I also struggled with that "Obamacore" essay, and it's affirming to hear that someone else did too! I started reading it, expecting it to be more of a political analysis of that era than a meandering trip through pop culture hallmarks of the Obama years. There were some good smaller insights I think (ie. that having a Black president did not automatically translate to more Black actors getting roles in film and TV), but it felt like the author came up with "the Obama years were our '60s" and then tried to retroactively prove that just because it kind of felt true and like a snappy little thing to say. And btw, I don't even actually agree with that parallel because the '60s were famously tumultuous, and I think *now* feels more like the '60s, but I digress.
The way the article tried to assert that the pop culture of this era was uniquely cringey feels short-sighted because ALL pop culture seems embarrassing and uncool 10 to 15 years out. It really should have been more about hopefulness was not enough on its own and how we just kind of expected progress to continue without any further collective action. This time around, we need to translate that hope for change into a true "60s moment" with highly organized collective action that doesn't let up after one or two wins.
Yes to all this! I was just texting with a friend about that "our 60s" line-- I think by "our '60s" the author means "just like some people were in their 20s in the '60s, me and my friends were in our 20s during the Obama admin" which is not how that metaphor works.
And also: One of the joys in life is looking back on past pop culture and being alternately like "oof, that didn't hold up" or "whoa, that held up pretty well!" I would be bummed for pop culture if it didn't advance and evolve!
I can't speak for the guy who wrote the Obamacore piece, but I'm aware that my cynicism so often, like my anger, is a cover for really deep heartbreak. And also envy-- of people (particularly White people) who can still drum up sincere, and what seems like uncomplicated, excitement about anything having to do with mainstream politics, instead of tip-toeing around it all wondering when the other shoe is going to drop. When that hopefulness will get sullied by what feels like the inevitable capitulation (at best) or embrace by whoever is inspiring that jubilation of the darkest levers of power. And I say all of this as one of the most cringe-y, earnest people I know, but also one who has felt deeply and fundamentally alienated by nearly every aspect of mainstream culture and politics my entire life. (Thanks for that inheritance, Mom and Dad.) This makes me look at what (I perceive as) uncritical enthusiasm with a peculiar mix of envy mixed with exasperation and disdain, the last two being less painful than the first.
All this to say, thank you for this. It's good for my (often tired) heart.
Jeez, thank YOU for this incredible, open-hearted reflection and reminder. I can forget-- when I encounter cynicism-- the emotions that it both masks and reveals. And of course! There are so many good reasons for so many to be heartbroken and to want to retreat from the risk of caring out loud again.
Oh my goodness this essay sent my brain in so many directions. First, I rewatched the Yes We Can video (which I, too often cried to in 2008) and it brought back such visceral sense memories of my senior year of high school and my freshman year of college. And it still gives me goosebumps! And the line “in the history of America, there has never been anything false about our hope” is both a beautiful idea and so ahistorical as to be lollsy. Much like the rest of mid-aughts liberalism!
I think another lens through which the Obama years could have been explored, if the writer was a little more self-aware, is the pendulum swing between cynicism and earnestness. One thing that New Girl and Glee and the collected works of Lin Manuel Miranda do have in common is the earnest, try-hard opposition to the sarcastic, low-maintenance eye-roll culture of the late 90s and early 2000s. I mean, could the humor of Friends, Seinfeld, Simpsons, and Curb Your Enthusiasm BE any more prickly? Jess Day had more in common with Ned Flanders than any of the protagonists of the Bush era.
And now, perhaps, the pendulum is swinging the other way. I can’t help but feel it has more to do with the dominant generation’s movement from too-cool early adulthood to dorky middle age than anything else. Though another thing I’ve been noting is the revival of interest in West Wing. That show was such a balm when it felt like Bush was ruining everything, and I think it contributed (for me at least) to the implicit sense that if the right people are in charge we don’t have to worry about things. It doesn’t feel to me like anyone believes Harris will save us all (though perhaps that’s just the vibe within my small bubble) but either way I hope new viewers of Jed Bartlett will take away a newfound interest in civil service instead of feeling lulled into liberal complacency.
Wait I think you may have written a more insightful version of the "Obamacore" article in just three paragraphs! New York Magazine, publish Evangeline!
Also I smiled big at: "...is both a beautiful idea and so ahistorical to be lollsy."
Yeah 100%, I think she would be a great president. I just don't think any president (or any individual human, for that matter) should be seen as a savior.
