Jimmy Kimmel and the Crazies

 Earlier in the day I read a chapter in “Motivation and Personality” by Abraham H Maslow. The chapter was titled” Is Destructiveness Instinctoid.”  Later that evening, Linda and I watched Jimmy Kimmel’s The Late Show program. Kimmel told the story of receiving a critical tweet from the sadistic Trump regarding his lackey Pence. That hostile tweet was in reply to Kimmel’s making fun of a televised clip from a C-SPAN tape of Mike Pence’s delivering PPE equipment from a van. Pence was recorded as saying something to the effect that “can I carry these empty ones for the camera?” Kimmel made fun of that remark. Later on in the 29 minute clip, Pence stated he was joking about caring empty boxes. Kimmel acknowledged that he failed to view the entire clip and apologized.

Kimmel went on to say that he received a number of critical and derogatory comments attacking him. In fact, there were threats against him, wishing his family, his son and his wife would die. Kimmel also received another tweet from Trump that stated something to the effect that “more fake news this time from Jimmy Kimmel’s last place show.” There was also a message from the White House directing Kimmel to apologize on-air. Kimmel did apologize on-air and then requested the White House to apologize for their numerous poor choice political policies-mishandling the coronavirus for one. This essay applies Maslow’s theory of personality to the hateful social media responses received by Jimmy Kimmel.

Death threats in response to a comedian joking about Mike Pence are troublesome. It’s obvious the written expression of hate and anger are shared by many but not a crime. One can dislike and even hate Jimmy Kimmel because he’s Catholic, a liberal Democratic fundraiser, a Hollywood elite or for some other reason. As a liberal, Kimmel likely wants to discard the traditional values put forth by the wealthy slaveholder James Madison. Madison cleverly orchestrated our Republic form of government by limiting the power of the common folk people. Just think that we have a populace state like California that has two Senators as well as all the other states with less population but also with two senators. Not only that, thanks to Madison, we have an electoral college that takes away a true populist vote for a group of electors that are determined by each state legislature. The District of Columbia has electors but US territories do not as they are not states. The District of Columbia is a state? Madison also believed the Indians were savages. Gen. Custer was doing what at Little Bighorn? Indians are savages and lesser than white men?  Further, Madison questioned the intelligence and sociability of blacks. Let him discuss constitutional law with Pres. Obama. Might that change his opinion of blacks? Madison, you’ve done well. You have kept the power with the wealthy as you distrust the common folk making political decisions. Thanks to you we continue to have political divide.

 However, to write about Kimmel and wishing for his family’s demise was clearly insane and sick. Let’s take this further. If one of these individuals had a plan and carried out the savagery, they would be breaking the law; spend the rest of their life in jail; and/or be killed in any number of manners. That would mean that their hate resulted in self-hate as they would be either killing themselves as in suicide or spending the rest of their life in prison. An eye for an eye accomplishes what?  Where is the moral equivalency of making fun of a VP and killing a comedian?  Where in the Constitution does it say that Free speech is okay for some and others should be killed?

Of course, we like and dislike things regularly. One problem results when an individual has a belief that’s emotionally charged. When emotional beliefs are challenged, like God is dead or Hillary would’ve made a good president then typically a hate response follows. Since it’s emotionally based, factual and rational arguments simply fail. It’s like putting together oil and water. They don’t mix together because they can’t. They just remain separate without a common ground. They are just stuck.

Typically, one can raise the question as to what degree is evil or destructiveness part of human nature, is it learned, and/or influenced by the society and culture? Looking to animal data, aggressiveness is observed in some species of animals but not to all animals. Notably, chimpanzees, gorillas and anthropoid apes considered higher animals and closest, on the evolutionary scale, to humans. They are seen to be more cooperative than aggressive. This does not mean that they are not aggressive or dominant when their survival is at stake.

Looking at anthropological data, the Arapesh peoples of New Guinea are mild, friendly and not aggressive. One has to go to extremes to find a man who is even self-assertive. On the other hand, people like the Chukchi of Siberia or Dobu in New Guinea are so full of hatred that one wonders what keeps them alive from not killing themselves.

Briefly, destructiveness or evil is often a reaction to physical, and/or psychological threat which results in anxiety and is subsequently followed by hostile, aggressive, and destructive behavior or responses which is often a counterattack. With a fragile or vulnerable personality or character, biologically and psychologically one is prone, ready to fight, paranoid and anticipates being attacked. Further, any organic deterioration or brain disease can also result in defensive hostile behaviors.

Genetically, male hormones in different degrees of adrenaline and noradrenaline set the stage with an individual that is poised and ready to fight rather than flee. The culture and society with its laws, institutions, mores, rules, regulations, restrictions, government policies, economic and political groups easily frustrate the masses. With frustrations, often follow aggression. Because of all the unfairness, it’s no surprise why there’s so much hate and destructiveness in our society.

It’s true that these hateful social media anonymous individuals are gutless and anonymous. Even though, I’m going to raise a few probabilities about these people. Likely, they are Trump followers and admirers which means that when he criticizes, that gives these people permission to be like him and criticize as well. The fact that they have identified with Trump means they are in unison with him regardless. So now we have the good and the bad groups. When Pence, who is good and a Trump servant is joked about, that’s perhaps threatening. It’s definitely bad. Kimmel is bad and a psychological threat to their thinking and way of life. Because, in the good guys eyes, Trump stands for authority, security, stability, dependency, strength and a protector for the old white dominance American way of life of the past . Trump,  presents a predictable Authoritarian, with consistency, clear expectations, controlling and a  man in complete charge that will shield them from the elite liberalism, political correctness, people of color, and other undesirable’s in every way possible. He also gives them permission to act out like he does. Because their safety needs are met they can act stupid, not use reason and express freely their hatred and racism.

It’s important for these anonymous to belong and be part of a group more powerful than they. In doing so, their belongingness needs can be met. As social animals, we individuals are driven to affiliate and become part of a group. That group could be a couple, family, club, or a political party with a similar ideology. We have a tendency to herd, to flock, to join and to belong. In our group or tribe are the good guys. The enemy is in the other group. Of course enemies pose a potential threat and thus help unite the group in order to overcome feelings of alienation, aloneness, separateness, strangeness, and loneliness. Because of  massive  general over mobility,  being without roots,   being torn from one’s home, family, friends , neighbors and being more transient has greatly contributed in joining and  becoming part of a clan or tribe  more emotionally necessary. We tend to join groups and remain in the bubble in order that everyone perceives the world in the same way as we do.

 Dissonant information or ideas result in conflict and anxiety which is uncomfortable and/or threatening. A Republican can dislike a Democrat and vice versa. However, the demonizing and hate that’s expressed verbally is not legally as bad as when the behavior turns to violence. It’s the violence, cruelty and the destructiveness that is an evil and sick crime. Hate is a negative emotion that creates a stress cortisol which is not good for the homeostasis regulation in the body. It’s like a cancer within the body and eats away at humaneness often resulting in hostility. Hitler, Mussolini and Saddam Hussein are good examples of evil, destructive and sadistic men. How did their lives turnout at the end? Even when an individual wishes someone dead on social media, that behavior is clearly inappropriate and suggests pathology as well. It’s too bad there’s no significant external consequences for behavior with people that are without a morally functioning conscience.