It's about time someone took American journalism to task for its self-seriousness. A perfect storm of embarrassment has unfolded around Olivia Nuzzi, Ryan Lizza, and Robert F Kennedy Jr., with the latter's "erotic poetry" being the low point in a tale that should be chronicled as comedy.
Kennedy Jr's "felching poetry" - yes, you read that right - was allegedly written to superstar journalist Olivia Nuzzi, who had an affair with his son. The story has blown up into a scandal of epic proportions, and yet, instead of being lampooned by the US media, it's being treated like some kind of solemn national crisis.
Take Ryan Lizza's Substack, "Telos," for example. It's a veritable feast of overwrought prose, replete with bamboo metaphors that are more likely to induce eye-rolling than profound insight. And then there's Olivia Nuzzi's forthcoming memoir, "American Canto," which promises to deliver on the promise of literary seriousness.
Meanwhile, Kennedy Jr's health secretary gig has somehow become a thing, and the US media is struggling to keep a straight face. The result? A whole lot of Americans acting like they've got a collective case of 'serious-itis,' with all the levity and wit that entails.
The truth is, America needs to learn how to enjoy its scandals - not take them so bloody seriously. News outlets would do well to remember that even in the most trying times, a good laugh can be a powerful tool for social commentary. And let's face it: Robert F Kennedy Jr's antics are basically the gift that keeps on giving.
So, here's a piece of advice from a humble outsider: Americans need to stop taking themselves so seriously and learn to have some fun with their scandals. After all, when you lot crap the bed, the rest of us get to lie in it - might as well have a chuckle while we're at it.
Kennedy Jr's "felching poetry" - yes, you read that right - was allegedly written to superstar journalist Olivia Nuzzi, who had an affair with his son. The story has blown up into a scandal of epic proportions, and yet, instead of being lampooned by the US media, it's being treated like some kind of solemn national crisis.
Take Ryan Lizza's Substack, "Telos," for example. It's a veritable feast of overwrought prose, replete with bamboo metaphors that are more likely to induce eye-rolling than profound insight. And then there's Olivia Nuzzi's forthcoming memoir, "American Canto," which promises to deliver on the promise of literary seriousness.
Meanwhile, Kennedy Jr's health secretary gig has somehow become a thing, and the US media is struggling to keep a straight face. The result? A whole lot of Americans acting like they've got a collective case of 'serious-itis,' with all the levity and wit that entails.
The truth is, America needs to learn how to enjoy its scandals - not take them so bloody seriously. News outlets would do well to remember that even in the most trying times, a good laugh can be a powerful tool for social commentary. And let's face it: Robert F Kennedy Jr's antics are basically the gift that keeps on giving.
So, here's a piece of advice from a humble outsider: Americans need to stop taking themselves so seriously and learn to have some fun with their scandals. After all, when you lot crap the bed, the rest of us get to lie in it - might as well have a chuckle while we're at it.