Welcome to the blog of Dr. Lisa Burns' Political Communication: Election 2016 course at Quinnipiac University. If you are looking for insights on political campaign communication and the 2016 U.S. presidential election, you've come to the right place!
Thursday, November 10, 2016
Hollywood & Politics – Tuesday, November 15th
Which movie or TV show offers your
favorite representation of politics? Be sure to offer specific examples to
support your answer. You only need to refer to one class reading in support of
your response.
Politics and television are two (on a long list) of my favorite things, but I have not watched all of the best national political television shows. I have watched House of Cards, but I have watched more of the local politics shows. The ones I still need to watch include The West Wing, Veep, Designated Survivor, and Scandal among many other television shows. The readings for this week talk about Hollywood’s interpretation of politics as being one of two things, “the films portray the machine as a monolithic force that controls votes and remains in power through corrupt deals made by self-serving politicians and justified on grounds of political necessity or the existing machine becomes the target of reform,” (Giglio 100). I think it is fair to say that both of these are still true for every political show out there, but with some shows in between.
Last year HBO released the mini series Show Me A Hero about the former mayor of Yonkers, New York, Nick Wasicsko. This show sticks out in my mind as an example of politicians looking to reform. It talks about housing segregation in Yonkers, New York and how the local government was trying to put low-income housing in white parts of Yonkers. This was a fascinating real life event that talks about the inner workings of local politics.
House of Cards to me is a very entertaining show, but also very extreme case of politics. This is an example of the “monolithic force” kind of political show. I like my political shows to be based in a little truth and in House of Cards there isn’t much of it. The most recent season talked about campaigning while having to deal with a scandal, something we say quite a lot of in 2016. The show has two staffers that are always trying to control Frank Underwood’s message no matter how it looks.
An interesting take on politics is the first episode of Black Mirror. It is about a princess in Great Britain being kidnapped and the Prime Minister having to deal with how to get her back. The kidnappers have a ransom that the Prime Minister must do or else they will kill her. The most interesting of the political communications side is seeing how the Prime Minister’s team crafts a response. They come up with different ideas on how they can get him out of fulfilling the ransom while keeping his dignity.
Arguably the best show of all time is The Wire, which is based in the balance of government and police working together on the local level. This show displays all aspects of public service and the dilemma they have working together. For the Mayor (loosely based on former Presidential candidate Martin O’Malley) he has to worry about re-election and the performance of the police department all rides on him. The police want to be able to do their job, but with budget cuts by the government there is only so much that they are able to do. The dynamics of the relationship are important to how both the police and the government do their job.
If I had to name one television show that satirizes the political process that is an all time favorite of mine, it is certainly VEEP on HBO. The show, featuring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer, who plays the Vice President, and the eventually President, of the United States, and the candid moments of the United States President. The viewer gets to see the inner-mechanics of what the White House could actually look like, and gets to wonder; is this what the public doesn’t see when the press isn’t following the President’s every move?
As Peter Rollins, author of “Hollywood’s Presidents 1944-1996: The Primacy of Character” writes, the “presidency is a national mirror, and Hollywood, recognizing that symbolic dimension of the office, has opted to focus on the character issue and to subordinate any domestic and foreign-policy matters.” Selina Meyer is generally a fire cracker, foul-mouthed politician who the audience can’t help but love for that very fact. She makes ridiculous mistakes that, in the realm of the real political world, would be horrendous, but to the viewer the mistakes are so relatable that one can’t help but wish Selina Meyer actually existed. For example, Selina Meyer receives an extremely expensive silk blanket from the Chinese prime minister for Christmas, while trying to establish better relations with China. She accidentally gifts it to her daughter’s girlfriend, and this creates a frenzy of drama between Meyer and her political team. Furthermore, Catherine Meyer, Selina’s daughter, is dating Selina Meyer’s body double; the prime minister of China sees them kiss, and is immediately confused because he believes that Meyer and her daughter had kissed. Although these events are wildly unrealistic, they create this sense of genuine candid moments amongst viewers, and prompt viewers that the White House is, indeed, this candid.
Furthermore, while discussing the the movie The American President, which shows similarities to VEEP in that “by emphasizing the issues of family values,” these films let us see the “first family” in a way we don’t actually get to. For example, in the episode when Catherine came out to Selina as gay, Selina was so preoccupied with being the President that she hadn’t really had time to see this coming, or even listen to Catherine. Although Selina’s business seems to be a given with being the president, it is a very real situation for many Americans and parents across the nation. Selina almost never has time for her daughter in fact, and when she does she can’t relate to Catherine completely, as she doesn’t know her that well, what with being the president. We also get to witness the strange relationship that continues between Selina and her ex-husband, but also between Selina and her Vice President.
This show is extremely important in the fact that it gives the people an outlet to speculate about the very candid moments of the White House and its family, but also can be very realistic to real politics. It highlights the sly deals that happen amongst politicians, the balance between doing what is right and doing what is necessary as a politician, and the difficulty of making choices that affect millions of Americans.
For my favorite depiction of American politics and political figures I would like to talk about the unsung hero that is Timur Bekmambetov’s Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. This movie is extremely easy to write off for its ‘silly’ plot but it does offer some true insight into internal workings of a president’s brain and the solidary struggles they must deal with. Further, the movie deals with the collective memories of presidents, how they’re remembered, which, in some cases, differs from how they actually are. This movie, in fact hyperboles that fact, implying that we could forget something as significant about a president as his being a vampire hunter. The onset of the movie, very poignantly states:
“History prefers legends to men. It prefers nobility to brutality. Soaring speeches to quiet deeds. History remembers the battle and forgets the blood. Whatever history remembers of me, if it remembers anything at all, it shall only be a fraction of the truth. For whatever else I am, a husband, a lawyer, a president, I shall always think of myself as a man who struggled against darkness” (Bekmambetov).
This quote exemplifies this version of Lincoln’s own understanding of collective memory himself. He writes himself off as perhaps one of those presidents that will be least talked about in history class, as he knows he might be. Further, he understands his own humanity. The movie does a fantastic job of painting Lincoln as a normal human (in addition to being a Vampire Hunter). He wakes up in the morning with a hangover just like anyone else. It shows his sympathetic, naïve and angry sides just like every other person is capable of having.
In the conclusion of Political Campaign Communications by Trent et al. it is stated that “We should not forget that in a democracy, citizen knowledge… [is] critical” (Trent et al. 301). This is especially true when talking about current campaigns but it is also important to have knowledge of past campaigns as to see what to do and what not to do for future elections. It is important to see where past presidents went wrong as to not repeat their mistakes, as the famous quote goes, “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” (Santayana).
This idea is especially applicable to remembering the highlights and lowlights of a presidency like Lincoln’s. Even though the plot is extremely farfetched, the movie wonderfully explains the hardships that any sitting president can face. Through the context of the Lincoln Presidency one can see the duty that really does face the president.
Trent, Judith S., Robert V. Friedenberg, and Robert E. Denton, Jr. Political Campaign Communication, 8th ed. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2015.
As exaggerated and ridiculous House of Cards makes U.S. politics seem, it still is my favorite depiction of politics on television. It may be an extremely negative representation of politics, but I still think the show is so entertaining compared to others. It’s ruthless, manipulative, overblown and outrageous in the way they show portray Frank and Claire Underwood’s rise to the highest and most prestigious political office, but it’s television. And that’s what people want to see. It’s captured audiences who could care less about politics, but the show encompasses what they want to see. In Here’s Looking at You: Hollywood, Film and Politics by Ernest Giglio, he writes that Hollywood film plots, “have everything for a successful plot – sex, political intrigue, war, a happy ending,” (Giglio 1). House of Cards has this and more to make it a successful and entertaining television show. In my opinion, the last three reasons of House of Cards are the most far-fetched from what would happen in real life. Season four on the other hand seems like a better representation than what is actually happening in politics right now. This election cycle alone brought more scandals and sensationalized media than season four of House of Cards. Between the Clinton e-mail investigation, the leaked Access Hollywood tape, the DNC wiki-leak controversy, Anthony Weiner and the pollsters absolutely getting the outcome of the election wrong, election 2016 makes for better entertainment than most political shows on television. There are even some real life parallels drawn in this last season of House of Cards. Ironically enough, it is also election season for the Underwood’s, but even some of the issues and policy talk we see in the show mimic what we’ve seen this election cycle as well. Giglio writes, “Hollywood is in the entertainment business all right, but the industry also delivers political messages,” (Giglio 2). Claire Underwood as first lady actively advocates for a controversial gun control bill in the fourth season and in prior season raises sexual assault awareness. These are two issues that are critical in real life and I think House of Cards including them in their political messages is significant in reaching and influencing different audiences. Other parallels include an vacant supreme court seat, differing policy opinions on how to handle House of Card’s version of ISIS (ICO), a first lady character with eyes set on the White House in Claire Underwood and even a presidential nominee disclosing personal information to regain voters trust. It all sounds so familiar, which is why I think this show is so widely popular. It takes the dry, boring political world we know and flips it upside down which resonates with variety of viewers, including the political junkie that I am.
I keep telling myself that I’m going to start watching Veep on HBO but every time I go to start watching it I get distracted by reruns of TV shows I’ve seen a million times. I also realized that I haven’t seen many political TV shows or movies. The one that stands out to me the most is The Campaign, which came out in 2012 staring Will Ferrell and Zack Galifanakis. The movie is about the campaign between a well-known congressman and a local tourism director. The campaign between the two (much like the campaign we just witnessed) is out of control. The movie really shows how crazy a political campaign is. The movie also exposed corruption in political campaigns as well but keeps it light hearted and funny. The two main characters use different tactics to ruin the reputations of the other such as portraying Galifanakis character as a terrorist or exposing Ferrell’s character as a fake Christian. Ferrell’s character creates a ridiculous attack ad that also used Galifankis’s words against him. It was a form of negative ads that we have read about in Campaign on the Cutting Edge. Negative ads are “a campaigns most powerful weapon” and in the movie The Campaign they use attack ads to the fullest extent. The Simpsons often talk about politics and have even predicted some political outcomes such as Trump winning the election! They lean more liberal with their portrayal and have talked about issues such as gun rights and LGBTQ rights. They portray big corporations and even the mayor of Springfield as corrupt. George H. W. Bush made a comment once that the US needed to be closer to The Walton’s rather than the Simpson’s, which the writer wrote into the show. The show makes a lot of jokes about the current political system but also brings to light challenges we face everyday in the US. I have noticed a switch in the types of TV shows networks are premiering. A lot of networks have created politically driven shows such as Designated Survivor, Veep, Madam Secretary and Scandal. I find myself watching political satire shows such as Triumph The Insult Comic Dog: Election Special 2016 on Hulu rather than scripted television shows. The show is sponsored by Funny or Die and is hosted by a dog puppet. The show follows the election trail from everything such as the primary debates, both the RNC and DNC and everything in between. The show is absolutely hilarious, especially when he goes to the RNC and DNC. Triumph also has a panel of democratic and republican pundits that do a roundtable discussion. I would definitely recommend the show for a good laugh.
Semiatin, Richard J., ed. Campaigns on the Cutting Edge, 3rd ed. Los Angeles: Sage, 2016.
When it comes to Hollywood and politics, one of the best things that is a result of this relationship is the political television shows and movies. Some are meant to send a message about ruthless politicians, others are so dramatized that they are purely meant for entertainment. Political shows have followed political scandals, controversial presidents and even members of the cabinet. Two of my favorite television representations of political satire are Scandal and the short lived mini series Political Animals. Political Animals chronicles Secretary of State Elaine Barrish and her family. Barrish’s husband was a popular President in the 1990s who’s extramarital affairs were no secret. Following her husband’s presidency Barrish became Governor of Illinois and then ran for President and lost. She later became Secretary of State during her former opponents Presidency. Sound slightly familiar? It should because the show clearly draws similarities from the Clinton family, most notably Hillary Clinton. Barrish plays the strong female politician who aspires to bring her family back into the white house. Here’s Looking at You: Hollywood, Film and Politics, explores the political representations that the relationship between Hollywood and politics results in. Giglio states, “political activities in feature films frequently express individual behavior that is motivated by self-interest; bad politicians act out of greed and ambition while good politicians act in response to the deeds of bad politicians (Giglio 95).” Political Animals accurately portrays this theory on a television level. Elaine Barrish will stop at nothing to further her political career, even plotting behind the President’s back for her next Presidential campaign. While her family and ex-husband (unlike Clinton after losing her first Presidential run Barrish divorces her cheating husband), are left in the wake of her political aspirations. Throughout the six-episode series Barrish straddles the line between good and bad politician. In my opinion what made Political Animals work was that besides the occasional dramatization, the show was believable. It portrayed a torn family who where once the first family and thanks to Barrish’s political rise could be again. Barrish’s career moves and personal life was very similar to that of Hillary Clinton’s and viewers could draw comparisons. There was also talk of policy and global crises that brought the show back to reality. Another characterization of political satire that Giglio brought up was about how some political shows are so successful. “It is undisputed that the vast majority of Hollywood films are designed to capture audiences through appeal to our senses rather than our intellect (Giglio 3).” Scandal, my other favorite example of political satire once again involves a President/cheating husband, a wife with high political aspirations and a successful mistress. Political Animals had its dramatizations, but Scandal to me is a pure political guilty pleasure. When Scandal first aired it stayed in the realm of political reality following Olivia Pope a self proclaimed “fixer.” Now heading into the show’s sixth season the show has made a clear departure from reality but still maintains it’s focus on politics whether it’s various scandals or campaigns. Political shows have managed to last throughout numerous presidencies and historical events, adding humor and drama to capture public interest. In my opinion as long as politicians continue to give screenwriters material (which I believe they will) these types of shows will remain successful and entertaining.
WORKS CITED Giglio, Ernest. Here's Looking at You Hollywood Film & Politics. New York: Peter Lang, 2002. Print.
The TV show that has my personal favorite representation of politics is by far South Park. The show is a product of nearly 20 years of creative freedom combined with a TV MA rating. The result could have been a vulgar and tasteless excuse to make offensive jokes, and to some this is the truth of Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s brainchild. But that is not all there is to the show; granted vulgarity and offensive humor are not excluded either. The show’s long tenure, take-no-prisoners philosophy, and 6 day turnaround allows for the program to be one of the most powerfully striking social and political commentaries out. The show’s 20th and current season is by no means an exception. The show experimented with serialized plots earlier in its history, but did not fully commit to the premise until its 19th season. This season picks up exactly where last season left off: Mr. Garrison is running for president of the US as the show’s Trump. Garrison runs against Hillary Clinton, otherwise known as turd sandwich. The show’s most recent episode “Oh Jeez”, which came out not even 24 hours after the results of the election, deals with the aftermath of the election. The people of South Park and the world are dumbstruck by Garrison’s win in the presidential election, as he was actively trying to lose, and nobody really understood how he pulled it off. One character is performing international espionage at the request of Hillary Clinton after her election loss. And, Bill Clinton has joined forces with Bill Cosby to make a “Gentleman’s club” because according to Clinton: at some point women will get fed up with men and have no need for them. Its astounding to me that they were able to even have an episode prepared that made reference to the results of the election, let alone making the results the focal point of some major plot developments. When I watched the episode it scratched every post-election itch I had for satire. The show comments on American’s growing need for nostalgia with the season’s antagonists, The member-berries. The show has the ability to mock the absurdities of our own reality with even more absurdist plots. Whether it’s the show’s decision to, “skewer both Hillary Clinton (referred to as "Turd Sandwich") and the show's Donald Trump character represented by Mr. Garrison (referred to as "Giant Douche"),” (Parker) or to mock Al Gore’s politics as he is depicted searching for manbearpig, South Park simply knows how to make a statement. This is what I love about South Park. The show has no issue tackling an issue, and pointing out hypocrisy in the media, government, or amongst the public. It answers to no higher authority, and uses this to make satire that is both biting and accessible to the general consumer.
Parker, Ryan. "'South Park' Donald Trump Character Tries to Throw Presidential Debate." The Hollywood Reporter 29 Sept. 2016. Web.
There have been many great versions and representations of politics throughout the history of Hollywood. The themes and tones of the portrayals differ as the times change, so I feel it is important to talk about a recent portrayal of politics. The Netflix original “House of Cards” follows Frank Underwood’s (Kevin Spacey) and Claire Underwood’s (Robin Wright) rise to the white house. This show demonstrates the feeling or cynicism that people have toward politics as well as how the changing media landscape has impacted politics as well. The show portrays Frank Underwood as a conniving psychopath, whose top goal is to control the political environment around him. He is a hard character to understand as they portray him as both an intelligent man, but one of bad intentions. This helps the fuel the publics opinion that all politicians are corrupt and not to be trusted. A similar sentiment is described in the end of “The Candidate” (1972). John McKay (Melvyn Douglas) says “congratulations son, you’re a politician now” to Robert Redford (Bill McKay). This comes after Redford committed unethical actions to get into power, which is why it is a very cynical critic of politics. This scene undermines “two vital concepts in a democratic society, first the notion that politicians hold office with public trust and that politics is an honorable profession” (Giglio 94). Both of these representations offer a critic of the people in power and show the darker side of politics. This has a real effect on the public, as they believe this to be the reality. However it is also important for this critic to exist, as it serves as a way to keep the public informed and checking the power of the government. The other aspect of “House of Cards” that I think is important is the relationship between politics and the media. Zoe Barnes (Kate Mara) says “These days when your talking to one person, your talking to thousands.” If only someone could have told Trump this during his trip on the access Hollywood bus. All joking aside this is an important challenge for politics during the emerging digital age. Never before has the public had so much access to the people in power, and transparency is an issue that all politicians must wrestle with. I believe that transparency was a huge factor in this past election as a lot was dug up between both candidates. Candidates must prepare for collateral damage from such scandals and recognize that nothing is private anymore. I hope that Hollywood continues to explore this idea as this past election probably well serve as great inspiration for future portrayals of the wild world of politics.
Work Cited
Giglio, Ernest. Here's Looking at You Hollywood Film & Politics. New York: Peter Lang, 2002. Print.
I seem to have developed a real fascination with political movies and TV shows over the years. So much so, that I have a long list of some favorites including The Manchurian Candidate (1962 version), Lincoln, JFK, The Newsroom, Our Brand Is Crisis, The Butler, Frost/ Nixon, and Homeland among many others. All of these films/ shows seem to represent a different facet of American politics, but also serve to highlight the issues within our current and past society.
