Wednesday night's inauguration special, "Celebrating America," sounded every bit as corny, clichéd, and over-the-top as I could imagine. And I loved every minute of it. The past four years have been difficult, to say the least. It often feels as if the Trump era has ignited an attitude of collective callous disillusionment as a matter of self-preservation; after the debacle of the 2016 election, and in the years that followed, a general distrust and cynicism felt safer. [And then Joe Biden won the 2020 election. And when he took the oath of office on January 20, 2021, I finally (finally. And of course, the gates of all emotions were opened.

Even before the events of today's inauguration, this election cycle was awash in emotion. For example, Biden's son Bo (who died of brain cancer (open in new tab) in 2015 at age 46) was often mentioned in the campaign. Kamala Harris was fighting to make history as the first female, first black, and first South Asian vice president elect. And then there is the simple fact of what it took to overcome the Trump presidency. It was activity, struggle, motivation, and tragedy. When the post-election call from Harris to Biden ("We did it, Joe. (Open in new tab)") became a meme, it felt like an instinctive cynical retreat by those who had learned better than to trust the good news.

After a while, however, the cold detachment became tiresome, and it felt good to break down the emotional barriers. Biden's inauguration, which proceeded without controversy or violence, allowed such walls to come down. When watching a nation in mourning, a little cheesiness is truly therapeutic.

The inauguration program was wholly devoted to clichéd pop culture touches and made no attempt to avoid clichés. Jon Bon Jovi sang "Here Comes the Sun," Yo-Yo Ma performed "Amazing Grace" for the 900th time this election cycle, and celebrities mashed up Rent's "Seasons of Love." The MC for the whole thing was Tom Hanks, America's Famous Dad. These schmaltzes used to horrify me, but now I want to bathe in them.

The unbridled silliness was not limited to artistic performance. Poignant phrases from the inaugural speeches of past presidents were recited, including one by Braydon Harrington, a 13-year-old boy who had previously hit it off with Biden because of a speech impediment. Tributes to essential workers such as delivery drivers, teachers, and health care workers were presented, highlighting some of the harshest realities of how the pandemic is affecting us all. A short video of three former presidents, Obama, Bush, and Clinton, demonstrating a return to bipartisanship was also shown. If the planners of this program were trying to make people cry, there is no more obvious way to do it. But it succeeded.

Cockiness is frustrating because it usually feels insincere and like a very cheap attempt to manipulate our emotions. But this one didn't feel insincere. It was a genuinely good song. People are genuinely happy and hopeful in this way. The communal feeling demonstrated in this special program was one of genuine relief, connection, and celebration.

This feeling is not unlike the feeling of sharing so-called guilty pleasures with friends. It's not "cool" to have fun, but we do anyway. For example, I have never been brave enough to admit that Katy Perry's "Firework" has always made me cry. But when I heard her sing it while President Biden and Vice President Harris watched the fireworks at the Washington Monument, I was unashamedly fucked up.

It's also the kind of feeling one usually gets from tradition. Like the meals my family always cooks for me during the holidays, or the cards I send my best friend every year on her birthday, or when the Bidens spend Thanksgiving together on Nantucket Island. The inauguration, and indeed any president we can respect, is an important experience in the American tradition that we have not had in quite some time.

Sincerity of feeling was notably absent from the Trump administration, whose policies were defined by cruelty and shameless mending. It feels natural, therefore, to be sentimental, however melodramatic, with the arrival of the Biden administration.