Boy this really about sums it up! Thanks for writing this - that Obamacore article didn't sit right with me, and neither did the absolute scolding I got when I dared to feel joyful and hopeful for a couple of hours. I, too, had some issues with the DNC. I always do. My personal fave was when we all thought we were getting Beyonce and instead it was...Leon Panetta??? LOL.
As an Elder Millennial, I know I am not alone in being like "wow we have been through A LOT", and I think it was totally okay to have a little nostalgia for our younger selves, the idealists who thought things might be okay, and to not be the bitter adults awash in grief for just a small moment.
Thank you for FINALLY providing me a space to process the intense trust issues that I've developed in the past week alone because of the Beyonce/Leon Panetta switcheroo!
My husband was like "I am tired, I'm going to bed, but wake me up if its Beyonce or Taylor". The next morning, we got up, and he was like "what was the surprise???" and I was like "Leon Panetta" and we both laughed for like three minutes straight. You know that laugh. That laugh we have all developed over the past 8 years. Comes straight from the gut, also sounds insane, but what else can you do???
Thank you for writing this, Garrett. I have written like three different comments trying to sum up my feelings on 2008, Obama, 2016, now, Vice President Harris, the coastal elite media, and everything else. I just can’t seem to get it all the way I want it.
I’m just going to sum it up as this: I’m super excited about the fact that my oldest daughter gets to vote in her first Presidential election this November and she gets to cast her vote for a woman who doesn’t want to destroy democracy. I’ve never agreed with all of the policies of any politician, but instituting an authoritarian christo-fascist state is a dealbreaker for me, so I’m willing to move past some other things. Side note - Tim and I seem to agree on a lot (diet Mountain Dew is a notable exception).
Appreciate you, Nathaniel (even though I learned today we have very different takes on Diet Dew).
More importantly, now I too am vicariously excited for your daughter's first vote! Oh man, that's gonna be special (and hopefully also impactful, in a great way).
I cannot wait to read everything that is written about the arc between 2008 Obama and 2024 Harris and the 2016 in the middle. There is absolutely a through line there between those two candidates who were not "next in line" for a presidential run that also goes through Clinton being the most prepared candidate in modern history.
At this point in my life, I wear my enthusiasm, sincerity and earnestness as a badge of pride. Cynicism is lazy, dangerous, and a reliable tell that someone is afraid. If they want to waste their time and intellect mocking me, have at it. I'll be over here working for and celebrating the things I believe in, and inviting others to join me.
The years of 2008 - 2016 feel like they just as easily could be defined by the internet or the Great Recession, and that would probably be more helpful in telling the story of pop culture than by who occupied the White House. Bookending pop culture via presidential terms doesn't seem much different than all those VH1 specials about the 80s or 90s, just with messier bookends. And to define the pop culture of the Obama era without acknowledging anything about the politics of the time feels like a miss.
It absolutely feels like the positivity of the Obama era is back. But I also think we're smarter now to know that winning a presidential campaign or two is not enough. Down ballot races matter, too. And hard fought political wins need continued attention and work to become lasting political wins.
Agree wholeheartedly. The cool thing about looking back at the past is that it's not a binary between "everything I did was great" and "everything I did was awful." We have the ability to synthesize and evolve! What a gift!
speaking of sincerity-- I appreciate that you've been straightforward in your support for Palestine and Palestinians here. I know it has caused conflict, I imagine it has caused you to lose a couple subscribers, and I know it is not the easiest thing to do, but as a friend and an appreciator of your work, i am grateful.
Thanks for writing a really wonderful analysis and an article that made me tear up for reasons I cannot totally articulate. As someone who earnestly believes a lot of things, it’s nice to see someone std up for deeply felt beliefs and wearing our hearts on our sleeves. ❤️
I’ll admit right now I haven’t read Jones’ piece, but I find the combo of “this was our 60s” and “don’t be sincere, it’s so lame” to be not only inaccurate, as others have said, but contradictory. Boomers mythologizing the 60s have been some of the sincerest/cringiest folks out there since they started eulogizing themselves (which was maybe the 80s? I’m thinking of Family Ties here, which I did and do love). It’s also strange to me that, in our current moment, someone pro-Harris/Walz or simply non-partisan would criticize anyone for sincerity and empathy. I feel as if, for all their passions, the MAGA right fully own transparently cynical, contemptuous expressions at this point.
First, I want to say that I am really impressed with what you wrote, not just with the substance of what you wrote, but also with the honestly and sincerity with which you wrote it.
