Ah, TikTok—a platform adored by Gen Z, loathed by others—who would have thought an app known for dance routines and lip-syncs would become the battlefield for geopolitical opinion? But here we are, witnessing an executive maneuver to transfer TikTok’s ownership from China to supposed U.S. hands. Not for espionage concerns or due to its alleged role in spreading the so-called “woke mind virus,” but rather to shield certain narratives from bruised egos. The alleged payoff? A beaming Benjamin Netanyahu—smiling like a Cheshire cat in the spotlight—for reasons we dare not whisper in rational company.

Apparently, TikTok has become the newest weaponized arena in what’s been called the “media ecosystem battle.” Stars are aligning—or should we say influencers?—in this brave new social media show of support. Enter stage left: thirst traps and their game plans tactically deployed to sway public opinion. The messaging is clear: rival the green, pristine grasses of Instagram and the bird app—sorry, “X” now. Or was it rebranded to “X” by Elon Musk after the “why bother” cries from users were met with deaf ears?

Of course, one shouldn’t dare question the support rally for Israel—the holy grail subject. Throw the word “evangelical” in there, and suddenly, you’re playing an unnavigable board game of unwinnable debates. Apparently, supporting a 70-year-long saga of who-came-first in the historical ownership of a strip of land is supposed to secure your eternal salvation. Yet, unlike the steady rhythm of a Sunday sermon, this loyalty pledge might just be the thing that drives questioning minds to cancel their subscriptions—because, why criticize without a cozy backup plan for said idol nation?

Meanwhile, absurdity aside, we find ourselves flooded with reports (the ones not on Fox News, of course) regarding the unfavorable footage of concrete flattened zones. Not by targeted surgical strikes, mind you, but by what some leaders blithely refer to as collateral mishaps. Surely, between all the social media campaigning and public sentiment manipulation, a clearer picture of necessity and consequence is not too much to ask—unless, of course, you’re pondering over a brainwashing countermeasure instead.

But here we lie, watching an increasingly suspicious public grow wary over these puppet shows. We see podcasts unrelentingly questioning the power dynamics while comedians find themselves in the crosshairs for employing simple satirical truths. Even our animated icons lampoon global leaders for their shield-wearing, fantasy-crafting propaganda plays. And yet, somehow, the Average Joe is apparently wrong for daring to tread questioningly across these unpaved paths of discourse.

At the end of the TikTok tunnel, it seems the more significant battle isn’t fought with ownership or alliances—but rather an immune defense against swallowing whole the narratives spoon-fed by agendas pointed to feed. Humor, after all, may just be the weapon we wield best against the growing absurdities of a stage desperately trying to play out its own twisted tragicomedy.