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My mom died a few years ago and I stopped talking to my dad over his Fox News brainworms. I feel like an orphan now. I have a couple siblings but we're distant

My mom died a few years ago and I stopped talking to my dad over his Fox News brainworms. I feel like an orphan now. I have a couple siblings but we're distant.

jimmydddd 2y ago
A lot of dads turn into Fox news dads. Comedian Shane Gillis has some funny routines about it. Maybe think of it as a kind of dementia and try to overlook it? Sorry if this sounds trite. Just seems like a shame to lose a relationship over politics.
- manfre 2y ago
  > Just seems like a shame to lose a relationship over... This statement has the same tone when you replace "politics" with adultery or racism. Political beliefs represent the person and what they value. Some beliefs can't be overlooked and are not compatible with the relationship.
  - adriand 2y ago
    “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone”. If we distanced ourselves from everyone who made a mistake or who believed something different than we believe, we would have no relationships at all.
    - chownie 2y ago
      Equally if we didn't distance ourselves from people who make harmful mistakes and those who believe dangerous, bigoted things we would all live miserably.
adriand 2y ago
Your dad is surely still suffering from this loss and if I had to guess, is probably awfully lonely and misses you. Life is too short to estrange family members over their political beliefs. Have you tried finding common ground in other areas, or asking your dad not to talk about politics? Along the lines of, “I miss you but your politics drive me crazy, can we hang out and not talk about anything political”? If your dad can’t agree to be apolitical when you spend time together then it’s his choice to be estranged from you. But maybe he can, and maybe you guys can find a connection again. I speak from personal experience here. I hope you’re able to find some reconciliation.
- tanjtanjtanj 2y ago
  I can tell you from experience that this isn’t (solely) about politics. Some, but not all, people sucked into the Fox News vortex literally have nothing else to talk about. Their entire life is Fox News, they will only talk about the topic du jour they saw on the screen that day. It becomes tiring to try to connect with someone who only wants to connect with you about hating the imagined scapegoat of the day. It’s definitely not solely a Fox News thing, I’ve experienced people who will only think about the daily discourse on Twitter or are only interested in whatever twitch streamer got “owned” by whichever other streamer. It is draining dealing with people like this, especially when their entire world view is fed by misinformation.
- emptiestplace 2y ago
  > Your dad is surely still suffering from this loss and if I had to guess, is probably awfully lonely and misses you. Projecting emotions onto others' family members is presumptuous and unhelpful. > I speak from personal experience here. As an implicit baseline, this does nothing to strengthen your position. Highlighting personal experience only underscores how subjective and situation-dependent this advice is.

My mom died a few years ago and I stopped talking to my dad over his Fox News brainworms. I feel like an orphan now. I have a couple siblings but we're distant.

jimmydddd 2y ago

A lot of dads turn into Fox news dads. Comedian Shane Gillis has some funny routines about it. Maybe think of it as a kind of dementia and try to overlook it? Sorry if this sounds trite. Just seems like a shame to lose a relationship over politics.

manfre 2y ago
> Just seems like a shame to lose a relationship over... This statement has the same tone when you replace "politics" with adultery or racism. Political beliefs represent the person and what they value. Some beliefs can't be overlooked and are not compatible with the relationship.
- adriand 2y ago
  “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone”. If we distanced ourselves from everyone who made a mistake or who believed something different than we believe, we would have no relationships at all.
  - chownie 2y ago
    Equally if we didn't distance ourselves from people who make harmful mistakes and those who believe dangerous, bigoted things we would all live miserably.

adriand 2y ago

Your dad is surely still suffering from this loss and if I had to guess, is probably awfully lonely and misses you. Life is too short to estrange family members over their political beliefs. Have you tried finding common ground in other areas, or asking your dad not to talk about politics? Along the lines of, “I miss you but your politics drive me crazy, can we hang out and not talk about anything political”? If your dad can’t agree to be apolitical when you spend time together then it’s his choice to be estranged from you. But maybe he can, and maybe you guys can find a connection again. I speak from personal experience here. I hope you’re able to find some reconciliation.

tanjtanjtanj 2y ago
I can tell you from experience that this isn’t (solely) about politics. Some, but not all, people sucked into the Fox News vortex literally have nothing else to talk about. Their entire life is Fox News, they will only talk about the topic du jour they saw on the screen that day. It becomes tiring to try to connect with someone who only wants to connect with you about hating the imagined scapegoat of the day. It’s definitely not solely a Fox News thing, I’ve experienced people who will only think about the daily discourse on Twitter or are only interested in whatever twitch streamer got “owned” by whichever other streamer. It is draining dealing with people like this, especially when their entire world view is fed by misinformation.
emptiestplace 2y ago
> Your dad is surely still suffering from this loss and if I had to guess, is probably awfully lonely and misses you. Projecting emotions onto others' family members is presumptuous and unhelpful. > I speak from personal experience here. As an implicit baseline, this does nothing to strengthen your position. Highlighting personal experience only underscores how subjective and situation-dependent this advice is.