Saturday, June 15, 2024

Trump’s “bing”

It's a small thing, but I think I've discovered the source for Trump's strange "bing" habit. Here is a compilation or Trump moments. And here — wait for it — is Joe Pesci in Goodfellas.

In each case, we see a storytelling entertainer, the center of attention for all those around him, able to intimidate and mess with people, and capable of sudden surprising violence. I haven't seen Goodfellas (dir. Martin Scorsese, 1990) in years, and I'm not really sure that the resemblance to Pesci's Tommy DeVito would play out in a coherent way. But who needs coherence when it comes to Trump? I saw this brief scene by chance and immediately thought of him.

I do know that Tommy comes to a bad end (whacked), which might click with Trump’s penchant to see himself as a victim. At any rate, it's not surprising that Trump would identify with a mob figure.

Am I seeing things here? Your thoughts, reader, are welcome.

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June 17: Several reputable sources, e.g. this one, from 2012, and this one, citing a 2016 source, name Goodfellas as one of Trump’s favorite movies. Elaine and I watched it last night, for the first time in many years. The picture of outer-borough guys who are able to do or get anything they want is telling.

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