that's just lame. mustt have been a slow day in DC, let's see, yeah nothing going on, OH except the House of Representatives voted to pass a health insurance reform bill for the first time in 100 years, yeah, let's talk bout V! #v
I think this entire thing is hysterical, and before anyone decides to get witty and call me a TROLL again (you know who you are, don't think I forgot, I have a very long memory), I just want to mention that I couldn't care less how dissimilar or similar Obama's White House is to the aliens of V. I am, as of the 2008 election, an apolitical, equal opportunity politician hater (with a few "radical" liberal exceptions).
Of COURSE people are going to draw similarities to Americas new administration, that's the genius of Sci Fi. It is by nature an allegorical medium. But you can't separate the lumps in the Cream of Wheat so easily, it has to be taken as one package. If the V's represent Obama or Reagen or whoever, then by proxy, they represent the entire administration of modern politics and government. Who is more alien to the common citizen than the overpaid, benevolent, false-promising, insured stuffed shirt politician? Politicians, like the freakish aliens of V, are a macabre joke. And you can apply that logic to any organization that pretends to be something that it isn't, or that appears to be doing one thing while it's actually doing another.
It's the classic To Serve Man idea, and I love it because I think it rings so true especially in this day and age where people are so used to be taken advantage of by their fellow man and by people who have been sworn to protect and help them, we just accept it as an ordinary part of life. #v
This V wasn't about Obama. 80s V wasn't about Reagan. They're both kind of about Cortez.
And as an archaeologist, I have to say--if history has taught us anything, it's this: when the invaders show up, kill them all, and burn their ships. Don't mistake them for gods, don't listen to anything they say, don't worship them. Kill them, burn their ships, repeat as necessary. #v
@Guang: Sure. But I shall need one hundred million dollars, plus whatever I shall have to pay Will Smith to be in it and write a spiffy end-title theme song for it. #v
Man this guy is really out of touch with what's going on in the nation. He's never heard of V? Even the 80s version? He hasn't heard about a huge hit series that many people are mistakenly thinking is about Obama?
Of course he has, but he's in a bad situation. He can't acknowledge he's heard of it because that would acknowledge the fact that presidents have legitimate criticizers, and the job of a press secretary is to make any criticism sound laughable and ridiculous. Thus, equating V to Spongebob, without acknowledging V even exists. Like since he didn't see it, it must not be there.
But one thing I learned is that Gibbs watches a little bit of football on saturday, and a little football on sunday, and news every other time.
@cylon_conspiracy: That's dumb. It's perfectly reasonable that he hasn't heard of it. If it wasn't for this website, I never would have heard of it.
But my guess is they did hear about it, but the point isn't that V is a legitimate criticism of Obama (it isn't). The point is they don't really want to be discussing a television show about space aliens and whether or not it's about Obama. It's ridiculous that the question was even asked. The fact that the news media think this is so important to ask at a white house press briefing just proves that we aren't a serious country. #v
It's probably unlikely that the White House is actually unaware of the comparisons. It is more likely that Robert Gibbs was trying not to take an official stand on a fictional TV show and this douche bag Tommy Christopher wouldn't let him have his "out". #v
@Bill-Lee: I gotta disagree. There are a lot of people I know who don't know a THING about this show. I seriously have to say there are more important things for Gibbs to worry about. If there's anyone in the White House paying attention to this, it is some intern so far down on the ladder that they correctly assumed the worthiness of this news dies about two paygrades up and no farther. #v
@Lassus: I disagree with that. With all the turmoil that is going on in Washington over health care, tea parties, protests, and now states like New Jersey choosing a democrat governor, Virgina kicking out its democrats.... and all of the sudden here is a show that seems to be about certain similar themes and it's got 14 million people watching, the biggest hit of the season?
This show could become event television for people who want to send a "ratings message" to Washington and others who just want to see what the fuss is all about.
This show has potential to be an enormous hit and the comparisons could get even larger and brought up more and more in the national dialogue.
And once again, I highly doubt the show is actually ABOUT Obama, and if I could predict hit shows I would have a high paying job in Hollywood.
But, it could happen. I wouldn't discredit a cultural phenomena that just happens to come along at the right time.
