Michael Schur, Co-Creator of Parks & Rec, Has the Twitter Post-Mortem You Need
Michael Schur, aka “Ken Tremendous” on Twitter, is one of the funniest men alive. That was true when he was running the blog “Fire Joe Morgan,” and it was true when he worked on NBC’s The Office, and it was true when he co-created Parks & Recreation. A few minutes ago—as depressed as the rest of us about the election—he took to Twitter to air his feelings. “Required reading” may be an overstatement, but it sure feels good to see someone this smart, and this insightful, get to the heart of what we witnessed last night.
1. Been planning a post-election twitter break for a while. Think it’s probably a good idea, now. But first:
— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) November 9, 2016
2. America, in its collective wisdom, has elected a vain, violent, ignorant, sexist bully as our President.
— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) November 9, 2016
3. Not everyone who voted for Trump is a racist, or a misogynist. But they did vote for a racist and a misogynist.
— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) November 9, 2016
4. They voted for a man who was happily, enthusiastically endorsed by the actual KKK. And who wouldn’t even denounce that endorsement.
— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) November 9, 2016
5. His voters saw him say he liked to grab women by the pussy, then watched as a dozen women accused him of assault, and they voted for him.
— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) November 9, 2016
6. They saw him present zero real ideas, change his mind constantly, and present no vision except to “Make America Great Again.”
— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) November 9, 2016
7. They saw him invent his own reality, repeat lies as if they were truths, and utterly dispense with basic civility.
— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) November 9, 2016
8. There will be an endless post-mortem on how this happened. There is plenty of blame to go around.
— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) November 9, 2016
9. Start with the for-profit news business, who happily covered his rallies and hired his henchmen as talking heads.
— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) November 9, 2016
10. The media who equated Clinton’s emails with Trump’s litany of absurd personal, professional, political, and ethical failings.
— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) November 9, 2016
11. The federal law enforcement agents who intervened, banana republic junta-style, into a democratic election with a made-up scandal.
— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) November 9, 2016
12. The Republicans and Democrats alike who treated him like a joke instead of flatly stating that he was a dangerous and unserious person.
— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) November 9, 2016
13. And the (predominantly white) people who looked at the toxic cocktail he had to offer and thought, “Sure. Sounds good.”
— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) November 9, 2016
14. This was not a “working class revolt,” as was first reported. The data shows it clearly. This was a white revolt, and a male revolt.
— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) November 9, 2016
15. I am being now asked to have empathy for the Trump voters who feel left behind in the midst of changes to our world.
— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) November 9, 2016
16. Why are those voters not being asked to have empathy for the women who are victims of the kind of misogyny Trump put on display?
— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) November 9, 2016
17. Where is their empathy for African-Americans and Muslim citizens and Hispanic citizens who are routinely victims of prejudice?
— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) November 9, 2016
18. Where is the empathy for non-white people who haven’t been “left behind” because they’ve never been able to catch up in the first place?
— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) November 9, 2016
19. For eight years, my son’s entire life, I have been able to point to the President of the United States and say:
— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) November 9, 2016
20. “Be like him: thoughtful, intelligent, steady, nuanced, kind, a good husband and father.”
— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) November 9, 2016
21. For the next four years, I fear I will have to say: “Do not be like him: rude, vindictive, callous, self-obsessed, and aggressive.”
— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) November 9, 2016
22. For six years, my daughter’s entire life, I have been telling her she can be anything she wants to be.
— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) November 9, 2016
23. For the next four (the next 50?), I will keep telling her that, until the cancer of misogyny is cut out of this country forever.
— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) November 9, 2016
24. America has always survived its (many) disastrous political decisions. This feels like the most disastrous. I believe we can survive it.
— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) November 9, 2016
25. The problem is: this isn’t just a political decision. It’s a clarion call to forces of white nationalism, anti-semitism, and fascism.
— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) November 9, 2016
26. I thought the country had progressed enough to shout down a man whose campaign was fueled only by fear and hate. It has not.
— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) November 9, 2016
27. Progress comes from empathy and inclusiveness. I will try to find empathy for the people who voted for Trump.
— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) November 9, 2016
28. But Trump voters have to find empathy for the people who, with very good reason, fear his Presidency. That is the only way forward.
— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) November 9, 2016
Mr. Schur, we only have one thing to add—please don’t leave Twitter.