WATCH: Robert Reich’s Dancing Lipsynch Climate Message on TikTok Is Just as Cringeworthy As You Might Expect

 

Robert Reich on Tik Tok

Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich under the Clinton Administration is taking his message to TikTok, and the results are… interesting. To be fair, like so much that exists in this Rorschach Test era of confirmation bias media, if you are a fan of Reich’s progressive messaging, you are sure to find it cute and playful. Others may find it cringeworthy.

Reich was an early pioneer in political video messaging over the past two decades, perhaps because he heeded the advice of his son, Sam Reich, who served as an executive at College Humor. But this recent TikTok entree is less “whiteboard” and more teenaged “look at me” goofiness. Sure it’s kind of funny in an absurd, “don’t take yourself so seriously” way, but some will clearly watch it and think to themselves, c’mon dude.

Take a gander:

https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1414766976740769792

There is no question that the social video platform TikTok is a cultural phenomenon that has grown from lipsynching dance moves from teenage wannabe influencers to established public personalities eager to find a new younger audience. But the manner in which older generations are trying to reach a younger audience is revealing. Some cable news personalities have just adopted the format by doing the same thing they do on television, but in Reich’s case, he’s channeling his inner 13 year old. Good for him.

 

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Colby Hall is the Founding Editor of Mediaite.com. He is also a Peabody Award-winning television producer of non-fiction narrative programming as well as a terrific dancer and preparer of grilled meats.