Comments | nx_rewatch: 3.15: "Democracy in America"

icepixie in nx_rewatch

3.15: "Democracy in America"

May 06, 2012 12:47

Summary: Mayoral incumbent Holling is stung by the news that he has a formidable opponent, old friend Edna Hancock, who's got a bee in her bonnet over a promise he never kept. The election also finds Shelly testing the aphrodisiac of power, Chris waxing patriotic, Ed anticipating his first time voting, and Joel and Maggie arguing party politics.

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season three

Comments 12

icepixie May 6 2012, 17:54:53 UTC

I have such a mixture of feelings about this episode. I think mostly, though, I feel kind of sad. I'm not sure this episode could be made today. Well, no, not so much that it couldn't be made, but I'm not sure if anyone would think to make it. There are many NX episodes that could come across as utterly naïve and dated, and yet somehow have retained their edge and freshness even twenty years on. This one, on the other hand, is so obviously pre-24-hour news cycle, pre-soundbitization of campaigning, pre-Tea Party idiocy, that it's almost painful to watch. I'm sure there were as many people saying incredibly stupid stuff in the early nineties as there are today, but they weren't as visible ( ... )

rowdycamels May 8 2012, 01:56:34 UTC

I'm not sure this episode could be made today. Well, no, not so much that it couldn't be made, but I'm not sure if anyone would think to make it.

This episode reminded me of what I like about democracy, and I enjoyed it. I agree that it's depressingly far away from our current national politics, but it was an awful lot like the ward elections we had here last weekend. We were a tiny step up from booths made out of refrigerator boxes, but not by much. There was a little bunting! And there was definitely a nice old lady manning a handmade cardboard ballot box. And there was fighting over whether art installations or sidewalk repairs were more important.

Oh, lord, I feel SO OLD RIGHT NOW. Get offa my lawn!

Shake your cane! That'll scare 'em!

and I LOVE LOVE LOVE Edna. Antisocial hermits FOR THE WIN!

Hah, she looks and sounds just like my boss (including the misanthropy), so I love her even on top of her awesomesauce hermitism. I would so vote for her!

I dislike how Shelly's entire story is that she finds Holling extra sexy when ( ... )

icepixie May 9 2012, 20:35:27 UTC

This episode reminded me of what I like about democracy, and I enjoyed it. I agree that it's depressingly far away from our current national politics, but it was an awful lot like the ward elections we had here last weekend.

Awwww, yay! There are still inspiring civic politics and events somewhere in the nation!

There was a little bunting! And there was definitely a nice old lady manning a handmade cardboard ballot box. And there was fighting over whether art installations or sidewalk repairs were more important.

Awwwww!

Shake your cane! That'll scare 'em!

*shakes* *slips* *breaks hip*

Hah, she looks and sounds just like my boss (including the misanthropy), so I love her even on top of her awesomesauce hermitism. I would so vote for her!

Tehehehehehe!

Once again, Shelley makes me want to hurl! Yeah, even some flavor of election cheerleading would have been less awful.

Oh, Shelly. There was potential, but they just didn't do right by her.

It's A PARKING SPACE. In ALASKA. Alaska is ONE BIG PARKING LOT! Well, maybe it was a ( ... )

rowdycamels May 20 2012, 01:58:28 UTC

Awwww, yay! There are still inspiring civic politics and events somewhere in the nation!

Just nowhere near the presidential race! I think part of the greatness of the recent elections here was that we were voting directly on local issues, and not on some crooked political figure who wanted power. Even the local "pick the least crooked crook" race was a bit sad in comparison.

*shakes* *slips* *breaks hip*

Now you can shake your walker!

I can see him being a Republican up until the party got hijacked by the Tea Party

Hahaha, I can see him being contrary enough to be all, "But the Tea Party is just misunderstood!"

In the Edmund Burke sense of respect for tradition and institution? Definitely.

So much!

(Haha, he has a very impassioned speech about the sanctity of the postal service coming up soon.)

Another one??

THIS is the man we want helping to run our election!

He knows dirty politics when he sees it! Possibly after causing it!

Thread 5

icepixie May 6 2012, 17:56:35 UTC

Of course Joel memorized election stats like baseball figures. And naturally Maggie argues that elections are more about people/emotions/ceremony than statistics ( ... )

rowdycamels May 8 2012, 02:11:03 UTC

And naturally Maggie argues that elections are more about people/emotions/ceremony than statistics.

It's not democracy, it's event planning!

"I am not a shallow, insubstantial person just because I think appearances matter; they do matter!"

She has a point! She's into campaign psychology! (I love how Joel is wearing a bright red shirt and she's wearing a giant blue coat.)

"Well, some of us will vote for you, and some won't. DUH."

Gee, Holling, way to elect her Mayor of Homogeneous Indian Vote.

And awwwwwww, he can't even vote!

He loves it partially because it's so unattainable for himself! Awwwww! If he'd been able to vote, we would have gotten regular Chris odes, but since it was forbidden, we got Chris Speeches Up To Eleven.

Aw, Ed! I wish some of my students had been as curious and willing to learn as you are.

Ed is just beautiful sometimes.

I wish we'd gotten an entire episode about them attempting to do a home improvement project together after they got together.

...Isn't that kind of the whole series?

EDNA. OH, EDNA ( ... )

icepixie May 9 2012, 20:40:00 UTC

It's not democracy, it's event planning!

Obviously fields with great similarity!

She has a point! She's into campaign psychology!

She's ahead of her time!

(I love how Joel is wearing a bright red shirt and she's wearing a giant blue coat.)

HA! I never noticed that!

Gee, Holling, way to elect her Mayor of Homogeneous Indian Vote.

*facepalm*

If he'd been able to vote, we would have gotten regular Chris odes, but since it was forbidden, we got Chris Speeches Up To Eleven.

He's compensating!

Ed is just beautiful sometimes.

Yes.

...Isn't that kind of the whole series?

One five-year-long home improvement project? Heh, perhaps. But I want to see them try to build a deck together or something.

I THINK SHE IS, YES. So great!

My long-lost grandmother!

I'm sure the fence helps.

Good fences make good neighbors! Also not-dead neighbors!

"You've dirtied our pristine capitalism with the creeping weeds of democracy You can't unring that bell!!"

Democracy as kudzu?

Aww. I wonder if that had a teeny influence in their having ( ... )

rowdycamels May 20 2012, 02:01:12 UTC

Democracy as kudzu?

Take your eyes off it for one second AND IT'S CRAWLING UP YOUR LEG!

A puppet show about democracy?

Only in Cicely.

rowdycamels May 8 2012, 03:12:13 UTC

Oh! And Chris's radio announcement: "There's a meeting, blah blah blah, some details have changed, call Dennis for more info." AND HE DOESN'T GIVE DENNIS'S NUMBER. BECAUSE EVERYONE KNOWS DENNIS'S NUMBER.

icepixie May 9 2012, 20:40:58 UTC

YESSSSS. I bet their phone system is ancient and they don't even need to dial the first three digits of a phone number.

rowdycamels May 20 2012, 02:02:02 UTC

It's not like the place has more than 9999 phone lines, anyway.