Was this really necessary from the Politico?
I have a good deal of respect for the guys over at Politico, but this piece they put together seems more likely to have been chosen for a Friday run rather than a Tursday run. The piece today regarding the TV show "Brothers and Sisters" should be up on a slow news day. Of course, perusing some of the blogosphere this morning, I can see that a great deal of writers are treating today like a Friday. Anyways, the point of the piece is whether or not five conservative women think that Calista Flockhart is doing a good job representing the conservative mindset on the show:
Don't even get them started on the name.
On a recent Wednesday night, The Politico assembled five Washington-based professional Republican women to discuss whether ABC got it right with prime time's newest conservative Gal Friday -- named Kitty.
Kitty Walker, played by Calista Flockhart, is at the center of the network's woman-comes-home-again saga "Brothers and Sisters." She's an attractive, youngish, right-wing radio host-turned-TV host-turned-Senate staffer, whom the show has described as "not Ann Coulter."
So, basically, "she's not insane," said Ken Olin, the show's producer.
Some of the women described Kitty as "squishy," others called her "human" and "palpable." They all bemoaned her career track as very un-Washington, but despite the suspension of disbelief required, they also found themselves "pleasantly surprised."
"As a conservative watching TV, I have pretty low expectations," said Mary Katharine Ham, 27, who blogs for Townhall.com, a conservative news and commentary website. Ham originally set her DVR to "Brothers and Sisters" to find out what Hollywood was going "to do with us" and has since been hooked. ...
... "I'm sick of the cracks about my political beliefs. I am a conservative -- tough on crime, big on defense, America First, old-fashioned and in your face. And if you think this is funny, great. I'm glad to be of comic service. But you just keep on laughing and watch the rest of the country pass you by."
Not exactly seamless, but it'll have to do.
"That's what comes up when you Google 'conservative,'" joked 23-year-old Allison Kasic, director of campus programs for the Independent Women's Forum, a nonpartisan think tank, which according to its website promotes "limited government" and "a powerful and effective national defense."
Amanda Carpenter, author of "The Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy's Dossier on Hillary Clinton," called the manifesto "pretty lame." Plus, Kitty's list of conservative philosophies wasn't in the right order. Carpenter, 24, would have started with small government. ...
... In the same scene in which Kitty defines her conservative principles, her brother Kevin (who is gay) rails against her "self-involved" boyfriend, who has yet to receive the family's all-important seal of approval.
"Maybe it's just part of the whole conservative anti-feminist thing, right," Kevin avows more than asks, "to sort of put yourself in second place?"
The response from the group? A collective eye roll.
"That's a common misconception," groaned Kasic, who said she was tired of feminism being defined as solely a "liberal ideology."
Carrie Lukas, author of "The Politically Incorrect Guide to Women, Sex and Feminism," agreed. As she mentioned something about conservative women being typecast as "barefoot and pregnant" drones, she shifted uncomfortably. Literally. Lukas, 33, is six months pregnant.
Speaking of feminism, Walker's looks, not her smarts, are a chief concern when it comes to her viability as an effective commentator. On her fictitious cable show, "Red, White and Blue," Kitty sits prettily in the red chair. The promo posters read, "Kitty Walker is RED HOT" and feature her in a tight red dress. (With any luck, soon Republicans will choose a new color.)
It could've been worse, everyone says.
"She could have had pearls on," said Lukas, who was wearing a single-strand pearl necklace with matching pearl-drop earrings. (She noted the irony.)...
... "Brothers and Sisters" is an hour-long homage to the Walker clan: matriarch Nora (Sally Field); brothers Justin (Dave Annable), Tommy (Balthazar Getty) and Kevin (Matthew Rhys); and sisters Sarah (Rachel Griffiths) and Kitty.
They fight in a cliquish, inside-jokey sort of way and make up just as sappily, but without the "7th Heaven"-style melodrama. These kids are grown, and so are their problems -- infidelity, embezzling, drug addiction and national security all get equal time.
Guess which cause is Kitty's?
One of the biggest topics on the show is the war in Iraq (and Afghanistan), which comes up so often it should be listed in the credits as the sixth Walker child. Baby of the family Justin is a veteran/drug addict whom Kitty supported joining up. Mother Nora, of course, did not.
When the two go head to head, Kitty usually comes off as the bad guy, since "selling her views" is considered dangerous. "This isn't your radio show," snaps Nora, who repeatedly asks Kitty to choose between her politics and her family, since the two, it seems, are mutually exclusive.
