AOC, NBC Decry Twitter Account Mocking Far-Left Congresswoman
President Donald Trump was a gift to political satirists. It’s their fault they turned that gift into a cudgel, battering audiences with variations of the same stale joke. The gags were more mean-spirited than funny, and they quickly became repetitive and dull.
Call it the Orange Man Bad Syndrome.
Enter Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The New York Democrat is social media savvy, prone to outrageous statements and has an oversized sense of her own importance.
Sound familiar?
Yet, the woman known as AOC gets ignored by late night hosts, “Saturday Night Live” and other mainstream comedians.
It’s no accident, of course.
Modern comedy is deeply partisan and dominated by progressives unwilling to hold Democrats accountable for their actions.
Quick, Google all the times Team Late Night and “SNL” skewered California Gov. Gavin Newsom for locking down his state while dining, maskless, at the swanky French Laundry restaurant. Truth to power doesn’t apply to progressive leaders.
That’s why a new Twitter account mocking AOC is making waves … with Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and a major news outlet.
*The original tweets have since been deleted*
Ocasio-Cortez raged about the account, where else, on her Twitter page.
The account is clearly labeled as satire – "Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Press Release (parody)."
Might the Democrat attempt to deny the mind behind the account his or her First Amendment rights? If so, it’s on-brand for the radical politician.
Some, like rebel comedian Tyler Fischer, found something funny about her reaction to the parodies.
AOC, NBC Don't Understand Satire
Others took the matter seriously. And she wasn’t the only one crying foul over the parody account.
NBC News assigned not one but two reporters to cover this story. Cleary the dynamic duo dreams of displacing Woodward and Bernstein in the minds of many. Is it too soon to mention the Pulitzer Prize?
A verified Twitter account mocking Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has skyrocketed in followers and engagement over the last two days, with some help from Elon Musk. Twitter appeared to reinstate the once-banned account in May, with Musk soon interacting with it and boosting its following.
We also learn the original source of the account, a young NY-based Republican, allegedly shared sexist and racist comments in between the yuks. Somehow the crack NBC News’ duo fails to cite any examples.
Perhaps NBC News should ask Colbert and co. why they ignore Democrats so aggressively on their respective platforms?
Or, the outlet could question why a powerful politician is attacking a satirical voice, understanding that the First Amendment still exists (at least at the time of publication).
That kind of assault on democracy should rally journalists across the country. Weird that no other outlet is standing up for free speech.
Instead, NBC News attempted to shame the parody account, suggesting Musk’s promotion of its satire represented some sort of threat to the body politic.
When virtually every professional comedian stands down rather than mock the rich and powerful others will fill the space. It’s what happened a couple of years ago when an account dubbed Mini AOC went viral.
That account featured an eight-year-old girl dressed as the far-Left politician, suspended its posting schedule after receiving death threats.
"The Left's Harassment and death threats have gone too far for our family. We have been getting calls on our personal phone numbers," Martinez's stepfather Salvatore Schachter tweeted. "For our safety and for our child's safety, we deleted all Mini AOC accounts."
Comedy isn’t dead, but it’s becoming more and more dangerous to perform – assuming you’re targeting the “wrong” politicians.