However, if I were to pick a favorite out of this list I would probably have to say the 1962 version of The Manchurian Candidate. Although it does not fit within the typical representation of politics, it does shed light on a great deal of societal issues surrounding the Cold War. Furthermore, it ties in well to the Kennedy Assassination. Although this film and the book both came out before the assassination, they both gave rise to many of the issues and anxieties of the time and of the secret work that is done behind closed doors. I think this portrayal of politics is much more devious, in a time where people were meant to trust those in charge without any issue. This film seems to have given rise to a great deal of movement in the conspiracy and assassin genres as well.
This hypothetical yet dramatic glimpse into the inner workings of politics also directly relates to more modern examples such as Our Brand Is Crisis, The Butler, and Homeland. Our Brand Is Crisis, while not exactly an American-based political film, does have a great deal of relevant material that goes into getting someone elected and how disenchanted the people can be with the system. The Butler, similar to The Manchurian Candidate, touches upon the societal issues and anxieties of the time while also serving as a thread to track the different presidencies throughout modern history. Finally, I believe that Homeland also directly relates back to the quest for truth amongst deception as seen in the first mentioned film.
Similar to The Manchurian Candidate it is important to mention Dr. Strangelove, which is another off-beat but also essential look into our possible doom. Peter C. Rollins, in “Hollywood’s Presidents 1944-1996: The Primacy of Character” has even gone on to say “Stanley Kubrick’s noir comedy about nuclear war was a breakthrough film evidencing a new view of not only the presidency but of the entire American political system” (Rollins 255). Often times it seems that we watch politically based films and television because they show us what is wrong with society and our political system, rather than what is right. They prove that there is no perfect system and more important, that not everything is always like what it seems.
Works Cited:
Rollins, Peter C. “Hollywood’s Presidents 1944-1996: The Primacy of Character”
The show I think represents American politics the best is House of Cards on Netflix. Supposedly influenced by the Clintons, the writers portray some of the grittier realities of Washington like legislative gridlock, political revenge, and scandal. There are many parallels to draw between the way the Underwoods operate their political engine and how the Clintons operated theirs. Frank is involved in many extramarital affairs throughout the series, and Claire is well aware of his behaviors. She turns a blind eye to his doings because separating from him would be political suicide. Does it take a toll on their personal relationships? Perhaps, but these people are far more concerned with their personal gain and elite public status. Frank’s ruthless pursuit of the presidency is evident from the very first episode, and Claire is clearly more than willing sacrifice her honesty and integrity to accompany him on his path to accession. There are many secret deals and intimidating tactic that can be compared to the Clintons. The Clintons have been known for political revenge, and Frank and Claire often get back at their foes. They also manipulate the press in their favor. Frank does this by “cozying up” to a budding reporter in the first season, and he later kills her. I don’t think the Clintons are secretly guilty of murder, so the show grossly exaggerates in that regard, but of course it is just entertainment.
The show is also notable for their main characters not particularly caring about their political affiliation. They are simply “democrats” because it has been politically more convenient for them. I think that’s one of the largest truths that the show portrays about Washington. There are so many politicians in our system today whose political philosophies are all a façade to get elected. For example, I don’t think Barack Obama was ever really against gay marriage, but when he was first asked about it, he said he was against it because that was the popular opinion at the time.
Hollywood broadly (and this show in particular) portray Washington in a very cynical manner. “The films portray the machine as a monolithic force that controls votes and remains in power through corrupt deals made by self-serving politicians and justified on grounds of political necessity or the existing machine becomes the target of reform,” (Giglio 100). Indeed, some of the worst features of politics come out in entertainment media, but after all, it needs to entertain us.
One of my favorite representations of politics in a film is probably “The American President.” It has a really great cast with excellent acting. Directed by the great Rob Reiner and starring Martin Sheen, Annette Bening, Michael J. Fox, and Michael Douglas as the president. The film revolves around a widowed president with one daughter in the final year of his first term when he meets an environmental lobbyist that he starts dating. Over the course of the film, the media is in a frenzy about the president having a girlfriend and the president’s opponent for the upcoming election is constantly on T.V attacking the president’s character. They try to dig up dirt on the president’s girlfriend and they make up stories about her trading sexual favors in order to get environmental laws passed. The word character comes up about 100 times in the movie and it placates right into the idea of the image is everything presidency. It is even discussed in length by the president and his chief of staff at the beginning of the film. “You said it yourself a million times. If there had been a T.V in every living room 60 years ago, this country does not elect a man in a wheelchair” (Reiner, The American President). I think that the film is excellent in that it does not over sensationalize the plot by adding crazy dramatic elements like blowing up the white house or attempting to assassinate the president. It’s a fictional story, but what makes it so great is that it feels real. The President has a high approval rating going into his fourth year in office, but the reality of the election coming up has an impact on how he does his job and lives his life even though he doesn’t want it to. The mainstream media constantly stirs things up as his date becomes public and the his actual duties as president almost become irrelevant. “The personality-driven aspects of campaigns, which networks are only too eager to carry, helps them compete with other media for audience share” (Mayer 131). In America, sex sells regardless of the importance of anything else. We saw that more in this past election cycle than I think any in history.
Work Cited:
Mayer, Jeremy D., Semiatin, Richard J., Graf, Joseph. "Campaign Press Coverage- Changed Forever." In Campaigns on the Cutting Edge. 3d. Ed.
"The American President" Dir. Rob Reiner. Perf. Michael Douglas, Annette Bening, Martin Sheen. 1995. Film.
While it’s not a direct representation and more of a satire, my favorite representation of politics is South Park. It’s creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, are currently driving this controversy riddled animated program into its 20th season and it appears they have no means of slowing down as long as they’re given material. These two writers create each episode six days before they’re set to air, giving them the ability to take from any popular culture story that may be currently trending. What’s even better is they’re more creative vulgarity and in-turn, brutal honesty on politics and societal issues than one might find on a nighttime talk show. Parker and Stone take their unique band of characters (mainly four children growing up in a small Colorado town) and are able to mock a variety of issues in modern politics. While their type of satire is seen more as amusing as well as vulgar, I believe it can present a true honest portrayal on some of the more ridiculous features of politics and how citizens react. For example, in looking at 2008’s episode, “About Last Night…”, the show follows the night of Obama winning the election where it presents an extreme satirical view of Democrats as they drunk riot throughout the street’s following Obama’s win and see him as a Messiah of sorts and then of Republican’s as they see Obama’s win as the apocalypse. This episode in particular I found amusing because I think it perfectly mocked how some people reacted to the 2008 election and perfectly hit both extremes. In another episode titled “I’m A Little Bit Country” Parker and Stone tackle another huge political issue when they mock both the supporters of the Iraq War and those against it, all providing a satirical but truthful portrayal of the Founding Fathers and original American politics. You can imagine with this year’s election that they’ve had plenty of material. While I haven’t been able to keep up with the show for this season, but I do know they’ve covered the recent topics such as the 2016 presidential election as well as Colin Kaepernick's National Anthem controversy. It’s this type of satire that I believe does stick with people because this show in particular really portrays politics like no other. In discussing a study of Michael Moore’s Roger, author Ernest Gigilo states “But despite some controversy over whether the film was a documentary or a comedic fable, the study results suggest that the American sample who viewed the film had substantially more negative feelings towards American corporations than the control group, who had not seen the film.” (16) What stood out to me about the mention of this study is that I believe South Park gives off the same sense towards politics. The show does hit various levels of ridiculousness but at the end of the day, I believe it can still leave an accurate portrayal of politics and leave the audience thinking in a negative or positive manner based off of the episode. It sticks with people in a completely different way than watching the news or even a satirical late night show because Stone and Parker push the boundaries on censorship and what’s politically correct. But at the same time, they’re real issues and this unique brand of comedy allows for a completely different and brutally honest look at them.
Before you roll your eyes in dismissal of why “Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, and Blonde” is my favorite Hollywood representation of politics I encourage you to read this blog post through. The movie, released in 2003, is the sequel to the original “Legally Blonde.” Elle is at it again but this time instead of law, she’s marching up Capitol Hill to fight for animal rights. Despite popular belief, I think it teaches us important things. The movie focuses on what it takes to pass a bill. Things like introducing the bill, the representatives from states from whom they need support, how to gain that support, how to lobby, how lobbying affects policymaking, and even what it’s like to be on the congressional floor. Elle fights tooth and nail, after being shut down and not taken seriously to ban animal testing. The movie is fairly political. I mean the main character is a sex object, which is typical of political films as Giglio in chapter 6 says, “historically, the studios decided that serious films on politics would not fill theater seats” (94). The same paragraph ends with, “Seldom does the industry portray evil politicians as expressions of institutional wrongdoing or virtuous politicians as defenders of constitutional principles” (Giglio 94). It’s interesting because unlike other political shows and movies, this movie actually does that. Representative Victoria Rudd is a typical politician who’s vote for, or against, the animal rights bill is bought. This is done behind Elle’s back and at the end of the movie she’s the antagonist. When Elle asks her why she blocked the bill, Rudd responds: “Why? Why does anything happen in Washington, survival. You have no idea what it takes to get here, to stay here. The money it takes. And it just so happens my chief financial contributor happens to have purchased half-share in a major cosmetics company, and THEY want to continue testing on animals. So much so that they are willing to backroll my opponent in next years elections if I did not kill YOUR bill“ (IMDb). She’s an example of a crooked politician and Elle proves this. It’s a fairly true depiction of what happens in Washington. It’s just a little more dramatic because that’s what people want to watch. The movie may differ from the traditional political film in that aspect but it doesn’t fall short in other aspects. Elle faces other personal foibles as typical political movies include because like Giglio said, filmmakers knew boring political movies wouldn’t fill theaters. Things like Elle’s wedding-planning, friends, she’s different for typical D.C., and she’s objectified. It’s more dramatic and entertaining than policy talk. For example, when the office Elle goes to work in for Representative Rudd first meets her, they respond to her “Hey everyone!” with “Look, its Capitol Barbie…She’s so shiny.” (IMDb). If you’ve seen the movie you may not love it, but what I think you should take from it, is its ability to teach. From a young kid who sang School House Rock’s “I’m Just a Bill” with her mom, this movie is like advanced politics for dummies. Sure, School House Rock taught you how a bill becomes a law but what it doesn’t tell you is the sneaky and sometimes corrupt things that happen behind the scenes. This movie does. It does it in a simple and easily understood way. It may be a little sexier and more dramatic than real life but its skeleton is true. I think that’s something important to take from this. You would be surprised at what a blonde can teach you… am I right?
Giglio, Ernest. Here's Looking at You Hollywood Film & Politics. New York: Peter Lang, 2002. Print.
There are a bunch of TV shows and Movies that have represented politics throughout time but my all time favorite Is Game of Thrones. Game of Thrones too many may just be fighting and sexual content with a bunch of cursing, however, its hidden focus is the political view way back when. “Game of Thrones is a taut political drama that draws on author George RR Martin’s wide knowledge of real political fracas in centuries past.”(Paste Magazine) Martin’s view of politics is taken in past centuries of Europe. Our guidelines haven’t exactly limited us to just the U.S politics so I decided to use a show that I actually watch. Game of Thrones focuses on kings and rulers of the seven kingdoms, it is based off of how a monarch is ruled and people who seek to rule. For political junkies as I am, seeing how past centuries were ruled is extremely interesting. “At times, it plays like a condensed political history of the world, taking inspiration from the British Wars of the Roses, and monarchs from Rome to the Mongol Empire.”(Paste Magazine) they use mad kings, calm kings and an extremely corrupt leadership to guide the plot well. Martin used a bunch of different tactics to show how insanely useless a king is without his court (the people who help run the seven kingdoms). This resembles kind of how important our congress is under the president. Although in Game Of Thrones it is a dictatorship and compared to the U.S we have the system of checks and balances, it resembles by the importance of the court and congress to their higher person. Political shows and movies have resembled politics in a hefty manner. Some make fun of politics such as South Park, others resemble politics like House of Cards, and then shows like Game Of Thrones that reenact it but with more drama to intrigue viewers. Martin does such a great job in doing this and truly shows the realistic way of politics in past centuries. Despite the fighting and insanely dramatic dragon scenes, if one can see past that all they will understand the political background that he offers.
Works Cited
Paste Staff and Writers. “The 44 Best Political TV Shows of All Time.” July 27th, 2016.
Although I’ve fallen out of religiously watching the show, Scandal was definitely one of my favorite Hollywood representations of politics. The show was a different kind of drama, thriller, and sometimes comedy. It opened the curtain to the political world and introduced the idea that there is much corruption to the highest of public figures.
Olivia Pope runs a crisis management firm in no other place then Washington, D.C. itself. She started as an intern working for the Fitzgerald Grant presidential campaign, which soon developed into a love affair with the candidate himself. Scandal also is very conscious about how the American political system operates, especially when watching the campaigning of the fictitious president, Fitzgerald Grant. “It is not surprising, therefore, that as a mainstream industry Hollywood steers clear of any ideology that challenges the existing order in films that promote or advocate alternative political systems” (Giglio 10). Now that Pope has moved onto her own business and taking on high-profile clientele, she urges herself to no longer continue her affair with the president. This not only helps improve her professionalism, but it also decreases the risk of people finding out.
The show does a good job of showing viewers what it’s like to be on a campaign trail, running the staff and president once in office, and also preparing for a re-election. On top of that, writers give each character a side plot involving their personal lives, which of course is full of drama, twists and turns, in order to keep viewers interested. For instance, viewers learn about the personal endeavors of every member on Olivia Pope’s team. This includes the team’s prime investigator, Abby Whelan, who is involved in a relationship with the District Attorney, an ex-assassin for a secret military operation squad, Huck, and a runaway girl with a fake identity to disconnect her from her past, Quinn Perkins. The show has featured other main characters on Pope’s team, however they do not stay consistent with the show’s already 6 seasons.
The ABC original produced by Shonda Rhimes has developed quite the fanbase since its first premiere season in 2012. People seem to be very intrigued with the balance of personal drama with the political drama. The writers have mastered how to throw in unexpected surprises, which is the basis to a popular television show to keep viewers coming back.
Works Cited
Giglio, Ernest. Here's Looking at You Hollywood Film & Politics. New York: Peter Lang, 2002. Print.
Television and politics go together like Kim and Kanye: perfectly. With the hundreds of genres on television, political shows always seem to be the most popular, as they give the audience an intimate glimpse into Washington. These shows allow viewers to take a break from the scary reality of actual politics and binge watch their favorite shows about political drama. With crazy characters, in crazy situations with plot lines intended to draw in millions of viewers, such as 1997’s “Wag the Dog”, where “the American people are easily manipulated by political spin doctors and readily fooled by second-rate media talent”(Giglio 3). However, majority of shows and movies provide real life scenarios and plots that parallel what’s actually going on in the news. When writing for these politicial-esque shows it definitely hard hiding biases, writers, “viewed the medium as an instrument to communicate stories that express their personal opinions and beliefs about love, life and policies”(Giglio 3).
Netflix’s reign with “House of Cards”, HBO’s “Veep” and Showtime’s “Homeland” its impossible to get bored with the variety of shows out there. My favorite political show on television is Shonda Rhimes’ ABC masterpiece “Scandal.” Although this show doesn’t exactly you all the policies of politics, it gives the viewers what they want, drama. The main character, Olivia Pope works behind the scenes as a crisis manager for politicians and government officials and also has a side relationship with the president of the United States. She is a strong and powerful female lead, which we don’t really see in political type shows. “Scandal” follows a more personal and secretive look at Washington and what exactly goes on behind closed doors, which many view as shocking and enviable.
However I will say that “The West Wing” is the best representation of politics. This drama offers insight in a way that wasn’t really done before. Usually with political shows and movies it had the president as the main character and what his job entailed but “The West Wing” showed how his job got done and who was involved with those duties, the White House Staffers. The show had real life political situations that viewers had already experienced with the government during that time. The 2000’s were filled with tough times in Washington and the people could relate to that because it offered a sense of realism to politics.
Giglio, Ernest. Here's Looking at You Hollywood Film & Politics. New York: Peter Lang, 2002. Print.
The movies and television shows that represent politics are for pure entertainment, as well as to critique American politics. Often, political figures are bashed and events are dramatized. Some movies and television shows have an accurate representation of politics, while others, not so much, but serve to be entertaining. Most movie and television representations use politics as a story line, and then captivate the audience with more dramatic events. In Hollywood, “if politics is the central story line, it serves as a framework for more familiar plots, such as assassination thrillers or as an ambiance for love and romance” (Giglio 94). By far, Scandal is my favorite representation of politics. This show is captivating and does a great job at bringing current event issues into it, as well as developing the characters. Just as any other show or movie in Hollywood, Scandal is dramatized and explains the character and politician’s home lives in depth, which we do not get to see in real life. Olivia Pope is a crisis manager and runs a firm, Olivia Pope and Associates. She work to cover up public issues and scandals, as well as manage her own personal life and relationships. Pope is based off of a real woman, Judy Smith. Smith did crisis management for known public figures and cases such as, Monica Lewinsky, George H.W Bush’s White House press office, Chandra Levy’s parents and Marion Barry (Starling). Furthermore, early on, Olivia Pope developed a relationship with President Fitzgerald Grant, which turned into a love affair. President Grant, his wife Mellie and their children appeared to be the perfect American family, until the American people found out about Olivia Pope and the other events that have been occurring. President Grant did not have strong relationships with his children and they were not featured in the show until about the third season. In politics today, presidents and families are looked up to. They are icons and the face of this country. For instance, the Obamas are looked at as important figures and the true American family. In addition, Scandal discuses a myriad of recent current event issues and has inspirations from political figures in the most recent election. For instance, there were characters inspired by Trump and Clinton. It was evident that one of the characters was inspired by Trump due to his content, tone, and way he spoke. When I first started watching Scandal, I realized how much truly goes on behind the scenes that the public is unaware of. I believe in conspiracy theories and I believe that there is more to something than what appears on the surface. Scandal represents politics accurately by showing how the media covers a lot of information up, and essentially, controls what should be and and what should not be publically talked about. Spinning is done and corruption is definitely involved in politics.
Works Cited:
Giglio, Ernest D. Here’s Looking at You: Hollywood, Film, and Politics. New York: Peter Lang, Print.
