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Jordan Klepper Finds Groomers At A Gun Show

By Andrew Sanford | TV | April 19, 2023 |

By Andrew Sanford | TV | April 19, 2023 |


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I thought that Jordan Klepper would get to stay behind the desk this week. He is the current guest host of The Daily Show, but usually, he’s out in the field getting yelled at by crazy people. It turns out that this week will be an even mix of both. Klepper has already traveled to the Bronx to chat with AOC. Now, he’s off to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to speak with a bunch of neckbearded weirdos who think that guns are for everybody, even children, who can’t even go to school without fear of being shot.

There’s something extra infuriating about this Klepper segment. Watching guns get fetishized the way they are isn’t inherently new. Klepper does speak with an expert who said the “tactical” nature of gun ownership is relatively new. I’ve been watching movies where dudes fire rifles at scores of faceless villains since I was a child. John Wick 4 has made almost half a billion dollars. Fetishizing firearms is deeply rooted in American culture.

What makes the glorifying of guns particularly insidious now is the bullshit rationalization. I’m sure that is not new, either. It could just be that I’m more attuned to it now. Either way, it’s maddening. Watching grown men fold themselves into suitcases like Bugs Bunny trying to explain how they think hammers are more dangerous than guns is f***ing dumb. Yet, they say it with a straight face and a glaring lack of empathy and critical thinking.

The Tulsa Gun Show was 11 acres of guns (and Nazi stuff because, of course). There are guns marketed to kids at these shows (and out in the world). Colorful guns, tiny guns, even something called a JR-15, for when your bloodlust needs to subside before your second nap. If they manage to avoid shooting their dicks off, the same men claiming that a statue on someone’s desk is more dangerous than a handgun will also likely procreate. They will then groom those kids to be as stupid and violent as they are.

Jordan Klepper may have stumbled upon the worst that the country has to offer. The Trump rallies have been troubling, but there is a sense of relief. Trump himself may face consequences (emphasis on may). The rallies aren’t as popping as they used to be. Gun shows? Those aren’t going away any time soon. If anything, they may only get stronger.