Second, when I tried to subscribe I was told (I think by AT&T, from whom I get these things) that I could not manage my subscription in the app. So please tell me how to subscribe even though I know that I spend too much money on subscriptions (not Peacock or Spotify, but in various places such as the Bulwark).
Third, because I remember all this when it happened, I’d like to suggest that you give some consideration to what I call the anti-Gaza side. Understand that all this is happening because a bunch of the Gazans’ leaders engaged in undeniably reprehensible behavior and then went and hid in Gaza, knowing that their people would approve of what they did and protect them. The people of Gaza could end all this immediately by turning over the malefactors. But they don’t want to. And the leaders who caused this did so by starting an insurrection, or, as they would describe it, by ending a truce which they desperately wanted at the time when they got it. Because when the Arab Israeli war was being fought, these people were not doing the fighting. They were letting the Arab nations fight for them on the theory that the Arabs would win and they would drive the Israelis into the sea. But the Israelis were winning, so a temporary peace was arranged. But now a lot of time has gone by and the people of Gaza, etc., have forgotten that the Israelis were winning and that they are still no match for the Israeli army.
By the way, I am not saying that the Israelis have been blameless, just that no government can let any of its citizens get away with behaving like the Gaza leaders did. If someone did something similar in the United States, you would not want the government to let them get away with it.
Hi Norma. Thanks for your kind words, and thanks also for writing in on a point of disagreement. I can tell that we likely have different perspectives on what's happening in Gaza. I've found that there's often a law of diminishing returns in terms of how useful comments sections can be for discussing those differences, but if you'd like to email me I'm more than happy to talk there.
Your argument lacks both humanity and accurate historical context. I think you should trust that many have given it "some consideration."
(Sorry, Garrett, I'm not trying to fight strangers in your comment section but it's hard to balance "don't feed the trolls" with speaking up about tens of thousands of murdered, missing, orphaned, and starving children and civilians.)
Appreciate you, Cathleen. Like I just said to Norma, while my gut is that it's best to direct this discussion somewhere other than the comments, I know that you needed to speak your heart here (and know that it echoes mine too).
I also struggled with that "Obamacore" essay, and it's affirming to hear that someone else did too! I started reading it, expecting it to be more of a political analysis of that era than a meandering trip through pop culture hallmarks of the Obama years. There were some good smaller insights I think (ie. that having a Black president did not automatically translate to more Black actors getting roles in film and TV), but it felt like the author came up with "the Obama years were our '60s" and then tried to retroactively prove that just because it kind of felt true and like a snappy little thing to say. And btw, I don't even actually agree with that parallel because the '60s were famously tumultuous, and I think *now* feels more like the '60s, but I digress.
The way the article tried to assert that the pop culture of this era was uniquely cringey feels short-sighted because ALL pop culture seems embarrassing and uncool 10 to 15 years out. It really should have been more about hopefulness was not enough on its own and how we just kind of expected progress to continue without any further collective action. This time around, we need to translate that hope for change into a true "60s moment" with highly organized collective action that doesn't let up after one or two wins.
Yes to all this! I was just texting with a friend about that "our 60s" line-- I think by "our '60s" the author means "just like some people were in their 20s in the '60s, me and my friends were in our 20s during the Obama admin" which is not how that metaphor works.
And also: One of the joys in life is looking back on past pop culture and being alternately like "oof, that didn't hold up" or "whoa, that held up pretty well!" I would be bummed for pop culture if it didn't advance and evolve!
I can't speak for the guy who wrote the Obamacore piece, but I'm aware that my cynicism so often, like my anger, is a cover for really deep heartbreak. And also envy-- of people (particularly White people) who can still drum up sincere, and what seems like uncomplicated, excitement about anything having to do with mainstream politics, instead of tip-toeing around it all wondering when the other shoe is going to drop. When that hopefulness will get sullied by what feels like the inevitable capitulation (at best) or embrace by whoever is inspiring that jubilation of the darkest levers of power. And I say all of this as one of the most cringe-y, earnest people I know, but also one who has felt deeply and fundamentally alienated by nearly every aspect of mainstream culture and politics my entire life. (Thanks for that inheritance, Mom and Dad.) This makes me look at what (I perceive as) uncritical enthusiasm with a peculiar mix of envy mixed with exasperation and disdain, the last two being less painful than the first.
All this to say, thank you for this. It's good for my (often tired) heart.
Jeez, thank YOU for this incredible, open-hearted reflection and reminder. I can forget-- when I encounter cynicism-- the emotions that it both masks and reveals. And of course! There are so many good reasons for so many to be heartbroken and to want to retreat from the risk of caring out loud again.