Starling, Alison. “ABC’s ‘Scandal’ Based on Real-life Crisis Handler, Judy Smith.” WJLA. Web. 14 Nov. 2016.
There are many shows and movies out on Netflix and the like depicting politics within the genre of comedy or drama. Some of it may be seen as unrealistic like White House Down, or House of Cards. While some depictions can be seen as accurate with a show like The West Wing. Whatever the case may be, I pick VEEP as my favorite representation of politics. Comedy has a way to relieve someone of the current stresses in one’s life and in the world of politics; it may just be the trick. With it’s sharp humor and quick witted dialogue within the show, it may be one of the best comedic political shows to date. To Begin, VEEP stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus, a seasoned actress known for her role in Seinfield as Elaine, as Selina Meyer, a former senator from Maryland who is serving as Vice President under President Stuart Hughes. Meyer aims to become the first female serving president, but endures many obscure comedic obstacles in the way of her path. What I find particularly great about this show is that the relationship between her and her staff is great. They’re tight-knit and loyal to one another, even though Meyer will curse out and threaten their lives if they make a mistake. Additionally, the show takes it outside of this context and tap into the personal lives of her staffers, which is rarely shown on TV and movies. It normalizes them in some way and creates a three-dimensional perspective for viewers. Another point to make is that the show is not entirely wrong in depicting politics. Giglio mentions in his book, Hollywood, Film and Politics, that “Hollywood has avoided serious treatment of American politicians because ideological or partisan politics is bad box office.” For VEEP, although it’s in a comedic standpoint, it very much depicts Selina Meyer’s relationship with other republican senators as complex and impossible to please (even if they try to impress her). Additionally during season 4 of VEEP, the shows comedic depiction of what it’s like on the campaign trail was well perceived. Campaigns make people go crazy (in reference to Amy Brookheimer’s meltdown, Season 4 episode 6) and many don’t see the insanity of work that is put into a flawless campaign. This is in contrast to the seriousness depicted in campaigns with movies like The Candidate (1978) or a shows like Tanner ’88 (Giglio). VEEP seeks to turn the realistic stresses of American politics into a great blend of comedy. VEEP is probably one of the best depictions of American politics on television right now. Scandal, House of Cards and Madame Secretary are shows that are on a dramatic platform. While I love House of Cards, what happens on the show is a little far from reality, ideologically and realistically. Additionally, what we’re seeing now are more females role of power depicted on television. While Hillary Clinton was unable to win the American presidency, maybe there’s someone like Selina Meyer out there who might use the system from within for Presidential power. Or maybe Melania Trump may have a much larger say in what happens in the White House than her husband. Who knows? Politics is a complex path of power, and television shows and movies help take one’s mind off of it.
Works Cited: Giglio, Ernest. Here's Looking at You Hollywood Film & Politics. New York: Peter Lang, 2002. Print.
My favorite representation of politics in a television show is without a doubt the Netflix original series, House of Cards. Many people suggested the series to me and once I started watching it, I was hooked. The series presents the journey of a South Carolina Democrat, Frank Underwood and his wife, Claire Underwood, as they do everything in their power to get Frank in the Oval Office. The show is centered on manipulation, power and deceit.
What I find to be very interesting in House of Cards is the way the media is connected to politics. We see this through Frank Underwood’s relationship with a young reporter named Zoe Barnes. Though Frank Underwood is married, he has a relationship with Zoe and she ultimately leaks information that damages his political rivals. Underwood eventually kills Zoe and it goes to show how some politicians are willing to do whatever it takes to maintain power and their reputation. This reminds me of the Access Hollywood tape that was leaked, which was likely done by the Clinton campaign.
One of the quotes that stood out to me in Giglio’s reading was “politics is as much a celebrity game today as popular entertainment” (Giglio 98). This quote relates to how House of Cards portrays politics and Washington, DC to its audience. This can also most definitely be applied to this year’s election, especially with Trump being a celebrity from The Apprentice. People found the things he said entertaining, the media capitalized off of that to get better ratings and Trump benefitted from free airtime and endless media coverage.
I think House of Cards fosters skepticism from the show’s audience. By continuously showing how corrupt some political leaders are, it makes viewers skeptical of those who hold high offices and are supposed to represent all people. The makers of House of Cards do this in various ways by showing what Frank Underwood is willing to do in order to become president. If it means pushing a journalist into an oncoming subway or locking a man in a car, leaving the engine on and closing the garage. Frank Underwood is portrayed in a ruthless and power hungry fashion, which makes many viewers skeptical of what goes on behind closed doors in Washington, D.C. I think it also causes people to be less trustworthy of government officials since they are presented in the television show in a way that makes it look like they don’t care about anyone but themselves and are only concerned with how they can further their own personal interests.
American politics have long been a popular subject in Hollywood. Depicting presidents and the White House staff according to the genre of a series is not always the most realistic approach, but it is what’s become the norm for television and the silver screen. Among all movies and TV series, my favorite is the show, House of Cards in terms of representation of American politics and the president. I do understand that it may be more on the cynical end of the spectrum but the cynic in me actually sees it as more realistic than pessimistic. I like this show because it follows a different path compared to other shows and movies that depict politics in that while it still places the president at the center of its focus, it successfully depicts political issues and the inner workings of the American political system even in ways that some people would rather not be aware of. As Giglio argues in his book, “In films that attempt to present serious domestic or foreign policy issues, the script is likely to focus on the personal foibles of the characters,… rather than the actual workings of the legislative process, and ignore the means by which the president reaches a policy decision.” (Giglio, 94) Taking this as basis Granted, House of Cards focuses heavily on Frank Underwood’s (portrayed by Kevin Spacey) personal journey to and throughout his presidency, but it also accurately represents many other elements that go into American politics in reality. For example, Season 2 of the show heavily focuses on the role of super-PACs and big corporations in determining political decisions in the White House, and their power over the presidency. Underwood’s relationship with Raymond Tusk, a successful businessman and owner of several major corporations in the world, heavily influences the actions that he takes as the President of the United States of America. So clearly, House of Cards diverges from the norm of Hollywood’s depicting of American politics in the sense that it goes in a little deeper into the reality of politics instead of just lingering on the surface of the president’s persona. On a different note, I also enjoy watching The West Wing, which focuses on a different aspect of American politics, which actually relates more closely to our class. This series takes on a more comical and yet relevant approach and rather than focusing on strict politics, it changes gears as it zeroes in on the everyday lives of the White House communications staff. In doing so, it depicts a refreshing image of political communication in today’s mobilized world and it manages to capture the audience’s interest in every episode by presenting us with different curveballs to tackle along with the main characters. Overall, I think that Hollywood’s portrayal of American politics is evolving from what Giglio describes as an avoidance of a serious treatment of American politicians due to ideological or partisan politics’ negative impact on revenues (Giglio, 95) into a more complex approach.
Politics have been depicted in Hollywood for years. Shows such as Scandal, West Wing, Designated Survivor and others like this dramatize the actual life of the President of the United States. One of my favorite shows every week that depicts political figures is Saturday Night Live. Although this is genre of television is mainly comedy, the show continuously uses the words of the political figure and jabs at them in a rather funny way every weekend. Giglio states, “It is undisputed that the vast majority of Hollywood films are designed to capture audiences through appeal to our senses rather than our intellect (Giglio 3). These shows target specific audiences when it comes to politics. From Scandal, to West Wing, these shows have given audiences the opportunity to imagine and picture how the White House actually operates for its day to day running. Hollywood has influenced politics since President Kennedy, and his years learning that image and portrayal matters. Hollywood and politics have continuously intertwined, whether it is celebrity endorsements such as Leonardo DiCaprio acknowledging climate change is real and serious, and holding events in Hillary Clinton’s favor during her campaign. The series that are playing now depicting politics and the White House are allowing audiences who are watching the series an opportunity to see what really goes on in the most important and powerful position in the world. Television series of this nature have given audiences and anyone who is watching a front row vision of Washington up close and personal. Saturday Night Live has been covering politics since the beginning of the start of the show. They have used actors and actresses such as Will Ferrell depicting George W. Bush, Jay Pharoah as Barack Obama, and Darrell Hammond portraying Bill Clinton. Saturday Night Live has brilliantly captured the personalities, actions and characteristics of political figures by portraying them as actors and actresses that not only physically resemble them (Like Tina Fay portraying Sarah Palin) but they have the talent and ability to sound just like the political figure. Most opening skits for Saturday Night Live showcases usually something that has happened in politics or Washington the week prior. They use the actors and actresses to speak directly to the audience watching, almost like they are hearing it from the political figure themselves. Usually, Saturday Night Live tr5ies to make light on a rather dark subject, such as the previous election and campaign season. The show makes people laugh when it comes to politics, especially after a hectic week or a nauseating debate. NPR stated, “SNL's attempt to make light of an election that has seemed equal parts frivolous and gravely serious all at the same time comes as some question the role comedians should play in challenging politicians this election year” (NPR). Saturday Night Live has revolutionized the way we interpret politics.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus has won an Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series every year since 2012. HBO’s Veep gives us a new way to look at politics. I don’t watch too many political themed shows but I’ve never seen anything quite like Veep. It’s vulgar and hilarious and unfortunately seems believable. I only recently start watching this show and I am currently on season 2 of 5 seasons. Watching this show alongside taking this class makes this show seem very realistic. Every detail is strategically planned down to what ice cream Selina Meyers will get during her visit to a local ice cream shop. The show does have a lot more scandal and mistakes from one person than one would think a vice president has. The show also shows how easy it is to trick the American people. Giglio states, “…the cynical message of Wag the Dog seems to be that the American people are easily manipulated by political spin doctors and readily fooled by second-rate media talent” (3). Before making this statement Giglio explained how similar Wag the Dog was to the real life president. Bill Clinton strategically launched missiles to change headlines during his accusations and court hearings. This made the movie very believable. Selina Meyers does exactly what Clinton does anytime she is accused of doing something bad or if she makes a mistake. She changes the narrative herself. This show really convinces people that they’re just puppets in the game of politics. Another thing the show does is emphasize how fake relationships are in politics. They show Selina Meyers whispering insults through her smile towards other politicians. This also seems very realistic. Especially after this election we can see that relationships were forged. Hillary Clinton and the Obamas. During the primaries in 2008 they were very nasty towards each other but now we can see that they are the “best of friends”. Julia Louis-Dreyfus even stated in her Emmy acceptance speech, “Our show started out as a political satire, but it now feels more like a sobering documentary”. The dirty truths of politics have been coming to the surface this past year with the DNC email fiasco showing that they really do try to manipulate everything. After this exhausting election its very nice to watch this show and be able to laugh about it.
Giglio, Ernest. Here's Looking at You Hollywood Film & Politics. New York: Peter Lang, 2002. Print.
"Julia Louis-Dreyfus reminds us why she's one of the best actresses alive in Emmys speech" http://www.businessinsider.com/julia-louis-dreyfus-acceptance-speech-emmys-2016-9
Scandal is my absolute favorite politically based television show; it’s wild, fun, and addictive. This may have something to do with my obsession with Shonda Rhimes and the empire she has built, but I love how this show gives us fictional Washington insider drama, while tying together melodramatic romances with amazing love triangles (aka, Olivia Pope, President Grant Fitzgerald, and Jake Ballard). Although this show isn’t The Newsroom or House of Cards, it still gives a semi accurate representation of the shenanigans in D.C.
Hollywood and politics have been closely tied to one another for decades now. From our chapter 6 reading, Hollywood and Washington: The Marriage of Film and Politics it says that, “ Since Hollywood deals in illusions and fantasies, the industry should find an attractive partner in the entertainment business” (Giglio 94).
Scandal is a prime example of this statement. In 2011, ABC picked up Shonda Rhimes new show, Scandal. The show follows, Kerry Washington who plays Olivia Pope, the former White House Communications Director who has started her own crisis- management firm. Many incidents that happen in the show can be interpreted from real life scenarios that happened in real life. According to Screen Prism, “The inspiration for the Olivia Pope character came from Judy Smith, the Deputy Press Secretary for George H. W. Bush. Like Olivia, Smith was credited with guiding presidents around potential controversies” (Krawczyk). Shonda Rhimes does make things up for a living, but some scenarios have to be portrayed accurately, like affairs and election rigging.
The love affair between Olivia Pope and President Fitz is based around Bill Clinton’s affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky was an event I compared to real life immediately. Throughout all the seasons we have seen this relationship play out on television, just like Clinton and Lewinsky’s eventually played out in the media. There are many more examples, but one more that stood out to me was “The Lawn Chair” episode. “The Lawn Chair" eerily resembles the events that unfolded in Ferguson, Missouri in August 2014, when a police officer shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown” (Krawczyk)
Politics can often be associated with negativity, so it’s refreshing to watch a show like Scandal that mixes the outrageous with the serious. Can’t wait for Scandal Season Six in in 2017!
We all know politics has been in the film/tv industry for ages. It's such a diverse topic that you can't really run out of ideas very quickly. Between shows like Scandal and the new show, Designated Survivor (which I really want to start watching but I'm too busy binge watching Scandal), there is so much meat for political films and shows. I'm very new to political tv but I just started watching Scandal because this election has made me very interested in politics. While I only just started, I can already tell that as good as the show is, it is very dramatized and very much fiction based. While some aspects of it might be accurate, covering up a few murders doesn't seem like something that's going on within the White House at the moment.
You would think that with so much opportunity for new spins on politics, Hollywood would be eating it up. However, that's not the case, "Only a small percentage of the 150,000 films turned out by Hollywood over the past century actually feature American politics as the primary subject and politicians as the central characters" (Giglio 94). I think part of the reason this may be is because for one, you don't want to overdo politics as films (even though i'm pretty sure there are plenty of action/superhero films to last a lifetime), a lot of Americans, based on the election numbers, either don't understand politics or just don't care about them. So having loads of films based on politics, might not actually do as well as one might think.
As for TV, we've seen a spike over the last few years in political shows. Like I mentioned before, Scandal is a hit on ABC and now there's Designated Survivor. I think part of the reason political tv shows do so well is because there's an aspect of fiction and drama to it and it's a shorter period of time that people are watching them at once (typically an hour). Plus everyone loves a good drama and when you throw politics in there, it makes it a prime candidate for drama.
Something like Designated Survivor, although I've never seen it, is really interesting because it makes you wonder if there actually is a "designated survivor" when there are events that have a lot of major politicians in one room (I feel like if there was, we aren't supposed to know about it).
As for Scandal, from what I've seen so far, it seems like Law and Order meets politics (but less legal). For Scandal, you don't need to know politics well to understand or enjoy the show and I think that's a big factor in why political tv shows do well, it's not necessary for you to fully understand politics.
Works Cited:
Giglio, Ernest. Here's Looking at You Hollywood Film & Politics. New York: Peter Lang, 2002. Print
(I would also like to say, in reading some of the responses, I quickly realized there are most likely spoilers about Scandal in them and had to stop reading)
While I was surfing Tumblr a couple days after the election had ended I saw a post from a television show. If anyone has seen Fresh Off the Boat it entails an Asian family who don’t really share the same religious and cultural beliefs of where they come from but the show’s writers do hit many important topics like rape, racism, sexism, and politics. The show has already been on for three seasons and already has a major following. In season 3 episode 4 entitled “Citizen Jessica,” one of the boys goes on a rampage with one of the voters explaining the disgrace of the electoral college. The boy goes on to say that, “The electoral college violates the rule of ‘one person, one vote.’ That means the candidate who wins the popular vote can still lose the election. And that is extremely undemocratic.” This scene has been shared all over social media as much of the country has not been happy with the results of the election. I found this scene completely helpful and it finally gave me an understanding of the electoral college which I desperately needed after this election. I believe what hurt this election the most was the fact that character was the majority of the election and not important topics such as foreign policy, economics, gun control and so much more. In the article “The Primacy of Character” Rollins hits the nail on the head explaining, “During the presidential campaign of 1992, the question of character was pushed off the national agenda in the favor of the issue of economics. Such would not be the case in the subsequent presidential contest in 1996” (Rollins). Just as the 1996 campaign was focused more on the candidates character this year’s election was no exception. If the country was more focused on the issues at hand, we may not have ended up with Trump as our president elect. With all the media circling and social media upended after the election many have spent days fighting with others about what could have been or the tiny details about the election that could have changed the results. Media continues to swirl and people continue to talk about what could have been. The media keeps pushing the subject of the election and talking everyone’s ear off. The media needs to take it down a notch and to give the what ifs a break because right now we need to move on from the fact that the election has been won. It is now a time for us to see what will happen and what he will do for our country. Trump may be a narcissistic sexist pig but he is our president elect therefore it is what it is.
Works Cited:
Rollins, Peter C., and John E. O'Connor. Hollywood's White House: The American Presidency in Film and History. Lexington: U of Kentucky, 2005. Print.
Part of me wants to believe that I became a Political Science major due to all of the movies and television shows I grew up on that involved the American government. I can vividly remember watching Air Force One and Independence Day with my parents and consistently asking questions about each person’s role in our nation. The President was always the coolest but my favorites were always the secret service agents. Today, my taste in entertainment has really stayed the same. I continue to adore movies and television shows involving politics and when I listen to music, I look for artists with more of a message than drugs and sex, but politics and society too. One of my favorite television shows from an early age was Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s South Park. They always do a great job at simplifying the big issue in the country at the time while doing a fantastic job at making a mockery of it. This year’s election cycle has been no different. Parker and Stone felt it wouldn’t do this election justice to call the candidates by their actual names so they referred the Hillary Clinton as “Turd Sandwich” and Donald Trump as “Giant Douche”. During the debates, the character playing Donald Trump, or the “Giant Douche”, would look to the crowd and beg them not to elect him. He would say things along the lines of “I really cannot think of anyone less fit for President than me” or “I am a complete jackass and I have made a giant mistake here running for President. Please do not support me.” These claims would earn nothing but standing ovations from his supporters in the audience, much to the dismay of the moderators and the character playing Trump. But that wasn’t the end of the joke. In the most genius way ever, Parker and Stone made the “Turd Sandwich” (Clinton) have only one line and that was: “My opponent is a liar and cannot be trusted.” This would negate everything Trump’s character had just said to his supporters and South Park shows visuals of Clinton’s campaign team every time she says that line and they are completely beside themselves. In another episode of this season, South Park attacks Americans tendency to flip flop from candidate to candidate during unique elections like this one. At one point one of the main character, Randy Marsh, is being attacked by Trump supporters for being a Clinton supporter. He gives them plenty of solid reasons to why he is supporting the “Turd Sandwich” and not the “Giant Douche” but the Trump supporters don’t budge. That night, Randy is watching television and begins to really think about his vote. He chooses to actually begin supporting Trump and turns his back on Clinton. The next day, he approaches those same friends to tell them about his decision to support their candidate. When he does, they begin to freak out on him in the same way except this time, they are asking him how he could ever support Trump over Clinton? I felt this was amazing at showing that supporters of both candidates can be annoying and that everyone should be entitled to their opinion without being attacked for it like many were during this election. Finally, the show attacks America’s love for nostalgia by adding these things called “Member berries” into the show. They look just like grapes but when held, they begin to speak and say things like: “Remember Bonanza? Oh, I loved Bonanza. Remember Woodstock? Woodstock was amazing. Remember hair metal? I loved hair metal.” These fruits are probably attacking the whole “Make America Great Again” by poking fun at the fact Americans love to discuss what they are missing not what they are lucky enough to have. At the end of the day, Giglio notes that: “politics is as much a celebrity game today as popular entertainment” (Giglio, 98) and we absolutely saw that with South Park this season. Although I have not seen last week’s episode about the “Giant Douche” (Trump) winning, I am more than sure it will do a great job at infuriating me and making me laugh hysterically at the same time.
