Remember this guy?
That’s coal power plant employee Ken Bone back in his prime, at the peak of his stardom, asking a question about energy policy at the second presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.
His unspectacular question, ostensibly focused on the challenge of reconciling the economic and environmental effects of the energy industry, basically boiled down to something like: “Can you tell me how your energy policy will be responsible and environmentally friendly while not costing me my job?”. Trump answered first, initially mentioning (accurately) the problematic role of foreign companies’ ownership of U.S. oil refineries, then ridiculously promising energy prosperity that will eliminate the national debt, before completely jumping off topic to rail against the effect of Chinese steel on U.S. markets. Clinton answered next, first addressing Trump’s steel industry comment (in an attempt to score cheap political points), then proceeding to give a somewhat meandering and vague reply which was rich in rhetoric but short in detail, before finally referring Mr. Bone to her campaign website for a full explanation of her entire policy. She erroneously characterized the U.S. as being energy independent, but to her credit she did at least mention climate change as a concern.
For his efforts, Bone was rewarded with instant social media super-stardom. He was immediately and universally embraced as a most welcome distraction from the ugliness that is the 2016 election cycle, and his rise to internet fame was meteoric. Amidst the darkness and gloom of a Donald Trump candidacy, his substantive debate question and his apparent sincerity suggested the potential that some degree of integrity still exists in American democracy, as well as the sense of hope that somehow this nonsense can and will be put behind us. As he was transformed from man to meme in real time before our eyes, the components of his image each gained their own celebrity: the eyeglasses, the mustache, the prodigious girth, the innocent everyman image of a guy snapping pictures with a disposable camera in 2016. And most notably, the overwhelming object of public affection was his red cable-knit sweater, a Plan-B fashion choice chosen only after he split the pants of his beloved olive suit. In a most preposterous display of feverish internet overreach, in some circles he was even being referred to as a hero.
Unfortunately, as they say, when something seems too good to be true, it usually is.
As the whirlwind week of KenBonemania transpired, his bubble ultimately burst when he naively and absentmindedly hosted a Reddit AMA under his own personal account, allowing curious reporters access to his internet past. Alas, in short order we were introduced to the actual person who is Ken Bone, including his recollections of dodging insurance regulations, his debatable interpretation of gun violence, his sometimes less than Puritan internet activities replete with odd pornographic preferences, and his TMI promotion of vasectomy. It was the inevitable undoing of hollow internet fame, and as quickly as it began, the myth of Ken Bone the hero was dispelled. And now, it is hard to tell whether to feel more sympathy for the man himself, or for the throngs who flocked to purchase authentic Ken Bone Halloween costumes.
Still, there may be some valuable enlightenment to be gleaned from this fiasco.
First and foremost, the Ken Bone saga should and hopefully will serve as a reminder of the recklessness and unreliability of contemporary internet and social media meme culture.
Defined as ideas, behaviors, styles, or usages that spread from person to person within a culture, memes may serve a legitimate function in the transformation of popular culture. Intuitively, this should be a gradual process which allows for only the assimilation of credible and worthwhile cultural influence. However, in our modern technological age, this process can (and does) occur with lightening speed, often ahead of the ability to contain irresponsible or out of control transfer of influence.
This was one of the first online reactions to Mr. Bone’s fall from grace. Publications from Forbes to Salon to The Washington Post all joined in cautionary lament of the repercussions when, by virtue of its sheer reach, the internet itself decides who and what is culturally important. And by “the internet”, I mean masses upon masses of internet users.
While he certainly embraced his fifteen minutes of fame, Ken Bone neither invited nor possessed control over his celebrity. He was the object of his own saga rather than the subject. Whereas he was built up to be something he is not, something other than just human, he can scarcely be blamed for just being who he is. Nonetheless, his anonymity is lost forever and it is questionable whether that fact will be to his benefit.
While it may be pleasant to think that the online community could conceivably become more discerning in its consumption of internet celebrity, even the least cynical among us would concede that’s a fool’s wish.
