An odd thing about the American far right is they often seem to be buffoons doing absurd things. One example is the fascist organization Proud Boys. While this is a domestic terrorist group known for violence, it is also known for its wacky rules and rituals. They have a strict rule about masturbation and a ritual in which they punch a member while shouting out the names of breakfast cereals. They also seem to LARP by dressing up with a Call of Duty look and have an order of “Alt Knights.” As such, they can appear as a bunch of loonies.

As a second example, Trump puts on a masterful show of buffoonery. He maintains an odd orange skin tone which has led to speculation that it is a spray on tan. His COVID press conferences were master performances in absurdity with bizarre claims made in front of the cameras. His bumbling of basic language and expression of ignorance about basic facts relevant to his job are also an impressive performance of buffoonery.

As a third example, Rudy Giuliani rivaled his master in his buffoonery. He crazily advanced unsupported conspiracy theories, filed unfounded lawsuits with typos, held a press conference at a landscaping business, and in a brilliant stroke of foolery held a press conference with what might be mascara (rather than hair dye) running down the sides of his face. Comedians are hard pressed to parody the right. While it is tempting to dismiss this buffoonery as arising from stupidity, it is worth considering it is a strategy. So, what are possible advantages of buffoonery as a political tool?

One advantage is that ridiculous behavior can make someone seem less dangerous or even harmless. Take, for example, the Proud Boys. Their breakfast cereal beating and “no wank” rules make them seem silly. How could such silly people be domestic terrorists? In the case of Rudy and his ilk, their incompetent buffoonery makes them seem silly. How could some crazy guy with mascara running down his face have harmed American democracy? The defense against this is to realize that even buffoons can be dangerous, especially when their buffoonery is directed by non-buffoons and used as a cover.

A second advantage of buffoonery is that it distracts people from serious matters. Trump’s constant buffoonery draws attention away from the harmful and corrupt things going on under his reign. As many have said, Trump sucks up all the oxygen and dominates the news cycle and thus important stories get little or no attention. In the case of the Proud Boys, their buffoonery distracts from their violence. In the case of Rudy and his ilk, their buffoonery distracts from the deeper stories of the undermining of American democracy in favor of authoritarianism.  This tactic is analogous to that used by pickpockets and magicians: they often use an assistant to distract the target so that they can accomplish their goal. The defense is to resist the lure of the buffoonery but this is hard for most of the media as they need to capture an audience.

A third advantage is that buffoonery makes it harder for the opponents of the far right to convince others that these people are a threat. This strategy is presented in the X-Files episode José Chung’s From Outer Space. In this episode, Mulder and Scully run into the Men in Black. Alex Trebek plays one of them but he is supposed to just look like Alek Trebek rather than be Alex Trebek. That is, he is playing someone who is playing him. This is done because the Men in Black are supposed to appear so ridiculous that any story told about them will seem absurd and unbelievable. To use the Proud Boys as an example, if someone tries to explain that this “no wank” group of breakfast cereal shouters is a real threat, they might seem crazy.

Folks on the right also use coded language, dog-whistles, and euphemisms to produce a similar effect. Because of this strategy, trying to explain the right to “normies” can make a person seem crazy. Phrases and terms like “bad hombres”, “law and order”, “inner cities”, “suburban housewives”, “America First”, “international bankers”, and such appear innocent to those ignorant of the code and the context. For example, when Trump talks about “law and order” in the “inner cities” he is usually talking about using the police to oppress black Americans. When a right-wing group talks about “international bankers” and “Soros” they are usually engaging in antisemitism. As I can attest to from my own experience, trying to explain dog whistles and coded language to “normies” results in incredulous stares which is exactly what the right intends. Overcoming this is challenging, especially since the right adapts when their dog whistles and coded language is exposed to the mainstream. But this is something that needs to be done and one hopes that more people become aware of what the right is trying to do and can decode their language even when the right adapts.