I don’t watch many TV shows or movies that involve politics on a grander scale than state level. With that being kept in mind, the TV show Blue Bloods offers, to me, my favorite representation of politics. The TV show Blue Bloods is about a family who has heavy roots in the New York City Police Department and other pertinent branches of the city’s government. In the show, the father, Frank Reagan, is the current police commissioner while one of his sons is a detective, the youngest one is an officer, and his daughter is the assistant district attorney. Frank’s father also used to be the police commissioner, and in different episodes, it is shown that he often has a heavy influence on his son’s decisions. We see a family involvement in politics today, it is not often just one person in a family being involved. There is an established family legacy in politics. In almost every episode, the entire family sits down at the table once on Sunday, and has dinner together. To me, this is perfect imagery for politics. Often political figures only come together once to actually talk about things and work together. We saw this in a way with Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton when they came together at that benefit and both gave a speech, both setting aside their differences and being civil. Besides this, the two candidates did not come together and talk about things or work together, as the whole point of the election is to beat the other. One of his sons, Danny, always uses questionable tactics to achieve results in a case and that often gets the entire family in to hot water. Although this show does not pertain to presidential politics, the base attitudes shown in the show can speak to all levels of politics. The quote “Political activities in feature films frequently express individual behavior that is motivated by self-interest; bad politicians act out of greed and ambition while good politicians act in response to the deeds of bad politicians.” (Giglio 95), speaks to the attitudes in the show. As I aforementioned, Danny Reagan uses questionable tactics to achieve results and often puts his family in odd positions because he needs to be punished for his actions but, at the same time, the father who is the police commissioner and the sister who is the district attorney do not want to get their brother in to trouble. Danny Reagan is not a good cop, he “acts out of greed and ambition.” To relate this to politics, we often see politicians who do not act on certain issues because they want to remain friends rather than create enemies with those they work with. Commonly, this is called a “kickback” and is illegal in politics because it leads to corruption.
The Netflix drama House of Cards is definitely my personal favorite show depicting the American political system. In this show Kevin Spacey plays Frank Underwood, a Democratic majority whip with a thirst for power. It focuses on the inner workings and personal dynamics of politics, with the first season focusing more on the legislative branch and the second season and up more so on the executive. It is especially ruthless, showing the twisted deals and personal attacks that happen behind the scenes. The various scandals range from illegal campaign financing to outright murder. Obviously the show exaggerates the drama, as far as we know at least. President Obama admitted he enjoyed the show and went on record saying that he wished politics could be as “ruthlessly efficient” as shown on the show. Bill Clinton on the other hand supposedly told Kevin Spacey that “99 percent of what you do on that show is real”, which if true, is a very disturbing concept (Kurtz). Of course, Clinton was noted by many for his conveniently timed cruise missile strikes (Giglio, 2). So maybe he can find a few things to relate to in the ruthless pragmatism of Frank Underwood. The Underwoods are depicted as a couple thirsty for power, and the show follows their path to the White House. I enjoyed the fact that while I enjoyed the drama and action, I actually learned a lot about the various rolls and functions in upper level politics. The show covers passing bills, discussing the various players from unions and lobbyists, to the whip forcing certain politicians’ hands. This show is one of Hollywood’s many works that paint politics in a cynical light. There is no doubt that Frank Underwood is a bad man, and he will do whatever it takes to remain in power. In season two he says “the road to power is paved with hypocrisy, and casualties. Never regret” (House of Cards). This is an example of his pure willingness to turn his back on promises and backstab whenever necessary. Frank also is depicted as a charismatic and smooth talking leader; so that even when some evidence of his scandals starts to show, he is able to manipulate the public in his favor. This is an example of Hollywood depicting the American public as “so gullible that its decisions rest on emotion rather than reasoning” (Giglio, 3). The people are simply treated like pawns, and it is clear that Underwood does not care about them. He does however care about maintaining his image, and will resort to any means to do so.
Historically and with few exceptions, the film industry has: "treated the American presidency with respect and dignity, if not reverence" (Giglio 105). In the past, the presidency was an honorable position – one in which it would be inappropriate to criticize or satirize. It has been said that even before the Second World War, "... it would have been virtually impossible to find a negative portrayal of an American president on screen" (Giglio 105). Modern television and film are not seemingly following a similar suit. Reading about politics predominantly takes up my free leisure time so I tend to stay out of politics in the television and film arenas; aside from casually watching The Good Wife with my mom when I was home. Many movies have come out over time that touch upon politics, but rely heavily upon the war-like characteristics and military battles. An example of such would be Michael Bay’s 2016 thriller: 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi. This movie gave an in-depth look at how politics, under the eyes of certain polarizing political figures, directly affected the safety and outcomes of these innocents’ lives. It was an exciting war-thriller while also being able to tell a story about the happenings off of the battlefield that deeply affected those in Benghazi.
There are many modern and popular television series about politics that are still going on today: West Wing, Scandal, Madam Secretary, and many others. I have been recently getting back into the excitement-filled series: House of Cards. Many have said that it is not an accurate description nor depiction of what the political arena is like, I think they’re wrong. Frank Underwood [Kevin Spacey] is not trying to mirror American politics – but rather, to show the extremes that may exist within. Frank lives a very questionable, yet exciting life as he starts his career trying to get into the White House. It chronicles his many tricks, deceptions, and lies that he implements in order to further his political career. Many joke that Frank and his wife are really a depiction of Bill Clinton and Hillary, when Bill was still in office. With that in mind: it makes their way of navigating politics appear to be hysterical. Frank and his wife are like the Bill-Hill political power couple. Frank even has an open relationship with his wife in which he is able to use sex with other women in order to further or boost his chances of winning [politically]. They describe how he uses sex to control a reporter Zoe Barnes [before killing her when she becomes a nuisance]. It shows how political opponents stand in his way, so together with his wife, eliminate those threats. Even when matters begin to be closing in upon them and their secrets may become public, they shamelessly ignore the issues. Again, parallels may be drawn about the very many questionable disappearances of Clinton’s political opponents over the years [Antonin Scalia, Vince Foster, Victor Thorne, Seth Rich, etc.]. I even like how the show in its fourth season is trying to show modern parallels with modern politics. One episode had the family dealing with a radical Islamic terrorism problem, to which Frank and his wife conspired to play the fear card to draw their attention away from their secrets being uncovered during the time. The ways of displaying politics in the television and film arenas are changing dramatically from their initial habits. Even Hitler received a comedic portrayal in 2015 in Er ist wieder da [Look Who's Back].
I watch a variety of television shows and have seen more movies than I would care to admit that involve some sort of representation of politics. Television shows like HBO’s VEEP and Netflix’s House of Cards try to mirror the political process to the best of their abilities and make government look like some sort of cut-throat, badass, constant battle for individual politician’s best interest in which only the fittest will survive, and while I have never personally held a powerful high-level government position (yet), I believe these shows are sensationalized misrepresentations of the political process.
Governance, in reality, is a long arduous process involving tons of paperwork, long and difficult negotiations with other officials, and most importantly constant compromise. The television show that most accurately represents what I believe the political process entails is NBC’s Parks and Recreation, particularly the first two seasons in which Parks and Recreation Department Deputy Leslie Knope attempts to get legislation approved that will allow her department to fill the dangerous pit that has become an eyesore to the citizens of Pawnee, Indiana.
Leslie Knope was unable to get the necessary approval to fill the pit with dirt, so she decides to bypass the red tape by renting a bulldozer to fill it in by on her own, nearly burying a man alive in the process. Leslie faces little to know backlash for ignoring government orders to do what she thought was right, and like in the real world, there was a lot of unnecessary restrictions that aimed to prevent her from doing so for no particularly good reason.
Parks and Recreation is also very accurate in their depiction of the outrage the backlash that politician’s seemingly harmless words or actions can have on their careers and communities. Take the first episode of the second season titled “Pawnee Zoo” in which Deputy Knope holds a marriage ceremony for two penguins, which promptly begin having sex in front of all of the children at the zoo. Once the news gets out that the penguins were actually both male, the Pawnee community demands for Leslie Knope’s resignation because she is not supposed to take a stand on social issues as a nonpartisan public servant.
Indiana has a vastly white Evangelical population (beliefnet.com), and Knope has a rude awakening as she remembers who the people she works for really are. In an article for Poltiico Laura Turner writes of an Evangelical woman, “Davis values religious liberty, and fears that a Clinton presidency would be “very dangerous” to freedom in the pulpit. She wants a president who will “protect the unborn,” a value that stems from her Christian faith and that she has heard Trump espouse.”(Turner)
In many parts of the country people put their faith at the forefront of their political decision making, and that combined with the how long and boring trying to actually bring change at the government level is in reality, is why NBC’s Parks and Recreation is my favorite television or film representation of politics.
@beliefnet. "State-by-State Percentage of White Evangelicals, Catholics, and Black Protestants." State by State Percentage of Evangelicals, Catholics, and Black Protestants - Beliefnet. Beliefnet, Inc. And/or Its Licensors, n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2016.
Turner, Laura. "How Long Can Evangelical Women Stay Behind Donald Trump?" Politico 12 Oct. 2016. Web.
I never knew I could love a blog topic so much. As sad as it may sound, my life revolves around TV, and some of my favorite shows just so happen to be political based. House of Cards and Scandal are two of my favorite shows and have some gripping exaggerated (or what I hope to be exaggerated) political content in them. They are definitely my two favorite representations of politics. They also aid in Ernest Giglio’s description of Hollywood’s interpretation of politics, “The films portray the machine as a monolithic force that controls votes and remains in power through corrupt deals made by self-serving politicians and justified on grounds of political necessity or the existing machine becomes the target of reform,” (Giglio 100).
House of Cards is definitely portrayed as that “monolithic force.” From the beginning, Frank Underwood undermines everyone and every thing he can to get to the White House and the to stay in the White House. From murder to verbal threats, Frank Underwood is the definition of a corrupt Politian. Throughout this election season, with all the scandal, I would constantly think back to House of Cards and imagine what was happening behind those closed doors. In Here's Looking at You Hollywood Film & Politics, Giglio writes, “political activities in feature films frequently express individual behavior that is motivated by self-interest; bad politicians act out of greed and ambition while good politicians act in response to the deeds of bad politicians (Giglio 95).” This is another great way to describe House of Cards. We see Frank Underwood and his clan of minions constantly act out of greed. We also see the ‘good politicians’ trying to take Underwood down. Something else that is interesting, is seeing the ‘good politicians’ become ‘bad politicians.’ We see Jackie Sharp, who at first is a lower level politician, gets into bed with the Underwood’s and finds herself becoming more of a corrupt politician.
Scandal also sees the monolithic force. Fitzgerald Grant’s presidency was won by fixing the vote in Defiance, Iowa. This showed viewers that some politicians and people on their teams will do anything to get them into the Oval Office. Scandal also has shown a lot of good versus bad politician, or rather the good versus evil in politics. We see Sally Langston try to take down the Grant administration by acting in response to their bad decisions, however I would never label Sally Langston as a ‘good politician.’ Scandal also portrays a lot of the behind the scenes of politics and government with B613. We see Papa Pope, Olivia’s father, constantly doing everything in his mighty power to have things go his way.
Watching these shows has created a larger interest in politics for me. It has also caused me to question many things about our political system. I am constantly finding myself putting real life scenarios into the word of Scandal or House of Cards, but always reel myself back in – but hey you never know!
Giglio, Ernest. Here's Looking at You Hollywood Film & Politics. New York: Peter Lang, 2002. Print.
I’d have to say that House of Cards is by far my favorite TV show that focuses politics in the modern age. I love the intensity that Frank Underwood, played by Kevin Spacey, brings to the table because it makes politics seem much more exciting than real-world politics. Additionally, I think that shows like House of Cards brings an audience in that would rather watch the show than watch actual politics because of the scandals and suspense that takes place throughout all of the seasons. At the same time, there is definitely a lot of things wrong with House of Cards. For example, the show portrays Frank Underwood as a politician that is able to get things done efficiently where as compared to real world politics, the political process can take years. Another thing I really like about House of Cards is the portrayal of the media. In House of Cards, you always feel that the characters working for the media play a role just as important as Spacey’s role as Frank Underwood. Additionally, I like how the show depicts good and bad politicians. For example, Frank Underwood who is portrayed sometimes as a good politician, but mainly as a bad politician, is loved by the audience and as Giglio writes in Hollywood Film & Politics, “political activities in feature films frequently express individual behavior that is motivated by self-interest; bad politicians act out of greed and ambition while good politicians act in response to the deeds of bad politicians (Giglio 95).” This is definitely represented in the show in multiple episodes/seasons of House of Cards, especially the season that follows the election between Frank Underwood and Will Conway. At times, Frank Underwood will show his dark side when trying to destroy Conway’s campaign while Conway is always trying to combat Underwood’s crooked politics. Lastly, House of Cards is an addictive show that depicts politics unlike any other TV show such as Veep and Scandal and at the end of the day this show has helped me to enjoy real world politics. The only thing that I would try to improve in House of Cards is the representation of the political process. I think it should show how difficult it really is to get a law passed and show how long negotiating relations with Russia would actually take because it takes less than a season for the United States and Russia to become “friends” again. I’m hoping that this show continues for a while and after this election, I think the show has been presented with the opportunity to create some new exciting plotlines. Thanks Trump!
Works Cited
Giglio, Ernest. Here's Looking at You Hollywood Film & Politics. New York: Peter Lang, 2002. Print.
I would say House of Cards is by far my favorite representation of politics on TV. It stars Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright as Frank and Claire Underwood, and follows their road to the white house. I think the reason why I enjoyed it so much is because of its focus on political corruption. While I do think much of what’s on the show is fairly extreme, there is a part of me that believes that many of our politicians do engage in very corrupt activities that the public rarely hears about. I think why House of Cards became such a hit in the US is because it investigates the mysterious behind-the-scenes of politics. It shows the side of our politicians that they don’t want us to know about. Personally, I’m very interested in the secret lives of the world’s elite and how they got to their positions, so House of Cards was a perfect show for me. Another movie that I have recently watched was The Campaign. In the movie, Marty Huggins, a dorky tourism director played by Zach Galifianakis, runs against Congressman Cam Brady (played by Will Farrell) for congressman of North Carolina. The movie is clearly a political satire, and one thing it heavily satirized was attack ads. Throughout the movie, Marty and Cam would take really small things about each other and blow them out of proportion on an ad. In one of the ads, for instance, Cam attacked Marty for having two pet pugs, claiming that it makes Marty “communistic” since pugs are from China. While the representation of attack ads in The Campaign are far more absurd than in the real political world, attack ads do tend to blow things out of proportion in order to develop fear. Here’s Looking at You: Hollywood, Film and Politics states that “political activities in feature films frequently express individual behavior that is motivated by self-interest: bad politicians act out of greed and ambition while good politicians act in response to the deeds of the bad politicians” (Giglio 95). I think this idea is something that we can see ring true in both House of Cards and The Campaign. In House of Cards, Frank does not want to be president because he wants to better the country, but rather because he’s power hungry and wants to get back at the current president for not making him Secretary of State. While not necessarily a politician in the show, political journalist Zoe Barnes could be seen as the “good politician”, who attempts to investigate him and his actions. In The Campaign, Cam Brady is portrayed as the “bad politician” who will say anything to anyone in order to remain a congressman. In response, the innocent Marty Huggins acts as the “good politician” who runs against him to help better North Carolina.
Works Cited Giglio, Ernest. Here's Looking at You Hollywood Film & Politics. New York: Peter Lang, 2002. Print.
Politics and television are two (on a long list) of my favorite things, but I have not watched all of the best national political television shows. I have watched House of Cards, but I have watched more of the local politics shows. The ones I still need to watch include The West Wing, Veep, Designated Survivor, and Scandal among many other television shows. The readings for this week talk about Hollywood’s interpretation of politics as being one of two things, “the films portray the machine as a monolithic force that controls votes and remains in power through corrupt deals made by self-serving politicians and justified on grounds of political necessity or the existing machine becomes the target of reform,” (Giglio 100). I think it is fair to say that both of these are still true for every political show out there, but with some shows in between.
ReplyDeleteLast year HBO released the mini series Show Me A Hero about the former mayor of Yonkers, New York, Nick Wasicsko. This show sticks out in my mind as an example of politicians looking to reform. It talks about housing segregation in Yonkers, New York and how the local government was trying to put low-income housing in white parts of Yonkers. This was a fascinating real life event that talks about the inner workings of local politics.
House of Cards to me is a very entertaining show, but also very extreme case of politics. This is an example of the “monolithic force” kind of political show. I like my political shows to be based in a little truth and in House of Cards there isn’t much of it. The most recent season talked about campaigning while having to deal with a scandal, something we say quite a lot of in 2016. The show has two staffers that are always trying to control Frank Underwood’s message no matter how it looks.
