I have no idea what Obama watched as a child, but it’s not hard to imagine he spent more than a few hours with Star Trek, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., I Dream of Jeannie, and even The Wild, Wild West. We do know that these days these days, the president is a fan of HBO’s Entourage, which is not too surprising, since it revolves around an aspiring actor and his friends beating the odds in Hollywood.
Obama was also a regular viewer of the now defunct The Wire. Considering the series’ gritty portrayal of urban life and sociopolitical issues, it stands to reason he would be a devotee the show. But the president also enjoys Hannah Montana and SpongeBob Squarepants with daughters Malia and Sasha. And of course, his love of ESPN’s SportsCenter is well documented.
Obviously, even the President has no control over the whims of network programming - that’s more the province of the almighty 18-49
demographic (which Obama falls into.) But we have a First Family that has already become a barometer of the state of pop culture. Michelle has an even higher approval rating than Barack, due in no small part to her no nonsense fashion sense and her dedication to education, the daughters are always adorable, and even Bo the puppy has elevated a little known breed to superstardom. Barack, of course, is just cool—urban hip, confident, with an air of reserve and detachment when it matters, yet with a fighter’s instinct smoldering beneath it all.
With that kind of popularity (not to mention the street cred to back it up), the President will have at least an indirect influence on television programming over the coming years. I don’t think it will be anything revolutionary, but I do believe that we’ll see a return to stylish storytelling, and well thought-out scripts. We’re already seeing a shift in crime shows, returning to characterization and motivation as opposed to the dry procedurals that we’ve endured over the past years.
NBC’s newest entry in the field, Southland, works because it portrays the cops and the bad guys as players on the same game board. The Mentalist, on CBS, emphasizes the smug self-assurance of the lead character, rather than any kick-ass attributes. Show that were once favorites, like 24, seem hopelessly dated now, remnants of a Bush-Cheney agenda that didn’t work.
It’s not that Obama has a television agenda - if he did, the cable news channels would be in dire straits, since he never watches them. Conversely, ESPN would be top of the pops. But his election reflects a shift in the American psyche. We’ve become a little more aware of the world around us—maybe too aware in some ways. With the economy a major daily concern and new wars always lurking on the horizon, we’re going to expect more substantial entertainment delivered to our homes.
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Article comments
1 - Christopher Rose
A great collective feature to launch the new era at Blogcritics, well done everybody.
2 - Eric Olsen
thanks Chris! There's plenty more to come - our writers really rose to the occasion! Love to hear what more people think
3 - Aaman
Good feature, perhaps the chia should be the unofficial mascot of the new BC Magazine:)
4 - Eric Olsen
ch-ch-ch-chia!
5 - Arch Conservative
Obama is a joke.
An embarassment to this nation.
A completely worthless media creation.
The joke's on the American people, but not being a complete fucking idiot I knew this last fall.
6 - Arch Conservative
Everyone that voted for this teleprompted jerkoff should be forcibly sodomized with the pointy end of the "yes we can" sign they toted last Fall.
7 - Arch Conservative
And then Arlen Specter should be forced to lick all those sign posts.
8 - barbara barnett
NOOOOO! I hate the chiaObama!
9 - Jet
Archie you can't tell me that George Bush didn't use a teleprompter?
10 - Eric Olsen
this seems a bit of an overreaction against Obama. Anyway, this is not a political assessment, but a cultural one
11 - Bliffle
#5 - Arch Conservative
"... but not being a complete fucking idiot I knew this..."
You may want to get a second opinion on that Archie.
12 - El Bicho
Bliffle, his comments betray him. No second opinion needed
13 - Dave White
Haha love the $2008 bill
14 - Chris Olsen
I really like the new look!
15 - Eric Olsen
thanks Dave, and thanks Chris, really appreciate it!