the american candidate
September 22, 2002
Political 'Reality': Viewers to Pick 2004 Candidate: Rupert Murdoch has finally found a way to get what he wants in Washington. His cable network FX announced yesterday it has bought a TV series in which it gets to select a candidate for the 2004 presidential election. "American Candidate" will allow TV viewers to choose their "people's candidate" over a six-month period, the network said. The show was conceived by R.J. Cutler. He's the guy who produced the 1993 Oscar-nominated documentary "The War Room," about the '92 presidential campaign of Bill Clinton. "Finally! Reality television is returning to its natural home," Cutler told the TV Column yesterday. "Presidential politics is the Great Reality Television Platform." ----- By Lisa de Moraes, Washington Post, Saturday, September 21, 2002; Page C01
Um ... no, presidential politics is the Great Political Platform. Television is, or should be, an incidental latecomer to the scene.
Really, this is distressing on so many levels, I'm not quite sure where to begin. It trivializes the idea of being president. Granted that becoming president is essentially a popularity contest, it's usually not quite this crass a contest. And it actually stands a strong chance of producing candidates, such as they are, even less qualified for the office than the current officeholder, which is saying quite something.
However this comes about, it's highly unlikely that any serious candidate for president would choose this path. For one thing, most of the serious candidates probably aren't telegenic enough for News Corp and FX. They're not young enough, and they probably can't be induced to run around wearing relatively little clothing. And, to be entirely cynical about it, not enough homes receive FX to make it worth their while to debase themselves in this manner.
The fun part is that News Corp will not actually run a campaign for this person. If they win this particular contest, it's up to them to form the connections and do the legwork and get the donations to finance an actual campaign. (Running as a member of the NewsCorporeal party, one assumes.) On the other hand, the American Candidate may decide not to run. Which would be the sensible decision, if nothing else, but would sort of leave you wondering why on earth FX bothered.
The one good thing about the show, I suppose, is that it can only be done once every four years. Unless they decide to run it every year, and then in the fourth year, have the public pick the best of the three candidates.
I wouldn't put anything past a company that would choose to do this, frankly.
Posted by iain at 12:06 AM | Comments (2)
dogg style
September 3, 2002
Let's just take a surreal little trip through the Doggfather's mind, shall we? Let's shall.
High Times magazine hosted its 3rd annual Stony Awards on Sunday (Mar. 3, 2002) at B.B. King's in New York City, and as we previously reported, Snoop Dogg was up for the top honor, Stoner of the Year, for his work in "The Wash," "Bones" and "Baby Boy." noop was crowned Stoner of the Year [...] Prior to the evening's ceremony, Snoop participated in a press conference and was flanked by his entourage, which included famous pimp turned preacher Bishop Don Magic Juan, California-based artist Supafly and Snoop's uncle June Bug. From the moment Snoop arrived, decked out in a charcoal gray pimped out suit and black gator Stacy Adams, he fired up a hefty sized blunt as photographers flashed away. "I already legalized it!" Snoop answered when asked if marijuana would be legalized in his lifetime. "We doing s*** they said we couldn't do, and they sitting up here taking pictures of it, loving it. Put this on the front of USA Today!"
E! Online News - FIRST LOOK: The News in Brief, by Josh Grossberg, September 03, 2002: PIPE DREAM? Rapper Snoop Dogg, who was crowned High Times magazine's 2002 "Stoner of the Year," telling BET that he plans to give up marijuana and alcohol. "I'm 30 years old now," the rapper said. "Three kids. A wife. A mom. Brothers. Artists. Family. Friends. They all need me. They depend on me."
Reportedly, according to a thoroughly bemused local news anchor, the Dogg also said he wanted to quit because other children were looking at him as a role model.
The release date of the Snoop Dogg hosted Girls Gone Wild Doggy Style has been pushed up two weeks to September 3. The 60-minute VHS and DVD package priced at $9.99 was taped during Mardi Gras 2002 in New Orleans. Snoop recently told LAUNCH why he decided to participate in the popular adult series. "Well, when girls go wild, you need to film them," he said.
Oh. You do. Well. Who knew? I mean, who knew? Let's just break out the cameras! (Not that girls go wild in Chicago in March. Still a mite cold here, don'tcha know.)
So let me get this straight-ish: After being named Stoner of the Year, he decides to give up pot and alcohol (and, one assumes, any other mind altering substances he may or may not have used) because he needs to provide better for his family (who can't possibly have any complaints in that regard -- if nothing else, being a stoner hasn't interefered much with his ability to make breathtaking sums of money) and he wants to be a role model to his and other children.
In the meantime, he's hosting an episode of a series which essentially films drunken young women without their consent, doing things they would almost certainly never want to have filmed -- never mind filmed and sold -- and from which they realize not one fee, not one dime of royalty. (Terms to which he almost certainly would not consent for his own work, one might add.)
... well, all-righty, then!
Apparently, "role model" means something different than it used to. Again, who knew?
He's removed the chronic from his life and hasn't lit up for a month . And since he’s made such a powerful mark on the music, he’s changed his name, too. We’re to call him Bigg Snoop Dogg from now on. [...]
VH1: You’ve stopped smoking weed, too. Is that the cost you have to pay to be the boss?
Snoop : Hmmm … sorta kinda. That’s the cost that you have to pay if you wanna be here for your people. I’ve got three kids. I wanna be a grand-pop. At the rate I was going, I wasn’t gonna be here. I had to check myself before I got checked. I’m not trying to be a dead legend. I’m trying to be a living legend. I care about myself and I love me and I wanna be here. I don’t care what you say or what you feel. If you have something negative to say about me not smoking weed, f*ck you in your mouth. [Laughter.]
er ... well, yes. Quite.
Posted by iain at 11:34 PM