"Florida Man [Does Crazy Thing]" is a common headline not just in Florida but around the US. "Florida Man" has been a meme for 10+ years, with various websites and social media feeds portraying the stories as if they're the act of an individual person, perhaps the world's worst superhero[1].
The
New York Post satirically used this meme in covering former president Donald Trump's Nov. 15 announcement that he's running for president again. Yes, just 7 days after Election Day 2022, and
720 days before Election Day 2024, Trump announced his candidacy. ...Which the
Post covered with the headline "FLORIDA MAN MAKES ANNOUNCEMENT" at the bottom of its front page, pointing to a barb-filled story buried on page 26.
It's notable that the New York Post satirized Trump's announcement. The Post is part of Rupert Murdoch's media empire, which for the past many years has served as a propaganda engine for extreme right politics and leaders such as Trump. Now instead of publishing a constant stream of distortions and outright lies to support Trump, the paper is going against him. Other Murdoch properties, such the
Wall Street Journal have, too. Even Fox News cut away from live TV coverage of Trump's rambling pep rally as even its rabid fan base found it too dull for prime time.
1. Many writers have attributed the frequency of "Florida Man" news stories to Florida's open public records laws. Police are required to publish reports on all arrests; lazy journalists then have a ready source for colorful headlines. Other factors have been noted, too, such as in this 2019 article published by CNN.com. The state is populous, culturally diverse, and— sadly— has the lowest funding for mental health problems, which are a factor in many of the strange events.![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
