"Black Holes and Revelations"

I have all the sweet hook-ups.

Last night, I watched Robin Williams’ latest movie Man of the Year. (Yeah, I know it doesn’t come out until next Tuesday. I told you I have all the sweet hook-ups.) Williams plays a political commentator named Tom Dobbs who is much of the same ilk as Jon Stewart or Bill Maher. On the support of some audience members, he decides to throw his hat in the ring as a candidate for the Presidency of the United States. Long story short, Dobbs is elected President because of a programming error in the electronic voting system. After coming to this realization, Dobbs declines to participate in the run-off, but the breath of fresh air he initially provided caused voters to really think about what they were doing when it came to elected public officials.

During the televised debate, Dobbs took over the event with his witty banter regarding foreign policy, politicians who say what people want to hear rather than the truth, and natural fuel production in the U.S. His comedic, yet truthful approach to such crucial issues was an eye-opener, both in the movie and in my own life.

I’ve had a slight appreciation for Robin Williams as a comedian. My problem with him is that he is usually really dirty and his use of inappropriate language is unbearable at times. That’s my problem with most “comedians” nowadays anyways. If you can’t be funny without using foul language or dirty jokes, then you weren’t funny to begin with. Regardless, Williams was great in Good Morning, Vietnam and Aladdin, and in Man of the Year, he was able to act like himself. Most of the time, that’s not a very good thing in Williams’ case, but he held back this time in order to uphold the PG-13 rating.

I’ve always been a person that isn’t moved by the popular ideas. I make my own decisions, follow my beliefs, and live my life based on those decisions and beliefs regardless of the popular opinion. So, since I’ve been of age, I have voted – as I stated in a previous post – according to a candidates character, beliefs and views on important issues, not based on party affiliation. That’s why I so much liked this movie. Dobbs was a candidate that didn’t pussyfoot around the issues. He wasn’t the perfect man – in fact, there was a scene in which he divulges everything he did in the past (from smoking marijuana to looking at pornography to beating up a kid in the 5^th grade) and airs his “dirty laundry” before anyone else had an opportunity to. If you want my opinion – and I sense that you do – I think more people should do this. In addition, Dobbs didn’t spend a dime on Media coverage (i.e. commercials, flyers, etc.) because he said it would mean he would “have to keep promises to political lobbyists because of their contributions regardless of how he felt about the issue.” Smart move.

Although Dobbs (a fictional character) didn’t really win (a fictional election), his unique political tactics – though romanticized at times – were a step in the right direction for this country (both fictional and otherwise).

Here’s to the truth being spoken over the next 20 months. Hopefully.