Posted on 10/01/2007 2:02:48 PM PDT by presidio9
After all the editorial cartoons knocking Dick Cheney, after Jon Stewart's riffs and the Letterman/Leno jokes, it still comes as a surprise when a primetime comedy aims a personal barb at a sitting member of the executive branch of government.
Once Cheney becomes fair game on a mainstream hit like ABC's "Ugly Betty," you know he, as a symbol of this administration, is reviled by most Americans.
These days you don't have to watch "Meet the Press" to get a stinging critique of the war, President Bush or the GOP in general. Jabs at the Republican establishment and Bush administration policy are popping up on primetime TV entertainment shows too.
When "Ugly Betty" launched its new season Thursday, a persistent theme of the amplified, soapy dramedy was the devilish nature of the scheming Wilhemina Slater, played by Vanessa Williams. The plotting, would-be publisher was depicted as hellish, the very embodiment of evil, complete with literal fire and brimstone accouterments. Capping the over-the-top display of Wilhemina's satanic ways, the camera panned a photo, conspicuously displayed in her office: her hero, Cheney.
Who else would the devil worship as a role model?
That visual reference, written in the script and delivered with relish by the set designers, was conceived by writers and executive producers Silvio Horta and Marco Pennette.
It's far from the first blatant Cheney joke on a primetime show, but it's still a jolt.
Granted, Stewart and "The Daily Show" got there early with the sight gag of Cheney as Darth Vader. But "Ugly Betty" is more center-stage.
Similarly, a one-liner in Thursday's pilot of "Big Shots," the ABC hour that emulates "Sex and the City" for men, mocks the veep: "The woman brooks no dissent. It's like being married to Dick Cheney."
By the time Cheney shows up as a punch line - either as the ultimate immovable object or as the face of evil - on the broad-appeal, diligently inoffensive, mainstream TV networks, the polls are closed. There will be no redemption for this vice president. The sitcom gods have spoken.
Tonight, ABC's "Brothers & Sisters" (at 9 on KMGH-Channel 7) begins the season with concern about youngest sibling Justin, who is serving in Iraq. The family, particularly his mother (played by Sally Field), is anxious because there has been no word of Justin's unit for weeks. The producers have said the Walker son will return home "physically compromised" after sustaining war injuries.
The episode is a fitting follow-up to the anti-war comments spoken by Field (and bleeped by Fox) on the Emmy Awards telecast two weeks ago. The character is free to say in a fictional drama what the actress couldn't on live TV.
Serious documentaries, news reports and specials like James Gandolfini's "Alive Day Memories" have tried to bring the war home. Ironically, that may be best accomplished on a sudsy family drama. Certainly the emotional attachment to the character is already in place.
"South Park" relishes knocking the administration. ("Omigod Dick Cheney shot Kenny!"). But animated and late-night shows are one thing, while poignant network comedies and dramas are another.
To some, "Ugly Betty's" injection of a political dig in an unrelated scene may have read like an indulgence on the part of the writers - to others it was a welcome one.
In the case of "Brothers & Sisters," the viewpoint on the war is seamlessly woven into the fabric of the drama, where the characters regularly talk politics. The storyline portends more discussion to come.
A cultural shift has occurred. The fantasy-makers in Hollywood know public opinion is with them. They won't lose advertisers or viewers by knocking an unpopular vice president. The writers have plenty to say about the real world. And politics can't help intruding on entertainment.
Sometimes TV invites us to sift metaphors for clues to where the culture is headed (do young male slackers in big-box stores on "Chuck" and "Reaper" reflect America's mondo retail habit or the vanishing middle class?) On other occasions, TV unapologetically shoves images in our faces, knowing the country is in on the joke, albeit with uneasy laughter.
And they wonder why fewer people are watching TV overall.
“The fantasy-makers in Hollywood know public opinion is with them”
Right, just look at the numbers they’re putting up.
The only positive thing to say about this article is that the show is aptly named! Who cares what a comedian/actress from a B list at best, network show says? It still says absolutely NOTHING about Americans. Sorry to have to tell the networks what they already know, no one is watching!
ROTFLOL
Wow, delusion
Psychiatry. a fixed false belief that is resistant to reason or confrontation with actual fact: a paranoid delusion.
They don’t get it and won’d until they see a dinosaur media watch on FR. Stupid liberals can't see that there is another half country who will tune them out! When it starts hitting their pockets they will realize.
What has Cheney done to draw this hatred?
Nobody is watching network TV. They will be “edgy” to try to draw interest. But nobody is interested.
For the record, I love Dick Cheney!!!
I think you meant to say "psychosis", but it works for me...
Congress’ job rating is in the 20s
http://pollingreport.com/CongJob.htm
Pelosi’s the 30s
http://pollingreport.com/P.htm
Reid the same
http://pollingreport.com/R.htm
As is Cheney’s
http://pollingreport.com/C.htm
In sum, Cheney is as popular as each of the three other major leaders in our country - the president, Sen and House leader. Congress has the worst ratings as a whole. Yet Cheney is vilified as Darth Vadar.
I’m very tired of the 30+ yr old children in the media and entertainment industry.
This is just a PR plug.
I guess when this idiotorial writer sees something on a lame TV show by the same kind of far-left “gay mafia” writers who have dominated Hollywood for the past decade, it doesn’t just represent kool-aid drinking (and much, much harder ingesting) prissy “artists” from the left coast....it represents AMERICA.
As the liberal left continues to corkscrew into an unhinged and blind hatred, most people sit back and laugh at the left’s/Hollywood’s frustration which has consumed them to the point where they simply can no longer control themselves and must constantly lash out like a 3 year old having a tantrum. It really is quite humorous.
Whatever, Ugly Betty.
He's Republican.
Never heard of any or them but South Park. Everyone knows they bash EVERYONE.
From the descriptions, they sound positively puerile. I predict that their 15 minutes will be more like 15 seconds...
And they wonder why fewer people are watching TV overall.
Just popped an e-mail to ABC regarding VP Chaney. Will they care, no but I feel better that they know there are other people out there besides leftist freaks who get off insulting our president and vice president.
I enjoyed this show when it was “Betty La Fea” on Univision 7 years ago.
And in the 80s and 90s, they slammed on Reagan, and especially on Dan Quayle.
Nothing new under the sun.
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