In Fact, Political TV Shows Can Talk Unflattering About the US Government.
Political TV shows are a staple of American entertainment, with sensational dramas like House of Cards or comedies with characters like VEEP that give us a fictional look at the inner workings of real government systems. While most are heavily hyped like Scandal (albeit based on a real-life Judy Smith fix), others can still teach us a thing or two about the actual inner workings of government. Let’s take a look at some of our favorite TV shows to see how much more accurate they portray the government than we might think.
On the militarization of the police
In the fictional 99th Precinct in Brooklyn, led by Captain Raymond Holt (Andre Brauger), Andy Samberg also plays as Detective Jake Peralt. In the 19th episode of the first season, titled ” Tactical Village, ” Squad Nine-Nine performs exercises using powerful weapons and military equipment. Although it was a serious training session, the team was thrilled to play with these “toys,” as they called them.
While this is a comedic take on police weaponry, supplying military equipment to local police departments is true. Police stations across the country receive (sometimes entirely new) equipment from the military through subsidized programs such as Program 1033 ; many other programs provide small areas with military weapons such as tanks and battering rams.
So, it’s scary, but for sure: Brooklyn Nine-Nine used satire to illustrate the militarization of the police and their employees’ agitated attitude towards participation.
On Congressional Corruption
A determined and power-hungry congressman named Francis Underwood (Kevin Spacey) and his wife Claire Underwood (Robin Wright) manipulate the Netflix House of Cards system to rise in government ranks. The Underwoods go to great lengths to keep secrets and expose others for personal gain, terrible, but made for some damn good television. Unfortunately, the show also reveals some of what could be the true inner workings of the US government (along with some wild sensations, of course).
I spoke with Brooklyn Democratic District Committee member Colleen Hughes to find out which was the most realistic, and one of the elements of the show that Hughes found particularly intriguing was the idea of whipping up votes.
“Basically, beating votes means securing / pressure / bargaining with your party members to vote according to the party platform and not according to their personal interests or the interests of their sponsors or voters,” Hughes tells Lifehacker. The gagging is an accurate representation of how members of Congress are pushing parishioners’ bills, Hughes said.
On the importance of local government
Parks and Recreation (aka Parks and Rec) is a mock-documentary style of comedy following the wacky procedures of the parks and recreation department in the fictional city of Pawnee, Indiana. The show stars Amy Poehler as Deputy Director of Parks and Recreation Leslie Knope and her employees’ silly antics. It also stars Nick Offerman as Knope’s boss Ron Swenson and his co-stars, played by Chris Pratt, Aubrey Plaza, Aziz Ansari, Jim O’Hare and Rhett.
Their office prides itself on the bureaucratic systems it uses in its parks and local events, including large color-coded folders and seasonal struggles to fill the local gap.
“Beyond comedy,” Hughes says of parks and recreation , “it’s a pretty accurate portrayal of the monotony and absurdity of local government.”
She also praises Parks and Rec for portraying the impact of local government, saying, “Something as simple as cleaning a park, plowing snowy streets, and even a pony monument can have a direct positive impact on you and your neighbors.” life. “
Idealism in the White House
Another show that Hughes praises for its accuracy is The West Wing.
“The West Wing is also a pretty accurate, albeit incredibly idealistic, depiction of the White House,” she says.
The West Wing has starred such famous actors as Allison Jenny, John Spencer and Martin Sheen, portraying the inner workings of the official workplace of the President of the United States.
Selfish Insecurity in Leadership
The vice president’s office is featured on HBO’s hit show, VEEP, and while VEEP doesn’t accurately describe government procedures, over-the-top characters tend to be surprisingly truthful in terms of their ego.
Former Obama administration insider Tommy Vietor confirmed that the selfish actions of government officials and congressmen were right. Vietor told VEEP writer David Mandel on the Pod Save America podcast, “You guys are trying to understand the fragility of the ego and the idiocy of day-to-day decision making.”
Yes, the only element of the show that we hoped was exaggerated was the most authentic.