The engagement economy — people who confuse venting with strategy, and accounts/outlets that profit off outrage more than clarity.
So yeah, your point stands: this isn’t just childish behavior, it’s dangerous when it gets mixed with politics. And that’s why I call it out.
And thank you for calling it out. 🙏
Thank you for being you and understanding the difference.
Carol — thank you. I really appreciate you saying that.
A lot of the time the hardest part isn’t writing the piece, it’s deciding to write it at all—because the goal isn’t to “pick on” somebody, it’s to keep the line clear between entertainment and propaganda. When celebrities step into politics and start laundering bad ideas with fame and vibes, somebody has to say: no, that’s not harmless.
So seriously—thank you for understanding the difference.
Great article as always you forgot to mention Nikki is an immigrant from Trinidad and Tobago. She cant vote in US elections because of that. she did all of that to help for PDF of bro and husband out.On tiktok her fans was throwing away their cds albums of hers.(as they should) Celebrities should understand we the people no matter what their political views , we the public have our own lived experience. I really wish people understood everything Trump dies rule. It would save us time and you time as well.
I m not sayin we dont get scammed I m saying because of so much available information we are able to determine for ourselves whats good/bad.
Fyi my thoughts about George Clooney and my forever beef with him are on your substack.
Nenapoma — I appreciate you, and you’re making a couple important points.
On the Trinidad & Tobago piece: whether Nicki can vote in U.S. elections or not, she can still influence U.S. elections. That’s the part people keep missing. Voting is one lever. Celebrity reach is another — and it’s a big one. When you walk onto a stage like that and run PR for the right, you’re not “just talking,” you’re helping shape what people think is normal, acceptable, and “cool.”
And you’re also right about the motive question. A lot of this feels less like ideology and more like transaction + attention. I’m not married to any single theory about why she’s doing it — but I am married to the idea that if you’re going to use fame to spread obvious political lies (and culture-war panic), you don’t get to do it unchecked.
On the TikTok backlash / people tossing albums: I’m not here to tell anybody how to process disappointment. People can spend their money how they want. I just hope folks keep that same energy where it actually matters too: local races, school boards, judges, ballot measures — all the unsexy stuff that decides real life.
And yes to your broader point: there’s more information available than ever, and people can figure out what’s true. The problem is a lot of folks don’t want to. That’s where “being stupid becomes a choice” comes in. Trump-world runs on that choice — the constant incentive to pick the comforting lie over the inconvenient truth.
Also: I saw your note about your George Clooney thoughts — I’m coming to read your “forever beef” because I respect a sustained grudge with citations. 😭
George Clooney has himself to blame and rightly.
Also I listened to Ron from Meidas Touch and he is totally right on this. All of the Maga Stars are from the 1980s. They are not even that relevant . I know Culture is downstream of Politics. The admin took a beating from Sabrina Carpenter , Oliva Rodrigo and will soon take a beating (maybe has taken a beating ) Bad Bunny in Feb when the superbowl happens.