Describe Update. ...Well it's not really that easy.
Shorthand version: It's a series of message board threads on the site Dave Leip's US Election Atlas, a site dedicating to discussing election results and electoral geography. But in the section not dedicated to elections or politics the series began, and is basically in the style of a blog giving the details on the life of the forum user who goes by the handle BushOklahoma, or simply Bushie where he gives all details of his relationships, family and employment. It's better than it sounds, trust us. The story ends up becoming an epic that delves into interesting questions about psychology, religion, American culture, the economy, ethics and morality, and just about everything you can name. Another dimension is added due to it being an interactive series based around message board threads, with the other message board members commenting on and playing along. It really needs to be experienced rather than described. But don't take our word for it. A chronological summary to the whole saga can be found here
. Be warned before you start out, you might want to at least have a couple hours free and set aside.
This Work Contains Examples of:
- Aborted Arc: Shocking revelations at home put an end to Bushie's brief time living in Utah and caused him to move back to Oklahoma.
- Aesop Amnesia: Basically what keeps the saga going, it seems no matter how badly things turn out for Bushie based on his actions, that doesn't stop him from trying the same thing again with the excuse that "it'll be different this time" for some reason.
- Artistic License – Animal Care: Bushie's treatment and general "care" of his dog JJ is...quite dubious to say the least.
- Basement-Dweller: Bushie is currently an unemployed 31-year old who lives in his parents' trailer home.
- He's now an under-employed almost 35 year old.
- Break the Cutie: Some view Allison's position in the world as this.
- Break the Haughty: Several storylines seemed to be this for Bushie, and he finally has begun to act in a more mature manner recently.
- Crazy-Prepared: An odd contrast with Bushie. He is so concerned about things like the weather that he owns a weather radio just in case of emergencies and at one point stayed in a motel room to be closer to job rather than drive in one inch of snow...but he's not willing to research if any potential job offers are legitimate or what he needs.
- Deadpan Snarker: Quite a few of the other posters participating are this from time to time, especially Bacon King and Mr. Morden.
- Fourth-Date Marriage: An engagement to what would be one of these has occurred more than once, but is always broken off.
- The Fundamentalist: Bushie is a Southern Baptist minister and strict biblical literalist Christian....but the trope is somewhat subverted in that he is fairly liberal politically, and even has a close friend who is gay. It's also let on he has quite a few "vices".
- Seems to no longer be a subverted trope as he has swung hard to the right in recent seasons.
- With the election of Donald Trump, Bushie has actually swung back to the left a bit.
- Karma Houdini: Pedro Tevez, who conned Bushie out of a princely sum of money and then got away with it scot free. Also worthy of a mention, Bushie himself frequently is one of these as no matter what jam he gets into, Mama and Papa are there to save his skin.
- Law of Inverse Fertility: Averted. Bushie's scandalous first sexual experience results in a pregnancy scare, but nothing comes of it despite his high levels of panic.
- Long-Runners: It's now in Season 32, and has been going over 10 years.
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Magnificent Bastard: Pedro Tevez. - Nonindicative Name: BushOklahoma implies a Bush supporter who lives in Oklahoma...but he actually voted for John Kerry in 2004.
- Running Gag: "Focus on Christmas," "Focusing on [insert holiday here]," and "Kiribati Countdown."
- Show Within a Show: Kind of an interesting variation, as there is both the story being told, and interaction from other members of the forum, creating two embedded plotlines in a sense.
- The Unintelligible: Shirley Cain. Go ahead and try to figure out her dialogue. I dare you.
- Unreliable Narrator: A classic example, as the whole story is told from Bushie's POV, but he has frequently given information that is inconsistent, contradictory, or is not plausible, and it's been heavily implied many times the whole story is not being told. How much is being told and how much is true is up for the reader to decide.
- White Man's Burden: The plotline involving Bushie's traveling to Kenya and himself referring to himself as a father to the orphans he's sponsoring.