Anyway, here's the actual reporter talking about what happened:
@cylon_conspiracy: "and now states like New Jersey choosing a democrat governor, Virgina kicking out its democrats.... "
Corzine's been a dead man walking for a year, no one anywhere thought otherwise. Governorships are one thing, but the Democrats got two reps and kicked out their Republicans, including the one in NY-23 (traditionally Republican) that can be pretty directly attributed to the schism and carpetbagging by the Republican party.
That being said, I bring it up only to show there's no sweeping change. I also doubt that V is going to be any kind of cultural bellwether and if I were the White House I'd ignore it as well. Possibility I'm wrong on it, but I don't think so. #v
@Lassus: NY23 had no primary. The leaders selected our candidate, because they thought "moderate" (left/pro obamacare) was the way to get more votes. The actual republicans in the district seemed to have a different idea. And they were right because the "republican" endorsed the democrat after she dropped out!
The schism is republicans want real conservatives, not wishy-washy-moderates who have no real core values. Same thing is happening to the democrats, with groups like media matters looking to defeat all democrats who don't like Obama's healthcare proposal. People want their representatives to represent THEM.
There is a sweeping change. Can't predict V though, but my scenario is definitely a possibility.
@Lassus: There are a lot. . . A LOT. . . of people who work in the WH. One of my drinking buddies works there (in an office with no windows, the poor dope) and he knows a few people who watch it. Though the comparison is a little much, they are watching it, if just for entertainment. The hell else are they gonna watch on Tuesday? #v
@cylon_conspiracy: While I agree the show is good and will no doubt be a hit, I would be a little disappointed if the white house were taking time to keep up with the latest in sci-fi allegory and then taking more time to develop official stances on it. V for Vendetta came out durring the bush administration and could have been considered a slam at their efforts to curtail civil libirties (even though it was really about Thatcher). And although V could be a slam at obama/Regan (Although I think a lot of it is referencing the Nazi's tactics minus the flagrant racism). I did not expect the bush administration to chime in about V for Vendetta or the Obama administration to bother with V. They have to much on their plates to justify putting together an official response.
This is really a whole lt of nothing. Since the aliens talk about healing people and warn the reporter not to ask unfavorable questions it gets compared to an attempt to change US healthcare and the administrations attempts to "control the message." Seems pretty thin. It seems more likely to be a neocon attempt to compare Obama to the aliens since they are not human. Just like they tried to argue he wasn't American. I would have more respect for them if they would talk about real issues instead of whether or not Obama has a birth certificate, is a secret muslim, is trying to kill off the elderly with death panels or is indoctrinating children.
Even if it is an attempt to comment on the Obama administration, so what? ABC and the producers of this show have that right. Does Christopher ask him to comment on all pop culture references to Obama?
Also Christopher's point of "14 million people watched it..." so he's implying that Gibbs should care. A little math: Gibbs is one of the 290 million Americans who hasn't seen this show that has aired all of one episode. I think "get a life" is an appropriate comment when this line of questioning is brought up. #v
@Dr Emilio Lizardo: I agree with you for the most part, but just a little bit of political commentary and correction.
Neocons aren't the ones with the biggest problem with Obama (in fact, he agrees with them on several points). You're thinking of teabaggers/libertarians/states-right activists. That's an entirely different faction of the Republican party.
Neocons are about "spreading democracy" and exerting American influence on other states. The libertarians are the ones who are frightened of the health care program. The two groups sometimes overlap, but they don't always.
In other words neocon =/= umbrella term for conservatives. #v
@Dr Emilio Lizardo: Oh my gosh, we can't have our government not watching a TV show that the overwhelming majority of the country is also not watching. The republic is doomed! #v
@Nivenus: Thanks for the correction and sorry to stereotype. really, my problem is with the same yellow journalists that Stewart lambasts on The Daily Show. They never talk issues, only allegations. Most of the accusations are baseless and even if they were accurate, a thinking person would look at them and say "who cares?" For instance, say Obama is a Muslim? show me where in the constitution it says you have to be 35 years old, a natural born citizen, never convicted of a felony...and a gentile.
I guess my other point is I never saw a member of the press asking GWB what he thought of BSG's New Caprica arc with it's torture and suicide bombings. That was much more obvious political commentary than the one episode of "V" that we have seen. #v
@cylon_conspiracy: I was simply using it as part of a number of names for a particular faction w/in the Republican party. I have no issues with libertarians in principle and it was not my intention to offend.
