Time for hope and time to VEEP

While the whole world, and I am sure the underworld in some areas too, pulsates with Game of Thrones withdrawal (primarily) I am preferentially perturbed by the jarring end to VEEP. Also, I have never seen a single episode of GOT but I believe Jon Schwarz (The Intercept) when he says it was an incredible piece of art, editing and artistry. And also that it was such a huge success because the ‘elites’ in our society cannot wrap their minds around the truths of our world, they need excesses of all bloody kinds with visual porn presented in a breathtaking undertaking lasting a decade and changing everyones life on Sundays. I mean everyone in the same sense as you, dear reader, think I mean.

On the other hand VEEP, which I have sang odes to, and stood on one leg to watch because it deserves that and did several namaskars on a handstand (remember, you watched GOT) was the truth. I really do think. What Claire Underwood could not even begin to touch as a character, Selena Myers gloriously embalmed herself with and took it for a home-run, a penalty kick-goal, hat-trick and whatever other sports reference you want. Yes, you are right, I do not watch sports, I can think about watching tennis, because in tennis personal ambition means something, personal accountability too, for that matter. As for Selina, she had the former in plenty, although not an iota of the latter.

Over the years the characters in VEEP reminded me more of real life politicians, since after all, within those years we got Trump and Modi started showing his true colors in India (yes, they are saffron and blood red and he also has a tail that wags for industrialists).

Jonah was by far my favorite over the top character ever in history, and dethroned Kramer (Seinfeld) almost immediately. He made claims in the latest season that live politicians in India routinely make, against Islamic domination through ‘arithmetic’ (Or some such equally gaseous claim straight out of their asses about art). He showed how parts of the public actually take seriously the “anti-vaccine” philosophy even if people LIKE JONAH support such claims! No seriously, I would have thought that when people like whatshername terrible actress supported the theory of vaccines causing autism the whole world would laugh. ha (and this is a grunt). Anyway, Jonah making VP in the end is the best end to Veep ( I hear people aren’t so pleased with the series finale of GOT). Because in my mind Jonah truly drives home the point that being overconfident, uninformed, completely moronic and utterly reprehensible never hurt a politician. Especially a male one. He defined the position of Veep, as close to and about as far away from power as possible, while belonging to the hall of fame for igmorons.

Selina Meyer takes personal ambition for public office to the stage where every member of the audience recognizes that the drive for the position from where you CAN do anything, leads to a drive for power, for which she actually ‘sacrifices’ the ability to do anything: make a single worthwhile change. Ideally, we imagine presidential candidates aiming to leave a legacy for the country and if the county is the US, then the world. We may not all agree with this said legacy or vision, but we all assume there is one. We are so wrong in todays world, and needed VEEP to show us that!

Selina Meyer lost that plot of leaving a legacy as soon as she was actually made the first woman President of the USA, in error. Since that time, it was only her pursuit for glory she almost touched, without the understanding of the actual position. And Julia Louis-Dreyfus does this so convincingly, supported by a terrific script and stellar cast, direction and editing. And she does it while being belly-achingly funny, slapstickingly comic, mesmerizingly cunning and astonishingly stunning.

**spoiler alert**

What Claire Hale did not do convincingly, despite every opportunity provided, Selina did on the sly: used feminism to take down a man (Tom James, her most prominent adversary) just with words (of a lover, junior in rank) and the #metoo movement. We never see her as being smart in the sense that she can see through Andrew’s ploys, or make sense of any big political agenda. Her only and formidable asset was knowing what people need to hear from her to get them to do what she wants. That came about without her actually connecting with anyone, except maybe Gary and Hugh Laurie’s character Tom James. Her tears as she sacrifices lovers and finally her faithful Gary for her Presidency are not of repentance, but of acceptance. Of who she is, what she wants, with no regrets. As she said herself, all she wanted was to be president. Not leave a legacy, which the show depicts of being ‘ending Tibet’s freedom and overturning same-sex marriage’ both deals she made to get the position. I would say Selena died with no regrets, while viewers feel this echo of not what it must be to not leave a legacy (some viewers). However, TV VEEP ends in hope.

Our PM Modi, shows the exact same personal ambition, because it is always about his humble beginnings, his tea-making days and him being a ‘fakir’ who has no leanings towards money or extravagance (the last are blatant lies that his supporters do not see). He sold off his ability to make any progress a long time ago to his puppeteers as soon as they funded his multi- million dollar campaign, using the malicious electoral bonds that no one questions but everyone knows about. He wants the position for the sake of the position, and unlike Richard Splett, whose knowledge, sense of justice, bipartisanship, general likability, social responsibility, altruistic nature leads a hopeful end for the nation of Selina Meyer. India apparently has no one, because where Selina Meyer did not actually succeed and Modi did, is brain washing the public with religious fervor, fear of becoming as downtrodden as the people they trod on and ‘image’ created of a strong man. Go to daddy he will solve everything. Every. Single. Thing. With a smooth rhetoric and nothing concrete (except toilets which may not have water).

Tomorrow in May 23rd 2019 (already today) in India. As this tyrannical, egotistic buffoon lands another 5 yrs of rule. I cannot watch this live, Selina, at least you were funny.