Sep 6, 2012
In his final broadcast of the first season, Will finally reminds the world that he is a "registered Republican", but he admits to being "a 'rhino'"; meaning that he is "Republican by name only". Will is a middle man that will fight to the end to remain an individual that is not steered by corrupt party politics that have shifted too far to either side of the spectrum.
Tea Party Republicans to this day will argue that President Reagan is their biggest idol. They're all fan-boys and fan-girls for the former president, but - and as stated by the obviously-liberal spokeswoman in the clip above - by their (the Tea Party) standards, Reagan himself is a "socialist". Quite honestly, she was right in that statement; and to call it "profound" would be ridiculous and only goes to show that you yourself have fallen victim to right wing propaganda and dogma. Pick up a biography on President Ronald Reagan some day and you may fail to understand just how in the world members of the Tea Party can possibly carry his name.
In another news segment early on in the season, Will pretty much dehumanizes the Tea Party - which is fitting, because they're practically dehumanizing their own kind - when he interviews a campaign adviser to Rick Santorum who is both black and gay. Now, keep in mind, that this man does not actually exist; he's an actor playing the part of a made-up character; but there is basis for that character because of statements that Mr. Santorum has knowingly made. To help us out with understanding this, the show actually plays a clip of the prick and Will quotes him. Pardon the pun, here, but... let's take a look:
This particular segment was personal to me. In this blog's first post, I explained quite clearly that I would be talking about sexual diversity. We'll get to that soon enough; but this interview - even though it was written by brilliant authors for HBO entertainment - proved that things aren't always so black and white. We see a man that is gay, and he's also black, but he supports a Tea Party presidential candidate that has spoken out against people like him. This character has even said that he thinks "he would make a good president". Many people will ask themselves: why in God's name would he support a man that finds him disgusting (a point that Will was quick to make)? But as the man returns quite passionately: he is not defined by others; no matter what they believe.
Is this show relentlessly attacking the Tea Party? Oh, heck yes. But is that what the show is about? No. The point of the show is finally made clear to us in the final episode, titled The Greater Fool. Now, in economic terms, "the greater fool" is an investment strategy that someone makes in an attempt to defy predictive models. Does it always work? No; but that's not the point. The point was explained to the watchers of The Newsroom by an economics journalist named Sloan Sabbith (played by Olivia Munn), who reminds Will that, "The greater fool is someone with the perfect blend of self delusion and ego to think that he can succeed where others have failed. This whole country was made by greater fools."
So, I dare you to think on this question for a moment: Are you going to be a greater fool?
I'll leave you with a final clip from The Newsroom.
