Mike Rowe: Teaching Trades Over Pronouns Could Eliminate Student Loans

Mike Rowe, the host of “Dirty Jobs,” was recently attributed to a meme suggesting, “Maybe if we taught kids a trade instead of pronouns, we wouldn’t have to pay off their loans for them.”

This meme was shared on July 3, 2024, by the Facebook page America – Love It Or Leave It. The post drew numerous reactions, with one user stating, “Right on Mike!” and another adding, “Absolutely! These people can only think of themselves! Get a life and stop this stupidity!” Another comment emphasized the role of parents in education, arguing, “It should start in the home, parents should teach their children instead of allowing hours and hours of video games!”

The top comment on the post, made by a page manager, offered a satirical perspective. It pointed out that Mike Rowe, despite his background in communications and performing arts, was turned into a blue-collar hero for television. This comment further linked the meme’s sentiment to broader political debates, highlighting how easily narratives can be spun. The comment read:

It really is this simple, patriots. You take someone like Mike Rowe, who has a degree in communications and an extensive background in song and dance, and turn him into a blue-collar worker for a TV show. It’s almost as easy as turning a failed businessman who managed to bankrupt casinos into a mogul of some sort. You just need the right spin.

Add student debt relief to the ‘tEAcH TraDes InSTeAd oF mATh!’ slogans and you have a masterpiece of tater bait they just can’t resist. God bless America.

As indicated by the page manager’s satirical comment, this story is not a factual account of real events. The America – Love It Or Leave It Facebook page is part of the America’s Last Line Of Defense network, which is known for its satire and parody. Their description clarifies that “Nothing on this page is real,” and the meme itself bears a “satire” label.

The mention of “tater bait” in the comment refers to a term used by America’s Last Line Of Defense to describe individuals who believe in the fabricated stories shared on their pages. The term “taters” is detailed on The Dunning-Kruger Times’ website, which is associated with this network. It describes “taters” as:

“Taters” are the conservative fans of America’s Last Line of Defense. They are fragile, frightened, mostly older caucasian Americans. They believe nearly anything. While we go out of our way to educate them that not everything they agree with is true, they are still old, typically ignorant, and again — very afraid of everything.

Our mission is to do our best to show them the light, through shame if necessary, and to have a good time doing it, because…old and afraid or not, these people are responsible for the patriarchy we’re railing so hard against. They don’t understand logic and they couldn’t care less about reason. Facts are irrelevant. BUT…they do understand shame.

The network aims to use satire to challenge and educate their audience, albeit sometimes through scorn. For further context, it can be insightful to understand why such pages choose to create satirical content and how they deploy humor to engage and question audiences.