Oh my goodness this essay sent my brain in so many directions. First, I rewatched the Yes We Can video (which I, too often cried to in 2008) and it brought back such visceral sense memories of my senior year of high school and my freshman year of college. And it still gives me goosebumps! And the line “in the history of America, there has never been anything false about our hope” is both a beautiful idea and so ahistorical as to be lollsy. Much like the rest of mid-aughts liberalism!
I think another lens through which the Obama years could have been explored, if the writer was a little more self-aware, is the pendulum swing between cynicism and earnestness. One thing that New Girl and Glee and the collected works of Lin Manuel Miranda do have in common is the earnest, try-hard opposition to the sarcastic, low-maintenance eye-roll culture of the late 90s and early 2000s. I mean, could the humor of Friends, Seinfeld, Simpsons, and Curb Your Enthusiasm BE any more prickly? Jess Day had more in common with Ned Flanders than any of the protagonists of the Bush era.
And now, perhaps, the pendulum is swinging the other way. I can’t help but feel it has more to do with the dominant generation’s movement from too-cool early adulthood to dorky middle age than anything else. Though another thing I’ve been noting is the revival of interest in West Wing. That show was such a balm when it felt like Bush was ruining everything, and I think it contributed (for me at least) to the implicit sense that if the right people are in charge we don’t have to worry about things. It doesn’t feel to me like anyone believes Harris will save us all (though perhaps that’s just the vibe within my small bubble) but either way I hope new viewers of Jed Bartlett will take away a newfound interest in civil service instead of feeling lulled into liberal complacency.
Wait I think you may have written a more insightful version of the "Obamacore" article in just three paragraphs! New York Magazine, publish Evangeline!
Also I smiled big at: "...is both a beautiful idea and so ahistorical to be lollsy."
I understand your feeling that maybe Harris won’t save us, but she sure doesn’t want to turn the US into a totalitarian state.
Yeah 100%, I think she would be a great president. I just don't think any president (or any individual human, for that matter) should be seen as a savior.
That's my hope, for sure.
Boy this really about sums it up! Thanks for writing this - that Obamacore article didn't sit right with me, and neither did the absolute scolding I got when I dared to feel joyful and hopeful for a couple of hours. I, too, had some issues with the DNC. I always do. My personal fave was when we all thought we were getting Beyonce and instead it was...Leon Panetta??? LOL.
As an Elder Millennial, I know I am not alone in being like "wow we have been through A LOT", and I think it was totally okay to have a little nostalgia for our younger selves, the idealists who thought things might be okay, and to not be the bitter adults awash in grief for just a small moment.
Thank you for FINALLY providing me a space to process the intense trust issues that I've developed in the past week alone because of the Beyonce/Leon Panetta switcheroo!
My husband was like "I am tired, I'm going to bed, but wake me up if its Beyonce or Taylor". The next morning, we got up, and he was like "what was the surprise???" and I was like "Leon Panetta" and we both laughed for like three minutes straight. You know that laugh. That laugh we have all developed over the past 8 years. Comes straight from the gut, also sounds insane, but what else can you do???
Thank you for writing this, Garrett. I have written like three different comments trying to sum up my feelings on 2008, Obama, 2016, now, Vice President Harris, the coastal elite media, and everything else. I just can’t seem to get it all the way I want it.
I’m just going to sum it up as this: I’m super excited about the fact that my oldest daughter gets to vote in her first Presidential election this November and she gets to cast her vote for a woman who doesn’t want to destroy democracy. I’ve never agreed with all of the policies of any politician, but instituting an authoritarian christo-fascist state is a dealbreaker for me, so I’m willing to move past some other things. Side note - Tim and I seem to agree on a lot (diet Mountain Dew is a notable exception).
Appreciate you, Nathaniel (even though I learned today we have very different takes on Diet Dew).
More importantly, now I too am vicariously excited for your daughter's first vote! Oh man, that's gonna be special (and hopefully also impactful, in a great way).
I cannot wait to read everything that is written about the arc between 2008 Obama and 2024 Harris and the 2016 in the middle. There is absolutely a through line there between those two candidates who were not "next in line" for a presidential run that also goes through Clinton being the most prepared candidate in modern history.
At this point in my life, I wear my enthusiasm, sincerity and earnestness as a badge of pride. Cynicism is lazy, dangerous, and a reliable tell that someone is afraid. If they want to waste their time and intellect mocking me, have at it. I'll be over here working for and celebrating the things I believe in, and inviting others to join me.