An interesting take on politics is the first episode of Black Mirror. It is about a princess in Great Britain being kidnapped and the Prime Minister having to deal with how to get her back. The kidnappers have a ransom that the Prime Minister must do or else they will kill her. The most interesting of the political communications side is seeing how the Prime Minister’s team crafts a response. They come up with different ideas on how they can get him out of fulfilling the ransom while keeping his dignity.
Arguably the best show of all time is The Wire, which is based in the balance of government and police working together on the local level. This show displays all aspects of public service and the dilemma they have working together. For the Mayor (loosely based on former Presidential candidate Martin O’Malley) he has to worry about re-election and the performance of the police department all rides on him. The police want to be able to do their job, but with budget cuts by the government there is only so much that they are able to do. The dynamics of the relationship are important to how both the police and the government do their job.
Giglio, Ernest. Here's Looking at You Hollywood Film & Politics. New York: Peter Lang, 2002. Print.
DeleteIf I had to name one television show that satirizes the political process that is an all time favorite of mine, it is certainly VEEP on HBO. The show, featuring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer, who plays the Vice President, and the eventually President, of the United States, and the candid moments of the United States President. The viewer gets to see the inner-mechanics of what the White House could actually look like, and gets to wonder; is this what the public doesn’t see when the press isn’t following the President’s every move?
ReplyDeleteAs Peter Rollins, author of “Hollywood’s Presidents 1944-1996: The Primacy of Character” writes, the “presidency is a national mirror, and Hollywood, recognizing that symbolic dimension of the office, has opted to focus on the character issue and to subordinate any domestic and foreign-policy matters.” Selina Meyer is generally a fire cracker, foul-mouthed politician who the audience can’t help but love for that very fact. She makes ridiculous mistakes that, in the realm of the real political world, would be horrendous, but to the viewer the mistakes are so relatable that one can’t help but wish Selina Meyer actually existed. For example, Selina Meyer receives an extremely expensive silk blanket from the Chinese prime minister for Christmas, while trying to establish better relations with China. She accidentally gifts it to her daughter’s girlfriend, and this creates a frenzy of drama between Meyer and her political team. Furthermore, Catherine Meyer, Selina’s daughter, is dating Selina Meyer’s body double; the prime minister of China sees them kiss, and is immediately confused because he believes that Meyer and her daughter had kissed. Although these events are wildly unrealistic, they create this sense of genuine candid moments amongst viewers, and prompt viewers that the White House is, indeed, this candid.
Furthermore, while discussing the the movie The American President, which shows similarities to VEEP in that “by emphasizing the issues of family values,” these films let us see the “first family” in a way we don’t actually get to. For example, in the episode when Catherine came out to Selina as gay, Selina was so preoccupied with being the President that she hadn’t really had time to see this coming, or even listen to Catherine. Although Selina’s business seems to be a given with being the president, it is a very real situation for many Americans and parents across the nation. Selina almost never has time for her daughter in fact, and when she does she can’t relate to Catherine completely, as she doesn’t know her that well, what with being the president. We also get to witness the strange relationship that continues between Selina and her ex-husband, but also between Selina and her Vice President.
This show is extremely important in the fact that it gives the people an outlet to speculate about the very candid moments of the White House and its family, but also can be very realistic to real politics. It highlights the sly deals that happen amongst politicians, the balance between doing what is right and doing what is necessary as a politician, and the difficulty of making choices that affect millions of Americans.
Rollins, Peter C. "Hollywood’s Presidents 1944-1996: The Primacy of Character." Hollywood's White
DeleteHouse.
VEEP. HBO.
For my favorite depiction of American politics and political figures I would like to talk about the unsung hero that is Timur Bekmambetov’s Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. This movie is extremely easy to write off for its ‘silly’ plot but it does offer some true insight into internal workings of a president’s brain and the solidary struggles they must deal with. Further, the movie deals with the collective memories of presidents, how they’re remembered, which, in some cases, differs from how they actually are. This movie, in fact hyperboles that fact, implying that we could forget something as significant about a president as his being a vampire hunter. The onset of the movie, very poignantly states:
ReplyDelete“History prefers legends to men. It prefers nobility to brutality. Soaring speeches to quiet deeds. History remembers the battle and forgets the blood. Whatever history remembers of me, if it remembers anything at all, it shall only be a fraction of the truth. For whatever else I am, a husband, a lawyer, a president, I shall always think of myself as a man who struggled against darkness” (Bekmambetov).
This quote exemplifies this version of Lincoln’s own understanding of collective memory himself. He writes himself off as perhaps one of those presidents that will be least talked about in history class, as he knows he might be. Further, he understands his own humanity. The movie does a fantastic job of painting Lincoln as a normal human (in addition to being a Vampire Hunter). He wakes up in the morning with a hangover just like anyone else. It shows his sympathetic, naïve and angry sides just like every other person is capable of having.
In the conclusion of Political Campaign Communications by Trent et al. it is stated that “We should not forget that in a democracy, citizen knowledge… [is] critical” (Trent et al. 301). This is especially true when talking about current campaigns but it is also important to have knowledge of past campaigns as to see what to do and what not to do for future elections. It is important to see where past presidents went wrong as to not repeat their mistakes, as the famous quote goes, “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” (Santayana).
This idea is especially applicable to remembering the highlights and lowlights of a presidency like Lincoln’s. Even though the plot is extremely farfetched, the movie wonderfully explains the hardships that any sitting president can face. Through the context of the Lincoln Presidency one can see the duty that really does face the president.
Trent, Judith S., Robert V. Friedenberg, and Robert E. Denton, Jr. Political Campaign Communication, 8th ed. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2015.
As exaggerated and ridiculous House of Cards makes U.S. politics seem, it still is my favorite depiction of politics on television. It may be an extremely negative representation of politics, but I still think the show is so entertaining compared to others. It’s ruthless, manipulative, overblown and outrageous in the way they show portray Frank and Claire Underwood’s rise to the highest and most prestigious political office, but it’s television. And that’s what people want to see. It’s captured audiences who could care less about politics, but the show encompasses what they want to see. In Here’s Looking at You: Hollywood, Film and Politics by Ernest Giglio, he writes that Hollywood film plots, “have everything for a successful plot – sex, political intrigue, war, a happy ending,” (Giglio 1). House of Cards has this and more to make it a successful and entertaining television show.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, the last three reasons of House of Cards are the most far-fetched from what would happen in real life. Season four on the other hand seems like a better representation than what is actually happening in politics right now. This election cycle alone brought more scandals and sensationalized media than season four of House of Cards. Between the Clinton e-mail investigation, the leaked Access Hollywood tape, the DNC wiki-leak controversy, Anthony Weiner and the pollsters absolutely getting the outcome of the election wrong, election 2016 makes for better entertainment than most political shows on television.
There are even some real life parallels drawn in this last season of House of Cards. Ironically enough, it is also election season for the Underwood’s, but even some of the issues and policy talk we see in the show mimic what we’ve seen this election cycle as well. Giglio writes, “Hollywood is in the entertainment business all right, but the industry also delivers political messages,” (Giglio 2). Claire Underwood as first lady actively advocates for a controversial gun control bill in the fourth season and in prior season raises sexual assault awareness. These are two issues that are critical in real life and I think House of Cards including them in their political messages is significant in reaching and influencing different audiences. Other parallels include an vacant supreme court seat, differing policy opinions on how to handle House of Card’s version of ISIS (ICO), a first lady character with eyes set on the White House in Claire Underwood and even a presidential nominee disclosing personal information to regain voters trust. It all sounds so familiar, which is why I think this show is so widely popular. It takes the dry, boring political world we know and flips it upside down which resonates with variety of viewers, including the political junkie that I am.
Works Cited
DeleteGiglio, Ernest. Here's Looking at You Hollywood Film & Politics. New York: Peter Lang, 2002. Print.
I keep telling myself that I’m going to start watching Veep on HBO but every time I go to start watching it I get distracted by reruns of TV shows I’ve seen a million times. I also realized that I haven’t seen many political TV shows or movies. The one that stands out to me the most is The Campaign, which came out in 2012 staring Will Ferrell and Zack Galifanakis. The movie is about the campaign between a well-known congressman and a local tourism director. The campaign between the two (much like the campaign we just witnessed) is out of control. The movie really shows how crazy a political campaign is. The movie also exposed corruption in political campaigns as well but keeps it light hearted and funny. The two main characters use different tactics to ruin the reputations of the other such as portraying Galifanakis character as a terrorist or exposing Ferrell’s character as a fake Christian. Ferrell’s character creates a ridiculous attack ad that also used Galifankis’s words against him. It was a form of negative ads that we have read about in Campaign on the Cutting Edge. Negative ads are “a campaigns most powerful weapon” and in the movie The Campaign they use attack ads to the fullest extent.
ReplyDeleteThe Simpsons often talk about politics and have even predicted some political outcomes such as Trump winning the election! They lean more liberal with their portrayal and have talked about issues such as gun rights and LGBTQ rights. They portray big corporations and even the mayor of Springfield as corrupt. George H. W. Bush made a comment once that the US needed to be closer to The Walton’s rather than the Simpson’s, which the writer wrote into the show. The show makes a lot of jokes about the current political system but also brings to light challenges we face everyday in the US.
I have noticed a switch in the types of TV shows networks are premiering. A lot of networks have created politically driven shows such as Designated Survivor, Veep, Madam Secretary and Scandal. I find myself watching political satire shows such as Triumph The Insult Comic Dog: Election Special 2016 on Hulu rather than scripted television shows. The show is sponsored by Funny or Die and is hosted by a dog puppet. The show follows the election trail from everything such as the primary debates, both the RNC and DNC and everything in between. The show is absolutely hilarious, especially when he goes to the RNC and DNC. Triumph also has a panel of democratic and republican pundits that do a roundtable discussion. I would definitely recommend the show for a good laugh.
Semiatin, Richard J., ed. Campaigns on the Cutting Edge, 3rd ed. Los Angeles: Sage, 2016.
When it comes to Hollywood and politics, one of the best things that is a result of this relationship is the political television shows and movies. Some are meant to send a message about ruthless politicians, others are so dramatized that they are purely meant for entertainment. Political shows have followed political scandals, controversial presidents and even members of the cabinet. Two of my favorite television representations of political satire are Scandal and the short lived mini series Political Animals.
ReplyDeletePolitical Animals chronicles Secretary of State Elaine Barrish and her family. Barrish’s husband was a popular President in the 1990s who’s extramarital affairs were no secret. Following her husband’s presidency Barrish became Governor of Illinois and then ran for President and lost. She later became Secretary of State during her former opponents Presidency. Sound slightly familiar? It should because the show clearly draws similarities from the Clinton family, most notably Hillary Clinton. Barrish plays the strong female politician who aspires to bring her family back into the white house.
Here’s Looking at You: Hollywood, Film and Politics, explores the political representations that the relationship between Hollywood and politics results in. Giglio states, “political activities in feature films frequently express individual behavior that is motivated by self-interest; bad politicians act out of greed and ambition while good politicians act in response to the deeds of bad politicians (Giglio 95).” Political Animals accurately portrays this theory on a television level. Elaine Barrish will stop at nothing to further her political career, even plotting behind the President’s back for her next Presidential campaign. While her family and ex-husband (unlike Clinton after losing her first Presidential run Barrish divorces her cheating husband), are left in the wake of her political aspirations. Throughout the six-episode series Barrish straddles the line between good and bad politician.
In my opinion what made Political Animals work was that besides the occasional dramatization, the show was believable. It portrayed a torn family who where once the first family and thanks to Barrish’s political rise could be again. Barrish’s career moves and personal life was very similar to that of Hillary Clinton’s and viewers could draw comparisons. There was also talk of policy and global crises that brought the show back to reality.
Another characterization of political satire that Giglio brought up was about how some political shows are so successful. “It is undisputed that the vast majority of Hollywood films are designed to capture audiences through appeal to our senses rather than our intellect (Giglio 3).” Scandal, my other favorite example of political satire once again involves a President/cheating husband, a wife with high political aspirations and a successful mistress. Political Animals had its dramatizations, but Scandal to me is a pure political guilty pleasure.
When Scandal first aired it stayed in the realm of political reality following Olivia Pope a self proclaimed “fixer.” Now heading into the show’s sixth season the show has made a clear departure from reality but still maintains it’s focus on politics whether it’s various scandals or campaigns.
Political shows have managed to last throughout numerous presidencies and historical events, adding humor and drama to capture public interest. In my opinion as long as politicians continue to give screenwriters material (which I believe they will) these types of shows will remain successful and entertaining.
WORKS CITED
Giglio, Ernest. Here's Looking at You Hollywood Film & Politics. New York: Peter Lang, 2002. Print.
The TV show that has my personal favorite representation of politics is by far South Park. The show is a product of nearly 20 years of creative freedom combined with a TV MA rating. The result could have been a vulgar and tasteless excuse to make offensive jokes, and to some this is the truth of Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s brainchild. But that is not all there is to the show; granted vulgarity and offensive humor are not excluded either. The show’s long tenure, take-no-prisoners philosophy, and 6 day turnaround allows for the program to be one of the most powerfully striking social and political commentaries out. The show’s 20th and current season is by no means an exception. The show experimented with serialized plots earlier in its history, but did not fully commit to the premise until its 19th season. This season picks up exactly where last season left off: Mr. Garrison is running for president of the US as the show’s Trump. Garrison runs against Hillary Clinton, otherwise known as turd sandwich. The show’s most recent episode “Oh Jeez”, which came out not even 24 hours after the results of the election, deals with the aftermath of the election. The people of South Park and the world are dumbstruck by Garrison’s win in the presidential election, as he was actively trying to lose, and nobody really understood how he pulled it off. One character is performing international espionage at the request of Hillary Clinton after her election loss. And, Bill Clinton has joined forces with Bill Cosby to make a “Gentleman’s club” because according to Clinton: at some point women will get fed up with men and have no need for them. Its astounding to me that they were able to even have an episode prepared that made reference to the results of the election, let alone making the results the focal point of some major plot developments. When I watched the episode it scratched every post-election itch I had for satire. The show comments on American’s growing need for nostalgia with the season’s antagonists, The member-berries. The show has the ability to mock the absurdities of our own reality with even more absurdist plots. Whether it’s the show’s decision to, “skewer both Hillary Clinton (referred to as "Turd Sandwich") and the show's Donald Trump character represented by Mr. Garrison (referred to as "Giant Douche"),” (Parker) or to mock Al Gore’s politics as he is depicted searching for manbearpig, South Park simply knows how to make a statement. This is what I love about South Park. The show has no issue tackling an issue, and pointing out hypocrisy in the media, government, or amongst the public. It answers to no higher authority, and uses this to make satire that is both biting and accessible to the general consumer.
ReplyDeleteParker, Ryan. "'South Park' Donald Trump Character Tries to Throw Presidential Debate." The Hollywood Reporter 29 Sept. 2016. Web.
There have been many great versions and representations of politics throughout the history of Hollywood. The themes and tones of the portrayals differ as the times change, so I feel it is important to talk about a recent portrayal of politics. The Netflix original “House of Cards” follows Frank Underwood’s (Kevin Spacey) and Claire Underwood’s (Robin Wright) rise to the white house. This show demonstrates the feeling or cynicism that people have toward politics as well as how the changing media landscape has impacted politics as well. The show portrays Frank Underwood as a conniving psychopath, whose top goal is to control the political environment around him. He is a hard character to understand as they portray him as both an intelligent man, but one of bad intentions. This helps the fuel the publics opinion that all politicians are corrupt and not to be trusted. A similar sentiment is described in the end of “The Candidate” (1972). John McKay (Melvyn Douglas) says “congratulations son, you’re a politician now” to Robert Redford (Bill McKay). This comes after Redford committed unethical actions to get into power, which is why it is a very cynical critic of politics. This scene undermines “two vital concepts in a democratic society, first the notion that politicians hold office with public trust and that politics is an honorable profession” (Giglio 94). Both of these representations offer a critic of the people in power and show the darker side of politics. This has a real effect on the public, as they believe this to be the reality. However it is also important for this critic to exist, as it serves as a way to keep the public informed and checking the power of the government.
ReplyDeleteThe other aspect of “House of Cards” that I think is important is the relationship between politics and the media. Zoe Barnes (Kate Mara) says “These days when your talking to one person, your talking to thousands.” If only someone could have told Trump this during his trip on the access Hollywood bus. All joking aside this is an important challenge for politics during the emerging digital age. Never before has the public had so much access to the people in power, and transparency is an issue that all politicians must wrestle with. I believe that transparency was a huge factor in this past election as a lot was dug up between both candidates. Candidates must prepare for collateral damage from such scandals and recognize that nothing is private anymore. I hope that Hollywood continues to explore this idea as this past election probably well serve as great inspiration for future portrayals of the wild world of politics.
Work Cited
Giglio, Ernest. Here's Looking at You Hollywood Film & Politics. New York: Peter Lang, 2002. Print.
IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2016.
I seem to have developed a real fascination with political movies and TV shows over the years. So much so, that I have a long list of some favorites including The Manchurian Candidate (1962 version), Lincoln, JFK, The Newsroom, Our Brand Is Crisis, The Butler, Frost/ Nixon, and Homeland among many others. All of these films/ shows seem to represent a different facet of American politics, but also serve to highlight the issues within our current and past society.
ReplyDeleteHowever, if I were to pick a favorite out of this list I would probably have to say the 1962 version of The Manchurian Candidate. Although it does not fit within the typical representation of politics, it does shed light on a great deal of societal issues surrounding the Cold War. Furthermore, it ties in well to the Kennedy Assassination. Although this film and the book both came out before the assassination, they both gave rise to many of the issues and anxieties of the time and of the secret work that is done behind closed doors. I think this portrayal of politics is much more devious, in a time where people were meant to trust those in charge without any issue. This film seems to have given rise to a great deal of movement in the conspiracy and assassin genres as well.
This hypothetical yet dramatic glimpse into the inner workings of politics also directly relates to more modern examples such as Our Brand Is Crisis, The Butler, and Homeland. Our Brand Is Crisis, while not exactly an American-based political film, does have a great deal of relevant material that goes into getting someone elected and how disenchanted the people can be with the system. The Butler, similar to The Manchurian Candidate, touches upon the societal issues and anxieties of the time while also serving as a thread to track the different presidencies throughout modern history. Finally, I believe that Homeland also directly relates back to the quest for truth amongst deception as seen in the first mentioned film.
