Kent Nelson
Sartell
In medieval or Renaissance times kings, (the governing monarchs), would employ court jesters to amuse the king’s court with jokes, skits ridiculing the king or members of his court and debasing the royal protocols of the court. The jester was usually a midget both in stature and mind, the more misshapen the more his appeal. He was granted immunity for his actions, and as long as he didn’t over-reach himself he was accepted and could continue being the jester.
The court jester is a universal character; he can be found in all cultures and nations. Jester or fool comes from Latin follis (a bag of wind or bellows). They say whatever comes to their minds. They cannot control their impulses and thus are considered by some as truth-tellers. However, they are professional fools.
Fast forward to the 21s century and our current president (the governing monarch). In his latest outing he displayed all the characteristics of the court jester, a buffoon of epic proportions. He started by proudly proclaiming that he was going off script – much to the embarrassment of his writers and advisers.
The drivel that followed included the following: mentioning “crooked Hillary,” saying that his court had grown up with the Three Stooges as their role models, responding with the obligatory, “Lock her up!” to Hillary. He then preened about his bald spot and hair condition all the while looking at himself in the monitor and saying to his court how he loved looking at himself. The applause of the hundreds in attendance embraced his failing self-worth of the idea that he was still loved, although only by his mindless base. He mentioned “The Wall,” and his base shouted in unison, “Mexico will pay!” He jabbered on about about other campaign promises and finished with the oft criticism of the media or fake news as he describes it.
And despite this fake news, the court jester (or con man as Ted Cruz called him), our president still feels he is loved, and one only has to listen in to his number-one syncopating admirer Sean Hannity extolling the con man’s virtues to understand this phenomenon.
Shakespeare, a master at describing human foibles, said it best: “Foolery, sir, does walk about the orb like the sun; it shines everywhere.” Shakespeare, Twelfth Night (3.1 39-40.)