Basketball Jones

[H2O Man]

Recently some people opined that Kyrsten Sinema has a narcissistic personality disorder. I think that she has some narcissistic features, but that there is an alternative way of viewing her that may shed light on what we are witnessing. I would like to start by noting that, in the relatively brief period that I've been aware of her, there was nothing that made me think she could be trusted.

Thus, rather than define her in the context of boxing, I will opt for basketball, for some of the concepts of developmental psychology can be understood with this team sport. As we know, develomental psychology focuses on the physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development of the individual. Initially it was the study of the growth of children and youth, although in more recent times, it includes focus on the aging process.

We shall start at the stage found in junior high schools. If we think of boys or girls junior high school basketball teams, we know that when a team has the ball, there is not a great deal of passing. At this stage of development, most kids want to shoot the ball. There may be one or two that experience anxiety on the court in front of the audience. But most of them are focused exclusively on being the star.

On high school teams, both boys and girls have generally grown to understand that it is a team sport, and that passing the ball is a better option than forcing a bad shot. Now, I could go on and on, and talk about coaches that mistake themselves for being of the quality of the best college coaches, and how their yelling at junior and/or senior high players relates to a lack of understanding of developmental psychology. But I'll spare you -- this time.

Kyrsten can thus be understood to have not progressed on important levels beyond the junior high level. This is not to say that she is not intelligent, or even that she does not have some impressive sports accomplishments. But never team sports.

Now, most politicians in DC have a positive opinion of themselves, including many who should not have. One has to think they can do their job very well. I remember when Jesse Jackson was running for president in the 1980s. A reporter made a snarky comment about his having a siperiority complex. Jesse asked if someone with an inferiority complex should be president? I think Nixon documented why not.

Rather than viewing Kyrsten as having a full-blown narcissistic personality disorder, I see her as a junior high school basketball player. She is stuck in the early teen level where boys and girls try to be the center of attention. She has traded party affiliation more frequently than a young teen changes odd outfits in an attempt to get attention. She fancies herself the "free agent" of the Senate, rather than having loyalty to a team. And she will find that there is a price to pay for that.

[brush]

1. Very nice post. You nailed her exactly.

Last edited Tue Dec 13, 2022, 02:04 AM - Edit history (1)

IMO her penchant for tank-tops at her non-spring chicken age among suited colleagues is a tell-tail sign and fits in quite neatly to your theory.

She looks sillier and sillier and kookier and kookier as she tries this party-leaving move to avoid a primary and thus keep her Senate seat, but it's way too late as she's below water in approval ratings with republicans and independents, and way below water among Democrats who mostly despise how she personally torpedoed the Biden agenda (and her own base) time and time again, once with a thumbs down, look-at-me move in the well of the Senate.

Ya can't get anymore narcissistically silly than that.

[H2O Man]

2. I try to like people.

But I've always found her annoying at best. I listened to some of her recent statements to the media, and found her offensive. And it's not like I dislike some independents. But she reminded me of when I was the substitute coach for our school's high scholl players in the summer league. One girl approached me and said she would only play id she started. I said okay, bye. It wasn't that she had no talent. She did. But on a high school level, you have to pass the ball, rather than taking stupid shots every time you touch the ball.

[3catwoman3]

7. "IMO her penchant for tank-tops at her non-spring chicken age..."

Junior high school indeed.

Her sartorial antics have often prompted me to remark that, "She dresses like she's 12." Her garb often reminds me of all the little girls who slavishly copied Madonna when she peaked in the early to mid-1980s flashy, trashy, and silly looking. Definitely a "Look at MEEEEE" style.

[H2O Man]

8. I remember

my brother telling me about his pre-teen daughter liking Madonna. Fortunately, she soon liked someone else, though I can't remember who. (I would prefer that Madonna held that Senate seat.)

[Hugh_Lebowski]

3. Not to change the subject, but Basketball Jones is a Cheech and Chong song, and dig this man

Little music trivia for ya, the group playing on that song in 1973 is FUCKING RIDICULOUS.

Cheech Marin – Tyrone Shoelaces (voice)
George Harrison – electric guitar
Klaus Voormann – bass guitar
Jim Karstein – drums
Jim Keltner – percussion
Carole King – electric piano
Nicky Hopkins – piano
Tom Scott – saxophone
Billy Preston – organ

Cheerleaders (backing vocalists)
Darlene Love
Fanita James
Jean King
Michelle Phillips
Ronnie Spector

Horny Guys (brass players)
George Bohanon
Dick "Slyde" Hyde
Paul Hubison

[BigmanPigman]

5. I just watched the video since it

I simply HAD to or else I would be thinking of it at 3AM. I'm glad I did. Killer song and old video but it is faded a lot. Someone posted that it is the most racist video in the history of the US. I agree but it is still a good song that you remember 45 years later.

Has anyone on DU heard from Glamrock lately?

[H2O Man]

12. It was a short film

that came out somewhere around the time the song was popular. It might be viewed differently today, but back then it was popular with basketball players of all colors, and the person I remember listening to and.or singing it was my soon-to-be brother-in-law, who is black. He had grown up in NYC, and was known for "trash talking" on the court. But he sing that really well, which annoyed a few people trying to guard him.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

13. yeah I'm sorry but to ME it's really not 'racist'

I think that term is really abused lately. Deploying various relatively innocuous stereotypes isn't what I personally call 'racism'. Kinda like if I say generally Asians are good at math. I'm not being 'racist', that's a bullshit accusation in my book.

Others clearly disagree, and feel the need to condemn stuff like that. To me, it's just a fact. Cause it's true.

[H2O Man]

16. Barry White and Chris Rock

did a cover for the 1996 film "Space Jam."

[H2O Man]

9. A good bit from Apple.

It was pretty popular among basketball players back in the day.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

17. My mom to me as a child: you can't remember your prayers but you can remember all the ...

… Cheech and Chong albums.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

18. Sheeeit ... my old man turned me on to Cheech and Chong when I was 12

He even bought me the Big Bambu album, that came with a giant rolling paper inside.

Man do I wish I still had the album and the paper

I still know a few of the skits off the top of my head pretty well, like Pedro and Man

Pedro: We couldn't be out of GAS, man, I just put in 59 cents worth three days ago! Anyone could tell it's the battery's dead, LISTEN!

(car makes a sound that sounds exactly like being out of gas, and the battery is CLEARLY not dead).

Man: Have you checked the air in the tires lately?

It's a classic.

[Easterncedar]

4. Wow. Perfectly incisive.

“Jesse asked if someone with an inferiority complex should be president? I think Nixon documented why not.”

As always, H2OMan, you nailed it.

[H2O Man]

10. Thank you!

[iluvtennis]

6. KnR. n/t

[H2O Man]

11. Thanks!

[spanone]

14. She's an oddball for sure.

Not sure she grasps the gravity of her whims.


K&R

[H2O Man]

15. Right.

She appears to want power. But I do not think she has a realistic idea of what being a powerful Senator is. It is getting important things done, rather than preventing them from being accomplished.