So well put! Hell yeah.
The years of 2008 - 2016 feel like they just as easily could be defined by the internet or the Great Recession, and that would probably be more helpful in telling the story of pop culture than by who occupied the White House. Bookending pop culture via presidential terms doesn't seem much different than all those VH1 specials about the 80s or 90s, just with messier bookends. And to define the pop culture of the Obama era without acknowledging anything about the politics of the time feels like a miss.
It absolutely feels like the positivity of the Obama era is back. But I also think we're smarter now to know that winning a presidential campaign or two is not enough. Down ballot races matter, too. And hard fought political wins need continued attention and work to become lasting political wins.
Agree wholeheartedly. The cool thing about looking back at the past is that it's not a binary between "everything I did was great" and "everything I did was awful." We have the ability to synthesize and evolve! What a gift!
speaking of sincerity-- I appreciate that you've been straightforward in your support for Palestine and Palestinians here. I know it has caused conflict, I imagine it has caused you to lose a couple subscribers, and I know it is not the easiest thing to do, but as a friend and an appreciator of your work, i am grateful.
Obviously saying a few sentences here and there is a very small drop in the bucket, but at the very least it's honest!
Thanks for writing a really wonderful analysis and an article that made me tear up for reasons I cannot totally articulate. As someone who earnestly believes a lot of things, it’s nice to see someone std up for deeply felt beliefs and wearing our hearts on our sleeves. ❤️
Here's to earnestly believing in a lot of things and also to tearing up for reasons we cannot totally articulate!
I’ll admit right now I haven’t read Jones’ piece, but I find the combo of “this was our 60s” and “don’t be sincere, it’s so lame” to be not only inaccurate, as others have said, but contradictory. Boomers mythologizing the 60s have been some of the sincerest/cringiest folks out there since they started eulogizing themselves (which was maybe the 80s? I’m thinking of Family Ties here, which I did and do love). It’s also strange to me that, in our current moment, someone pro-Harris/Walz or simply non-partisan would criticize anyone for sincerity and empathy. I feel as if, for all their passions, the MAGA right fully own transparently cynical, contemptuous expressions at this point.
Ooh, that's a really, really good point! You can't be sentimental without, you know, sentiment!
First, I want to say that I am really impressed with what you wrote, not just with the substance of what you wrote, but also with the honestly and sincerity with which you wrote it.
Second, when I tried to subscribe I was told (I think by AT&T, from whom I get these things) that I could not manage my subscription in the app. So please tell me how to subscribe even though I know that I spend too much money on subscriptions (not Peacock or Spotify, but in various places such as the Bulwark).
Third, because I remember all this when it happened, I’d like to suggest that you give some consideration to what I call the anti-Gaza side. Understand that all this is happening because a bunch of the Gazans’ leaders engaged in undeniably reprehensible behavior and then went and hid in Gaza, knowing that their people would approve of what they did and protect them. The people of Gaza could end all this immediately by turning over the malefactors. But they don’t want to. And the leaders who caused this did so by starting an insurrection, or, as they would describe it, by ending a truce which they desperately wanted at the time when they got it. Because when the Arab Israeli war was being fought, these people were not doing the fighting. They were letting the Arab nations fight for them on the theory that the Arabs would win and they would drive the Israelis into the sea. But the Israelis were winning, so a temporary peace was arranged. But now a lot of time has gone by and the people of Gaza, etc., have forgotten that the Israelis were winning and that they are still no match for the Israeli army.
By the way, I am not saying that the Israelis have been blameless, just that no government can let any of its citizens get away with behaving like the Gaza leaders did. If someone did something similar in the United States, you would not want the government to let them get away with it.
Hi Norma. Thanks for your kind words, and thanks also for writing in on a point of disagreement. I can tell that we likely have different perspectives on what's happening in Gaza. I've found that there's often a law of diminishing returns in terms of how useful comments sections can be for discussing those differences, but if you'd like to email me I'm more than happy to talk there.
Your argument lacks both humanity and accurate historical context. I think you should trust that many have given it "some consideration."
(Sorry, Garrett, I'm not trying to fight strangers in your comment section but it's hard to balance "don't feed the trolls" with speaking up about tens of thousands of murdered, missing, orphaned, and starving children and civilians.)
Appreciate you, Cathleen. Like I just said to Norma, while my gut is that it's best to direct this discussion somewhere other than the comments, I know that you needed to speak your heart here (and know that it echoes mine too).