In theatre there is a concept called scene obligatoire. That’s when finally, just towards the climax of the play, the key characters finally meet and have it out.
Yesterday and today, in Justice Merchan’s courtroom in New York, was the scene obligatoire we’ve been waiting for: Donald J. Trump and Stormy Daniels in the same room at last. Trump snorting and cursing to himself (just audibly enough). Stormy calmly describing what went on in that hotel room.
And looming over everything is the “Access Hollywood Tape”.
I better use some Tic Tacs just in case I start kissing her. You know I’m automatically attracted to beautiful—I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab ’em by the pussy. You can do anything.
There’s a wonderful cartoon by Jules Feiffer from around 1960. I can’t get it out of my head.
Bernard Mergendeiler stands facing us and says:
SOMETIMES I WISH I WERE A DICTATOR!
A RULER . . . A STRONG MAN . . . A TITAN . . .
WITH A RUTHLESS GRASP ON POWER AND AN IRON GRIP ON THE HELM OF GOVERNMENT!
– BUT LOVED.
THE LAW IS MY LAW. THE PEOPLE ARE MY PEOPLE. WHOMEVER I CONQUER REMAINS CONQUERED!
PREMIER BERNARD EMPEROR BERNARD. CZAR BERNARD.
(He smiles gently.)
BOY
THEN I COULD MEET GIRLS!
It’s even better with the drawings.
Trump seems to be bragging, but what is he really saying? He needs to be a star or no woman will kiss him.
“When you’re a star they let you do it.” Notice he doesn’t say “they want you to do it“.
He says he can grab ’em. He doesn’t say “they’ll let you touch . . . “
“You can do anything“, he says.
Even . . . get girls.
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