The Alt-Right’s attack on Comet Ping Pong and Postmodernism

by Christopher Jimenez-Cherry | Dec 6, 2016

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We, as LGBT+, have a shared culture. We have film, art, music, even food that defines who we are. Our tastes range, from the highest of modern art, to classical, punk to camp. Camp, and our contributions to that form, is our shining achievement. It is largely our artform, a collection of all that we are. It’s an insurgent attack on the bourgeoisie that finds us tacky. It is a giant middle finger to the trite, conformist culture to which we never belonged.

It is the Alt-Right’s greatest source of confusion, and recently their prime target.

Camp is a collection of sensibilities, and itself is less an art form than a sensibility. In her seminal essay, Notes on Camp, Susan Sontag describes camp as a “love for the unnatural: of artifice and exaggeration”. There are no strict rules, and so it cannot be mechanized. It can hardly be defined; it is an art form that we instinctively understand as “campy” when we interact with it. Or, as as in Alt-Right’s case, we woefully misunderstand.

Comet Pizza is a super-hip Pizza Joint in D.C. who’s post-modern expression is exactly the kind of environment one would think of as Camp. A hodgepodge of post-modernist design, drag queens and cross-dressing, punk-music, graffiti, ping-pong, and pizza; Comet Pizza rises above the average pizza joint to a kind of Modern Art Gallery.

The weirdos and freaks of D.C. flock to Comet on a regular basis to feel at home amongst the bizarre art installations, and campy atmosphere. That atmosphere and the support that Comet gives to the people of that scene has garnered the interest of many progressives in the D.C. area. However the art, the bearded ladies, the edgy punk viral campaigns, and a connection to D.C. political scene is a perfect storm for judgmental conspiracy theorists. The problem is these conspiracy nuts — who likely have never been to Comet — have no idea that despite headlining acts with names like The Six Stains the venue is pretty wholesome.

playbills from comet shows depicted erroneously as relating to pedophilia

 

Comet has built a reputation for being a healthy place for punk kids to gather without the influence of drugs. It’s known for being the safest, and most welcoming art venue in town, hosting benefits and community events alongside their quirky bookings.

Then from right field comes #pizzagate.

This hashtag epitomizes the Alt-Right’s attack on anything they view as unconventional. In typical fashion, they have labelled the Gay owner James Alefantis, as a degenerate and a pedophile, and attacked Drag Bartender Josh Vogelsong so often with homophobic slurs that he had to restrict his social media to stop the harassment. Vogelsong, who performs drag as Donna Slash, has been receiving death threats regularly from the #pizzagate believers.

the fantasy investigation “just like on TV!”

The entire mess spawned on 4chan and then promulgated on Reddit, where people created an echo chamber and began posting images evidence. Evidence that amounts to nothing at all. The #pizzagate believers pulled random details from viral marketing campaigns and posts to weave together a scandalous story.

A fantasy that claims Comet Pizza is a front for a Pedophilia Ring that extends to the highest levels of the Democratic party.

You read that right. A pedophilia ring pieced together with connections through campaign contributions, benefits, and community events. Housed and run from a pizza joint in D.C.
Here is the “evidence” they assembled, and it is a hilarious mishmash of nonsense.


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