ย Television
๐ฝ๏ธ Just watched “Berlin Correspondent,” dir. Eugene Forde (20th Century Fox, 1942). It’s not so much about a reporter as it is about the Gestapo’s efforts to uncover his spying and then beat his escapes. Interesting to me were the overt references to euthanasia or “mercy killings” in the film.
Here, though, the commander of such a facility jokes about Germany soon being “100% insanity free”—nice irony for a wartime U.S. audience, but maybe less funny to 21st-century ears. In any case, the quick-thinking American journalist outwits the Gestapo. The tone doesn’t feel too far removed from the 1960s TV sitcom, “Hogan’s Heroes” (1965โ71).
๐บ I’m in the middle of “The Eastern Gate” [Przesmyk], TV miniseries (Poland, 2025), a gripping and topical spy drama involving the Suwaลki Gap. Its star, Lena Gรณra, is spellbinding as Ewa Oginiec.
Conflating Business Acumen, Reality TV Stardom, Electoral Politics, and Governance
For a so-called businessman, His Magnificent Bigly Orangeness seems to know precious little about the relative predictability that businesses need in order to make informed decisions. For reality TV or the kind of show Jerry Springer had, however, constant chaos can increase viewership. Orangeman’s style of television was successful because many people enjoyed his schtick.
The move from television to politics was natural. As long as he didn’t have to know things or govern, he could apply the same loud-mouthed, made-for-TV nonsense to the United States as a whole. NBC having already marketed him for years, it was easy to get his fans to jump on this new bandwagon.
His politics of unrelenting chaos, finger-pointing, scapegoating, grievance rhetoric, and race-baiting has brought him to the White House twice. But achieving such success is not the same as getting the nation’s work done. His style of politics is no way to conduct international relations or basic governance at home.
I know that he likes to have all cameras on him, but the United States has a wealth of experienced and talented people who could do the necessary work and give him all the credit. I’m sure they could also help him produce “must watch” TV moments with himself at the center.
Unfortunately, no people with adequate knowledge and experience are in his administration. He has purposefully insulated himself from alternative viewpoints, while cowardly and venal Republican senators enable the practice. In this way, we get a common-law presidential spouse, First Gentleman Felonious Husk, in addition to the president’s legal spouse, First Lady Trump.
๐บ I really enjoy the U.S. iteration of “Have I Got News For You.” Roy Wood Jr., the host, is brilliant. I was missing Amber Ruffin, a team captain on the show, after her short-lived show on Peacock. And this is my introduction to Michael Ian Black, the other team captain. Great fun.
One of my go-to mental, musical, and emotional escapes these past few years has been “The Voice of Ukraine” on YouTube. Suck it, tyrants. ๐บ๐ต๐บ๐ฆ
๐ Roy Wood Jr. on “Masculine Commercials,” youtu.beโฆ (6 min).
My feel-good television series this past year: Elsbeth on Paramount+.