tv review
Reviews of politics-centered TV series about White House politicians, cybersecurity, history, controversies and more.
Focusing on the truth? A review of 'The Challenge'
Did Spanish fascism die with Franco in 1975? No, unfortunately it did not, the authoritarian ideology lived on long after the dictator wa gone. And recent events such as the squabble over Franco's remains caused by the Francisco Franco National Foundation and the imprisonment of Catalan separatists show that Spain is still finding it hard to shake off its murky past. During the Transition to Democracy, former Falangists miraculously transformed into democrats, in a process very reminiscent of how the bureaucrats of Vichy France and Nazi Germany morphed into the leaders of their newly democratic states following World War II.
T. StolinskiPublished 4 months ago in The Swamp
Deeper Problems at the Oscars
Most people are understandably talking about Will Smith really slapping Chris Rock in the face at last night's Oscar ceremony, after Rock made a tasteless joke about Will's wife Jada Pinkett Smith's hair (she has alopecia or hair loss). What Smith did was wrong, no doubt, but that incident uncovered more serious issues:
Paul LevinsonPublished 5 months ago in The Swamp
Reality TV and Its Republican Problem
The seventh season of The Masked Singer US will premiere on March 9th. The latest crop of characters (including the 100th costume ever seen in the US version) come in three different categories – the Good the Bad and the Cuddly – and include such strange competitors as Space Bunny, Queen Cobra and Firefly. As usual they will provide performances ranging from the bizarre to the brilliant, before steadily being unmasked as sports stars, TV personalities and singers. Unfortunately, anticipation for the series was derailed in spectacular fashion when a leak claimed that the line-up of mystery celebs included Donald Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani. Anonymous sources provided a fairly detailed account of the reveal, stating that panellists Robin Thicke and Ken Jeong temporarily left the studio in protest. The early reveal attracted outrage from many political commentators, particularly on the political left and centre, as Giuliani’s appearance represented the most recent and extreme example of a persistent trend of right-wing political personalities – particularly those tied to the Donald Trump administration – appearing on US celebrity gameshows and reality TV. Why is this the case, and what can we do bring political balance to these shows?
RtotalmagicPublished 5 months ago in The Swamp
9/11: One Day in America Review
I started watching this series on Friday, September 3 and finished it on the 6th Man, am I so glad I was able to watch this series on Hulu.
Jamie LammersPublished 10 months ago in The Swamp
Review of 'Neoliberalism and Hindutva' by Shankar Gopalakrishnan
I had written this review four years ago and the events of the subsequent years have further emphasised how important this book is. Today we are in the midst of a set of coordinates that are accurately placed forth in Shankar Gopalakrishnan’s Neoliberalism and Hindutva: Fascism, Free Markets and the Restructuring of Indian Capitalism (2009). The aftermath of the 2014 (and now 2019) general elections in India have been most ominous with a rise in hate crimes against communities and the entrenchment of moral police at multiple levels of our social reality, be it the media, in educational institutions and in the streets. I strongly feel these conditions have ossified after the mandate received by the BJP in the 2019 general elections.
West Wing. What's Next?
If you are a fan who enjoys following the cut and thrust of politics then you may have turned back to The West Wing in recent years. The aspirational show lasted for seven seasons and is a beautiful counterpoint to the political turmoil of recent years. The show finished in 2006 but has surged in popularity in recent years. The West Wing Weekly podcast guided viewers through each episode and the cast recently reunited for a staged performance of an episode as part of a ‘Get Out The Vote’ fundraiser on HBO, with fans like Michelle Obama and Bill Clinton lending their support to the show.
Ross MacKayPublished about a year ago in The Swamp
How Lockdown Saved “Question Time”
I’ve long been a fan of ‘Question Time,’ and often apply to be on it, but in recent years its flaws had really started to come to the forefront. The ‘Question Time’ audience lend themselves to parody, with their stereotypical and unoriginal opinions and comments, parodied very well by comedians and impressionists such as Harry Enfield. The panel’s increased need to have someone controversial or reactionary is also well parodied in British comedy, going back to Steve Coogan’s Alan Partridge parody Lieutenant colonel Kojak Slaphead III.
Matty LongPublished about a year ago in The Swamp
Hey Jen Whatcha Watchin?!
April 19th 1993.... How old were you? I was almost 15 years old and remember my Mother watching the news and bawling her eyes out that so many people lost their lives. I didn’t really comprehend what was going on in Waco, TX with The Branch Davidians, I just knew it was tragic and my mama was sad. I was young and doing my own thing at the time. It didn’t affect me then, like it does now. And I’m sorry for that.
Anthony's Film Review - 'The Comey Rule' (2020)
The 2016 U.S. presidential election ended with a stunning jaw-dropping upset, when Hillary Clinton, who was expected to easily win based on polls and general sentiment, lost to Donald Trump. Political analysts and scholars can point to multiple factors, like overconfidence leading millions of voters to not vote, a campaign that overlooked certain key states and didn't feel as fiery as Donald Trump's campaign, her association with security issues surrounding the Benghazi embassy attack, and the issue of her use of private email as Secretary of State to send government communications containing classified information. The last one would present the opportunity for a nail in the coffin. When FBI Director James Comey investigated the private email issue, he concluded that while she did indeed send classified information outside the confines of secure government email, there was no malicious intent behind it. Rather, just extreme carelessness. But later, just days before the election, a laptop computer seized as evidence in a separate case involving congressman Anthony Weiner and sexual misconduct contained thousands of Clinton's emails, prompting the Clinton email case to be reopened. Even though the follow-up investigation still found no misconduct on Clinton's part, the reopening of the investigation swayed enough undecided voters, out of distrust of Clinton, to vote for Trump.
Anthony's Film ReviewPublished 2 years ago in The Swamp
The Comey Rule, Part 2
The second and concluding part of The Comey Rule, just concluded on Showtime, was every bit as powerful as the first. By which I mean to say, brilliantly acted and staged.
Paul LevinsonPublished 2 years ago in The Swamp
The Comey Rule, Part 1
I had planned on waiting until I saw all of The Comey Rule on Showtime -- the two parts -- before I reviewed it. But there are too many things I want to say about first part, on last night, to wait until tomorrow.
Paul LevinsonPublished 2 years ago in The Swamp
The Handmaid's Tale
As we await season 4, which is scheduled to premiere some time in 2021, I have found myself revisiting past seasons of the critically acclaimed series The Handmaid’s Tale. Although production began in 2016 before the election of Donald Trump, it nonetheless became quite clear this was more than an adaptation of a 1985 book by Margaret Atwood, but a relevant commentary on modern society. From the costume choice, the acting, the plotline which extends beyond the book, the series is an exquisite reminder of what we have to lose and issues that currently face us.
Kayla BloomPublished 2 years ago in The Swamp
