Hang On, Soupy

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Photo credit, fair use

According to one source:

“Hang On Sloopy” (originally “My Girl Sloopy”) is a 1964 song written by Wes Farrell and Bert Berns. Rhythm and blues vocal group the Vibrations were the first to record the tune in 1964 […] A version by the rock group the McCoys was the most successful, when it reached number one in the singles chart.

Although I was born in the mid-70s, I recall hearing “Hang On Sloopy” throughout my childhood. As a kid, I thought little about the lyrics – which apparently related to a man in love with what I presume was a woman – though I thought the name “Sloopy” was silly.

In fact, the only part of the song that’s remained with me throughout the years was “hang on, Sloopy; Sloopy, hang on.” Per my interpretation, the lyrics related to hope. Whatever it was Sloopy experienced, the singer was encouraging her to hang on until hard times passed.

Aside from context regarding the title of the current blogpost, this entry has little more to do with “Hang On Sloopy.” Rather, it concerns a video to which I was introduced by comedian, Jimmy Dore, on his Rumble channel, drawing attention to TikTok content creator Soupytime (“Soupy;” Georgie).

The video in perspective, by an individual who is reportedly 22-years-old, addresses a controversial move by the United States (U.S.) government to ban or force the sale of TikTok. For full disclosure, I oppose this authoritarian form of anti-First Amendment censorship.

According to one source, “The Supreme Court on Friday [1/17/2025] upheld a federal law that effectively bans TikTok in the United States on Sunday unless the wildly popular video-sharing app pulls off an unlikely, last-minute divestiture from Chinese ownership.”

The primary political argument against the app is that China purportedly has some influence over TikTok and could potentially gather information on U.S. citizens for harmful purposes. One wonders how this matter is any different from U.S.-based social media companies which ostensibly behave in a similar fashion.

The secondary argument, of a sociopolitical nature, relates to so-called misinformation, disinformation, or malinformation allegedly being spread on TikTok. One suspects that U.S. government-influenced sources are the only ones permissible, not narratives from TikTok.

In response to the Supreme Court ruling, one source reports, “TikTok said it will have to ‘go dark’ this weekend unless the outgoing Biden administration assures the company it won’t enforce a shutdown of the popular app after the Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld the federal law banning the app unless it’s sold by its China-based parent company.”

One matter I think many people fail to understand is that some U.S. citizens make a living from content creation on sites and apps such as TikTok. By the U.S. government taking measures to interfere with social media operations, these officials are directly impacting the capacity for citizens to otherwise lawfully generate revenue to fund frivolous wars abroad (e.g., Ukraine).

For added context, one source reports, “President Joe Biden won’t enforce a ban on the social media app TikTok that is set to take effect a day before he leaves office on Monday [1/20/2025], a U.S. official said Thursday, leaving its fate in the hands of President-elect Donald Trump.”

One imagines that Biden’s reputation among younger voters was irreparably damaged by the funding and supporting of the war effort for Ukraine and Israel, predominately regarding the latter. TikTok has been a medium upon which many U.S. voters have relied in order to understand these important issues.

Unlike the legacy media, which is arguably influenced by U.S. government officials and spins narratives in support of imperialism, it appears as though younger voters are able to think critically about official narratives through use of non-U.S. government-influenced information.

With the proverbial ball in Trump’s court, it remains to be seen as to how the Trump administration will treat the enforcement aspect of TikTok legislation. According to one source:

Trump previously asked the Supreme Court to pause the ban from going into effect so his Administration could look for a “political resolution.” But the President-elect’s current position on TikTok is a reverse from his 2020 stance, when Trump sought to ban TikTok.

A federal judge blocked the act in December 2020. “You know, I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok because I won youth by 34 points and there are those that say that TikTok has something to do with it,” Trump said in a post-election news conference in December.

Throughout my blog, I’ve been highly critical of social media companies and content. Nevertheless, I value personal responsibility and accountability (collectively “ownership”). Therefore, I advocate more and not less free speech. Thus, I oppose bans to apps such as TikTok. Regarding this matter, I stated in a blogpost entitled Smartphone and Social Media Addiction:

Although many of my mental health peers may disagree with my perspective, I don’t consider the existence of smartphones and social media to be corrupting elements within society. This is because I maintain that people have agency and can own their shit by taking ownership for their own self-disturbed outcomes.

One imagines that Soupy maintains a similar approach to life. I find this refreshing, as Generation Z appears to show promise for logical and reasonable thinkers if she’s any indication of the cohort mindset. For instance, in her TikTok video, Soupy stated:

Fascist countries ban apps and websites under the guise of threats to national security when every other country knows it’s about suppressing the free speech of its citizens […] Maybe the real problem is that American citizens are already in such a state of political unrest and unhappiness that our government is scared […] If TikTok goes dark, the government deliberately and knowingly took away your free speech. Do not accept “national security” for an answer, ever.

Hear! Hear! Hang on, Soupy. One suspects that the incoming Trump administration, as fallible as any to ever take the helm of power and control in this nation, may not serve as an enforcement mechanism of the U.S. Congress’ authoritarian TikTok action. Soupy, hang on.

Now, regarding the matter of whether or not U.S. citizens – many of whom are TikTok users – will be able to openly criticize the behavior of Israel’s government that may’ve committed ethnic cleansing or genocide remains to be seen. Trump’s reported support of Project Esther is of concern. Hang on, Soupy; Soupy, hang on!

If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life—helping you to sharpen your critical thinking skills, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.

As a psychotherapist, I’m pleased to try to help people with an assortment of issues ranging from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.

At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!

Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW

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