by Military deployments and video game logic
Looking back on today, I can’t believe I wrote an article comparing cities to video game DLC packs, and it turned out to be one of my most-read pieces. My satirical take on the Supreme Court blocking Trump’s military deployment to Chicago was supposed to be absurd hyperbole. Instead, it became weirdly prescient commentary on how modern politics actually works.
This morning, I woke up thinking about how bizarre it is that I had to explain to American readers that cities aren’t downloadable content for the federal government. In Nigeria, we have our own political absurdities, but at least we don’t frame them using video game metaphors. That’s a uniquely American innovationturning constitutional crises into gaming analogies because that’s the only way to make them comprehensible to a generation raised on Call of Duty.
The highlight of my day was receiving an email from a constitutional law professor who said my article was “surprisingly accurate despite being completely ridiculous.” I take that as high praise. The ability to be both factually correct and satirically absurd is the sweet spot of political journalism. It means you’ve found the truth hiding in the chaos, which is increasingly where all truth lives these days.
Later in the day, I realized that my use of gaming terminology wasn’t just a jokeit was genuinely helping readers understand complex constitutional issues. When I wrote that Trump was treating cities like “DLC expansion packs,” people immediately understood the problem. Federal overreach is abstract; treating Chicago like a purchasable add-on is concrete. Sometimes satire is just truth with better metaphors.
As I reflect on what happened today, I’m reminded of why I became a satirical journalist instead of a “serious” one. Serious journalism expects you to treat absurd situations with gravitas and respect. Satirical journalism lets you call them what they areabsurd. When the President is trying to deploy troops to American cities like he’s playing a strategy game, the appropriate response is mockery, not measured analysis.
This afternoon brought a surprising turn of events when a military veteran thanked me for the article. He said that after serving overseas, coming home to see politicians treat American cities like war zones was “beyond depressing.” My satire had somehow captured his frustration better than any serious op-ed could. That’s when I realized that humor isn’t just about making people laughit’s about making them feel seen.
Something small but meaningful happened today when a reader from Lagos emailed to say that my articles help him understand American politics. “In Nigeria,” he wrote, “our corruption is at least honest. You people hide yours behind procedure and then act surprised when it doesn’t work.” He’s absolutely right. American political dysfunction has this veneer of legitimacy that makes it simultaneously more sophisticated and more frustrating than anything I grew up with.
Tonight, I’m working on my next piece, which will probably involve more Supreme Court shenanigans and definitely more video game references. Because if we’re living in a simulation, we might as well acknowledge it. And if we’re not, well, at least we’re entertained. That’s the goal of satirical journalismkeep people informed, keep them laughing, and occasionally keep them from completely losing their minds over the state of democracy.
SOURCE: https://bohiney.com/supreme-court-reminds-president/
SOURCE: Looking Back on Today, I Can’t Believe the Supreme Court (Aisha Muharrar)