Similar to The Manchurian Candidate it is important to mention Dr. Strangelove, which is another off-beat but also essential look into our possible doom. Peter C. Rollins, in “Hollywood’s Presidents 1944-1996: The Primacy of Character” has even gone on to say “Stanley Kubrick’s noir comedy about nuclear war was a breakthrough film evidencing a new view of not only the presidency but of the entire American political system” (Rollins 255). Often times it seems that we watch politically based films and television because they show us what is wrong with society and our political system, rather than what is right. They prove that there is no perfect system and more important, that not everything is always like what it seems.
Works Cited:
Rollins, Peter C. “Hollywood’s Presidents 1944-1996: The Primacy of Character”
The show I think represents American politics the best is House of Cards on Netflix. Supposedly influenced by the Clintons, the writers portray some of the grittier realities of Washington like legislative gridlock, political revenge, and scandal. There are many parallels to draw between the way the Underwoods operate their political engine and how the Clintons operated theirs. Frank is involved in many extramarital affairs throughout the series, and Claire is well aware of his behaviors. She turns a blind eye to his doings because separating from him would be political suicide. Does it take a toll on their personal relationships? Perhaps, but these people are far more concerned with their personal gain and elite public status. Frank’s ruthless pursuit of the presidency is evident from the very first episode, and Claire is clearly more than willing sacrifice her honesty and integrity to accompany him on his path to accession. There are many secret deals and intimidating tactic that can be compared to the Clintons. The Clintons have been known for political revenge, and Frank and Claire often get back at their foes. They also manipulate the press in their favor. Frank does this by “cozying up” to a budding reporter in the first season, and he later kills her. I don’t think the Clintons are secretly guilty of murder, so the show grossly exaggerates in that regard, but of course it is just entertainment.
ReplyDeleteThe show is also notable for their main characters not particularly caring about their political affiliation. They are simply “democrats” because it has been politically more convenient for them. I think that’s one of the largest truths that the show portrays about Washington. There are so many politicians in our system today whose political philosophies are all a façade to get elected. For example, I don’t think Barack Obama was ever really against gay marriage, but when he was first asked about it, he said he was against it because that was the popular opinion at the time.
Hollywood broadly (and this show in particular) portray Washington in a very cynical manner. “The films portray the machine as a monolithic force that controls votes and remains in power through corrupt deals made by self-serving politicians and justified on grounds of political necessity or the existing machine becomes the target of reform,” (Giglio 100). Indeed, some of the worst features of politics come out in entertainment media, but after all, it needs to entertain us.
Giglio, Ernest. Here's Looking at You Hollywood Film & Politics. New York: Peter Lang, 2002. Print.
DeleteOne of my favorite representations of politics in a film is probably “The American President.” It has a really great cast with excellent acting. Directed by the great Rob Reiner and starring Martin Sheen, Annette Bening, Michael J. Fox, and Michael Douglas as the president. The film revolves around a widowed president with one daughter in the final year of his first term when he meets an environmental lobbyist that he starts dating. Over the course of the film, the media is in a frenzy about the president having a girlfriend and the president’s opponent for the upcoming election is constantly on T.V attacking the president’s character. They try to dig up dirt on the president’s girlfriend and they make up stories about her trading sexual favors in order to get environmental laws passed. The word character comes up about 100 times in the movie and it placates right into the idea of the image is everything presidency. It is even discussed in length by the president and his chief of staff at the beginning of the film. “You said it yourself a million times. If there had been a T.V in every living room 60 years ago, this country does not elect a man in a wheelchair” (Reiner, The American President).
ReplyDeleteI think that the film is excellent in that it does not over sensationalize the plot by adding crazy dramatic elements like blowing up the white house or attempting to assassinate the president. It’s a fictional story, but what makes it so great is that it feels real. The President has a high approval rating going into his fourth year in office, but the reality of the election coming up has an impact on how he does his job and lives his life even though he doesn’t want it to. The mainstream media constantly stirs things up as his date becomes public and the his actual duties as president almost become irrelevant. “The personality-driven aspects of campaigns, which networks are only too eager to carry, helps them compete with other media for audience share” (Mayer 131). In America, sex sells regardless of the importance of anything else. We saw that more in this past election cycle than I think any in history.
Work Cited:
Mayer, Jeremy D., Semiatin, Richard J., Graf, Joseph. "Campaign Press Coverage- Changed Forever." In Campaigns on the Cutting Edge. 3d. Ed.
"The American President" Dir. Rob Reiner. Perf. Michael Douglas, Annette Bening, Martin Sheen. 1995. Film.
While it’s not a direct representation and more of a satire, my favorite representation of politics is South Park. It’s creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, are currently driving this controversy riddled animated program into its 20th season and it appears they have no means of slowing down as long as they’re given material. These two writers create each episode six days before they’re set to air, giving them the ability to take from any popular culture story that may be currently trending. What’s even better is they’re more creative vulgarity and in-turn, brutal honesty on politics and societal issues than one might find on a nighttime talk show. Parker and Stone take their unique band of characters (mainly four children growing up in a small Colorado town) and are able to mock a variety of issues in modern politics. While their type of satire is seen more as amusing as well as vulgar, I believe it can present a true honest portrayal on some of the more ridiculous features of politics and how citizens react. For example, in looking at 2008’s episode, “About Last Night…”, the show follows the night of Obama winning the election where it presents an extreme satirical view of Democrats as they drunk riot throughout the street’s following Obama’s win and see him as a Messiah of sorts and then of Republican’s as they see Obama’s win as the apocalypse. This episode in particular I found amusing because I think it perfectly mocked how some people reacted to the 2008 election and perfectly hit both extremes. In another episode titled “I’m A Little Bit Country” Parker and Stone tackle another huge political issue when they mock both the supporters of the Iraq War and those against it, all providing a satirical but truthful portrayal of the Founding Fathers and original American politics. You can imagine with this year’s election that they’ve had plenty of material. While I haven’t been able to keep up with the show for this season, but I do know they’ve covered the recent topics such as the 2016 presidential election as well as Colin Kaepernick's National Anthem controversy. It’s this type of satire that I believe does stick with people because this show in particular really portrays politics like no other. In discussing a study of Michael Moore’s Roger, author Ernest Gigilo states “But despite some controversy over whether the film was a documentary or a comedic fable, the study results suggest that the American sample who viewed the film had substantially more negative feelings towards American corporations than the control group, who had not seen the film.” (16) What stood out to me about the mention of this study is that I believe South Park gives off the same sense towards politics. The show does hit various levels of ridiculousness but at the end of the day, I believe it can still leave an accurate portrayal of politics and leave the audience thinking in a negative or positive manner based off of the episode. It sticks with people in a completely different way than watching the news or even a satirical late night show because Stone and Parker push the boundaries on censorship and what’s politically correct. But at the same time, they’re real issues and this unique brand of comedy allows for a completely different and brutally honest look at them.
ReplyDeleteGiglio, Ernest. Here's Looking at You Hollywood Film & Politics. New York: Peter Lang, 2002. Print
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteBefore you roll your eyes in dismissal of why “Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, and Blonde” is my favorite Hollywood representation of politics I encourage you to read this blog post through. The movie, released in 2003, is the sequel to the original “Legally Blonde.” Elle is at it again but this time instead of law, she’s marching up Capitol Hill to fight for animal rights. Despite popular belief, I think it teaches us important things.
ReplyDeleteThe movie focuses on what it takes to pass a bill. Things like introducing the bill, the representatives from states from whom they need support, how to gain that support, how to lobby, how lobbying affects policymaking, and even what it’s like to be on the congressional floor. Elle fights tooth and nail, after being shut down and not taken seriously to ban animal testing. The movie is fairly political. I mean the main character is a sex object, which is typical of political films as Giglio in chapter 6 says, “historically, the studios decided that serious films on politics would not fill theater seats” (94). The same paragraph ends with, “Seldom does the industry portray evil politicians as expressions of institutional wrongdoing or virtuous politicians as defenders of constitutional principles” (Giglio 94). It’s interesting because unlike other political shows and movies, this movie actually does that. Representative Victoria Rudd is a typical politician who’s vote for, or against, the animal rights bill is bought. This is done behind Elle’s back and at the end of the movie she’s the antagonist. When Elle asks her why she blocked the bill, Rudd responds: “Why? Why does anything happen in Washington, survival. You have no idea what it takes to get here, to stay here. The money it takes. And it just so happens my chief financial contributor happens to have purchased half-share in a major cosmetics company, and THEY want to continue testing on animals. So much so that they are willing to backroll my opponent in next years elections if I did not kill YOUR bill“ (IMDb). She’s an example of a crooked politician and Elle proves this. It’s a fairly true depiction of what happens in Washington. It’s just a little more dramatic because that’s what people want to watch.
The movie may differ from the traditional political film in that aspect but it doesn’t fall short in other aspects. Elle faces other personal foibles as typical political movies include because like Giglio said, filmmakers knew boring political movies wouldn’t fill theaters. Things like Elle’s wedding-planning, friends, she’s different for typical D.C., and she’s objectified. It’s more dramatic and entertaining than policy talk. For example, when the office Elle goes to work in for Representative Rudd first meets her, they respond to her “Hey everyone!” with “Look, its Capitol Barbie…She’s so shiny.” (IMDb).
If you’ve seen the movie you may not love it, but what I think you should take from it, is its ability to teach. From a young kid who sang School House Rock’s “I’m Just a Bill” with her mom, this movie is like advanced politics for dummies. Sure, School House Rock taught you how a bill becomes a law but what it doesn’t tell you is the sneaky and sometimes corrupt things that happen behind the scenes. This movie does. It does it in a simple and easily understood way. It may be a little sexier and more dramatic than real life but its skeleton is true. I think that’s something important to take from this. You would be surprised at what a blonde can teach you… am I right?
Giglio, Ernest. Here's Looking at You Hollywood Film & Politics. New York: Peter Lang, 2002. Print.
"Quotes." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2016.
Blog #10
ReplyDeleteThere are a bunch of TV shows and Movies that have represented politics throughout time but my all time favorite Is Game of Thrones. Game of Thrones too many may just be fighting and sexual content with a bunch of cursing, however, its hidden focus is the political view way back when. “Game of Thrones is a taut political drama that draws on author George RR Martin’s wide knowledge of real political fracas in centuries past.”(Paste Magazine) Martin’s view of politics is taken in past centuries of Europe. Our guidelines haven’t exactly limited us to just the U.S politics so I decided to use a show that I actually watch.
Game of Thrones focuses on kings and rulers of the seven kingdoms, it is based off of how a monarch is ruled and people who seek to rule. For political junkies as I am, seeing how past centuries were ruled is extremely interesting. “At times, it plays like a condensed political history of the world, taking inspiration from the British Wars of the Roses, and monarchs from Rome to the Mongol Empire.”(Paste Magazine) they use mad kings, calm kings and an extremely corrupt leadership to guide the plot well. Martin used a bunch of different tactics to show how insanely useless a king is without his court (the people who help run the seven kingdoms). This resembles kind of how important our congress is under the president. Although in Game Of Thrones it is a dictatorship and compared to the U.S we have the system of checks and balances, it resembles by the importance of the court and congress to their higher person.
Political shows and movies have resembled politics in a hefty manner. Some make fun of politics such as South Park, others resemble politics like House of Cards, and then shows like Game Of Thrones that reenact it but with more drama to intrigue viewers. Martin does such a great job in doing this and truly shows the realistic way of politics in past centuries. Despite the fighting and insanely dramatic dragon scenes, if one can see past that all they will understand the political background that he offers.
Works Cited
Paste Staff and Writers. “The 44 Best Political TV Shows of All Time.” July 27th, 2016.
Although I’ve fallen out of religiously watching the show, Scandal was definitely one of my favorite Hollywood representations of politics. The show was a different kind of drama, thriller, and sometimes comedy. It opened the curtain to the political world and introduced the idea that there is much corruption to the highest of public figures.
ReplyDeleteOlivia Pope runs a crisis management firm in no other place then Washington, D.C. itself. She started as an intern working for the Fitzgerald Grant presidential campaign, which soon developed into a love affair with the candidate himself. Scandal also is very conscious about how the American political system operates, especially when watching the campaigning of the fictitious president, Fitzgerald Grant. “It is not surprising, therefore, that as a mainstream industry Hollywood steers clear of any ideology that challenges the existing order in films that promote or advocate alternative political systems” (Giglio 10). Now that Pope has moved onto her own business and taking on high-profile clientele, she urges herself to no longer continue her affair with the president. This not only helps improve her professionalism, but it also decreases the risk of people finding out.
The show does a good job of showing viewers what it’s like to be on a campaign trail, running the staff and president once in office, and also preparing for a re-election. On top of that, writers give each character a side plot involving their personal lives, which of course is full of drama, twists and turns, in order to keep viewers interested. For instance, viewers learn about the personal endeavors of every member on Olivia Pope’s team. This includes the team’s prime investigator, Abby Whelan, who is involved in a relationship with the District Attorney, an ex-assassin for a secret military operation squad, Huck, and a runaway girl with a fake identity to disconnect her from her past, Quinn Perkins. The show has featured other main characters on Pope’s team, however they do not stay consistent with the show’s already 6 seasons.
The ABC original produced by Shonda Rhimes has developed quite the fanbase since its first premiere season in 2012. People seem to be very intrigued with the balance of personal drama with the political drama. The writers have mastered how to throw in unexpected surprises, which is the basis to a popular television show to keep viewers coming back.
Works Cited
Giglio, Ernest. Here's Looking at You Hollywood Film & Politics. New York: Peter Lang, 2002. Print.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteTelevision and politics go together like Kim and Kanye: perfectly. With the hundreds of genres on television, political shows always seem to be the most popular, as they give the audience an intimate glimpse into Washington. These shows allow viewers to take a break from the scary reality of actual politics and binge watch their favorite shows about political drama. With crazy characters, in crazy situations with plot lines intended to draw in millions of viewers, such as 1997’s “Wag the Dog”, where “the American people are easily manipulated by political spin doctors and readily fooled by second-rate media talent”(Giglio 3). However, majority of shows and movies provide real life scenarios and plots that parallel what’s actually going on in the news. When writing for these politicial-esque shows it definitely hard hiding biases, writers, “viewed the medium as an instrument to communicate stories that express their personal opinions and beliefs about love, life and policies”(Giglio 3).
ReplyDeleteNetflix’s reign with “House of Cards”, HBO’s “Veep” and Showtime’s “Homeland” its impossible to get bored with the variety of shows out there. My favorite political show on television is Shonda Rhimes’ ABC masterpiece “Scandal.” Although this show doesn’t exactly you all the policies of politics, it gives the viewers what they want, drama. The main character, Olivia Pope works behind the scenes as a crisis manager for politicians and government officials and also has a side relationship with the president of the United States. She is a strong and powerful female lead, which we don’t really see in political type shows. “Scandal” follows a more personal and secretive look at Washington and what exactly goes on behind closed doors, which many view as shocking and enviable.
However I will say that “The West Wing” is the best representation of politics. This drama offers insight in a way that wasn’t really done before. Usually with political shows and movies it had the president as the main character and what his job entailed but “The West Wing” showed how his job got done and who was involved with those duties, the White House Staffers. The show had real life political situations that viewers had already experienced with the government during that time. The 2000’s were filled with tough times in Washington and the people could relate to that because it offered a sense of realism to politics.
Giglio, Ernest. Here's Looking at You Hollywood Film & Politics. New York: Peter Lang, 2002. Print.
The movies and television shows that represent politics are for pure entertainment, as well as to critique American politics. Often, political figures are bashed and events are dramatized. Some movies and television shows have an accurate representation of politics, while others, not so much, but serve to be entertaining. Most movie and television representations use politics as a story line, and then captivate the audience with more dramatic events. In Hollywood, “if politics is the central story line, it serves as a framework for more familiar plots, such as assassination thrillers or as an ambiance for love and romance” (Giglio 94).
ReplyDeleteBy far, Scandal is my favorite representation of politics. This show is captivating and does a great job at bringing current event issues into it, as well as developing the characters. Just as any other show or movie in Hollywood, Scandal is dramatized and explains the character and politician’s home lives in depth, which we do not get to see in real life. Olivia Pope is a crisis manager and runs a firm, Olivia Pope and Associates. She work to cover up public issues and scandals, as well as manage her own personal life and relationships. Pope is based off of a real woman, Judy Smith. Smith did crisis management for known public figures and cases such as, Monica Lewinsky, George H.W Bush’s White House press office, Chandra Levy’s parents and Marion Barry (Starling).
Furthermore, early on, Olivia Pope developed a relationship with President Fitzgerald Grant, which turned into a love affair. President Grant, his wife Mellie and their children appeared to be the perfect American family, until the American people found out about Olivia Pope and the other events that have been occurring. President Grant did not have strong relationships with his children and they were not featured in the show until about the third season. In politics today, presidents and families are looked up to. They are icons and the face of this country. For instance, the Obamas are looked at as important figures and the true American family.
In addition, Scandal discuses a myriad of recent current event issues and has inspirations from political figures in the most recent election. For instance, there were characters inspired by Trump and Clinton. It was evident that one of the characters was inspired by Trump due to his content, tone, and way he spoke. When I first started watching Scandal, I realized how much truly goes on behind the scenes that the public is unaware of. I believe in conspiracy theories and I believe that there is more to something than what appears on the surface. Scandal represents politics accurately by showing how the media covers a lot of information up, and essentially, controls what should be and and what should not be publically talked about. Spinning is done and corruption is definitely involved in politics.
Works Cited:
Giglio, Ernest D. Here’s Looking at You: Hollywood, Film, and Politics. New York: Peter Lang, Print.
Starling, Alison. “ABC’s ‘Scandal’ Based on Real-life Crisis Handler, Judy Smith.” WJLA. Web. 14 Nov. 2016.
There are many shows and movies out on Netflix and the like depicting politics within the genre of comedy or drama. Some of it may be seen as unrealistic like White House Down, or House of Cards. While some depictions can be seen as accurate with a show like The West Wing. Whatever the case may be, I pick VEEP as my favorite representation of politics. Comedy has a way to relieve someone of the current stresses in one’s life and in the world of politics; it may just be the trick. With it’s sharp humor and quick witted dialogue within the show, it may be one of the best comedic political shows to date.
