As Hollywood taps into American empathy, conservatives call it a sin
' Freakier Friday ' hits theaters on Aug. 8 and I can't wait — and not only because I'm expecting it to be a lot of fun, but because I think our country needs a dose of good-hearted humor, the same way we needed Superman reaffirming the values of 'truth, justice and the American way.'
'Freakier Friday' is a sequel to ' Freaky Friday,' which came out 22 years ago, during President George W. Bush's first term. Honestly, that feels like a lifetime ago. Come to think of it, it's more than half a lifetime ago for me.
If you haven't seen 'Freaky Friday,' you should. Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan were brilliant, and it's exciting that they're both back in the movie's starring roles, along with most of the original cast.
Fantasy comedy movies, like superhero movies, are about delivering good times, not political messages. At the same time, movies and television shows and other kinds of storytelling succeed by tapping into common experiences and our shared hopes and aspirations.
The best of them can make us think and laugh at the same time. That was the genius of shows like ' All in the Family,' created by my organization's founder, Norman Lear.
'Freaky Friday' was essentially about empathy — seeing the world through someone else's eyes in order to better understand their thoughts, feelings and actions.
In this case, it was about a mother and teenage daughter who were often at odds before a bit of mystical magic swapped their identities and bodies, literally forcing them to experience the world as the other does.
The movie succeeded in being both funny and thought-provoking, silly and moving on a basic human level.
In promotional materials for 'Freakier Friday,' Curtis and Lohan tell us that the identity swaps and complications in the new movie are even more complicated — freakier all the way around.
That feels appropriate, because things in our country are certainly freakier now than they were 22 years ago — and not in a good or fun way.
It's impossible to say what aspect of President Donald Trump's MAGA movement is most horrific, but it could very well be its hostility to empathy.
The policies of the Trump administration require the systemic suppression of empathy.
How else could you support taking health care away from people who are barely making ends meet so you can shovel more money into the bulging pockets of billionaires?
How else could you be so delighted about brutally abducting people who have raised families and contributed to their communities for decades that you turn the operations into music videos?
How else would you take such joy in the hopelessness of people kidnapped and sent to concentration camps that you pose for photos and sell merchandise celebrating their suffering?
It's disturbing to me as a Christian that so many conservative Christians, who make up a big part of Trump's base, are along for the ride. I understand that people have widely differing interpretations of how their faith informs their political opinions. I understand that people of integrity can disagree on what policies will create the best outcomes.
What I don't understand is how so many Christians in the MAGA movement not only accept the Trump administration's cruelty as a necessary evil, but seem to actually revel in it.
I imagine that many Americans instinctively feel revulsion when witnessing official lawlessness and brutality. They feel empathy for the suffering of struggling and disrupted families. In other words, they feel empathy.
That's not useful to Team Trump, so they tell their followers to reject those empathetic impulses.
That's how we get the sickening spectacle of right-wing influencers warning against ' toxic empathy ' and MAGA-minded preachers declaring that empathy is a 'sin ' — a sin!
That's a hard sell for this Christian. I see empathy at the core of the golden rule, and of the commandment to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.
I love the reaction I've seen appear on church message boards and hand-drawn protest signs: 'If empathy is a sin, sin boldly.'
That's the kind of joyful defiance we need more of these dispiriting days.
We also need humor and good company to keep us going. That's why I'm looking forward to laughing along with a crowd watching Freakier Friday.
See you in the theater.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Insider
15 minutes ago
- Business Insider
Mané Dias Launches ‘Ink Between Worlds' Sessions, A Ritual Tattoo Experience in San Francisco & Phoenix.
