The West Wing Cast Are the Political Superheroes We Need

West WingIt’s no secret that I’m a fan of The West Wing!! OK, some might even say that I’m a bit, ummm, obsessed. Everyone knows it. Even some cast members know it.

My point: I have ZERO shame about my love of this most iconic of political dramas!! I mean, this show has it all: Political intrigue, political sparring, the duo known as Ed and Larry. The show presents us with a world in which politics is at its very best — a Washingtonian Utopia, if you will. A time when politics really was for the people and the president (that would be President Bartlet) actually had the interests of the American people at heart and wanted to make this country a better, more just, more inclusive place.

Obviously, our reality in 2020 doesn’t match that fictional paradise — if it did, I wouldn’t be raging and angry all the time!! No, our reality is the exact opposite of the world we see on the show, which is why the seven-season drama has experienced a resurgence in popularity during these dark Trump years!! The show may have ended some 14 years ago, but people are craving an escape from reality and the literal reality show president, so they’re returning to the familiar, calming tune of The West Wing’s opening theme song — don’t pretend like you haven’t caught yourself humming it at least once!!

And for some of us, we’re not so much returning to the show as we are discovering it for the first time!! Yes, the dangers of the Trump administration has driven me to seek comfort from this fictional senior staff because, well, I just need to see something that isn’t corrupt, self-serving and morally bankrupt, you know?

West WingWe started watching the show over the holidays last year and breezes through episode after episode pretty quickly!! Each walk-and-talk soothed my weary soul. Each Josh and Donna banter session melted my heart. And each rousing speech from President Bartlet filled me with a hope and optimism that I thought was long gone! Naturally, we were in mourning when we finished, but…

Lucky for us (and America), the Bartlet administration is back on the small screen with a new West Wing special that premieres on HBO Max today. The cast is reuniting to partner with Michelle Obama’s When We All Vote to get people to the polls this year!

I once tweeted that this cast was going to save 2020 and it looks like I’m right. Bigly right. To see the cast of such an iconic political drama reunite during such a pivotal election year is powerful and speaks to the show’s continued influence. Because the values emphasized on the show — like the importance of public service, voting and leaving this country just a bit better for future generations — are timeless values. They’re as real and vital today as they were in 1999. And they’ll be just as vital in another 20 years too.

The show represents so much that is lacking in Washington right now and it’s soothing to get lost in a world of politics that’s actually for the people. Honestly, I sometimes wonder if we’ll ever get to a Bartlet-like White House ever again (I miss you so much, President Obama!), but in the end, the show gives me hope. Hope that we can turn things around on November 3rd. Hope that we can change our reality for the better. Hope that, as my mom just said, we can save our democracy.

West WingIndeed, in the wise words of President Bartlet himself: “We will do what is hard. We will achieve what is great. This is a time for American heroes and we reach for the stars.”

And we also reach for our BALLOTS to make our voices heard and vote out hate. Our democracy and President Bartlet is counting on us. Let’s not let either of them down, OK…???

P.S. No West Wing post would be complete without a shout-out to LemonLyman, my absolute favorite Twitter account to satisfy all my fangirl cravings!! Check it out, friends!!

What Trump’s Donna Reed Comments Reveal About Misogyny

Donna ReedFirst off, yes, I know that this story made the headlines almost two months ago and, indeed, it is pretty mild compared to the million other Trump atrocities we’ve seen in the last four years, but still…it got me steaming mad, so you know I must write about it! Do you remember reading about how Trump said that he wished female reporters were more like ‘50s housewives a la Donna Reed??

Oh, I’m disgusted too. So very, very, very disgusted. I’m not sure what’s worse — that he said it or that he actually meant it. Because you all know darn well that he was 100 percent serious. Or maybe both are equally bad for their own reasons.

At the time this story broke, in early May, the United States had just surpassed 70,000 deaths from coronavirus and the White House press briefings saw one mixed message after another. But one thing remained strikingly and shockingly and predictably consistent: Trump’s misogynistic treatment of female reporters.

In an interview, Trump was asked about his relationship with the media. He said that he found Weijia Jiang and Paula Reid, two female CBS News journalists, particularly irritating…

“It wasn’t Donna Reed, I can tell you that. … Paula Reid, she’s sitting there and I say, ‘How angry. I mean, What’s the purpose?’ They’re not even tough questions, but you see the attitude of these people, it’s like incredible.”

The Donna Reed he’s referring to? That would be the ‘50s TV housewife the actress played on the classic TV show The Donna Reed Show — the archetype of the dutiful, demure wife who doesn’t ask questions and doesn’t make waves. Never mind the fact that Donna Reed herself was actually the opposite of her TV alter ego in real life. Oh, and for a contemporary example, see the 2004 movie The Stepford Wives.

