March 23, 2020
Blog #4
Hollywoodreporter.com
Vogue.com
The show, Veep, originally aired on HBO from 2012 through 2019. It was a demonstration of political satire at its best. The series begins with an introduction to vice-president of the United States, Selina Meyer, brilliantly portrayed by Julia Louis Dreyfus. Selina’s insensitivity in dealing with public and personal issues is only highlighted by a bungling bunch of her inept staff members. In an article in Vulture, “Selina Meyer was Awful. That’s What Made Her Great” (Chaney, 2019), the author reminds us of some witty and clever lines from the writers. Among them was when Selina eventually runs for president, her advisor Ben recommends she consider a female running mate, Selina responds, “An all-female ticket? The American people work hard for a living, okay? They don’t need that kind of bullshit.” It is funny and at the same time, I believe it is an unfortunate but accurate reflection of what Americans think about the capability of female politicians. The piece in Vulture goes on to say, “Selina Meyer was certainly feminine…But her behavior is what could be seen in stereotypical terms, as male. She’s aggressive. She’s blatantly ambitious. She curses like an inebriated sailor who learned how to speak English by listening to Andrew Dice Clay albums. She lies and acts with no regard for ethics; the only principle she follows is, “Me first.” This sounds like a description of another occupant of the White House. In these uncertain times, Veep remains humorous but it has an additional component of mirroring real-life horror. Incompetence depicted in political comedy is one thing, but when it happens on a daily basis in our real political realm, it is not a laughing matter.
However, looking back at Veep, the message it sent about women in the workplace was clear. Gender bias is ongoing and it includes the arena of politics. It is evident that Selina Meyer is an emotionally stunted human being. Her qualities are not what a thoughtful, compassionate person would aspire to possess. But through her inappropriate commentary, we see snapshots of reality that we tend to ignore because it is uncomfortable to confront the idea that our culture abides by the inequitable treatment of women. Through humor, Veep gave us permission to laugh out loud at unfairness but it left us contemplating about the absurdity of it all and just how pervasive gender bias is in our society.
Variety.com
References
Veep – HBO.com
Chaney, J. (2019, May 12). Selina Meyer was Awful. That’s what Made Her Great. Vulture.
http://www.vulture.com/2019/05/veep-selina-meyer-awful-and-great
Ben Katz Media Literacy Blog 