In the latest record, Mané Dias launches 'In Between Worlds' sessions, rooted in memory, migration, and emotional storytelling at a time. Combining technical skill with artistic vision, she reveals its invisible architecture: grief, transformation, exile, desire. Her work lives in the emotional liminal spaces between art and ritual, client and artist, chaos and calm, offering tattoos built to endure. Working out of Sasha Tattooing Essential, Mané's designs are whispered statements, minimalistic in form, yet profound in meaning. Each line, curve, and shadow carries the weight of myth, memory, and motion. Drawing inspiration from the beauty and intricacies of the natural world, her style embraces realism in its purest form. Mané Dias' tattoos possess a remarkable ability to capture the essence of her subjects, whether it's the lifelike rendering of a delicate flower, the intricate details of an animal portrait, or the awe-inspiring depiction of a landscape. Each stroke of her tattoo machine is infused with precision and passion, resulting in mesmerizing artworks that appear to come to life on the skin. In addition, she strives to infuse her tattoos with a touch of individuality, working closely with clients to incorporate their personal stories and desires into the designs. This collaborative approach ensures that every tattoo she creates is visually captivating as well as deeply meaningful to the wearer. With a sense of reinvention, Mané Dias has a deep respect for what she'd brought with her. Her American chapter includes regular stops in San Francisco and Phoenix, and a growing clientele who come not just for the aesthetic, but for the experience. Mané's sessions feel ceremonial - intimate, intuitive, collaborative. Furthermore, Mané favors a minimalist setup - a wireless pen machine, simple round liners, and subtle shading that mimics the texture of pencil on paper. About Mané Dias Mané Dias, a rare talent artist, is now based in San Francisco. Born on December 31, 1998, in Yerevan, Armenia, and raised in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Mané's early life was defined by displacement and dual identity. Her childhood was marked by the anxiety of fitting in - and the quiet rebellion of refusing to. As a child, she staged imaginary performances, covered her face in glitter, and tore apart books to taste their pages. She drew on walls, and when she discovered tattoos, she saw them as something sacred - alive, permanent, and entirely her own. By 2018, her minimalist yet emotionally resonant designs gained traction on Instagram. In 2022, everything changed. Mané fled to Vienna, working briefly at Hyper Human studio before returning home - unable to leave for personal reasons but unwilling to stop. She traveled Europe to tattoo - Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam, Warsaw, Milan, Bucharest - bringing her signature symbolism to clients across the continent. Alongside tattooing, she continued to create fine art - charcoal-heavy, earth-toned works that felt raw and unfinished, just like the moment. Her pieces appeared in Eye Sea Gallery in Kyiv, the Lviv Art Center, and Modern City Hub in Zaporizhzhia. She even collaborated with the Ukrainian fashion label Nothing Holy to launch a capsule collection based on her tattoo designs. 'My job is to hold space,' she says. 'Some clients want to talk. Some want to sit in silence. Both are means of connection.' Tattooing is her language, her tool for emotional cartography. With each client, each design, each shared moment of stillness, she maps out new coordinates - between memory and body, between exile and home.
Los Angeles Times
43 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Trump administration sanctions a Mexican rapper over allegations of cartel ties
MEXICO CITY — The Trump administration said Wednesday it was sanctioning Mexican musician Ricardo Hernández, known as 'El Makabelico,' over allegations that the artist was laundering money for a drug cartel. The move comes after the administration has stripped the visas of some of Mexico's most famous musicians, targeting those whose genres often explore themes related to cartels. The U.S. Treasury Department accused Hernández, a musician they refer to as a 'narco-rapper,' of being associated with the Cartel del Noreste, CDN, an evolution of the former Zetas Cartel. According to the department, he laundered money for the criminal group through concerts and events. The CDN is one of several Latin American organized crime groups that the Trump administration has designated as a foreign terrorist organization. The administration alleges that 50% of Hernández's royalties on streaming platforms go directly to the cartel, leading to his sanctioning alongside leaders of the cartel on allegations that he acted for or on behalf of the criminal group. Hernández did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 'CDN depends on these alternative revenue streams and money laundering methods to boost their criminal enterprise, diversifying their income beyond criminal activity like drug trafficking, human smuggling, and extortion,' wrote the Treasury Department in a news release. The sanctions would block the rapper's properties in the U.S. and freeze financial transactions with any businesses owned by those sanctioned, and threaten secondary sanctions against foreign financial institutions that do business with them. Hernández, whose stage name is a play on words relating to cartels, performs his songs wearing a black ski mask and often sings songs related to the criminal groups, making reference to street life, cartel lifestyles and the realities faced in cartel-dominated areas. In recent years, young artists like Peso Pluma have brought Mexican genres into the international spotlight by mixing traditional rhythms with trap and other styles, competing with global stars including Taylor Swift and Bad Bunny on streaming platforms. The genres — primarily 'narco-corridos' — have also become the center of controversy because a number of artists sing about cartels and 'narco culture' associated with them. Some songs romanticize criminals, while others speak to the harsh realities of youth living in cartel-controlled areas, similar to rap music in the U.S. The music has long fueled a debate about the fine line between artistic expression and censorship, as a number of Mexican states have previously banned performances of certain genres. In recent months, the Trump administration has revoked the visas of a slew of different artists related to the genre. In May, the famous northern Mexican band Grupo Firme, which has taken steps to distance themselves from the cartel-centric themes of the genre, announced they would have to cancel an upcoming show in California because their visas were suspended. In April, the administration said it was revoking the visas of the band Los Alegres del Barranco after they flashed the face of a cartel boss behind them at a concert, prompting a controversy and even criminal investigations in Mexico. Press writes for the Associated Press.