"Sally Field is not known for her subtle acting," quipped Oberwetter. ...
Perhaps the most controversial episode for everyone is "Mistakes Were Made Part II," when Kitty flips her position on the war and subsequently bribes a senator -- she puts the kid gloves on during an interview in the hopes that Justin won't be forced to re-up. Sen. Robert McCallister (played by Rob Lowe) does not oblige the pretty blonde, and Kitty must deliver an on-air mea culpa.
"Did she just say, 'Mistakes were made'?" laughed Ham, who saw the issue of Kitty's integrity as black and white, calling the character's indiscretion a career-ending suicide.
"After she sells out, she gets the job with McCallister, who she sleeps with," explained Ham. "It's a triple whammy on the conservative woman."
Maybe she's a Libertarian, offers Oberwetter.
"What is worthwhile about this woman?" demanded Carpenter, who probably won't be tuning in on Sunday nights. "If we can't identify with this girl, I think they've failed. Thanks, but no thanks."
All right. Enough's enough. First off, when I heard this show was coming out, I rolled my eyes. Hollywood trying to portray conservatives, as they really are, in a TV show. That sounds like a Marx Brothers routine on 78 speed and meth. Hollywood doesn't have the first foggiest notion about what it means to be a conservative. Hell, 80% of the damn town is admitted liberal, or worse. (Anyone want to ask Sean Penn about his dad and his beliefs? Maybe Ed Asner or Janeane Garofalo?) No offense, but asking Hollywood to cough out a show like this, and have it be as accurate as possible is like asking Great Britain to pen the history of the founding of America.
History is written by the victors.
The casting of Calista Flockhart in the lead role is similarly a joke. Number one, she's not all that attractive (at least not to me; all you Flockhart fan club moonbats keep your comments to yourself). Number two, she's a known moonbat liberal in Hollywood. Number three, she can't act her way out of a wet paper bag.
The situations and dialogue presented above in the Politico piece are beyond cliche, and in the end -- that very last piece I cited -- Flockhart's character seems to recant quite a bit on his ideology. Not only does she give in on an issue that is an important one for conservatives (the War on terrror, and national security; two items I know of no conservative compromising on) but then, in an act of pure debauchery, she sleeps with the guy.
Is this really how Hollywood views conservatives? Probably. And that's why I feel so many shows are tanking. There's no good writing or plot involved in a lot of these shows. The acting stinks, and the shows just aren't plausible. I know it's fiction and that we're supposed to take things with a grain of salt, but come on, already. Hollywood's dying on the vine and it's because they put out the most retarded, inept, untalented, and biased pieces of pap the industry has even seen. Guys like Frank Capra and Cecil B. DeMille are rolling over in their graves right now with what Hollywood calls "good motion pictures." And when it comes to TV, don't get me started.
Marcie and I are lukcy, now, if we watch four hours of TV a week. And no, I'm not kidding. On Mondays (when it's on) we watch Heroes. Wednesdays belong to Bones and Jericho. Fridays are for Stargte SG-1, at least until the last ten episodes are done with. In the past I've watched shows like Babylon-5, Crusade, Rome, Deadwood, Farscape, and Firefly. Neither one of us are big TV viewers, and a lot of it's due to the fact that there's simply too much crap on TV. The lovely ladies that had this sit-down with the Politico have pointed to another one.
While neither of us have seen it, based on what I've read I can say that the show's creators rely far more on cliched stereotypes than solid thinking on the subject. Conservatives aren't mean, nasty, or bull-headed. Ask our more liberal friends, and they'll tell you we're very cordial, and not prone to anger (as some of our more fanatical associates are on our side of the aisle). We debate. We argue. ALWAYS professional, NEVER personal. And never be afraid to admit when someone has a point (though for our liberal friends, that's not exactly a daily thing for them; having the point, that is). We can agree to disagree, and we can hold true to our beliefs. We're right, they're wrong, God's in His Heaven, and all's right in the world.
These nutters in Hollywood never get it right when it comes to our side. And they never will. If they wanted to do this series, they should have brought conservatives and liberals together to write the thing. It's pretty obvious they didn't. Or if they did, as Brooke Oberwetter quipped, they're likely Libertarian. No offense, but they're not all that conservative. They're more like fringers, and while I do know of a couple "registered Libertarians," they have less Libertarian tendencies, and more conservative ones. I have to agree with the ladies based on what I've read. I think the producers and writers of the show have failed miserably in this aspect. Thanks, but no thanks. Our four hours out of the weeks are already taken, and we're not going to fill hour four up with this pap when Stargate's done.
