I had a rather disturbing epiphany the other day. Donald Trump as President is the real life equivalent of Chauncey Gardiner from the movie Being There. Stay with me for minute and I’ll explain. Trump is addicted to TV news, we know that. He is not particularly curious about the outside world. Like Peter Sellers character, he deceives people about what he is, and what he can do, but maybe not really deliberately as he is disconnected from reality. So what he thinks is true, is in fact true. And just like in the movie, people come to see in Chauncey Gardiner what they want to see. Again just like Trump. Still not sure? Look at this introduction to the plot and watch the preview: Chance (Peter Sellers) is a middle-aged man who lives in the townhouse of an old, wealthy man in Washington, D.C. He is simple-minded and has lived there his whole life, tending the garden. Other than gardening, his knowledge is derived entirely from what he sees on television as he does not read newspapers. When his benefactor dies, he is ordered to move out. Thus he discovers the outside world for the first time. He finds the real world confusing and overwhelming. (MM. sound familiar?) Eventually, Chance ends up mixing with the rich and powerful of Washington, with all his simple phrases and words perceived as insightful and powerful. Eventually he is even considered to be presidential material. So there you have it, we have our very own Chauncey Gardiner as President. Trump has said being president is surreal. It sure is buddy, it sure is.
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