@Dr Emilio Lizardo: Oh, I agree. The baiting question seems pointless to me. Who cares what Obama thinks about V? And who cares what Bush thought of BSG or V for Vendetta? #v
@Nivenus: It's a disparaging term, I'm sure you know what "tea bagging" really means. It's becoming an acceptable thing to say to make fun of the movement, but I can assure you that no one involved is calling themselves that.
Anderson Cooper started using it as a cute little joke as a way of marginalizing the movement and now everyone's using it.
The correct term would be "tea party movement" or "tea parties".
And they aren't factions of the republican party, they're just normal people who don't think the republicans they elected are doing a good job, but that the democrats are doing an even worse job.
@cylon_conspiracy: The tea partiers started off calling themselves tea baggers, till someone told them what it means to the kids today. Took them several days to realize that, though -- evidently Fox News isn't as hip as they'd like. #v
@Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.: I don't know about that, I just know that I have seen the video of Anderson Cooper and him laughing about it and the expression taking off from there.
I 'm not sure what your slam against Fox is, maybe I'm not hip enough to get it. #v
@cylon_conspiracy: Anyway what is the disparaging term that was used against all the protesters in the 60s for social causes? As far as I can tell they were called "protesters" or "civil rights activists". That sounds fairly respectful to me.
Now it's racist, wingnut, teabagger, redneck, angry mob, (fill in your favorite term).
What a fucking dickhead. Joke or no, telling someone to get a life is a pretty rude thing to say. The inaudible comment and Gibbs' reaction afterward also makes me think he said something even worse.
@se7a7n7: No kidding. I love my Sci Fi shows, but I don't have time to watch even my regular shows, let alone check out the new highly recommended ones. Yet I have a life. It's called getting an education and making my physics major a higher priority than tv. #v
Anna was the only character I liked in the whole pilot. How are we supposed to root for humanity when the aliens are lead by Morena Baccarin and the human characters were mostly jerks? #v
04:51 AM
02:32 AM
Oh, and Graeme, Monica Baccarin? Really dude, really? #v
11/07/09
Of COURSE people are going to draw similarities to Americas new administration, that's the genius of Sci Fi. It is by nature an allegorical medium. But you can't separate the lumps in the Cream of Wheat so easily, it has to be taken as one package. If the V's represent Obama or Reagen or whoever, then by proxy, they represent the entire administration of modern politics and government. Who is more alien to the common citizen than the overpaid, benevolent, false-promising, insured stuffed shirt politician? Politicians, like the freakish aliens of V, are a macabre joke. And you can apply that logic to any organization that pretends to be something that it isn't, or that appears to be doing one thing while it's actually doing another.
It's the classic To Serve Man idea, and I love it because I think it rings so true especially in this day and age where people are so used to be taken advantage of by their fellow man and by people who have been sworn to protect and help them, we just accept it as an ordinary part of life. #v
11/07/09
And as an archaeologist, I have to say--if history has taught us anything, it's this: when the invaders show up, kill them all, and burn their ships. Don't mistake them for gods, don't listen to anything they say, don't worship them. Kill them, burn their ships, repeat as necessary. #v
11/07/09
Fetch the electrodes.
I've got one that can see! #v
11/07/09
11/07/09
11/07/09
*runs* #v
11/07/09
V is about the Beatles. #v
11/07/09
11/07/09
04:54 AM
11/07/09
Of course he has, but he's in a bad situation. He can't acknowledge he's heard of it because that would acknowledge the fact that presidents have legitimate criticizers, and the job of a press secretary is to make any criticism sound laughable and ridiculous. Thus, equating V to Spongebob, without acknowledging V even exists. Like since he didn't see it, it must not be there.
But one thing I learned is that Gibbs watches a little bit of football on saturday, and a little football on sunday, and news every other time.
11/07/09
But my guess is they did hear about it, but the point isn't that V is a legitimate criticism of Obama (it isn't). The point is they don't really want to be discussing a television show about space aliens and whether or not it's about Obama. It's ridiculous that the question was even asked. The fact that the news media think this is so important to ask at a white house press briefing just proves that we aren't a serious country. #v
11/07/09
11/07/09
11/07/09
This show could become event television for people who want to send a "ratings message" to Washington and others who just want to see what the fuss is all about.