I'll switch over to something more worthwhile and palatable, like The Tudors. Or maybe we'll spend some time together (that is what married couples do).
Publius II
Don't even get them started on the name.
On a recent Wednesday night, The Politico assembled five Washington-based professional Republican women to discuss whether ABC got it right with prime time's newest conservative Gal Friday -- named Kitty.
Kitty Walker, played by Calista Flockhart, is at the center of the network's woman-comes-home-again saga "Brothers and Sisters." She's an attractive, youngish, right-wing radio host-turned-TV host-turned-Senate staffer, whom the show has described as "not Ann Coulter."
So, basically, "she's not insane," said Ken Olin, the show's producer.
Some of the women described Kitty as "squishy," others called her "human" and "palpable." They all bemoaned her career track as very un-Washington, but despite the suspension of disbelief required, they also found themselves "pleasantly surprised."
"As a conservative watching TV, I have pretty low expectations," said Mary Katharine Ham, 27, who blogs for Townhall.com, a conservative news and commentary website. Ham originally set her DVR to "Brothers and Sisters" to find out what Hollywood was going "to do with us" and has since been hooked. ...
... "I'm sick of the cracks about my political beliefs. I am a conservative -- tough on crime, big on defense, America First, old-fashioned and in your face. And if you think this is funny, great. I'm glad to be of comic service. But you just keep on laughing and watch the rest of the country pass you by."
Not exactly seamless, but it'll have to do.
"That's what comes up when you Google 'conservative,'" joked 23-year-old Allison Kasic, director of campus programs for the Independent Women's Forum, a nonpartisan think tank, which according to its website promotes "limited government" and "a powerful and effective national defense."
Amanda Carpenter, author of "The Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy's Dossier on Hillary Clinton," called the manifesto "pretty lame." Plus, Kitty's list of conservative philosophies wasn't in the right order. Carpenter, 24, would have started with small government. ...
... In the same scene in which Kitty defines her conservative principles, her brother Kevin (who is gay) rails against her "self-involved" boyfriend, who has yet to receive the family's all-important seal of approval.
"Maybe it's just part of the whole conservative anti-feminist thing, right," Kevin avows more than asks, "to sort of put yourself in second place?"
The response from the group? A collective eye roll.
"That's a common misconception," groaned Kasic, who said she was tired of feminism being defined as solely a "liberal ideology."
Carrie Lukas, author of "The Politically Incorrect Guide to Women, Sex and Feminism," agreed. As she mentioned something about conservative women being typecast as "barefoot and pregnant" drones, she shifted uncomfortably. Literally. Lukas, 33, is six months pregnant.
Speaking of feminism, Walker's looks, not her smarts, are a chief concern when it comes to her viability as an effective commentator. On her fictitious cable show, "Red, White and Blue," Kitty sits prettily in the red chair. The promo posters read, "Kitty Walker is RED HOT" and feature her in a tight red dress. (With any luck, soon Republicans will choose a new color.)
It could've been worse, everyone says.
"She could have had pearls on," said Lukas, who was wearing a single-strand pearl necklace with matching pearl-drop earrings. (She noted the irony.)...
... "Brothers and Sisters" is an hour-long homage to the Walker clan: matriarch Nora (Sally Field); brothers Justin (Dave Annable), Tommy (Balthazar Getty) and Kevin (Matthew Rhys); and sisters Sarah (Rachel Griffiths) and Kitty.
They fight in a cliquish, inside-jokey sort of way and make up just as sappily, but without the "7th Heaven"-style melodrama. These kids are grown, and so are their problems -- infidelity, embezzling, drug addiction and national security all get equal time.
Guess which cause is Kitty's?
One of the biggest topics on the show is the war in Iraq (and Afghanistan), which comes up so often it should be listed in the credits as the sixth Walker child. Baby of the family Justin is a veteran/drug addict whom Kitty supported joining up. Mother Nora, of course, did not.
When the two go head to head, Kitty usually comes off as the bad guy, since "selling her views" is considered dangerous. "This isn't your radio show," snaps Nora, who repeatedly asks Kitty to choose between her politics and her family, since the two, it seems, are mutually exclusive.
"Sally Field is not known for her subtle acting," quipped Oberwetter. ...
