I know there’s a lot going on these days — a lot of very serious things, but sometime you come across something that fills you with a special disgust, and you need to get it out of your system.
The hosts of Fox News’ Outnumbered had a full blown hissy fit over a report that petting cats helps college students relax, with one host saying that the students need a “slap in the face” and another calling them “snowflakes.”
From Rolling Stone:
www.msn.com/…
“I don’t think these kids need cats, I think they need discipline, I think they need a slap in the face,” said host Emily Compagno, who by the sound of it could use some time decompressing herself if a desire to commit physical violence is her response to people petting cats.
In my estimation, this has roots in the conservative war on universities, professors and students by anti-intellectual, anti-science, anti-expert conservatives who fundamentally want to destroy Liberal Arts education. Because that sort of learning is dangerous! And it’s got “Liberal” in it!
The over-the-top indignation and lecturing “it’s the children who are wrong” tone about cats on campuses only increased as the segment continued. And it also got a lot weirder as the hosts further morphed the topic to fit within standard right-wing talking points.
“No one is going to hand you a puppy in the real world!,” exclaimed host Tammy Bruce, as if enjoying puppies when given the opportunity to play with them is a sign of crippling emotional dependence. “It’s part of the indoctrination,” she said. Indoctrination to what? We’d love to know. Because according to Compagno, these liberal cat-petting communes are both taxpayer-funded and come with a side of free tuition.
What they want is their own style of MAGA conservative indoctrination — indoctrination into being a "conservative". Only bona fide sociopaths without a shred of human empathy or sensitivity need apply to their brave new “fuck your feelings” MAGA world where Putin is a genius, and all English or History majors are pathetic "snowflakes".
Fox News contributor David Webb then seriously claimed that students petting cats would somehow destroy the entrepreneurial spirit.
“These kids are the problem,” he proclaimed. All joking aside, they’re the problem. If you need a cat or you need a puppy, you don’t belong in college. This is the idea of building a society of betas. If you need a cat or you need a puppy you don’t belong in college.”
Social Darwinism much? Perfect preparation for someday when they hand a few hundred of their minions their pink slips on Christmas Eve, one guesses.
Perhaps they would prefer to have kids binge drinking or eating Adderall like breath mints?
At any rate, in the real world, you can go to a shelter, and if you qualify, someone will in fact, actually hand you a puppy of your choosing. And as a well adjusted individual, you can have the companion animals of your choice, and make the rough times a little less rough, and the good times even better.
A far better life I feel, than being a conservative where only icy winds blow in that dark cavity where a soul was supposed to have been installed.