When a base of people can talk in circles for hours about why they don’t believe in proven facts, they have a hard time defending the fact their cult leaders isn’t simply weird as fuck.

1. Republicans are morons

2. Republicans are anti-intellectual

3. Using sophisticated language to critique republicans shows them you’re not one of them, and they can write you off as a member of the out-group in their minds

4. The word weird doesn’t trigger the anti-intellectual alarms, so their defenses don’t shoot up, and they’re left scrambling for a retort, feeling awkward as they are now a member of their own out-group

Ok so this feels a lot like borrowed/manufactured concern or outrage. Thats why you’re getting downvoted, and I admit it looks like that to me too.

But if your question does happen to be genuine: it’s because it’s one of the most hilariously simple rhetorical shots that anyone has made at the GOP and Trump + Vance. The fact that they’re so bent out of shape and CLEARLY upset by being called “weird” is weird by itself, in the most negative connotation of the word. Not to mention, most people who consider themselves “weird” - including myself - would respond to being weird with something between “hell yeah dude fist bump” and “hell yeah dude. Go fuck yourself”, depending on the context and delivery of the original comment. The fact that they’re SUPER upset about being called weird is the primary fact that’s being made fun of here, as well as the fact that, well, the things they are fixating on, and a ton of their campaign positions, are objectively outright weird. It’s leaning on linguistic subtleties and flexibility to take a shot at fascists and live rent-free in their heads, and to most people, it’s absolutely fucking hilarious that it seems to be working.

It was said as a common sense criticism of the Republicans by VP candidate Tim Walz. It serves as a criticism without giving them any intellectual credibility, which is important against fascism. Fascists love when you try to debate them or allow them in the conversation, and calling them weird shuts it down.

Don’t worry about it too much. I don’t think this current trend will completely overtake the word “weird”, but even if it does, you’ll still be good-weird, Republicans will still be bad-weird, and people will know the difference, no matter what we call those things.

The weird window has shifted. Having purple hair and a nose ring used to be “very weird”. Now nobody blinks an an eye at that stuff.

But being attracted to your own daughter (and admitting it publicly) and fucking a couch (and admitting it publicly) are still considered very weird.

It’s a way to infantilize and ridicule the red team candidates that’s really hard for them to dismiss. They want to be perceived as strong, noble, divinely-appointed saviors of the morality of the country. Using ‘weird’ as an attack takes the wind out of their sails. And the only effective way to counter it is to embrace and transcend it, something the red team is incapable of doing.

From an article in WP

A central pillar of Trump’s campaign is the idea that liberals are perverted misfits who want to tear down American values. … [Trump supporters] were strong; libs were weak. They were right; libs were wrong…

“Weird” intrudes on that narrative. It doesn’t entirely upend it, but it does plant a seed of doubt. What if, instead of being admired or feared, they are instead being laughed at? What if, instead of edgelords, they are actually just the kids in the corner eating glue off their hands?

also

“He’s just a strange, weird dude,” newly-named vice presidential nominee Tim Walz (D) told an assembled group of 60,000 “White Dudes for Harris” at an online fundraiser last week. The Minnesota governor has been, if not the inventor of this tactic, its most skilled proponent.

I’ve seen people say there’s good weird and bad weird, and if you don’t mind calling yourself weird it’s probably the good kind.

As for calling maga people weird I think it’s effective because their whole deal is about vibes. “We’re strong, we’re smart” and it really bothers them to be perceived otherwise. It’s also not something you can “debate”. Either people accept it or they don’t. What are you going to say “no, I’m not weird”? Sure thing buddy.

I dont think it is helpful to see it as a slur. This is more like “use my words against me” and it works, really well. The right wing folks this is messing with identify as being normal, predictable, sensible, strong, etc. Not weird. So when one of them goes to a donut shop and has their internal record get stuck on “OK, good” it looks abnormal, unpredictable, nonsensical, and perhaps even weak. AKA weird, and we can make them uncomfortable with that.

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Good weird = you get called weird, and you’re like, “duh, we’re all weird”

Bad weird = you get called weird, and you respond defensively and have to prove how normal you are to everyone

I have a feeling that the political use of it will die out after the election, for what that’s worth. And I don’t think it will seriously impact the “Keep ______ Weird” trend, because they are celebrating weirdness (whereas the Republicans are trying to claim they’re not).

It’s always been a slur to differently abled people. Some grow up and go through life hearing it constantly as a way to shrug them off as disposable or something. It’s a way assholes in society treat them like shit.

What’s gone on recently is offensive cause there are real people who through life being called that and other names as a way to disregard them. Having to hear how it’s been openly used lately isn’t great, but people don’t get it. They think some things are harmless merely cause it doesn’t affect them or someone they care about.

Are you couch fucker weird?

I feel the same way. In the end, this is the english language where the words are made up and none of the definitions matter.