Second, this episode highlights the irritating tendency for people to be much too liberal in attributing the word hero. This issue has been a popular topic of debate for some time. Just Google “Overuse of word hero” for plenty of examples. To be clear, by definition this word can apply not just to people who accomplish acts of greatness or courage, but also to people who are greatly admired, usually for possessing fine qualities. While the argument can be made on a case by case basis whether the word is appropriate for the recipient, the general rule which should apply is that the wider the application the more the word becomes diluted, and the less honor and prestige it carries as a compliment.
There was nothing heroic about Ken Bone appearing at the debate and asking his question, except perhaps the effort to carry all of that bodyweight onto the stage. There is also nothing heroic about simply being a good citizen. There is a certain level of decency and virtue that should be considered the baseline for good citizenship. It should be somewhat disturbing that when we see it we would regard that baseline as something extraordinary, but perhaps that speaks to the civic and political climate of our times. Still, let’s save the word hero for people who have actually earned the accolade.
Lastly, it is worth taking a closer look at the question the Mr. Bone asked the candidates, specifically his motivation for asking it and how that relates to the election on a broader scale.
The actual text of Mr. Bone’s question is this: “What steps will your energy policy take to meet our energy needs, while at the same time remaining environmentally friendly and minimizing job loss for fossil power plant workers?”
During an interview with The Washington Post on the day after the debate, and again later while appearing on The Jimmy Kimmel Show, Mr. Bone attempted to elaborate on his debate question and his broader views on the election and the candidates. He described himself to Kimmel as “more undecided than ever” following the debate, though he did admit to slightly favoring Trump heading into it. In his interview with The Washington Post he was more specific about which candidate he favors and why. Consider the following quotes taken from the WP interview:
{“Mr. Trump represents my personal interests very well,” he said.
“I like his economic policy better than Senator Clinton’s.” Bone believes Trump “Would probably do more to protect my job in the fossil power industry”.
“But Secretary Clinton is a better representative for all of America,” he said. “It puts me in a difficult position.”
“I don’t want to see anyone’s rights stripped away. We fought very hard to get equal rights for groups that have never had them before. I’m so glad that they have them now. I don’t want them to lose those rights. So this election cycle, personally to me, is about my interest vs. the common good. It’s a tough one. I really haven’t made a final decision yet.”}
These are extremely revealing comments, not simply just to explain Mr. Bone’s position, but much more importantly as a window into the political soul of a Republican leaning voter and potential Trump supporter. As such it is worth a closer look at his actual words.
The concept of self-interest as incentive is central to the free market economic policies which are favored by the Republican Party and by conservatives in general. It is also central to the debate question posed by Mr. Bone, which he indicates when he says that Trump “represents my personal interests very well”. He goes on to clearly draw the distinction between candidates saying “But Secretary Clinton is a better representative for all of America” and continues to explain his reluctance to see equal rights stripped away.
He goes on further to crystallize the conflict: “So this election cycle, personally to me, is about my interest vs. the common good. It’s a tough one. I really haven’t made a final decision yet.”
A tough one, indeed ! It is worth pausing for a moment to consider what is being expressed here, particularly in the context of the 2016 election.
Regardless of one’s personal political views, it is inconceivable to deny the fact that as a presidential candidate, Donald Trump is the equivalent of a circus clown. His campaign has been preposterously void of substance or integrity, and the prospect of his presidency is widely regarded both domestically and internationally as potentially destabilizing, and not in a good way as his supporters would suggest. The notion that an individual voter would cast a vote for Trump in an effort to serve their own narrow self interest should be troubling to anyone who takes this election seriously.
Let’s go back to the start of this post for a moment. A week ago we had Ken Bone being hailed as the the only positive thing to come out of the second debate. For a moment, he was a hero, symbolic of everything that is good about America. Couldn’t this suggest that our social media culture, as well as perhaps our national politics, might be a little warped?
Personally, I’m not comfortable with the notion that putting one’s own interest ahead of the common good (to paraphrase Bone’s own words) is anything to celebrate. I have little sympathy for the loyal Republican voters’ dilemma on Nov. 8th, after their party elected this nominee in the primary while ignoring several qualified candidates. But for undecided voters, one of whom Mr. Bone identifies himself, I do find it concerning that this election’s choice, at least at the top of the ticket, would be a tough one.
BP
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