Donna ReedIt’s no coincidence that Trump would expect women to be silent and submissive, but honestly, I really don’t know why more people aren’t talking about the fact that Trump wishes female reporters acted more like Donna Reed ‘50s housewives, especially when this is the same man who repeatedly responded with “nice and easy” when questioned by Jiang less than a month before.

We’ve been here before, haven’t we?? We know this song and dance; if you’re a woman, chances are that you’ve already memorized it years ago. The truth is, Trump and men like him simply can’t stand tough women. They’re easily intimidated because their misogyny and toxic masculinity run so deep.

I’m over it. I’m over it all.

Maybe I’m more shocked than others because I’ve experienced this same sexism — albeit on a much smaller scale. As a disabled woman writer, I know all too well what it feels like to not be taken seriously, to be demeaned and to be called horrible names. This is being a woman. This is how women are treated, in both public and private. And it’s not OK.

Donna ReedGranted, this isn’t the first time he’s said derogatory things about women and we all know it won’t be the last time either. But it’s alarming that the president is becoming increasingly transparent in his sexist comments; he’s not even trying to hide them anymore.

So in case you didn’t get the memo: Yes, he literally expects women to be demure and silent because he is intimidated by strong, intelligent women. If you’re surprised by his misogyny, then you haven’t been paying attention.

What Two LGBTQ Decisions Remind Us About Progress

LGBTQThis week alone, two decisions teach us that when it comes to LGBTQ equality, the road to progress often looks like two steps forward and one step back.

First, the good news — or, the two steps forward: It took 56 years, but kudos to the Supreme Court for FINALLY recognizing that LGBTQ Americans deserve equal protection from employment discrimination under the Civil Rights Act.

Side note, though: Can we please acknowledge the obvious toxic masculinity and male fragility that so clearly played a role in three Supreme Court Justices voting against LGBTQ protections in the workplace???

Remember when Brett Kavanaugh had that huge public mantrum because he didn’t want to lose his job for life on the Supreme Court because of sexual assault allegations??

Yeah, he thinks it’s totally fine to fire someone just based on their sexual preference. That’s rich.

Still, this was a vote toward equality and proclaims, as it should, that LGBTQ RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS.

And second, the bad news — or, the one step back: Health care, which should be a basic human right, is in jeopardy once again for LGBTQ Americans. The fact that the Trump administration is taking away health care protections, especially for a group that is already vulnerable, is beyond horrific and inhumane. The fact that they also did this on the fourth anniversary of the Pulse shooting is downright cruel.

Even in the world of pop culture, we’re seeing instances of blatant transphobia far too often. Take author J. K. Rowling, for example, whose recent transphobic rant made headlines. Apparently, she can write 7 books about fantastical faraway lands filled with magic and wizards, but decides that recognizing trans identity is just a bridge too far?? Make that make sense, please, because I’m just confused at this point.

I learned the difference between sex and gender way back in high school. It’s really not hard to understand and the fact that J. K. Rowling continues to perpetuate this transphobic narrative, especially during Pride Month, is incredibly harmful.

TRANS WOMEN ARE WOMEN
TRANS MEN ARE MEN

Learn it. Remember it. Do better.

Charlotte Clymer is one of my favorite people to follow on Twitter. The writer and activist penned an op-ed for USA Today this week about her experiences as a transgender woman. Her piece gets to the heart of the violence and discrimination that transgender people face on a daily basis and how to living in a world not built for them is a constant battle…

Even in places where we have legal protections, I worry about being a burden. I don’t want to cause headaches. I have faced discrimination in places where it was illegal and let it go because I wasn’t sure whether it was worth it. And I feel terrible about that. I feel guilty.

Transgender and nonbinary people are constantly adjusting and revolving our lives around the preferences and feelings of cisgender people, not because we want to do that but because there aren’t enough hours in the day to fight every battle and not enough rights to guarantee our safety.

LGBTQIndeed, if this week has shown us anything, it’s just how important and needed true LGBTQ progress is in this country. There is still so much work to be done, so much hate and discrimination to combat and so many more protections that are needed. Protections that are human rights. Protections that shouldn’t still be absent in 2020.

Whether gay, lesbian, bi or transgender, YOU matter. Your story matters. I love you and I’m here for you… xoxo

What Trump Having a Mantrum at the Lincoln Memorial Tells Us

TrumpI’ve been really bad about pitching lately, but I’m bringing my op-ed skills to the blog today because everything just seems so dire and urgently dangerous right now. And, right on cue, Trump once again shows us that he’d rather be part of the problem than part of the much-needed solution.

First, let’s review his weekend, shall we??

