The first Republican debates are over. I watched the gang of 17 last week. The problem was the scheduling. Fox’s main debate was up against “Big Brother.” In case you’re not a fan, “Big Brother” is a reality show. A 14-member cast of mostly beautiful 20- and 30-somethings cohabitates in a house in Los Angeles. They spend 97 days together with a 24/7 live video feed online and three weekly hour-long TV shows. Houseguests compete for a $1 million prize by surviving evictions. The means to that end requires forming alliances, plotting with pals, eliminating nemeses (usually the smart ones), winning challenges, lying, cheating and stealing. So, right, it’s just like the Republican primary (a moderator actually referred to the debate as a “show”). The real difference is “Big Brother’s” eye-candy characters walk around half naked most of the time. Mercifully, the Republican candidates remain fully clothed.
Both casts represent the colorful tapestry that is our nation. Well, “Big Brother’s” does. They’re mostly white but with a diverse ethnic and gender mix. This season includes a pretty trans woman, an affable gay guy and a cunning lesbian. The sign of the times was the universal acceptance of the trans person. Past seasons have shown a gradual evolution of acceptance in that regard. The Republican cast is not so diverse or accepting. Well, Lindsey Graham is suspiciously single. However, I seriously doubt the rumors Carly Fiorina and/or Chris Christie are trans. Although, “Chris” is non-gender specific...
Interestingly, there are parallel dynamics and strategies in both. The standouts play the game with bombast. Others stand back, allowing the extroverts to destroy each other. Take our Governor Scott “In the Weeds” Walker. He appeared bland but, like those reserved “Big Brother” contestants, he avoided the fray perhaps to fight another day.
Only Ohio’s Governor John Kasich offered hope for LGBT Republicans. Asked how he would respond if one of his daughters were gay, he replied positively, sort of. Sadly, the topic got derailed by more Planned Parenthood hysteria. It would have been particularly telling had Walker been forced to reply to the same question.
Anyway, watching last Thursday night we flipped back and forth. “Big Brother” featured the eviction of one of a power couple, Clay and Shelli. The pair fell in love early on but had since fallen out of grace with other houseguests. As in the debate, candidates for eviction argue why they should stay. In a noble gesture, Clay, a hunky, square-jawed football player, pleaded to be evicted in order to spare Shelli, his pretty but whiny suburbanite mate (think Fox’s Megyn Kelly). He got his wish. Thus she remains to annoy us, possibly for weeks to come. At least Clay had jock Kouros charisma. Now the cast is down to a dopey, overly-tattooed pro-wrestler, two low-key generic guys-next-door, an adopted Asian American and a bunch of girls.
Meanwhile, how the vying Republican retinue fares after the debate remains to be seen. I’m sure we’ll be stuck with the whiny ones. It’s reality, after all.
