(I had to look up "edgelord slop" to understand it. I'm terrified for the world with these idiots in charge. These morons make "Idiocracy" look like a documentary.)

From: https://shorturl.at/6tAok (nypost.com)

===
Gen Z is treating world-changing politics like edge-lord slop -- but voting
for `looksmaxxing' is insane

By Rikki Schlott
Published Jan. 5, 2026, 5:32 p.m. ET

Gen Z seems to think politics is one big joke.

In a recent interview, the social influencer Clavicular announced that
-- despite being pro-Trump -- he would vote for Gavin Newsom over JD
Vance in a theoretical presidential election, for a surprising reason.

"JD Vance is subhuman, and Gavin Newsom mogs," the 20-year-old said on
a recent episode of the Michael Knowles show. "Mogging" is slang for
being better looking than someone else.

Clavicular, real name Braden Peters, has made a name for himself by
promoting "looksmaxxing" -- an extreme social-media trend that involves
everything from diet and tongue exercises to Botox and plastic surgery
to get a chiseled face.

Vance, in Clavicular's estimation, is "fat" while Newsom is a "6'3"
Chad."

"Having a president that's fat and especially that young ... it just is
embarrassing. How are you fat and you expect to lead a country?"
Clavicular said of Vance's chances at a presidential run.

Asked by a baffled Knowles to elaborate, the Miami-based streamer said
of the vice president, "He's got a very short total facial width to
height ratio, he's obese, very recessed side profile."

Clavicular affirmed he would vote for Newsom "100 times over," adding
of Vance: "Having a president that's fat and especially that young ...
it just is embarrassing. How are you fat and you expect to lead a
country?"

Choosing a presidential candidate is a right to be taken seriously and
a privilege of American citizenship. But, for some digital natives who
grew up steeped in memes and internet irony, politics seems to be more
of a joke than anything.

Leave it to controversial podcaster Nick Fuentes to pile on "JD Vance =
fat subhuman," he said in response to Clavicular's comments "Newsom
mogs him to death [and] I would vote for him 100x over just because
he's handsome."

Sneako, a streamer who converted from the far left to the far right,
affirmed to his 1 million+ YouTube followers that Newsom is a "total
Chad" and called Vance's wife, Usha, a racial slur.

Newsom, meanwhile, seems to be leaning into this new attention --
posting a decades-old photo from his youth, pipe in mouth and
basketball spinning on his finger. "Happy new year patriots," he
captioned it, and you could practically hear the ironic wink.

Like anything with these far-right streamers, it's impossible to tell
how serious they are. And that's precisely the problem. A whole
generation is venerating influencers who treat politics with total
disregard.

These brain-fried digital natives have grown up on a steady diet of
memes and seemingly can't separate the seriousness of electoral
politics from the irony of their edge-lord slop.

Now, they're coming of voting age.

It seems this attitude has made its way into the government itself.
Recently, the official X page of the Department of Homeland Security
tweeted out a barrage of memes about the very serious topics of
deportation and illegal immigration.

This generational ironic disregard is bipartisan, too.

Former congressman George Santos, who was recently pardoned by
President Trump on wire fraud and identity theft charges, had an
extremely conservative record before he was expelled from congress.
Nonetheless, he told me that he has a large fan base of predominantly
left-wing Gen Z women.

"I am more appealing to Democrat youth than I am to conservative
youth," he said. "Why the left seems to be more inclined towards me, I
don't know, maybe the fact that I'm gay makes me more relatable ...
[and] despite being called a liar and everything, I brought much-needed
authenticity and value-add to the mundane nature of Congress, right?"
Former U.S. Rep. George Santos in sunglasses. 7
George Santos says that his fan base is now primarily left-wing young
women. AP

I'm guessing these young women couldn't care less about Santos's
extremely conservative views, like calling abortion "barbaric" and
likening it to slavery. What matters more to them is the fact that he's
entertaining and eccentric -- a ready-made reality show character.

For Gen Z, politics is entertainment. Humor takes precedence over
policy. And, apparently for some Zoomers, looks are more important than
political acumen.

This is the generation who has the most life to live -- and therefore
the most to gain or lose based on the direction of this country. They
should be the most invested in our political future.

It's time to grow up and put the memes to bed.
===

-- Sean

... How is my wallet like an onion? Every time I open it, I cry.
--- MultiMail/Linux
* Origin: Outpost BBS * Johnson City, TN (618:618/1)