Over the weekend, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gave a speech decrying the “woke mind virus,” but according to NBC Late Night host Seth Meyers’s Monday “Closer Look,” it is people like DeSantis who have a mind virus, because all they care about is “a collection of petty grievances” while he wants to teach accurate history and “provide gender-affirming care to children.”
Anticipating a DeSantis 2024 announcement, Meyers proclaimed, “DeSantis's main focus as governor has been using the power of the government to fight so-called ‘wokeism,’ which, as far as I can tell, he can't even define it just seems to mean anything that's bothering conservatives and wealthy old comedians.”
However, Meyers thought he had a definition, “It's basically just a collection of petty grievances about meaningless culture war issues like gender-neutral potato head dolls or m&ms not wearing sexy clothes anymore. A thing they on purpose say out loud all the time. If you accidentally said you thought the green m&m was hot in fourth grade, you'd be teased about it until you graduated high school… If Republicans win it all in 2024, I'm sure their first act right out of the gate will be a law requiring the green m&m to wear full BDSM gear.”
Meyers then teed up a clip of DeSantis at the Reagan Presidential Library, where he declared that, “I think these liberal states have gotten it wrong and why are they getting it wrong? I think it all goes back to ideology. I think it goes back to this woke mind virus that's infected the left and all these other institutions.”
Reacting to the clip, Meyers wondered, “What the hell is the woke mind virus? They should add a Ron DeSantis character to The Last of Us who's always focused on the wrong thing. ‘The goddamn virus turned my whole family into mushroom monsters.’ ‘It could be worse; they could have turned into drag queens.’ ‘Hey, hey Ron, could you shut the [bleep] up?’”
Meyers then asked which side people thought was inflicted with a mind virus, naturally portraying himself as reasonable and conservatives as a caricature:
Also you think the left -- you think the left has a mind virus? Let me ask -- let me ask you, which of these sounds more like a mind virus to you? The side that wants to teach accurate history, provide gender-affirming care to children, protect people from gun violence, and safeguard reproductive rights? Or the side that whines about not wanting to bang m&ms anymore, bans books from middle school libraries, and watches Fox News all day, getting angry about gas stoves and Lego sets.
It may come as a surprise to Meyers, but conservatives care about more than the fashion choices of the green m&m. Nobody’s banning accurate history, but yes, we are opposed to transitioning children, infringements on the Second Amendment, and the dismemberment of babies.
This segment was sponsored by Liberty Mutual.
Here is a transcript for the March 6-taped show:
NBC Late Night with Seth Meyers
3/7/2023
12:42 AM ET
SETH MEYERS: There is of course one name looming over all of Republican politics right now, and that's Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor who's expected to launch his 2024 bid soon. Now, DeSantis's main focus as governor has been using the power of the government to fight so-called "wokeism," which, as far as I can tell, he can't even define it just seems to mean anything that's bothering conservatives and wealthy old comedians.
It's basically just a collection of petty grievances about meaningless culture war issues like gender-neutral potato head dolls or m&ms not wearing sexy clothes anymore. A thing they on purpose say out loud all the time. If you accidentally said you thought the green m&m was hot in fourth grade, you'd be teased about it until you graduated high school.
"Oh, don't open those around Ronny or else he's going to melt in his pants." If Republicans win it all in 2024, I'm sure their first act right out of the gate will be a law requiring the green m&m to wear full BDSM gear. [bleep] [bleep], it kind of worked on me.
DeSantis chose to skip the Conservative Political Action Conference and give a speech at the Ronald Reagan Library over the weekend where he, once again, complained about wokeism.
RON DESANTIS: I think these liberal states have gotten it wrong and why are they getting it wrong? I think it all goes back to ideology. I think it goes back to this woke mind virus that's infected the left and all these other institutions.
MEYERS: What the hell is the woke mind virus? They should add a Ron DeSantis character to The Last of Us who's always focused on the wrong thing. "The goddamn virus turned my whole family into mushroom monsters." "It could be worse; they could have turned into drag queens." “Hey, hey Ron, could you shut the [bleep] up.”
Also you think the left -- you think the left has a mind virus? Let me ask -- let me ask you, which of these sounds more like a mind virus to you? The side that wants to teach accurate history, provide gender-affirming care to children, protect people from gun violence, and safeguard reproductive rights? Or the side that whines about not wanting to bang m&ms anymore, bans books from middle school libraries, and watches Fox News all day, getting angry about gas stoves and Lego sets.