ReplyDeleteTo Begin, VEEP stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus, a seasoned actress known for her role in Seinfield as Elaine, as Selina Meyer, a former senator from Maryland who is serving as Vice President under President Stuart Hughes. Meyer aims to become the first female serving president, but endures many obscure comedic obstacles in the way of her path. What I find particularly great about this show is that the relationship between her and her staff is great. They’re tight-knit and loyal to one another, even though Meyer will curse out and threaten their lives if they make a mistake. Additionally, the show takes it outside of this context and tap into the personal lives of her staffers, which is rarely shown on TV and movies. It normalizes them in some way and creates a three-dimensional perspective for viewers. Another point to make is that the show is not entirely wrong in depicting politics. Giglio mentions in his book, Hollywood, Film and Politics, that “Hollywood has avoided serious treatment of American politicians because ideological or partisan politics is bad box office.” For VEEP, although it’s in a comedic standpoint, it very much depicts Selina Meyer’s relationship with other republican senators as complex and impossible to please (even if they try to impress her). Additionally during season 4 of VEEP, the shows comedic depiction of what it’s like on the campaign trail was well perceived. Campaigns make people go crazy (in reference to Amy Brookheimer’s meltdown, Season 4 episode 6) and many don’t see the insanity of work that is put into a flawless campaign. This is in contrast to the seriousness depicted in campaigns with movies like The Candidate (1978) or a shows like Tanner ’88 (Giglio). VEEP seeks to turn the realistic stresses of American politics into a great blend of comedy.
VEEP is probably one of the best depictions of American politics on television right now. Scandal, House of Cards and Madame Secretary are shows that are on a dramatic platform. While I love House of Cards, what happens on the show is a little far from reality, ideologically and realistically. Additionally, what we’re seeing now are more females role of power depicted on television. While Hillary Clinton was unable to win the American presidency, maybe there’s someone like Selina Meyer out there who might use the system from within for Presidential power. Or maybe Melania Trump may have a much larger say in what happens in the White House than her husband. Who knows? Politics is a complex path of power, and television shows and movies help take one’s mind off of it.
Works Cited:
Giglio, Ernest. Here's Looking at You Hollywood Film & Politics. New York: Peter Lang, 2002. Print.
My favorite representation of politics in a television show is without a doubt the Netflix original series, House of Cards. Many people suggested the series to me and once I started watching it, I was hooked. The series presents the journey of a South Carolina Democrat, Frank Underwood and his wife, Claire Underwood, as they do everything in their power to get Frank in the Oval Office. The show is centered on manipulation, power and deceit.
ReplyDeleteWhat I find to be very interesting in House of Cards is the way the media is connected to politics. We see this through Frank Underwood’s relationship with a young reporter named Zoe Barnes. Though Frank Underwood is married, he has a relationship with Zoe and she ultimately leaks information that damages his political rivals. Underwood eventually kills Zoe and it goes to show how some politicians are willing to do whatever it takes to maintain power and their reputation. This reminds me of the Access Hollywood tape that was leaked, which was likely done by the Clinton campaign.
One of the quotes that stood out to me in Giglio’s reading was “politics is as much a celebrity game today as popular entertainment” (Giglio 98). This quote relates to how House of Cards portrays politics and Washington, DC to its audience. This can also most definitely be applied to this year’s election, especially with Trump being a celebrity from The Apprentice. People found the things he said entertaining, the media capitalized off of that to get better ratings and Trump benefitted from free airtime and endless media coverage.
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DeleteI think House of Cards fosters skepticism from the show’s audience. By continuously showing how corrupt some political leaders are, it makes viewers skeptical of those who hold high offices and are supposed to represent all people. The makers of House of Cards do this in various ways by showing what Frank Underwood is willing to do in order to become president. If it means pushing a journalist into an oncoming subway or locking a man in a car, leaving the engine on and closing the garage. Frank Underwood is portrayed in a ruthless and power hungry fashion, which makes many viewers skeptical of what goes on behind closed doors in Washington, D.C. I think it also causes people to be less trustworthy of government officials since they are presented in the television show in a way that makes it look like they don’t care about anyone but themselves and are only concerned with how they can further their own personal interests.
DeleteWorks Cited:
DeleteGiglio, Ernest. Here's Looking at You Hollywood Film & Politics. New York: Peter Lang, 2002. Print.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteAmerican politics have long been a popular subject in Hollywood. Depicting presidents and the White House staff according to the genre of a series is not always the most realistic approach, but it is what’s become the norm for television and the silver screen. Among all movies and TV series, my favorite is the show, House of Cards in terms of representation of American politics and the president. I do understand that it may be more on the cynical end of the spectrum but the cynic in me actually sees it as more realistic than pessimistic. I like this show because it follows a different path compared to other shows and movies that depict politics in that while it still places the president at the center of its focus, it successfully depicts political issues and the inner workings of the American political system even in ways that some people would rather not be aware of.
As Giglio argues in his book, “In films that attempt to present serious domestic or foreign policy issues, the script is likely to focus on the personal foibles of the characters,… rather than the actual workings of the legislative process, and ignore the means by which the president reaches a policy decision.” (Giglio, 94) Taking this as basis Granted, House of Cards focuses heavily on Frank Underwood’s (portrayed by Kevin Spacey) personal journey to and throughout his presidency, but it also accurately represents many other elements that go into American politics in reality. For example, Season 2 of the show heavily focuses on the role of super-PACs and big corporations in determining political decisions in the White House, and their power over the presidency. Underwood’s relationship with Raymond Tusk, a successful businessman and owner of several major corporations in the world, heavily influences the actions that he takes as the President of the United States of America. So clearly, House of Cards diverges from the norm of Hollywood’s depicting of American politics in the sense that it goes in a little deeper into the reality of politics instead of just lingering on the surface of the president’s persona.
On a different note, I also enjoy watching The West Wing, which focuses on a different aspect of American politics, which actually relates more closely to our class. This series takes on a more comical and yet relevant approach and rather than focusing on strict politics, it changes gears as it zeroes in on the everyday lives of the White House communications staff. In doing so, it depicts a refreshing image of political communication in today’s mobilized world and it manages to capture the audience’s interest in every episode by presenting us with different curveballs to tackle along with the main characters.
Overall, I think that Hollywood’s portrayal of American politics is evolving from what Giglio describes as an avoidance of a serious treatment of American politicians due to ideological or partisan politics’ negative impact on revenues (Giglio, 95) into a more complex approach.
Works Cited:
DeleteGiglio, Ernest. Here's Looking at You Hollywood Film & Politics. New York: Peter Lang, 2002. Print.
Politics have been depicted in Hollywood for years. Shows such as Scandal, West Wing, Designated Survivor and others like this dramatize the actual life of the President of the United States. One of my favorite shows every week that depicts political figures is Saturday Night Live. Although this is genre of television is mainly comedy, the show continuously uses the words of the political figure and jabs at them in a rather funny way every weekend. Giglio states, “It is undisputed that the vast majority of Hollywood films are designed to capture audiences through appeal to our senses rather than our intellect (Giglio 3). These shows target specific audiences when it comes to politics. From Scandal, to West Wing, these shows have given audiences the opportunity to imagine and picture how the White House actually operates for its day to day running. Hollywood has influenced politics since President Kennedy, and his years learning that image and portrayal matters. Hollywood and politics have continuously intertwined, whether it is celebrity endorsements such as Leonardo DiCaprio acknowledging climate change is real and serious, and holding events in Hillary Clinton’s favor during her campaign. The series that are playing now depicting politics and the White House are allowing audiences who are watching the series an opportunity to see what really goes on in the most important and powerful position in the world. Television series of this nature have given audiences and anyone who is watching a front row vision of Washington up close and personal. Saturday Night Live has been covering politics since the beginning of the start of the show. They have used actors and actresses such as Will Ferrell depicting George W. Bush, Jay Pharoah as Barack Obama, and Darrell Hammond portraying Bill Clinton. Saturday Night Live has brilliantly captured the personalities, actions and characteristics of political figures by portraying them as actors and actresses that not only physically resemble them (Like Tina Fay portraying Sarah Palin) but they have the talent and ability to sound just like the political figure. Most opening skits for Saturday Night Live showcases usually something that has happened in politics or Washington the week prior. They use the actors and actresses to speak directly to the audience watching, almost like they are hearing it from the political figure themselves. Usually, Saturday Night Live tr5ies to make light on a rather dark subject, such as the previous election and campaign season. The show makes people laugh when it comes to politics, especially after a hectic week or a nauseating debate. NPR stated, “SNL's attempt to make light of an election that has seemed equal parts frivolous and gravely serious all at the same time comes as some question the role comedians should play in challenging politicians this election year” (NPR). Saturday Night Live has revolutionized the way we interpret politics.
ReplyDeleteWork Cited
ReplyDeleteGiglio, Ernest. Here's Looking at You Hollywood Film & Politics. New York: Peter Lang, 2002. Print
http://www.npr.org/2016/10/02/496262786/saturday-night-live-is-trying-to-make-us-laugh-at-an-election-that-isnt-funny
Julia Louis-Dreyfus has won an Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series every year since 2012. HBO’s Veep gives us a new way to look at politics. I don’t watch too many political themed shows but I’ve never seen anything quite like Veep. It’s vulgar and hilarious and unfortunately seems believable. I only recently start watching this show and I am currently on season 2 of 5 seasons. Watching this show alongside taking this class makes this show seem very realistic. Every detail is strategically planned down to what ice cream Selina Meyers will get during her visit to a local ice cream shop. The show does have a lot more scandal and mistakes from one person than one would think a vice president has. The show also shows how easy it is to trick the American people. Giglio states, “…the cynical message of Wag the Dog seems to be that the American people are easily manipulated by political spin doctors and readily fooled by second-rate media talent” (3). Before making this statement Giglio explained how similar Wag the Dog was to the real life president. Bill Clinton strategically launched missiles to change headlines during his accusations and court hearings. This made the movie very believable.
ReplyDeleteSelina Meyers does exactly what Clinton does anytime she is accused of doing something bad or if she makes a mistake. She changes the narrative herself. This show really convinces people that they’re just puppets in the game of politics.
Another thing the show does is emphasize how fake relationships are in politics. They show Selina Meyers whispering insults through her smile towards other politicians. This also seems very realistic. Especially after this election we can see that relationships were forged. Hillary Clinton and the Obamas. During the primaries in 2008 they were very nasty towards each other but now we can see that they are the “best of friends”. Julia Louis-Dreyfus even stated in her Emmy acceptance speech, “Our show started out as a political satire, but it now feels more like a sobering documentary”. The dirty truths of politics have been coming to the surface this past year with the DNC email fiasco showing that they really do try to manipulate everything. After this exhausting election its very nice to watch this show and be able to laugh about it.
Giglio, Ernest. Here's Looking at You Hollywood Film & Politics. New York: Peter Lang, 2002. Print.
Delete"Julia Louis-Dreyfus reminds us why she's one of the best actresses alive in Emmys speech" http://www.businessinsider.com/julia-louis-dreyfus-acceptance-speech-emmys-2016-9
Veep. HBO
Scandal is my absolute favorite politically based television show; it’s wild, fun, and addictive. This may have something to do with my obsession with Shonda Rhimes and the empire she has built, but I love how this show gives us fictional Washington insider drama, while tying together melodramatic romances with amazing love triangles (aka, Olivia Pope, President Grant Fitzgerald, and Jake Ballard). Although this show isn’t The Newsroom or House of Cards, it still gives a semi accurate representation of the shenanigans in D.C.
ReplyDeleteHollywood and politics have been closely tied to one another for decades now. From our chapter 6 reading, Hollywood and Washington: The Marriage of Film and Politics it says that, “ Since Hollywood deals in illusions and fantasies, the industry should find an attractive partner in the entertainment business” (Giglio 94).
Scandal is a prime example of this statement. In 2011, ABC picked up Shonda Rhimes new show, Scandal. The show follows, Kerry Washington who plays Olivia Pope, the former White House Communications Director who has started her own crisis- management firm. Many incidents that happen in the show can be interpreted from real life scenarios that happened in real life. According to Screen Prism, “The inspiration for the Olivia Pope character came from Judy Smith, the Deputy Press Secretary for George H. W. Bush. Like Olivia, Smith was credited with guiding presidents around potential controversies” (Krawczyk). Shonda Rhimes does make things up for a living, but some scenarios have to be portrayed accurately, like affairs and election rigging.
The love affair between Olivia Pope and President Fitz is based around Bill Clinton’s affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky was an event I compared to real life immediately. Throughout all the seasons we have seen this relationship play out on television, just like Clinton and Lewinsky’s eventually played out in the media. There are many more examples, but one more that stood out to me was “The Lawn Chair” episode. “The Lawn Chair" eerily resembles the events that unfolded in Ferguson, Missouri in August 2014, when a police officer shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown” (Krawczyk)
Politics can often be associated with negativity, so it’s refreshing to watch a show like Scandal that mixes the outrageous with the serious. Can’t wait for Scandal Season Six in in 2017!
Giglio, Ernest. Here's Looking at You Hollywood Film & Politics. New York: Peter Lang, 2002. Print.
ReplyDeleteKrawczyk, ScreenPrism Natalie. ""Scandal" Real-Life Plots." ScreenPrism. N.p., 10 Feb. 2016. Web. 15 Nov. 2016.
We all know politics has been in the film/tv industry for ages. It's such a diverse topic that you can't really run out of ideas very quickly. Between shows like Scandal and the new show, Designated Survivor (which I really want to start watching but I'm too busy binge watching Scandal), there is so much meat for political films and shows. I'm very new to political tv but I just started watching Scandal because this election has made me very interested in politics. While I only just started, I can already tell that as good as the show is, it is very dramatized and very much fiction based. While some aspects of it might be accurate, covering up a few murders doesn't seem like something that's going on within the White House at the moment.
ReplyDeleteYou would think that with so much opportunity for new spins on politics, Hollywood would be eating it up. However, that's not the case, "Only a small percentage of the 150,000 films turned out by Hollywood over the past century actually feature American politics as the primary subject and politicians as the central characters" (Giglio 94). I think part of the reason this may be is because for one, you don't want to overdo politics as films (even though i'm pretty sure there are plenty of action/superhero films to last a lifetime), a lot of Americans, based on the election numbers, either don't understand politics or just don't care about them. So having loads of films based on politics, might not actually do as well as one might think.
As for TV, we've seen a spike over the last few years in political shows. Like I mentioned before, Scandal is a hit on ABC and now there's Designated Survivor. I think part of the reason political tv shows do so well is because there's an aspect of fiction and drama to it and it's a shorter period of time that people are watching them at once (typically an hour). Plus everyone loves a good drama and when you throw politics in there, it makes it a prime candidate for drama.
Something like Designated Survivor, although I've never seen it, is really interesting because it makes you wonder if there actually is a "designated survivor" when there are events that have a lot of major politicians in one room (I feel like if there was, we aren't supposed to know about it).
As for Scandal, from what I've seen so far, it seems like Law and Order meets politics (but less legal). For Scandal, you don't need to know politics well to understand or enjoy the show and I think that's a big factor in why political tv shows do well, it's not necessary for you to fully understand politics.
Works Cited:
Giglio, Ernest. Here's Looking at You Hollywood Film & Politics. New York: Peter Lang, 2002. Print
(I would also like to say, in reading some of the responses, I quickly realized there are most likely spoilers about Scandal in them and had to stop reading)
While I was surfing Tumblr a couple days after the election had ended I saw a post from a television show. If anyone has seen Fresh Off the Boat it entails an Asian family who don’t really share the same religious and cultural beliefs of where they come from but the show’s writers do hit many important topics like rape, racism, sexism, and politics. The show has already been on for three seasons and already has a major following. In season 3 episode 4 entitled “Citizen Jessica,” one of the boys goes on a rampage with one of the voters explaining the disgrace of the electoral college. The boy goes on to say that, “The electoral college violates the rule of ‘one person, one vote.’ That means the candidate who wins the popular vote can still lose the election. And that is extremely undemocratic.” This scene has been shared all over social media as much of the country has not been happy with the results of the election. I found this scene completely helpful and it finally gave me an understanding of the electoral college which I desperately needed after this election. I believe what hurt this election the most was the fact that character was the majority of the election and not important topics such as foreign policy, economics, gun control and so much more. In the article “The Primacy of Character” Rollins hits the nail on the head explaining, “During the presidential campaign of 1992, the question of character was pushed off the national agenda in the favor of the issue of economics. Such would not be the case in the subsequent presidential contest in 1996” (Rollins). Just as the 1996 campaign was focused more on the candidates character this year’s election was no exception. If the country was more focused on the issues at hand, we may not have ended up with Trump as our president elect. With all the media circling and social media upended after the election many have spent days fighting with others about what could have been or the tiny details about the election that could have changed the results. Media continues to swirl and people continue to talk about what could have been. The media keeps pushing the subject of the election and talking everyone’s ear off. The media needs to take it down a notch and to give the what ifs a break because right now we need to move on from the fact that the election has been won. It is now a time for us to see what will happen and what he will do for our country. Trump may be a narcissistic sexist pig but he is our president elect therefore it is what it is.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited:
Rollins, Peter C., and John E. O'Connor. Hollywood's White House: The American Presidency in Film and History. Lexington: U of Kentucky, 2005. Print.
James Conway
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11/15/2016 Blog
Part of me wants to believe that I became a Political Science major due to all of the movies and television shows I grew up on that involved the American government. I can vividly remember watching Air Force One and Independence Day with my parents and consistently asking questions about each person’s role in our nation. The President was always the coolest but my favorites were always the secret service agents. Today, my taste in entertainment has really stayed the same. I continue to adore movies and television shows involving politics and when I listen to music, I look for artists with more of a message than drugs and sex, but politics and society too. One of my favorite television shows from an early age was Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s South Park. They always do a great job at simplifying the big issue in the country at the time while doing a fantastic job at making a mockery of it. This year’s election cycle has been no different. Parker and Stone felt it wouldn’t do this election justice to call the candidates by their actual names so they referred the Hillary Clinton as “Turd Sandwich” and Donald Trump as “Giant Douche”. During the debates, the character playing Donald Trump, or the “Giant Douche”, would look to the crowd and beg them not to elect him. He would say things along the lines of “I really cannot think of anyone less fit for President than me” or “I am a complete jackass and I have made a giant mistake here running for President. Please do not support me.” These claims would earn nothing but standing ovations from his supporters in the audience, much to the dismay of the moderators and the character playing Trump. But that wasn’t the end of the joke. In the most genius way ever, Parker and Stone made the “Turd Sandwich” (Clinton) have only one line and that was: “My opponent is a liar and cannot be trusted.” This would negate everything Trump’s character had just said to his supporters and South Park shows visuals of Clinton’s campaign team every time she says that line and they are completely beside themselves.
