Out of place
There were jokes flying around yesterday because Trump did another “Frederick Douglass is” thing yesterday, this time talking about Pavarotti in the present tense. I watched the scrap of video where he said it, but I was more struck by something else, or a group of other things – his awkwardness and stiffness as he read what his people had written for him to say in praise of Italy. It’s embarrassing.
First of all his reading itself is so awkward. People at that level usually have enough skill to deliver such remarks without staring down at the script quite so obviously. Then there’s that awful way he grimaces on certain words so that they come out sideways and he looks as if he’s stifling gas. (For example: “link together” at 7:40.) But most of all there’s his obvious lack of connection to the material he’s reading out. He knows nothing about Italy and doesn’t care.
He pronounces Verdi as “vurdee.”
He’s Donnie from Queens.
He starts talking at 7:10.
Anecdote (jokes flying) : Luciano Pavarotti once gave service as a Public Announcement replacement in an airplane incident where the pilot had to perform an emergency landing and the speaker system was also out. Since he was a VIP seated in First Class, close to the Cockpit, Pavarotti was asked to relay instructions for passengers during the procedure. With his powerful voice he had little trouble to make himself heard and the landing went well.
True story; I have it only third-hand. ;-) It’s a small world after all.
This guy in the video, however — I get enough of bad delivery day-to-day so I give it a rest here.
Rrr – I have long since decided to give anything said by Trump a pass as much as possible; I need double Lorazepam when I listen to him. He makes me nervous. Reading transcripts of what he says is bad enough.
Recently I saw a clip of Obama explaining how the US just couldn’t go into Syria to get rid of Assad. It was refreshing (and depressing) to see how thoughtfully and clearly he explained this, extemporaneously. Not an offhand quip, but an extended (7-10 minutes if I recall correctly) presentation pointing out the complexities of the situation. Listening to Trump for any extended period of time makes me want to tear my own head off. I really miss having an articulate, intelligent adult in the Oval Office.
But hey, some pundits are speculating that Trump is learning to listen to advisors with actual expertise, and that this “Axis of Adults” will run a competent foreign policy.
Hmm… a not very bright, ill-informed president who at least has the sense to listen to the supposedly smart people around him? This means that, if we’re really really lucky, Trump will be another George W. Bush.
Screechy, every week I hear someone talk about how Trump is starting to (fill in whatever that week’s equivalent of growing up is). And every week, he demonstrates they are wrong by throwing a Twitter tantrum or saying something as stupid as everything else he’s ever said.
And, when I look at who he has around him, I am not too comforted. I think he’s mostly listening to Ivanka and Kushner; they may be somewhat more adult than he is, but they are no more competent or experienced for this type of work.
Yeah Ivanka and Jared seem like adults only compared to Donnie from Queens. They’re sleazy tawdry greedy hustlers, and they have no business anywhere near government.
The guy is a moron. He evidently hates reading the script, so inserts utterly* stupid asides. “Pavarotti… great friend of mine” and then repeats the asides, as if he likes the sound of them. I had to stop listening at that point – there is only so much torture one can inflict on oneself!
*Oh, that reminds me – what’s with pronouncing Italy as ‘Itterly’?
He pronounces Verdi as “vurdee.”
The inability to properly pronounce foreign words is one of the most endearing qualities Americans have. Over the years I’ve had loads of fun teaching gentlemen from Boston to say ‘Kehbec’ instead of ‘Qweebec’.
I bet the ‘link together’ and other grimacing enunciations are the result of him suppressing his urge to ‘air pinch’ and other classic douchebag mannerisms. He’s probably under orders.
“On the economy, Italy is one of America’s largest trading partners, lotta people don’t know that.”
Translation: I just discovered that fact when I read it just then.
“Ree-CIP-rocal! I love the word ree-CIP-rocal! Cos we don’t have many reeCIProcal trading parnerships I will tell you that. But we will very soon. And fair!”
GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Argh god did he say that?!
You watched far longer than I could bear to. I skipped ahead until he started talking and then lasted about 40 seconds.
The way he interjects commentary into his own speeches is really something. Before Trump, had anyone ever heard someone deliver a speech and insert comments like “so true!” after finishing a sentence?
I mean, we know that presidents have speechwriters but there’s something to be said for maintaining the illusion that they are speaking their own thoughts. Trump highlights the artificiality by making it clear that the speech is as new to him as it is to the audience. Even moreso than Reagan, who was lampooned as a Max Headroom-style media fiction in “Doonesbury,” Trump is the true postmodern president. He revels in fakery. Baudrillard would have been elated.