Last year, far-right congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene called New York City a city “disgusting”, “filthy”, “repulsive” and a “terrible place”.
“I compared it to what I called Gotham City,” the Georgia Republican told Fox News. “The streets are filthy, they’re covered with people basically dying on drugs. They can’t even stand up. They’re falling over. There’s so much crime in the city. I can’t comprehend how people live there.”
Seriously, Marge?
If you haven’t been to NYC and have listened to enough right-wing media propagandists, you probably think it’s some hideous place that no one would ever want to visit let alone live – even though NYC has far more tourists than any other locale in the U.S.
It seems like there’s a bit of cognitive dissonance going on here. The narrative of New York City as a dystopian hellscape perpetuated by far-right-wing propagandists media outlets, particularly those aligned with the MAGA movement, clashes with the reality experienced by individuals on the ground.
Enter Brian Glenn—a host for the aggressively pro-Trump streaming platform Right Side Broadcasting Network (RSBN).
Glenn, who was in NYC covering Donald Trump’s criminal trial, told viewers, “I gotta say, I thought I would see more [of a] homeless situation here,” he said. “I thought I would see a little more chaos on the streets than, um, from what I’ve been told. And I didn’t see as much as I thought I would.”
“From what I can see, it looks like it’s a little better than it was,” he concluded.
The surprise expressed by Brian Glenn of RSBN at the relative peace and orderliness of the city contradicts the sensationalized portrayal often depicted in far-right media. His acknowledgment that the city wasn’t as chaotic or overrun with homelessness as he expected reflects a shift in perspective when confronted with the ACTUAL conditions on the ground. This realization challenges the preconceived notions and exaggerated narratives that have been disseminated to their audience.
However, Glenn realized he shouldn’t color too far outside the lines. He attempted to reconcile his newfound perception with his audience’s expectations by speculating that Mayor Eric Adams quickly cleaned up the city in preparation for media covering Trump’s trial. He also attempted to predict the immigration status of non-whites in his struggle to maintain a narrative that aligns with the far-right’s ideological framework.
For the most part, NYC is a beautiful city – especially Manhattan. I was just there last month and would highly recommend it. And by the way, it’s one of the safest big cities in the country.
Overall, this episode underscores the importance of firsthand experience and critical examination of narratives perpetuated by media sources, particularly when they diverge from reality. It highlights the complexity of issues such as urban governance, homelessness, and immigration, which are often oversimplified and sensationalized for political purposes.
