For an election season that still has another exhausting eight months to go, creative expression may be the secret ingredient.

A diner in the Syracuse suburb of Liverpool, New York, has recently made national headlines for its snide menu. One can now buy the “Dictator Obama/ NYS Special (King Cuomo)” of two eggs and toast for $3.55 with a whopping sales tax of $27.99. And though a ripe opportunity was missed when the total could have been $66.66 instead of the arbitrary $31.54, owner Michael Tassone also serves “The Anti-Michelle Obama Don’t Tell Me What To Eat Or Feed My Kids” burger, which is ironically a bit of a mouthful.

But for the regulars at American Diner, these items may not come as a surprise. With the restaurant’s exterior reportedly decorated with “Don’t Tread on Me” flags and signs that read “Repeal the SAFE Act” — a reference to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s 2013 gun control law — it is obvious what kind of niche it caters to. And perhaps if one didn’t take the hint on their way in, the menu encourages legal carry and pre-meal prayer to reveal the particular brand of conservative politics being served at American Diner.

While some rightfully find the diner’s humor a desperate, inflammatory and even politically incorrect call for attention, these same critics in all likelihood find guilty pleasure in political humor that is more synonymous with their own beliefs. Those that find themselves left of center on the political spectrum may often relish in the comedy of late-night television programs including The Daily Show with Trevor Noah or Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. So rather than condemn the diner for a form of creativity that may be perceived as extreme, it is only fair that we encourage the full gamut of political humor, despite variation in quality or accuracy.

It is the American Diner’s outlandish expression that adds the spice to an election season that is as contentious as it is alarming. So why stop at two menu items when one can have their pancakes stacked short, tall or “ten feet higher” with a side of Donald Trump’s “no problem there” huevos rancheros? There are so many possibilities, all of which we should embrace. And if the humor doesn’t sit well with your stomach, owner Michael Tassone suggested to Fox News earlier this month that you can go to Denny’s.

I wouldn’t get too offended by the snark. It has become obvious that Tassone doesn’t quite put his money where his mouth is when it comes to his perceived conservative orthodoxy. Syracuse.com reported that he was arrested in 2011 for welfare fraud and New York state is currently waiting for him to pay back more than $25,000 in Medicaid benefits that he and his wife illegally received by failing to disclose their income.

But if we ignore the blatant hypocrisy, the creative expression in the naming of breakfast foods points to a democratization of art that is increasingly popular as it is engaging. In fact, the American Diner’s customer base has grown since the press popularized his menu’s additions, with Syracuse.com reporting that some customers drove from 20 miles away with the sole intention of supporting a like-minded establishment.

Visual artist and Duke University associate research professor Pedro Lasch said that a political humor strategy like American Diner’s “dictator eggs” has become “part of the fabric of American culture and mirrors a trend in the art world of politicized art that is highly sought after by museums.”

This statement is made obvious by the wild popularity of perhaps the most-beloved contemporary artist, Banksy: their art is often not clever, inventive or distinct, but it bluntly confronts viewers with politically-contentious messages that prompt dialogue in citizens who may not have access or even interest in the high art world. Banksy’s art is simple and reproducible, but notorious nonetheless due to its socially-engaging nature.

With the unexpected rise of Republican frontrunner Donald Trump practically sparking an anti-Trump renaissance with a panoply of works including street art, poetry, piñatas and even sex toys, it is obvious that people value this popular channel of expression.

As seen by Tassone’s example, you don’t have to be an artist to partake in such creative endeavors. An Ohio farmer recently used manure to spell out “NO TRUMP” on his farm, demonstrating the full potential of any given citizen to creatively imbue their political frustrations into their respective trade.

And while Trump is undoubtedly a new and easy target for this kind of fun, Lasch said these interpretive responses “stem from a long history of artistic and cultural strategies in addressing political matters.”

Perhaps because politics is taboo in casual conversation, people are looking for socially acceptable outlets of involving others of congruent beliefs. And with the ever-increasing polarization of political parties in an especially provocative election cycle, many may be driven to share their vexations in oblique ways in the effort to unite those similar views.

It may be too generous to call American Diner’s dishes works of art, but the attempt at creative political dialogue, whether it’s attention-seeking or not, certainly has cultural benefits. If a business wishes to brand itself in such a way, we should encourage, challenge or altogether ignore it, but we should never stifle it.

Mia Tomasello is a junior environmental communications major at SUNY-ESF. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at atomasel@syr.edu and followed on Twitter @MiaTomasello1.

Published on March 22, 2016 at 3:06 am