If you happen to have MAGA relatives — first of all, my sympathies — you must be well acquainted with the sheer exasperation of never coming close to being on the same page whenever conversations veer even slightly political.
There are the six stages of separation and then there are the many grueling stages one goes through when trying to meet these family members in the middle. But, you may wind up realizing there is no halfway point when that bridge has collapsed; therefore, you might as well not take things too seriously and have some fun while you’re at it, like this lady on TikTok.
Jessica, who goes by @j.eubanks, decided she wasn’t going to tire herself out making an effort to understand and appeal to the better judgment of her MAGA relatives this holiday season. Instead, she would have a blast poking fun at the cognitive dissonance and fallacy-ridden reasoning of these Trump supporters.
Ho Ho Oh my God, do you really believe that?
In a one-minute TikTok, Jessica establishes beyond doubt that she’d make a great comedian. While there are a few lines to draw in regard to comedy — for instance, when it reinforces harmful stereotypes and prejudices, like Tony Hinchcliffe’s sad number at the MSG Trump rally — there is nothing wrong with pointing out contradictory beliefs in the form of hilarious one-liners, even if you’re the only one laughing at the end.
Jessica tells her hysterical jokes to her relatives’ faces — which might not land with the audience she has, but certainly do with her TikTok viewers — and, if you have MAGA fanatics in your family, this must feel not only amusing but also cathartic to watch.
By all means, Jessica has brought an arsenal of one-liners with her this holiday season, and she’s not afraid to use them. “You know,” she says at one point, sounding like she’s about to share a perfectly innocuous trivia fact, “Jesus had two dads and he turned out fine.” This truthful statement is met with a shocked and admonishing, “Jessica Christine!” which, arguably, makes the joke ten times better.
Jessica has posted similar TikToks in the past, although not with her family present to grace us with their reactions in real time. They are endlessly entertaining for those of us who understand the predicament of having to sit at the dinner table with Trump enthusiasts.
On a less lighthearted note, Jessica explained in another TikTok why she keeps going home for the holidays. Unlike in these other two comedic videos, she shares a difficult story about how, by going home for the holidays, she ended up finding out her sister was going through a domestic violence situation, which allowed Jessica to help her sibling “build her wings” to be able to escape it. “If you have cut family out of your life for your own peace,” Jessica says at the beginning of the video, “this is not a call to action. This is not me trying to guilt you or make you think that you should. Should equals shame, okay?”
Even though her joke bombardment must burn the people who are the butt of it, it is clear Jessica’s humor also comes from an empathetic and caring place. In the first video, she mocks intolerant traits like homophobia and xenophobia, which are often not perceived as such by the same people who carry these prejudices.
“People bind themselves into political teams that share moral narratives. Once they accept a particular narrative, they become blind to alternative moral worlds.” Psychologist Jonathan Haidt writes in his 2012 book. As Jessica says, you may cut out family members for your own peace and no one — not even yourself — should shame you for it.
But, as Jessica does, you may decide you have it in you to grin and bear it because your love still outweighs your distaste for their views. Each circumstance is unique, and Jessica’s may give those who are willing to attend the holidays with their MAGA relatives a very tempting, if mischievous, idea.
Published: Dec 4, 2024 01:15 pm