Monday's Random Thoughts

Some things floating around the brain as we start a new work week...

JUST PLAIN WEIRD: With the changes at the top of the Democratic ticket, the political upheaval has helped energize more than half of the nation and bring some optimism back into the country.

But it has also helped shine a light upon the cruel nature that some people think is just part of the masculine experience in the U.S.

Gus Walz's appearance at the Democratic National Convention professing his love for his father was one of the single-most touching moment that has probably ever happened at a political convention in the history of political conventions. But the idea that there were people out there that found it as an opening to attack America's masculine decline ... well, that weird characterization didn't go far enough.

As someone with a child who has ADHD and social interaction issues - and has spent time around children and teens who cover the range of the socioemotional spectrum - I recognized right away that Gus was someone who - while not necessarily autistic - was someone who would be considered on the spectrum. But that didn't stop the trolls from coming out.

You can read about some of them from USA Today. I love the irony of the childless (I'm guessing non-cat) lady Ann Coulter being one of those who decided to troll the teenager with a now-deleted post. Wonder how she feels about the Vice Weird candidate's thoughts on childless people's stake in America's future?

Thankfully, it also brought out tons of defenders. Up and down Threads, there were people coming out to defend Gus and his family. An opinion piece from the New York Times (gift article) talked about how this might be the moment that can raise awareness of what some of the growing number of neurodivergent children. They are socially awkward. They tend to not know how to react in situations the same way as everyone else. They usually have zero to very few friends. 

But they are also very sweet. They tend to be loving to those who are loving to them. They don't have time or energy to be worried about proving their manhood to others - though they are competitive in their own ways (mine is ultra-competitive with his video game play).

And here's the thing: What's wrong with that? Does the world need more people who shoot first and ask questions later? People who are more concerned with whether or not the world considers them a strongman who is large and in charge rather than showing real human emotion. What are we saying? Are we back to the old men can't cry? (Oh, and women can't laugh?)

It comes back down to what your values are. So many people get upset when they get painted with a wide brush when it comes to who they support. For example, it's easy to say that not all Trump supporters are racists, but it seems as if a large percentage of racists support Trump, so all those "non-racists" get lumped together with the racists. 

So, after all the years of preaching family values, a real family with real love and affection shows up, and suddenly they're attacked by some of the trolls from the right just because the teenage son showed actual emotion. Thankfully it was mostly only hard-core trolls, but again, is that the company other people should want to keep? Or should there more condemnation of attacks - and a realization that not every family, and not every child - is the same?

We should all learn the lesson of the Walz family. Love and support are what should make the world a better place.

MORE WEIRD: One of the things that stood out to me from the DNC was the love and joy that was being spread amongst the participants. Beyond the emotion of Gus Walz, you saw parents and children interacting throughout the event, and it was ... amazing.

And it really shined a light on the differences between the two sides. There were hugs and smiles and dancing (Chuck Schumer really should stop) and interactions that felt genuine. It raised some questions in my mind about the guy on top of the other ticket:

Do you think he ever changed a diaper? Do you think he ever spent time consoling one of his kids when they were sick overnight? Has he even taken the time to hold one of his grandchildren? And where was the loving family support after the attempted assassination at the convention? The whole narrative going into the convention after he was shot was that we would see a calmer, softer, different Trump. And, sure, some of his family was there after his acceptance speech, but when you compare to the feelings we saw at the DNC, can you honestly say there was love amongst those people? Or was it a transactional appearance? 

And that's not even questioning what Gretchen Whitmer questioned: Has he ever been shopping at a grocery store? He did that campaign event with a bunch of groceries lined up behind him recently, and my thoughts immediately went to A) Does he even know what those products are?; B) Which member of his staff went shopping for them? and C) Would he even use any of them himself?

Look, the economy is going to be a big issue during this election, and questioning rising prices is absolutely something I expect him to do (I don't remember necessarily hearing any solutions). But, again, does he really care - I don't really see him doing the shopping for the family. I'm sure we'll hear more over the next few weeks, so stay tuned.

AGELESS MARVEL? The news out of San Diego Comic-Con is a couple of weeks old at this point, but the big news from the Marvel panel was the casting of Doctor Doom for the next round of Avengers movies.

And while I have nothing but respect for the work Robert Downey Jr. has done over the last decade and a half as Tony Stark ... isn't he getting a little long in the tooth to be playing Victor Von Doom? 

I suppose it depends on the story that they will tell ... and what technology they use. And, honestly, I could see it becoming a Pedro-Pascal-as-The-Mandalorian situation, where there's a stunt man/actor who is on set in the suit most of the time, and the voice and glamour shots are all Robert Downey Jr. 

And all they announced him for was the Avengers movies ... not the Fantastic Four movie - which is where we should first meet Victor according to Marvel lore. 

In the end, it will all come down to how it's presented and the hype around it. I'm sure everything will be fine and all the fanboys will be excited and gush about his new trip into the Marvel Universe as it expands. 

But we're also at the point where most of the main players have already officially stepped aside (Chris Evans' appearance in Deadpool and Wolverine was an epic troll) or probably going to age out of their current roles. Age comes for us all, and we can't expect these actors to continue playing the same characters beyond a certain time frame - which means Kevin Feige and Disney need to start thinking of ways to reboot their cash cow.