Monday, December 19, 2022

The Deal Of The Art

 Odd Rods.

Wacky Packages. 

Garbage Pail Kids.

Into this mix we add the limited series trading cards of twice-impeached former game show host and leader of the January 6 Insurrection. Collect them and trade with your "friends." As I understand it, these digital babies make great barter in prison. 

If you are not already aware of the substance, or lack thereof, that came via the former "president's" Major Announcement this past week this is what it was all about. And if the asking price of ninety-nine dollars seems a little steep for each one of these NFTs, just keep in mind that all the proceeds go to the Dear Leader himself. Into those same pockets that were once filled with cash from the sale of Trump Steaks. Tuition to Trump University. Or all those casinos he sold after they failed in Atlantic City. Again, I feel the need to point out here that all three of those prior examples came three to a package and you got a stick of gum that you could throw away. 

Hold on, you're not sure what an NFT is? Well you could spend the ninety-nine dollars to find out, or you could read the following: "non-fungible token (NFT) is a unique digital identifier that cannot be copied, substituted, or subdivided, that is recorded in a blockchain, and that is used to certify authenticity and ownership. The ownership of an NFT is recorded in the blockchain and can be transferred by the owner, allowing NFTs to be sold and traded. NFTs can be created by anybody, and require few or no coding skills to create. NFTs typically contain references to digital files such as photos, videos, and audio. Because NFTs are uniquely identifiable assets, they differ from cryptocurrencies, which are fungible." Thank you, Wikipedia. 

Non-fungible. Got it? Maybe you were hoping for something a little more fungible? Well that would require a whole lot more research, and the capacity of the originating minds to understand the preceding paragraph. Because there really isn't a replacement for 45. Just when you think that he has moved beyond parody, he does something that pushes the bounds of absurdity still harder and farther away from what most of us would imagine a former "president" of the just-barely-United States would be willing to do. At the same time, we all know that there will be those who will pony up their bitcoin or rent money to have their very own virtual set. Some will buy them ironically. Plenty more will buy them with the wide-eyed reverence we have come to expect from his most ardent followers. 

But they will sell. For a while. Only to be replaced by some new "deal." Then you'll have to find a place to store all those digital images along with the rotten steaks and ghost written books and keys to casinos that have been demolished. 

Happy trading. 

2 comments:

Kristen Caven said...

What can you do with an NFT? Can you print it out? Have it made into toilet paper or dart boards?

Anonymous said...

I asked Donald to explain NFTs to me once but he didn't response. I feel a little better knowing even his mother doesn't understand them.