In another episode of this season, South Park attacks Americans tendency to flip flop from candidate to candidate during unique elections like this one. At one point one of the main character, Randy Marsh, is being attacked by Trump supporters for being a Clinton supporter. He gives them plenty of solid reasons to why he is supporting the “Turd Sandwich” and not the “Giant Douche” but the Trump supporters don’t budge. That night, Randy is watching television and begins to really think about his vote. He chooses to actually begin supporting Trump and turns his back on Clinton. The next day, he approaches those same friends to tell them about his decision to support their candidate. When he does, they begin to freak out on him in the same way except this time, they are asking him how he could ever support Trump over Clinton? I felt this was amazing at showing that supporters of both candidates can be annoying and that everyone should be entitled to their opinion without being attacked for it like many were during this election.
Finally, the show attacks America’s love for nostalgia by adding these things called “Member berries” into the show. They look just like grapes but when held, they begin to speak and say things like: “Remember Bonanza? Oh, I loved Bonanza. Remember Woodstock? Woodstock was amazing. Remember hair metal? I loved hair metal.” These fruits are probably attacking the whole “Make America Great Again” by poking fun at the fact Americans love to discuss what they are missing not what they are lucky enough to have. At the end of the day, Giglio notes that: “politics is as much a celebrity game today as popular entertainment” (Giglio, 98) and we absolutely saw that with South Park this season. Although I have not seen last week’s episode about the “Giant Douche” (Trump) winning, I am more than sure it will do a great job at infuriating me and making me laugh hysterically at the same time.
Giglio, Ernest. Here's Looking at You Hollywood Film & Politics. New York: Peter Lang, 2002. Print
DeleteI don’t watch many TV shows or movies that involve politics on a grander scale than state level. With that being kept in mind, the TV show Blue Bloods offers, to me, my favorite representation of politics. The TV show Blue Bloods is about a family who has heavy roots in the New York City Police Department and other pertinent branches of the city’s government. In the show, the father, Frank Reagan, is the current police commissioner while one of his sons is a detective, the youngest one is an officer, and his daughter is the assistant district attorney. Frank’s father also used to be the police commissioner, and in different episodes, it is shown that he often has a heavy influence on his son’s decisions. We see a family involvement in politics today, it is not often just one person in a family being involved. There is an established family legacy in politics. In almost every episode, the entire family sits down at the table once on Sunday, and has dinner together. To me, this is perfect imagery for politics. Often political figures only come together once to actually talk about things and work together. We saw this in a way with Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton when they came together at that benefit and both gave a speech, both setting aside their differences and being civil. Besides this, the two candidates did not come together and talk about things or work together, as the whole point of the election is to beat the other.
ReplyDeleteOne of his sons, Danny, always uses questionable tactics to achieve results in a case and that often gets the entire family in to hot water. Although this show does not pertain to presidential politics, the base attitudes shown in the show can speak to all levels of politics. The quote “Political activities in feature films frequently express individual behavior that is motivated by self-interest; bad politicians act out of greed and ambition while good politicians act in response to the deeds of bad politicians.” (Giglio 95), speaks to the attitudes in the show. As I aforementioned, Danny Reagan uses questionable tactics to achieve results and often puts his family in odd positions because he needs to be punished for his actions but, at the same time, the father who is the police commissioner and the sister who is the district attorney do not want to get their brother in to trouble. Danny Reagan is not a good cop, he “acts out of greed and ambition.” To relate this to politics, we often see politicians who do not act on certain issues because they want to remain friends rather than create enemies with those they work with. Commonly, this is called a “kickback” and is illegal in politics because it leads to corruption.
Giglio, Ernest. Here's Looking at You Hollywood Film & Politics. Ch. 6. New York: Peter Lang, 2002. Print.
DeleteThe Netflix drama House of Cards is definitely my personal favorite show depicting the American political system. In this show Kevin Spacey plays Frank Underwood, a Democratic majority whip with a thirst for power. It focuses on the inner workings and personal dynamics of politics, with the first season focusing more on the legislative branch and the second season and up more so on the executive. It is especially ruthless, showing the twisted deals and personal attacks that happen behind the scenes. The various scandals range from illegal campaign financing to outright murder. Obviously the show exaggerates the drama, as far as we know at least. President Obama admitted he enjoyed the show and went on record saying that he wished politics could be as “ruthlessly efficient” as shown on the show. Bill Clinton on the other hand supposedly told Kevin Spacey that “99 percent of what you do on that show is real”, which if true, is a very disturbing concept (Kurtz). Of course, Clinton was noted by many for his conveniently timed cruise missile strikes (Giglio, 2). So maybe he can find a few things to relate to in the ruthless pragmatism of Frank Underwood.
ReplyDeleteThe Underwoods are depicted as a couple thirsty for power, and the show follows their path to the White House. I enjoyed the fact that while I enjoyed the drama and action, I actually learned a lot about the various rolls and functions in upper level politics. The show covers passing bills, discussing the various players from unions and lobbyists, to the whip forcing certain politicians’ hands. This show is one of Hollywood’s many works that paint politics in a cynical light. There is no doubt that Frank Underwood is a bad man, and he will do whatever it takes to remain in power. In season two he says “the road to power is paved with hypocrisy, and casualties. Never regret” (House of Cards). This is an example of his pure willingness to turn his back on promises and backstab whenever necessary. Frank also is depicted as a charismatic and smooth talking leader; so that even when some evidence of his scandals starts to show, he is able to manipulate the public in his favor. This is an example of Hollywood depicting the American public as “so gullible that its decisions rest on emotion rather than reasoning” (Giglio, 3). The people are simply treated like pawns, and it is clear that Underwood does not care about them. He does however care about maintaining his image, and will resort to any means to do so.
Kurtz, Judy. "Kevin Spacey: Bill Clinton Backs Accuracy of 'House of Cards'" TheHill. N.p., 02 Feb. 2016. Web. 15 Nov. 2016
ReplyDeleteGiglio, Ernest. Here's Looking at You Hollywood Film & Politics. New York: Peter Lang, 2002. Print.
Spacey, Kevin, prod. House of Cards. Netflix. 2014. Television
Historically and with few exceptions, the film industry has: "treated the American presidency with respect and dignity, if not reverence" (Giglio 105). In the past, the presidency was an honorable position – one in which it would be inappropriate to criticize or satirize. It has been said that even before the Second World War, "... it would have been virtually impossible to find a negative portrayal of an American president on screen" (Giglio 105). Modern television and film are not seemingly following a similar suit. Reading about politics predominantly takes up my free leisure time so I tend to stay out of politics in the television and film arenas; aside from casually watching The Good Wife with my mom when I was home. Many movies have come out over time that touch upon politics, but rely heavily upon the war-like characteristics and military battles. An example of such would be Michael Bay’s 2016 thriller: 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi. This movie gave an in-depth look at how politics, under the eyes of certain polarizing political figures, directly affected the safety and outcomes of these innocents’ lives. It was an exciting war-thriller while also being able to tell a story about the happenings off of the battlefield that deeply affected those in Benghazi.
ReplyDeleteThere are many modern and popular television series about politics that are still going on today: West Wing, Scandal, Madam Secretary, and many others. I have been recently getting back into the excitement-filled series: House of Cards. Many have said that it is not an accurate description nor depiction of what the political arena is like, I think they’re wrong. Frank Underwood [Kevin Spacey] is not trying to mirror American politics – but rather, to show the extremes that may exist within. Frank lives a very questionable, yet exciting life as he starts his career trying to get into the White House. It chronicles his many tricks, deceptions, and lies that he implements in order to further his political career. Many joke that Frank and his wife are really a depiction of Bill Clinton and Hillary, when Bill was still in office. With that in mind: it makes their way of navigating politics appear to be hysterical. Frank and his wife are like the Bill-Hill political power couple. Frank even has an open relationship with his wife in which he is able to use sex with other women in order to further or boost his chances of winning [politically]. They describe how he uses sex to control a reporter Zoe Barnes [before killing her when she becomes a nuisance]. It shows how political opponents stand in his way, so together with his wife, eliminate those threats. Even when matters begin to be closing in upon them and their secrets may become public, they shamelessly ignore the issues. Again, parallels may be drawn about the very many questionable disappearances of Clinton’s political opponents over the years [Antonin Scalia, Vince Foster, Victor Thorne, Seth Rich, etc.]. I even like how the show in its fourth season is trying to show modern parallels with modern politics. One episode had the family dealing with a radical Islamic terrorism problem, to which Frank and his wife conspired to play the fear card to draw their attention away from their secrets being uncovered during the time. The ways of displaying politics in the television and film arenas are changing dramatically from their initial habits. Even Hitler received a comedic portrayal in 2015 in Er ist wieder da [Look Who's Back].
DeleteWork Cited
DeleteGiglio, Louie. "Ch.6: Reel Politics: American Politicians on Screen." Hollywood, Film, and Politics. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Print.
I watch a variety of television shows and have seen more movies than I would care to admit that involve some sort of representation of politics. Television shows like HBO’s VEEP and Netflix’s House of Cards try to mirror the political process to the best of their abilities and make government look like some sort of cut-throat, badass, constant battle for individual politician’s best interest in which only the fittest will survive, and while I have never personally held a powerful high-level government position (yet), I believe these shows are sensationalized misrepresentations of the political process.
ReplyDeleteGovernance, in reality, is a long arduous process involving tons of paperwork, long and difficult negotiations with other officials, and most importantly constant compromise. The television show that most accurately represents what I believe the political process entails is NBC’s Parks and Recreation, particularly the first two seasons in which Parks and Recreation Department Deputy Leslie Knope attempts to get legislation approved that will allow her department to fill the dangerous pit that has become an eyesore to the citizens of Pawnee, Indiana.
Leslie Knope was unable to get the necessary approval to fill the pit with dirt, so she decides to bypass the red tape by renting a bulldozer to fill it in by on her own, nearly burying a man alive in the process. Leslie faces little to know backlash for ignoring government orders to do what she thought was right, and like in the real world, there was a lot of unnecessary restrictions that aimed to prevent her from doing so for no particularly good reason.
Parks and Recreation is also very accurate in their depiction of the outrage the backlash that politician’s seemingly harmless words or actions can have on their careers and communities. Take the first episode of the second season titled “Pawnee Zoo” in which Deputy Knope holds a marriage ceremony for two penguins, which promptly begin having sex in front of all of the children at the zoo. Once the news gets out that the penguins were actually both male, the Pawnee community demands for Leslie Knope’s resignation because she is not supposed to take a stand on social issues as a nonpartisan public servant.
Indiana has a vastly white Evangelical population (beliefnet.com), and Knope has a rude awakening as she remembers who the people she works for really are. In an article for Poltiico Laura Turner writes of an Evangelical woman, “Davis values religious liberty, and fears that a Clinton presidency would be “very dangerous” to freedom in the pulpit. She wants a president who will “protect the unborn,” a value that stems from her Christian faith and that she has heard Trump espouse.”(Turner)
In many parts of the country people put their faith at the forefront of their political decision making, and that combined with the how long and boring trying to actually bring change at the government level is in reality, is why NBC’s Parks and Recreation is my favorite television or film representation of politics.
Works Cited
Delete@beliefnet. "State-by-State Percentage of White Evangelicals, Catholics, and Black Protestants." State by State Percentage of Evangelicals, Catholics, and Black Protestants - Beliefnet. Beliefnet, Inc. And/or Its Licensors, n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2016.
Turner, Laura. "How Long Can Evangelical Women Stay Behind Donald Trump?" Politico 12 Oct. 2016. Web.
I never knew I could love a blog topic so much. As sad as it may sound, my life revolves around TV, and some of my favorite shows just so happen to be political based. House of Cards and Scandal are two of my favorite shows and have some gripping exaggerated (or what I hope to be exaggerated) political content in them. They are definitely my two favorite representations of politics. They also aid in Ernest Giglio’s description of Hollywood’s interpretation of politics, “The films portray the machine as a monolithic force that controls votes and remains in power through corrupt deals made by self-serving politicians and justified on grounds of political necessity or the existing machine becomes the target of reform,” (Giglio 100).
ReplyDeleteHouse of Cards is definitely portrayed as that “monolithic force.” From the beginning, Frank Underwood undermines everyone and every thing he can to get to the White House and the to stay in the White House. From murder to verbal threats, Frank Underwood is the definition of a corrupt Politian. Throughout this election season, with all the scandal, I would constantly think back to House of Cards and imagine what was happening behind those closed doors. In Here's Looking at You Hollywood Film & Politics, Giglio writes, “political activities in feature films frequently express individual behavior that is motivated by self-interest; bad politicians act out of greed and ambition while good politicians act in response to the deeds of bad politicians (Giglio 95).” This is another great way to describe House of Cards. We see Frank Underwood and his clan of minions constantly act out of greed. We also see the ‘good politicians’ trying to take Underwood down. Something else that is interesting, is seeing the ‘good politicians’ become ‘bad politicians.’ We see Jackie Sharp, who at first is a lower level politician, gets into bed with the Underwood’s and finds herself becoming more of a corrupt politician.
Scandal also sees the monolithic force. Fitzgerald Grant’s presidency was won by fixing the vote in Defiance, Iowa. This showed viewers that some politicians and people on their teams will do anything to get them into the Oval Office. Scandal also has shown a lot of good versus bad politician, or rather the good versus evil in politics. We see Sally Langston try to take down the Grant administration by acting in response to their bad decisions, however I would never label Sally Langston as a ‘good politician.’ Scandal also portrays a lot of the behind the scenes of politics and government with B613. We see Papa Pope, Olivia’s father, constantly doing everything in his mighty power to have things go his way.
Watching these shows has created a larger interest in politics for me. It has also caused me to question many things about our political system. I am constantly finding myself putting real life scenarios into the word of Scandal or House of Cards, but always reel myself back in – but hey you never know!
Giglio, Ernest. Here's Looking at You Hollywood Film & Politics. New York: Peter Lang, 2002. Print.
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ReplyDeleteI’d have to say that House of Cards is by far my favorite TV show that focuses politics in the modern age. I love the intensity that Frank Underwood, played by Kevin Spacey, brings to the table because it makes politics seem much more exciting than real-world politics. Additionally, I think that shows like House of Cards brings an audience in that would rather watch the show than watch actual politics because of the scandals and suspense that takes place throughout all of the seasons. At the same time, there is definitely a lot of things wrong with House of Cards. For example, the show portrays Frank Underwood as a politician that is able to get things done efficiently where as compared to real world politics, the political process can take years.
Another thing I really like about House of Cards is the portrayal of the media. In House of Cards, you always feel that the characters working for the media play a role just as important as Spacey’s role as Frank Underwood. Additionally, I like how the show depicts good and bad politicians. For example, Frank Underwood who is portrayed sometimes as a good politician, but mainly as a bad politician, is loved by the audience and as Giglio writes in Hollywood Film & Politics, “political activities in feature films frequently express individual behavior that is motivated by self-interest; bad politicians act out of greed and ambition while good politicians act in response to the deeds of bad politicians (Giglio 95).” This is definitely represented in the show in multiple episodes/seasons of House of Cards, especially the season that follows the election between Frank Underwood and Will Conway. At times, Frank Underwood will show his dark side when trying to destroy Conway’s campaign while Conway is always trying to combat Underwood’s crooked politics.
Lastly, House of Cards is an addictive show that depicts politics unlike any other TV show such as Veep and Scandal and at the end of the day this show has helped me to enjoy real world politics. The only thing that I would try to improve in House of Cards is the representation of the political process. I think it should show how difficult it really is to get a law passed and show how long negotiating relations with Russia would actually take because it takes less than a season for the United States and Russia to become “friends” again. I’m hoping that this show continues for a while and after this election, I think the show has been presented with the opportunity to create some new exciting plotlines. Thanks Trump!
Works Cited
Giglio, Ernest. Here's Looking at You Hollywood Film & Politics. New York: Peter Lang, 2002. Print.
I would say House of Cards is by far my favorite representation of politics on TV. It stars Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright as Frank and Claire Underwood, and follows their road to the white house. I think the reason why I enjoyed it so much is because of its focus on political corruption. While I do think much of what’s on the show is fairly extreme, there is a part of me that believes that many of our politicians do engage in very corrupt activities that the public rarely hears about. I think why House of Cards became such a hit in the US is because it investigates the mysterious behind-the-scenes of politics. It shows the side of our politicians that they don’t want us to know about. Personally, I’m very interested in the secret lives of the world’s elite and how they got to their positions, so House of Cards was a perfect show for me.
ReplyDeleteAnother movie that I have recently watched was The Campaign. In the movie, Marty Huggins, a dorky tourism director played by Zach Galifianakis, runs against Congressman Cam Brady (played by Will Farrell) for congressman of North Carolina. The movie is clearly a political satire, and one thing it heavily satirized was attack ads. Throughout the movie, Marty and Cam would take really small things about each other and blow them out of proportion on an ad. In one of the ads, for instance, Cam attacked Marty for having two pet pugs, claiming that it makes Marty “communistic” since pugs are from China. While the representation of attack ads in The Campaign are far more absurd than in the real political world, attack ads do tend to blow things out of proportion in order to develop fear.
Here’s Looking at You: Hollywood, Film and Politics states that “political activities in feature films frequently express individual behavior that is motivated by self-interest: bad politicians act out of greed and ambition while good politicians act in response to the deeds of the bad politicians” (Giglio 95). I think this idea is something that we can see ring true in both House of Cards and The Campaign. In House of Cards, Frank does not want to be president because he wants to better the country, but rather because he’s power hungry and wants to get back at the current president for not making him Secretary of State. While not necessarily a politician in the show, political journalist Zoe Barnes could be seen as the “good politician”, who attempts to investigate him and his actions. In The Campaign, Cam Brady is portrayed as the “bad politician” who will say anything to anyone in order to remain a congressman. In response, the innocent Marty Huggins acts as the “good politician” who runs against him to help better North Carolina.
Works Cited
Giglio, Ernest. Here's Looking at You Hollywood Film & Politics. New York: Peter Lang, 2002. Print.