He tweeted that he is glad to see that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un is “back and well”

He tweeted about his precious wall

Sat at the Lincoln Memorial and, in all seriousness, said he’s been treated worse than a president who was assassinated.

And yet, he said nothing about the earthquake in Puerto Rico or offered any sympathy to coronavirus victims. Yes, through this all, he’s remained completely silent on those two points and the silence is quite glaring to anyone who is paying attention.

TrumpBut, back to what this post is really about: His mantrum yesterday. Set against the backdrop of the towering Lincoln Memorial, Trump held a town hall with Fox News — an interview full of notable quotable gems as “We never had a more beautiful set than this, did we?“, “I mean, everybody wants the rallies” and “They just want to go back. You see it every day. You see demonstrations all over the country and those are meaningful demonstrations. It’s big stuff.”

Ah, yes, it was indeed a typical Trump interview of rambling nonsense and hyperbolic self-congratulations. I mean, it’s what we’ve all come to expect, right? But as he sat next to a larger-than-life statue of the 16th president of the United States, he proceeded to deliver a doozy of a quote which should raise every single eyebrow from Portland to the other Portland.

“They always said Lincoln — nobody got treated worse than Lincoln. I believe I am treated worse.”

To put this in context for you: Nearly 70,000 people have died from coronavirus and all Trump wants to talk about is how badly he thinks he’s been treated. The narcissism is off the charts here.

It’s really rich of Trump to sit at the feet of the Lincoln Memorial and say that he is treated worse than Lincoln — the president who was literally assassinated after working tirelessly to hold the United States together.

And by rich, I mean appalling and abhorrent.

Granted, this is just the latest in a “presidency” filled with one childish and immature outburst after another, but there’s no denying the sheer power and symbolism of the photos of Trump sitting at Lincoln’s feet. Here we have a small man trying desperately to grandstand in front of a giant who represented the American presidency of yesteryear. It’s a study in contrast, a striking dichotomy of what we once were and where we are now, a literal representation of just how far we’ve fallen, shrunken and veered so far off course.

In an op-ed for the Boston Globe, writer Joan Vennochi illustrates the contrast so perfectly with these words…

To Lincoln, a “House divided” by slavery “could not stand.” But to Trump, a “House divided” by wealth, skin color, and disagreement over how best to safely reopen the country is tolerable. While he desperately seeks a vaccine to kill the coronavirus and send the stock market soaring, he expresses zero interest in curing a country torn apart by structural inequity.

I’ve been saying “I can’t even” so much lately. And I really can’t. I. Can’t. Even. I can’t even believe this is where we are. I can’t believe that more people aren’t infuriated about all this. I can’t believe that Trump would rather talk about himself than, you know, talk about how to help the millions of people suffering — and give at least a mention of sympathy to those who have died.

TrumpBut, nope. Nothing. Whatever Trump set out to achieve in last night’s town hall is unclear, but one thing is incredibly certain: Our house is indeed divided. And unlike Lincoln, Trump appears to have zero desire to help put it back together. He would much rather continue to divide rather than unite while everyone suffers…

[Photos by The Associated Press]

Please, Don’t Forget to Vote…

VoteIf you do one thing today — or, really, all primary season long: GO VOTE.

Yes, I know that I’ve stressed the importance of voting many, many times over the years (in both 2012 and 2016…), but the truth is, performing your civic duty is something that’s NEVER going to go out of style.

Casting your vote in that ballot box is one of the most important things we do as Americans. Because it’s up to us to chart the course of this country. Where do we want to go? How do we want to get there? What’s important to us? Who do we want to be?

Because guess what? When we vote, we’re not just voting for a person. We’re voting for the morals and values too. Morals and values are abstract, sure, but they’re also the things that will help guide and shape the laws and policies of the next administration. And that’s something we can’t take lightly; it’s our responsibility.

VoteSo maybe your favorite candidate is no longer in the race. Does that mean you’re not going to vote? I’ve been thinking about the whole Bernie or Bust phenomenon that we saw in the 2016 election. Look, y’all know Warren was my favorite. But guess what? I voted for one of the two remaining Democratic candidates. Did I like it? No. But we literally can’t afford 4 more years of this dystopian Handmaid’s Tale reality. We don’t have the privilege of sitting this election out just because we don’t want to vote for a candidate that isn’t our #1 choice.

Anyway, I took this selfie with my mom after we voted — probably the only time I’ll be leaving the house for the foreseeable future!!

The world feels like it’s ending, but I saw a lot of people voting!! Glad to see people doing their civic duty even in these scary times! These are the types of things that are going to be the foundation for lasting change. Sitting at home and pouting won’t help anyone. In fact, it’s going to hurt us all. Please, don’t forget to vote… xoxo