Hypebeast
an hour ago
- Hypebeast
Dos Equis and Fuerza Regida Have Partnered With Mexican American Artists for a Collaborative Capsule
Since 2015, the musica mexicana band, Fuerza Regida has brought their musical flair to Southern California and beyond. Through YouTube videos and local shows, the five-person group eventually became a cultural force – the band just recently released 111xpantia, an album that quickly topped the Billboard, Spotify, and Apple Music All-Genre and Latin Album charts and is currently the number one streaming band globally on Spotify. 1 of 2 2 of 2 Fuerza Regida's sound blends traditional música mexicana including subgenres like corridos, banda, and norteño — with global influences such as house and hip-hop, creating a bold new sonic identity. But their artistry goes deeper than just the music — their identities pave the way for other Mexican-American artists to shine. Another iconic force within Mexican culture, Dos Equis, teamed up with the group to amplify their message of spotlighting Mexican-American creatives. As part of the beer brand's latest 'Ni Perdon, Ni Permiso' campaign, celebrating the power of unapologetic self-expression through music, art and style, Dos Equis and Fuerza Regida have released a collaborative line of limited-edition merch developed by Mexican-American designers and artists, inspired by the band's authenticity. - Styling by Jose 'Imagine' Trasviña 'Ni Perdon, Ni Permiso' empowers artists to 'Own the Stage' in the same way that Fuerza Regida has with unbridled expression. The phrase, which means 'Neither forgiveness, nor permission,' is a commonly used adage within Mexican heritage; it's a call to action to stand confidently in your creative beliefs. For this project, Dos Equis translates this message through the mediums of music, art and fashion. - Styling by Jose 'Imagine' Trasviña The collection was teased at a recent private show in Houston, as the band performed in custom vests made by Mexican- American designer Jose 'IMAGiNE' Trasviña and fashion pieces designed by Bryan Escareño were on display. The rest of the collaboration's assortment are available to fans through an auction hosted on All proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Mexican American Opportunity Fund (MAOF), a nonprofit that reflects the shared commitment of Dos Equis and Fuerza Regida to uplifting the Mexican community. Chosen by the musical group, this charity supports Latino communities in California — bringing aid back to the roots where their journey first began. 'Working with Dos Equis to build this movement has been so inspiring, and we're excited to show our fans the next chapter of our partnership through these unique pieces that really embody the unapologetic spirit of the 'Ni Perdón, Ni Permiso' campaign,' said JOP of Fuerza Regida. 'Even more, being able to give back to an organization like the MOAF through this campaign is extremely rewarding given the direct impact it makes on the community that raised and supports us to this day.' Follow Dos Equis on Instagram and online for exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fashion collaboration reveals and more opportunities to engage with the 'Ni Perdon Ni Permiso' movement. If you want to take part, the auction runs from Tuesday, August 5, through Tuesday, August 19. DISCLAIMER: We discourage irresponsible and/or underage drinking. Drink responsibly and legally.
