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The Side-Eye

Side-Eye Friday: Big Tech, Big Government, and a Whole Lot of Nonsense

by Carol Marks

Another week, another batch of stories that make you stop and tilt your head a little. We’ve got the Supreme Court poking at government surveillance, tech elites deciding what you’re allowed to think, a politician’s event that couldn’t even keep its own stage awake, and a city waving goodbye to the very people funding it. Toss in airport absurdity and a royal getting a standing ovation from Congress, and you start to see the pattern. It’s not just one story. It’s the same kind of nonsense showing up in different forms.

Supreme Court, Big Brother, and Your “Privacy”

The Supreme Court is taking a look at government surveillance again, and suddenly everyone remembers they care about privacy. Funny how that works.

We’ve spent years handing over our data to apps, devices, and whoever asks nicely, but now we’re supposed to act shocked that the government might be watching too. The real question isn’t whether Big Brother is on trial. It’s whether anyone actually wants to unplug from the system they willingly signed up for.

Side-eye to the sudden privacy warriors who were perfectly fine with all of this five minutes ago.

Tech Companies Must Crack Down on “Conspiracy Theories”

Ah yes, the familiar call: tech companies need to step in and decide what’s true and what isn’t. Because that always ends well.

The argument is that misinformation is “destroying society,” so naturally the solution is… more control over what people are allowed to see and say.

We’ve been here before. The definition of “conspiracy theory” tends to shift depending on who’s talking and what’s politically useful at the moment. Today’s “dangerous misinformation” has a funny way of becoming tomorrow’s accepted fact.

Side-eye to anyone who thinks handing more power to Big Tech is going to make things clearer instead of murkier.

Saxophonist Falls Asleep During Kamala Harris Dinner

At some sort of awards dinner featuring a speech by Kamala Harris that included an anti-Trump rant, the saxophonist on stage just… fell asleep. Not metaphorically. Actually asleep.

You could call it unprofessional. Or you could call it the most honest reaction in the room.

Side-eye to the idea that this was some high-energy, inspiring event when even the live entertainment couldn’t stay awake.

Seattle Mayor Waves Goodbye to Millionaires Leaving

Seattle’s mayor basically shrugged at wealthy residents leaving the state and gave them a casual “bye.”

Bold strategy. Tax the people funding your city, watch them leave, then pretend it doesn’t matter.

At some point, reality shows up in the form of shrinking tax revenue and budget problems, but for now, the vibe seems to be: don’t worry about it.

Ignorance on full display with this one.

Side-eye to governing like money just magically replaces itself.

King Charles Gets a Standing Ovation in Congress

King Charles III comes to Congress, cracks a few jokes, and gets a standing ovation.

Look, he’s charming. He knows how to work a room. But watching American lawmakers give a royal a standing ovation hits a little… odd.

This is the same country that literally fought a war to not do that.

Side-eye to Congress acting like it just discovered British humor and forgot its own history for a minute.

At some point, you start to notice it isn’t random. The people in charge keep asking for more control, more trust, more patience, while the results get messier and harder to ignore. Whether it’s speech, spending, security, or just basic competence, the gap between what we’re told and what we see keeps getting wider. And maybe that’s why these stories land the way they do. Not because they’re shocking anymore, but because they’re starting to feel familiar.

Feature Image: Created in Canva Pro

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