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1. If you had told 10-yr old me--as I listened to this song on Dr. Demento in the late 70’s in small town central PA--that I’d be writing up an analysis of it as a revealing window into the political culture of the GOP...well, just, wut?
2. But here we are folks. Here we are. This is a thread on how Trump has basically infused the culture of the GOP with the ethos of professional wrestling--everything from the menacing masculine swagger and clownish patriotism, to the blatant fakeness of it all. 
3. Way back in 2016, @MJGerson noted that Trump reminded him of good old Classy Freddie Blassie in that he would just blatantly lie. Everyone knew it, even Trump. Didn't matter. Just like everyone knows professional wrestling is an act...but they love it anyway.
@MJGerson 4. Let's start by unpacking the lyrics of Blassie's song "Pencil Necked Geek," because they're even more horrifying than you might think on first blush. It starts with a "freakish" kid being born in town. But then it goes someplace darker.
@MJGerson 5. The real problem starts when there seems to be some sort of genetic mutation happening in town where more and more women are giving birth to pencil necked geeks. It's a contagion! Where have all the "real men" gone?
@MJGerson 6. At this point we should recall Trump's obsession with his own genes and how good they are, and also his concern that people from "sh*thole countries" (i.e., black and brown people) will pollute the nation as opposed to folks from Norway, say. salon.com/2018/10/15/don…
@MJGerson 7. Trump fans like Steve King frequently speak in explicitly eugenicist terms about immigration, like when he claimed we can't restore "our civilization" with "somebody else's babies." nytimes.com/2017/03/12/us/…
@MJGerson 8. But wait, it gets worse. The next verse is about how the pencil necked geeks turn the waters red when the real men in town use them as fishing bait.
@MJGerson 9. So the pollution here is not just genetic, but it's also biblical.
@MJGerson 10. At this point, I can't resist including this delightful bio by the "journalist" who wrote that article about the end times and red bodies of water. It's DEBATE ME on steroids. Seems like a lovely chap who was a great ambassador for the US abroad.
@MJGerson 11. Anywho, what makes the protagonist of "Pencil Necked Geek" a figure of admiration is his physical dominance over weaker, genetically inferior others. Not an insignificant theme in Trumpist political culture.
@MJGerson 12. And then the song wraps up with a litany of catchy insults. Just add "Little Marco," "Lyin' Ted," "Crooked Hillary," etc etc to the list. It might not be an overstatement to say that entirety of Trump's politics are encapsulated in this one song.
@MJGerson 13. But as this article points out...Freddie was more than just a one hit wonder. Let's look a bit into some of the deeper cuts in his discography to see what we find. sports.vice.com/en_us/article/…
@MJGerson 14. Here's a song where he talks about women as forms of property owned by virile (but also cheapskate) men like him.
“I bought her a ring that I bought on sale, that makes her the property of this US male."
“I bought her a ring that I bought on sale, that makes her the property of this US male."
@MJGerson 15. "Every time I pull into one of these little hick towns, there’s always some loudmouth geek hanging around. Some guy lipping off about he’s the best, says he’ll take care of Blassie just like all the rest. Hah! Yeah?"
16. "I’m gonna mow you down. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, my name is Blassie, king of men." If this doesn't sum up Trump's approach to his rallies...coming into town and kicking some ass...then I don't know what does.
17. Check out the YouTube comments on Blassie's "Pencil Necked Geek." Plenty of lovely people have already made the connection.
18. This would also be a good time to remember that Trump chose a WWE executive to head up the Small Business Admin, & she is now stepping down to take over Trump's 2020 PAC. She bought a spot in the admin w/ campaign contributions, so makes sense. politico.com/story/2019/03/…
19. Here's an earlier thread where I unpacked what I meant by the term "MAGA political culture." This is less about who Trump is and what he believes, and more about who his base is and the worldview they inhabit that makes them respond warmly to Trump.
20. I know that Blassie's songs were a joke. The entire culture of professional wrestling is one extended joke that most (but not all) people are in on. Almost everyone knows its fake. But people also LOVE IT for all sorts of really complex (and in many cases deplorable) reasons.
21. Here's a thread unpacking Steve King's eugenicist views as they are reflected in his "somebody else's babies" comment. These deeply un-American ideas are now mainstreamed in the GOP.
22. Addendum. Freddie Blassie was Hulk Hogan's mentor. Here's Hulk singing Donald Trump's praises back in 1988. It's like a Ben Garrison cartoon brought to life.
