As you may have heard, Tuesday is Election Day here in the U.S., and while I am engaged and (of course) plan to vote, I haven’t been exerting as much energy this election cycle as I did in 2008. That was the year it was all news, all the time in the Cass household. This time around, I’m getting my election/presidential-nerd kicks by engaging in some Presidential pop culture.
The West Wing
I avoided this show pretty much forever, which is weird for someone with liberal politics and an obsession with presidents. In my defense, after I got super into Aaron Sorkin‘s “Sports Night” thanks to Netflix Instant, I found out that the show was cut short so Sorkin could focus on the more popular West Wing. Boooo.
Nevertheless, a while back Kim was kind enough to send me the DVD set of the first season of The West Wing, and when I realized I’d had them way too long I figured I should probably watch them and send it back as soon as possible. (Sorry and thank you, Kim!) I just finished episode 16 and I am completely addicted. What strikes me the most, though, is that even as President Bartlett is portrayed to be a super liberal president, he’s against same-sex couples adopting (not to mention serving openly in the military and other issues). There’s even a story line about a high school student who is the victim of an anti-gay hate crime and the staff avoids having the parents of the boy talk to the press because the father is mad at the president’s weak stance on gay rights.
In a year when the President of the United States has come out in support of same-sex marriage, it’s a bit of a shock to the system to realize just how far mainstream gay rights ideas have come since the first season of The West Wing (1999-2000).
I am currently listening to Passage of Power by Robert Caro, the fourth book in his extensive biography of President Lyndon B. Johnson. While discussing the view many folks had of the Vice Presidency in a pre-Dick Cheney world, he mentions a song from the Gershwin musical Of Thee I Sing where no one can remember the Vice President’s name. I tracked down the original Broadway recording of the musical on Spotify and I’ve been giggling over the ridiculous songs all morning. I highly recommend it for light-hearted listening.
Louis As Lincoln
From last night’s SNL episode with host Louis CK:
Wow, that is quite a bit of progress in 12 years. It’s been a long time since I watched the first season of The West Wing and I’d totally forgotten that story line.
I’d forgotten about that storyline in The West Wing too… and I just watched that recently. I’m glad you are watching and enjoying the show
Thank you, lady! I’ll be sending them back to you this week. Sorry it took me so long!
Oh man, I LOVE WEST WING!! Second best TV show ever (after Lost). I forgot about that episode until you mentioned it–I’ll have to go back and watch again. (…because of course I have all the seasons on DVD…) There are a lot of things in that show that remind me how quickly political issues can get dated.
It’s also fascinating to see pre-9/11 politics in action. Such a different time!
I’m also in the process of going through the episodes. I’m on season 3, I think. The thing is, I think Bartlett is actually a center-left guy with the Democrats in the minority on the hill. There’s an episode where he is nominating a Supreme Court Justice and the retiring Justice gives him heck for not being liberal enough. I like John Amos’ (as a Joint Chief) speech at some point about Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell.
I agree with you on Bartlett being a center-left politician. I was referring to the general census on the way people discuss the show and the character.
I’m not a huge Sorkin fan or a Rob Lowe fan, so I’ve avoided the West Wing forever, too. There should totally be a series where Louis CK plays Lincoln.
What about movies? I think my favorite presidential movie is the one where Sigourney Weaver plays the first lady–Dave, I think it’s called? Ooooh, you should watch the opera based on Richard Nixon’s visit to China, too.
Girl, it’s like you don’t even know me. Obvi I’ve seen the Nixon opera.
Oh good.