uw AY i > ro? Samantha Jaffe Ae ba Columnist Profile 7 (Jur ‘Surprise! Your beloved government has (yet again) failed to take any steps forward on their agenda. Even better, a group of old, white men have (yet again) decided to regulate the lives of a grouprpf people completely different from themselves. Shocking, right? With the state ofthe yw itis, it's 100 fatiguing to pull out your phone and write another long-winded tirade on of \ Aout humble Facebook account of a whopping 213 friends. Instead, you pull up The New York tAhes Times, scrolling on autopilot to get to your favorite columnist. Who better to lighten the mood and airall your frustrations than Gail Collins, your wit, leftist, writer-in-arms who's all too wing to bash te goverament so ou don't haa?) Collins has found her people. She writes cachusiyety and extensively on politics, more ‘often than not highlighting the shortcomings of the government and its politicians. As such, she blends in scamlessly with her target community: the average, Democratic, middle-aged, _, ~Y mmidaie-class, college-educated citizen who rarely stays silent on the people running the ce Collins does not bring a unique perspective in her pieces. In fact, this is her appeal; rather than radical perspectives or detailed accounts of the goings-on in politics, she echoes the thoughts of her audience with precision. She gives them a place to belong - a community she describes as “we political junkies” - among which she associates herself (“The Cat Dad vs. the Vegan”). The use of personal pronouns creates an “us vs. them" effect that strengthens her connection with the ear In “Texas Trying to Overtum Roe v, Wade Alby tse.” Collins 1 alten addresses her audience in response to the flawed rationale of Texas’ new law:/“ypu already now, people, that this sort of argument is not going to get you anywhere.” Collin’s direct address and empathetic frustration establishes a strong bond between her and the reader; heraudience can be confident that their opinions will be heard, understood, and mirrored. Rather a ‘The community effect is Collins’ main appeal - and she knows it. Her efforts go beyond than feel alienated from current news, Collins” readers are brought directly into her pieces. inclusive language: she is a friend with whom her readers are having a conversation. Collins whe a writes colloquially and with sarcasm, including lines such as the one about tng TTLES“Nah, can't have anybody keeping efficient track of all those weapons” (“Why Are We Still Going She : Mer use of sheer“ heops the tone conversational, with casual, accessible language that borders on slang. Her word choice coupled with sarcastic quips doubles the effect, expcil sso gta sared enemy. She some fo comman enemy number on, former president Donald Trump, as she writes her surety to her audience that they “will be astonished to hear [that Trump's infrastructure plan] totally failed” (“Deck the Halls With Infrastructure”). “TF coltins’ use of sarcasm i the perfect blend of snarky and light, allowing her readers to have some fun with their news intake. She makes sure they remain attentive with the use of rhetorical {questions throughout each piece. In “The Cat Dad vs. the Vegan,” Collins engages her readers by ‘writing that Winning a job ike mayor is certainly an opportunity to serve the community, And ‘maybe it’s a political steppingstone to ~ what?” The question provokes readers to think about the subject rather than reading uninterrupted. In addition, it convinces them that their conversation with Collins isn't one-sided; she wants to hear their opinion, Her conversational tone and ‘unabashed humor reveal her honesty and relatability, augmenting her bond with her audience as ‘well as their feelings of familiarity, comfort, and friendship, rns Collins’ greatest strength lies in her ability to intertwine her easygoing pieces wh? with underlying information. At the end of the day, she is writing op-eds for a newspaper and —— Ry? must provide more substance than quips and conversation. Her dual-motive of entertainment andinformation is achi ed admirably through alternating lines of humor and fact. Bringing it back to Trump, Collins comments, “If you want to think about a holiday downer, truly, think about Jooking over the fireplace and seeing a huge sock with Donald ‘Trump's face on it. But about that infrastructure bill. One very nice thing about the package is that it gives a semi-decent amount of ‘money to public transit” (“Deck the Halls With Infrastructure”). WI the transition between subjects could appear jarting, Collins pull it off again as though in conversation: friend geting sidetracked and returning to the topic at hand. Such changing tones keep the piece airy while ohlf providing the audience with real information about cutent evens, At times Collins combines her motives, such as when she jokes that "We've ll heard ‘Don’t Mess With Texas’ but right now a lot of us are thinking more along the Lines of, “Texas, Don't Make Another Mess”” ("Texas is / pst ‘Trying to Overtum Roe v. Wade All by Itself). The line is humorous, but it caries serious / om Ze 5 1p, implications that remind the audience of the gravity ofthe issue, oe all peapo-” Gail Collins is a writer for the people. Her content is dependent on her audience and it hits the mark everytime, Her ability to weave humor, community, and information seamlessly creates an inclusive and entertaining experience for her readers. What about those not within her defined group of people? To putt bluntly, and Collins certainly would, who cares about them? |“ ad There are undoubtedly disgruntled conservatives who scoff at her work, byt it isn't for them." Collins is providing a space for people like her - and they're more than happy to meet her there.