Ep.28 - Carlson for President

March 7, 2016

Writer: Jim Paddock (according to IMDB, this is is only credit for anything!)

Director: Will MacKenzie

Original Air Date: November 5, 1979
^^^FAMOUSLY FUNNY^^^

The title of this episode is not "Carlson for City Council" because that's not what it is really about. The only elections people really care about are the big ones for president (or prime minister. Shout out to Canada!) so those are the mechanisms and issues people know about. I loved the show "Parks and Recreation," but the actual issues of media management and wide scale political interest were always way above what they would be for the Park and Rec department of a small Indiana town. It was really a mirror of the larger national issues.

So is this episode of WKRP.

But let's look at a couple of other things first.

Mr. Carlson doesn't know, when he is in the booth to record a promo, that when the producer points to him, that's his cue to start talking? Or even what a "level" is? I haven't worked at a radio station my whole life like Carlson has and even I know that! Maybe Tillman is right to mock the way he runs his "broken down radio station."

Also, for this fairly progressive show, there are a strangely high number of homophobic jokes in this episode. The worst example of dirt that Herb can think of to ask Bailey about is if Tillman has "ever been seen in the company of men... just hanging out." That's something that would have no bearing on his ability to do the job, whereas drinking and missing meetings definitely would. Les is going too far suggesting Carlson lounges around in a dress but insulting overweight women is okay? It's out of character for this show.

But I'm just being picky because this episode is really suppose to be a comment on elections in the late 70's and it's amazing to see how so many of these issues are still in elections today.

Is there any campaign today, at any level of government, that wouldn't use the alcoholism of their opponent against them; especially if it can be proven that it has poorly effected their performance in the past? I don't think so. Even the most liberal of campaigns would not hesitate to use that information to win an election. And why wouldn't they? Because to do so would be in poor taste? Yet that is the entire crux of Bailey and Andy's argument.

In the 35 years since this originally aired, political campaigning and we as the electorate have become more cynical. Negative advertising has simply become another tool. So we end up watching this either wistfully remembering when this really would have been an argument, or agog at the naiveté of the "young generation" on the show. Unfortunately, I fall into the latter camp.

What is really sweet is then considering Carlson would probably make the best councilman out of all the candidates. He does really love Cincinnati! His answer to the busing issue, when he finally gave it, was actually thoughtful.  However, as the writers are trying to point out, being the best candidate means nothing in this new, fast-paced world of television campaigning.

You need to wear makeup! Look straight into the camera! Don't sweat! The highlight of this episode is the cringe-inducing television debate in which Carlson looks like a beet-faced marathon runner. The incumbent Chuck Tillman looks practically presidential next to a Commie-hunting conspiracy theorist (hello! Simpson from "Gimme a Break"), a woman hawking her self-help book (more on her later) and a very uncomfortable Arthur Carlson. The moderator, Barry, is comfortably friendly with Mr. Tillman ("call me Chuck, Barry") and reasonably polite to the others which just makes them seem even crazier. Carlson spills coffee, pleads the fifth on every question, uses the wrong hand gestures when he does answer and generally looks like a buffoon!

Only when WKRP itself is attacked does Carlson come to life, standing and delivering the only valuable point of the debate: calling out Tillman as a drunk. Tillman is so stunned someone would dare to bring that up, he doesn't even defend himself.

Back in campaign headquarters (and there has to be some law against using your place of work as a campaign office, but whatever) Team Carlson has now switched gears. Johnny and Venus watch in amazement has everyone works to lose the election in anyway possible: Les playing "Deep Throat" to feed lies to the press, ridiculous posters are printed, even Arthur himself insulting a women's group. For him, losing this way is better than beating someone dishonourably.

The episode ends sweetly, as Arthur imagines what might have been and addresses the audience directly with "My Fellow Americans." In today's political world, we can all agreed we could use a few more candidates like Arthur "Big Guy" Carlson!

Roy

Other Notes: Candidate Mitzi Monahan, who is hawking a book about how women should accept that men are the natural bosses of the world, is a lot funnier when you know she is being performed by Lillian Garrett-Bonner, who was married to Frank Bonner at the time. Venus is quoting lyrics from the song "Summertime" from Porgy and Bess when describing the Black Community to Carlson. Carlson asking Herb to pray with him is a nod to the story of Nixon asking Kissenger to do the same the night before he resigned the presidency. Jennifer getting an $800 campaign contribution elicits a gasp from the audience.