Perhaps the most controversial episode for everyone is "Mistakes Were Made Part II," when Kitty flips her position on the war and subsequently bribes a senator -- she puts the kid gloves on during an interview in the hopes that Justin won't be forced to re-up. Sen. Robert McCallister (played by Rob Lowe) does not oblige the pretty blonde, and Kitty must deliver an on-air mea culpa.
"Did she just say, 'Mistakes were made'?" laughed Ham, who saw the issue of Kitty's integrity as black and white, calling the character's indiscretion a career-ending suicide.
"After she sells out, she gets the job with McCallister, who she sleeps with," explained Ham. "It's a triple whammy on the conservative woman."
Maybe she's a Libertarian, offers Oberwetter.
"What is worthwhile about this woman?" demanded Carpenter, who probably won't be tuning in on Sunday nights. "If we can't identify with this girl, I think they've failed. Thanks, but no thanks."
All right. Enough's enough. First off, when I heard this show was coming out, I rolled my eyes. Hollywood trying to portray conservatives, as they really are, in a TV show. That sounds like a Marx Brothers routine on 78 speed and meth. Hollywood doesn't have the first foggiest notion about what it means to be a conservative. Hell, 80% of the damn town is admitted liberal, or worse. (Anyone want to ask Sean Penn about his dad and his beliefs? Maybe Ed Asner or Janeane Garofalo?) No offense, but asking Hollywood to cough out a show like this, and have it be as accurate as possible is like asking Great Britain to pen the history of the founding of America.
History is written by the victors.
The casting of Calista Flockhart in the lead role is similarly a joke. Number one, she's not all that attractive (at least not to me; all you Flockhart fan club moonbats keep your comments to yourself). Number two, she's a known moonbat liberal in Hollywood. Number three, she can't act her way out of a wet paper bag.
The situations and dialogue presented above in the Politico piece are beyond cliche, and in the end -- that very last piece I cited -- Flockhart's character seems to recant quite a bit on his ideology. Not only does she give in on an issue that is an important one for conservatives (the War on terrror, and national security; two items I know of no conservative compromising on) but then, in an act of pure debauchery, she sleeps with the guy.
Is this really how Hollywood views conservatives? Probably. And that's why I feel so many shows are tanking. There's no good writing or plot involved in a lot of these shows. The acting stinks, and the shows just aren't plausible. I know it's fiction and that we're supposed to take things with a grain of salt, but come on, already. Hollywood's dying on the vine and it's because they put out the most retarded, inept, untalented, and biased pieces of pap the industry has even seen. Guys like Frank Capra and Cecil B. DeMille are rolling over in their graves right now with what Hollywood calls "good motion pictures." And when it comes to TV, don't get me started.
Marcie and I are lukcy, now, if we watch four hours of TV a week. And no, I'm not kidding. On Mondays (when it's on) we watch Heroes. Wednesdays belong to Bones and Jericho. Fridays are for Stargte SG-1, at least until the last ten episodes are done with. In the past I've watched shows like Babylon-5, Crusade, Rome, Deadwood, Farscape, and Firefly. Neither one of us are big TV viewers, and a lot of it's due to the fact that there's simply too much crap on TV. The lovely ladies that had this sit-down with the Politico have pointed to another one.
While neither of us have seen it, based on what I've read I can say that the show's creators rely far more on cliched stereotypes than solid thinking on the subject. Conservatives aren't mean, nasty, or bull-headed. Ask our more liberal friends, and they'll tell you we're very cordial, and not prone to anger (as some of our more fanatical associates are on our side of the aisle). We debate. We argue. ALWAYS professional, NEVER personal. And never be afraid to admit when someone has a point (though for our liberal friends, that's not exactly a daily thing for them; having the point, that is). We can agree to disagree, and we can hold true to our beliefs. We're right, they're wrong, God's in His Heaven, and all's right in the world.
These nutters in Hollywood never get it right when it comes to our side. And they never will. If they wanted to do this series, they should have brought conservatives and liberals together to write the thing. It's pretty obvious they didn't. Or if they did, as Brooke Oberwetter quipped, they're likely Libertarian. No offense, but they're not all that conservative. They're more like fringers, and while I do know of a couple "registered Libertarians," they have less Libertarian tendencies, and more conservative ones. I have to agree with the ladies based on what I've read. I think the producers and writers of the show have failed miserably in this aspect. Thanks, but no thanks. Our four hours out of the weeks are already taken, and we're not going to fill hour four up with this pap when Stargate's done.
I'll switch over to something more worthwhile and palatable, like The Tudors. Or maybe we'll spend some time together (that is what married couples do).
Publius II
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 9:28 AM
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