If you are willing to slap the label of World’s Biggest Idiot on your forehead, you will make money:
With still over a day to go until the earliest possible result from tomorrow’s presidential election, a part of the blogosphere and conservative media was up in arms over a commemorative Newsweek cover depicting “Madam President” which appeared in print as early as Saturday.
Again, this is a sign of r-selection. Transient flash, attention, peacocking to get eyeballs – that is all that matters. In K-selection, that could get you targeted and killed, but in r-selection, make enough entreaties, and you will have many successes, and there is no downside.
There is so much money floating around today, that if you can just garner a small percentage of the world’s attention, tons of money will flow to you. Kim Kardashian got peed on in a sex tape, and because people heard of that, she now makes millions each year, simply posting pictures of herself on social media, using various products. What do those products get? They get known for being used by Kim Kardashian. Is that a sign of quality? Does being associated with Kim K cost the products anything? Nope and nope.
But enough people see it, everyone is wasting money, and all of that adds up to enough sales to get Kim K millions each year drifting into her bank account.
Here, Newsweek has printed a cover that will be a laughingstock for generations to come. Trump doubtless already has a copy, and will pose with it tomorrow. But Newsweek will sell copies, so who looks stupid, in this r-selected world? Only the magazines which didn’t make fools of themselves.
We are still r, but the people have gone K.