The Trump administration has turned to an unusual weapon in its attempt to resurrect coal mining – a cartoon lump of coal, complete with giant eyes and yellow mining garb, called “Coalie”.
The administration’s new mascot, kitted out with a helmet, boots and gloves, was introduced in a seemingly artificial intelligence-generated picture posted online by Doug Burgum, Donald Trump’s interior secretary.
“Mine, Baby, Mine!” Burgum wrote on X, adding that Coalie will act as a “spokesperson” for Trump’s “American Energy Dominance Agenda”.
Climate activists criticized the latest attempt by the administration to boost the image of the dirtiest fossil fuel despite its effects on the planet and public health, with one critic describing it as “one of the most heinous ways to produce energy that our world has ever seen”.
Coalie, whose large eyes and grin appears to invoke a Japanese style of cuteness used in toys and animated characters, is to be an ambassador for the office of surface mining reclamation and enforcement (OSMRE), the US government agency responsible for regulating coalmines.
I feel like somewhere along the line there were people who only approved it because they thought it was a racial slur.
Scotty from marketing ass shitlol, i remember they had to coat it in a lacquer so they didn’t get black shit everywhere.
Canavan just smeared that shit on his face tho before cosplaying as a worker
Coalie, whose large eyes and grin appears to invoke a Japanese style of cuteness used in toys and animated characters
:thing-japanese:
I’ve gotta say that does not look particularly Japanese to me. Animated characters from America also have big eyes, and the eyes on this strike me as drawn in a more American style. Just because a character doesn’t have the Calarts smile doesn’t mean it’s a Japanese-style character. To be honest, it’s more of a PragerU style.
Yep, the attribution of anything cute as originating in Japanese kawaii aesthetic is a very frustrating trend and simplistic understanding of mascot culture and comic design.
Umm akshually when measured over their whole lifetime emissions Liquid Natural Gas has been found to emit 30% more than coal
Grill All Republicans
