Demons Like Us

Last weekend, at Glenn Beck's idiot delight -- otherwise known as his Tea Party Rally -- this curious creature appeared.  Yes, true Americans patriots everywhere, it's a pregnant, crossdressing demon.  Be afraid ... be very afraid.

I'm tempted to let these wonderful images stand mute, as the demon herself did for much of the rally, but cannot resist a little cultural analysis: this may just be the perfect image to confront 300,000 angry, flag-bedraped "patriots" vowing to "take our country back" or "restore honor" or whatever the euphemism for the far right Republican agenda is these days.  Think of it: every issue used by cynical, Yale-trained politicians to whip up fear in the Tea-baggers' tiny brains, wrapped up in one tidy package.

1. The supernatural -- for most Tea-baggers, evangelicals that they are, there's a demon behind every bush, waiting to ensnare unwary Christians and drag them into the pits of hell, or perhaps even the Democratic Party.
2. The Sanctity of (unborn) life -- it's a pregnant crossdressing demon.  Maybe that's why it wants a sandwich ... to feed it's unborn demon-ette?  On the plus side, as demonic as it is, it hasn't elected to end it's pregnancy ... yet.
3. Evil Immigrants -- Well, now we know why it hasn't aborted the thing yet ... it's in the anchor baby business!
4. Gender Panic -- What's more subversive and threatening than a demon who wants to have an anchor baby?  A boy demon who wants to look like a girl demon!  Personally, I wonder where she got those darling boots ...

Apparently, the rally was much more religious than political ... and the pregnant cross-dressing demon got more than her fair share of angry, hateful diatribes from these so-called Christians.  I wonder which of the five points above prompted the most ire?

Who knows?  There is so much anger in the Tea-baggers, so much hate, and there are plenty of scapegoats to go around.   Gays, immigrants, Muslims (there's a minority they didn't pack into the image), unwed mothers, and of course, we transgendered folk. And as usual, the hate is being cynically fueled by their "handlers" -- in this case, the Republican Party, overseen by the very corporate interests who are reducing Tea-bagger incomes and taking away Tea-bagger retirement plans.  Misdirection is a wonderful thing.