So, what do you think this half-hour TV show of Barack Obama’s is going to be about? Linette thinks that it will be like “Mr. Rogers.” I’m pretty sure they’ll go with a more traditional sitcom format. I’m guessing that, in an effort to have him come across as non-threatening as possible, they’ll use the old “Brady Bunch” set. And he definitely won’t be playing a Muslim or a 60’s radical. I’m thinking that he’ll play a successful big city attorney who, after the death of his father, decides to move back to the small town where he grew up, and run for sheriff.
In all seriousness, I think that it’s likely that this half-hour primetime special will be primarily casual documentary footage of Barack and his family at home together, not all that different from the unused footage Spike Jonze shot of Al Gore and his family in 2000. (If I know one thing, it’s that Americans love them some reality television.) The biggest apprehension that voters have about Obama, it seems, is that they don’t “know” him. My guess is that they’ll seek to address that in this half-hour. We’ll see Barack talking policy and being presidential, but primarily we’ll see him being a good father and a loving husband in a home surprisingly not that different from our own. Contrary to what many of us expect, there won’t be a bust of Osama bin Laden, drug paraphernalia, or bomb-making materials. The next day some folks will be up in arms, saying that it was completely scripted and shot on a Hollywood sound stage, but the damage will have been done. The American people will know that Barack Obama, contrary to what they’ve been told, is just your average American — only maybe a little more motivated and brilliant.
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What, no ideas on what the Obama Show is going to look like? You disappoint me, people.
Sometimes, Mark, your comedy material sets too high of a bar for many of us out here struggling to make comments. I don’t think I can top your “Mr. Rogers” or “Brady Bunch” ideas.
I just think they should do the whole Obama thing like those stupid MTV interviews, where the cameraman moves around frantically like he has to go to the bathroom really bad…swinging the shot in and out and getting in too close and then moving the subject out of the shot completely for no reason and focusing momentarily on a wall, the floor, or on some object in the interviewee’s hand.
I almost ruined an interview in Iowa last year laughing my ass off when I walked into a room where an MTV crew was in the missle of doing that goofy shit. It looked like the camera guy was going to wet his pants. I had to remove myself from the scene before the Edwards people dragged my ass out of there.
Anyway, your ideas are better, and the only guys that might have a shot at topping them here are Brackache (when he’s on a roll), or Ol’E Cross (if he’s willing to end this embargo he has against us right now). A few of the other ones out there occasionally have moments of incredible comedy inspiration, but you can’t count on ’em. You might as well go ahead and do the job with one of your fake screen names to end this awkward silence.
I’m thinking now that he’ll just show highlights from “Nailin’ Palin” while shaking his head sadly as if in disapproval.
Could he get Tim Reid to guest star as his dad?
I was thinking the father form Different Strokes – Conrad Bain – but maybe he’s dead now.
Whatcho talkin’ bout Mark?
I’m just talkin’ ’bout Shaft.
Who’s the black president
That’s gives hope to the country?
Barak!
Ya damn right!
Who is the man that would risk his neck
Besides threats from rednecks?
Barak!
Can you dig it?
Who’s the cat that won’t cop out
When there’s a financial meltdown brought
on by repackaging and reselling of subprime mortgages
into complicated credit default swaps and
mortgage backed securities by major investment banks all about?
Barak!
Right On!
They say this cat Barak is a bad mother
SHUT YOUR MOUTH!
I’m talkin’ ’bout Barak.
THEN WE CAN DIG IT!
He’s a complicated man
But no one understands him but his country
Barak Obama!
Enter Stage Right:
Obama enters the darkened living room of Archie and Edith Bunker, flips on the light, looks around, sits in chair, smiles.
(28 minutes of clapping follow)
The formula that seems to be playing out here is this: The more that folks are introduced to Obama’s life story, the more comfortable they feel with him. The impact appears to be dramatic. It’s moving people in significant numbers out of the undecided, independent and even republican columns into the Obama column. The case appears now to be the opposite with Palin, and though she is securing the base well, she is also costing McCain support with independents and otherwise undecided voters. Apparently her personal story doesn’t play well with them. It’s not so surprising I guess. Most people don’t like a person who abuses their power as a public official, especially an elected one. Anyway, it looks as though the only things going for McCain are himself, and his wife. They’re positives are staying fairly steady.
The oil companies and war profiteers appear to have some powerful global financial interests working against them. I’m expecting them to make a dramatic move soon, in a last ditch effort to fix this election. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see another incident in the Persian Gulf or somewhere else where military contractors and international criminal organizations have the means to pull off the necessary cover.
It’s possible that a deal has been cut with the outgoing cabal of criminals not to investigate and prosecute. Some key Bushies might be stepping back to sit the rest of this one out. If there is going to be a military level October surprise, it very well may have to be contract through alternative channels. If it happens, it will be interesting. I’m curious to see how much of a gamble those assholes are really willing to take in this stage of the game.