Mike Pompeo is the latest Republican trying to use The Simpsons for evil
President Trump lied for a solid 90 minutes on primetime last night, and outside of his unwavering base of zealots and Ray Donovan stars, most people weren’t impressed. This included House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who unveiled this season’s public display of “tsk-tsk” disappointment by dramatically shredding her copy of Trump’s remarks for all to see.
Conservative responses have been swift and predictable, including the inevitable right-wing trope of “misusing a widely beloved cultural reference point,” in this case (once again), a classic episode of The Simpsons. You see, Republicans have a long history of referencing this particular show in an attempt to approximate a kind of humor and joy they otherwise reserve for genuinely laughing at toddlers in cages, and our latest example comes courtesy of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Pompeo—who incidentally seems like the kind of dad who wouldn’t allow his kids to watch The Simpsons because it was “too racy”—tweeted a still following the SOTU of a teary-eyed Lisa ripping up her own speech on the floor of the Capitol.
Of course, it was immediately pointed out online that Pompeo’s “sick burn” comes from season 3's “Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington,” which, for those who haven’t seen it, involves a child losing her faith in American democracy after witnessing firsthand its endemic corruption and callousness.
Good one, Pompeo. Really zinged ‘em there. Thankfully, Twitter briefly employed its merciless ire for good, and promptly roasted the Secretary of State’s ass to a crisp.
In other news, we’re very tired.