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Why is Donald Trump's election rallies playing the Smiths on repeat? Find out the peculiar reason
The unexpected alignment of Donald Trump's election rallies with the music of The Smiths has sparked curiosity and raised eyebrows among both fans of the band and political observers.
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The inclusion of The Smiths' music in Donald Trump's election rallies has raised eyebrows
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The Smiths' melancholic lyrics and Trump's bombastic rhetoric at rallies creates surreal atmosphere
Recently, the surprising alignment of Donald Trump's election rallies with The Smiths' music has piqued the interest of both band fans and political audiences. Despite the band's history of dealing with disenfranchisement and isolation, their music, particularly songs like "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want," has found an unexpected audience among MAGA supporters. Several crucial factors may be used to investigate the particular causes of this phenomenon as per Vanity Fair.
The Smiths: A history of outsider appeal
The Smiths, fronted by vocalist Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr, rose to prominence in the 1980s as a voice for their era's disgruntled and downtrodden youth. Their music spoke to individuals who felt like outsiders, exploring themes of loneliness, desire, and the battle for acceptance. The Smiths were first welcomed by Generation X as a symbol of nonconformity, but their influence grew beyond musical appreciation, becoming representative of a subculture that prized humor and intellect over mainstream conceptions of coolness.
Morrissey's public presence and political sympathies gradually shifted away from the band's initial ethos, producing a schism in the fans. As he plunged deeper into right-wing nationalism and articulated controversial views on immigration, many fans struggled to reconcile their support for a musician whose opinions contradicted the principles they had formerly liked in his songs. 
The rise of incel culture: A surprising intersection
In recent years, The Smiths' music has gained new relevance in the internet world, notably among self-identified incels. The themes of loneliness and romantic frustration in songs like "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" have resonated with a subset of people who use their problems to fuel misogyny and resentment. This unexpected use of The Smiths' music by incel communities has contributed to a reassessment of the band's reputation and legacy.
Against this context, the use of Smiths songs in Trump's election rallies is both significant and humorous. While the band's music was formerly linked with dissent and resistance, its use by the Trump campaign shows a reversal of its original meaning. The juxtaposition of Morrissey's songs about desire and misery with Trump's bombastic rhetoric provides an odd contrast, emphasizing the intricacies of political messaging and the appropriation of cultural icons for ideological objectives.
To summarize, The Smiths' unexpected presence at Donald Trump's election rallies can be attributed to a number of factors, including the band's legacy of outsider appeal, Morrissey's controversial political views, the rise of incel culture, and the symbolic resonance of their music within contemporary political discourse. As fans cope with the contradiction of their favorite songs being co-opted for political purposes, the phenomenon serves as a reminder of the fluid and often unforeseen nature of cultural appropriation and interpretation in the modern period.
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