This show has potential to be an enormous hit and the comparisons could get even larger and brought up more and more in the national dialogue.
And once again, I highly doubt the show is actually ABOUT Obama, and if I could predict hit shows I would have a high paying job in Hollywood.
But, it could happen. I wouldn't discredit a cultural phenomena that just happens to come along at the right time.
Anyway, here's the actual reporter talking about what happened:
[www.mediaite.com]
11/07/09
11/07/09
Corzine's been a dead man walking for a year, no one anywhere thought otherwise. Governorships are one thing, but the Democrats got two reps and kicked out their Republicans, including the one in NY-23 (traditionally Republican) that can be pretty directly attributed to the schism and carpetbagging by the Republican party.
That being said, I bring it up only to show there's no sweeping change. I also doubt that V is going to be any kind of cultural bellwether and if I were the White House I'd ignore it as well. Possibility I'm wrong on it, but I don't think so. #v
11/07/09
11/07/09
The schism is republicans want real conservatives, not wishy-washy-moderates who have no real core values. Same thing is happening to the democrats, with groups like media matters looking to defeat all democrats who don't like Obama's healthcare proposal. People want their representatives to represent THEM.
There is a sweeping change. Can't predict V though, but my scenario is definitely a possibility.
11/07/09
11/07/09
11/07/09
11/07/09
11/07/09
11/07/09
12:44 AM
11/07/09
Obama is the President of the United States. He's not an alien, he's not part of a foreign government, he's not an outsider. #v
11/07/09
Even if it is an attempt to comment on the Obama administration, so what? ABC and the producers of this show have that right. Does Christopher ask him to comment on all pop culture references to Obama?
Also Christopher's point of "14 million people watched it..." so he's implying that Gibbs should care. A little math: Gibbs is one of the 290 million Americans who hasn't seen this show that has aired all of one episode. I think "get a life" is an appropriate comment when this line of questioning is brought up. #v
11/07/09
11/07/09
Neocons aren't the ones with the biggest problem with Obama (in fact, he agrees with them on several points). You're thinking of teabaggers/libertarians/states-right activists. That's an entirely different faction of the Republican party.
Neocons are about "spreading democracy" and exerting American influence on other states. The libertarians are the ones who are frightened of the health care program. The two groups sometimes overlap, but they don't always.
In other words neocon =/= umbrella term for conservatives. #v
11/07/09
11/07/09
11/07/09
11/07/09
I guess my other point is I never saw a member of the press asking GWB what he thought of BSG's New Caprica arc with it's torture and suicide bombings. That was much more obvious political commentary than the one episode of "V" that we have seen. #v
11/07/09
I'm sorry if I did. #v
11/07/09
12:34 AM
Anderson Cooper started using it as a cute little joke as a way of marginalizing the movement and now everyone's using it.
The correct term would be "tea party movement" or "tea parties".
And they aren't factions of the republican party, they're just normal people who don't think the republicans they elected are doing a good job, but that the democrats are doing an even worse job.
Thanks for the apology. :)
12:49 AM
01:08 AM
I 'm not sure what your slam against Fox is, maybe I'm not hip enough to get it. #v
01:19 AM
Now it's racist, wingnut, teabagger, redneck, angry mob, (fill in your favorite term).
11/07/09
Perhaps I've just misread their voices, though.
11/07/09
11/07/09
11/07/09
11/06/09
11/06/09
unlike when other actors talk about the company and lawyers, and how those groups control what they can say.
it's very respectful.
Morena Baccarin FTW #v
11/06/09
11/06/09
What's with the 'we', earthman? #v
11/06/09
11/06/09
11/06/09
11/06/09
Lt. Scott: We've run out of toilet paper.
Rush: Dammit, don't you think I already know that?!?!
Colonel Young: We should have dialed Earth!
Chloe: I'm horny!
Eli: Gratuitous movie scene reference.
Lt. James: I can haz giant boobies?
Rush: Dammit, don't you think I already know that?!?!
Sgt. Greer: I was cast as a dick, so you know at some point I will go against type and do something heroic.
Col. Telford: I think I'm the one that actually turns out to be wacko.
Chloe: I'm horny!
Rush: Dammit, don't you think I already know that?!?! #avatar
11/06/09