Full Frontal Episode Review: Samantha Bee and the RNC

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The RNC is, of course, the Republican National Convention, which will have undergone its first hours before the Full Frontal broadcast of Monday, July 18, 2016. That being the case, what with all the lead time needed to put any show together, this rendition of Ms. Bee’s presentation had to be more about what was to come, rather than what just happened here. For example she had no time to prepare a commentary on Rudy Giuliani’s screed on behalf of the nominee-elect. On the other hand, her show will be going on the road to Cleveland and promises us a documentary on the convention this coming Wednesday. That should be something worth watching.

Keep in mind that all Full Frontal shows are witty and insightful to an extent. Even the worst of them that I have seen have to rank several places above the best version of Big Brother ever broadcast. Having said that, I have to say also that I would give this most recent show a mixed review. While she did make some excellent points, including here eloquent statement about the recent shootings, she came off a bit ham-fisted in other areas.

But then, part of the problem may have been that she did not have much to work with. One of her early segments was about Mr. Trump’s anointed VP candidate, Michael Pence, the present governor of Indiana. Ms. Bee tried her best to yuk it up, but, sad to say, the guy is basically a stuffed shirt. Very little about him invokes the lovable zaniness of a Sarah Palin, the quirky cluelessness of a Dan Quayle or the unapologetic smarminess of a Spiro Agnew.

In her main segment, Samantha Bee looked at the suitability of Cleveland to be a site for the Republican National Convention. Now, here is where your narrator needs to stick in a disclaimer of sorts. I am somewhat of a Buckeye, having been born in nearby Canton, Ohio, and lived in Cleveland for a number of years during my childhood, so I may be perceived as having a dog in the race, so to speak.

Let me provide a very short, very broad-brushed history of the city. There was a time, earlier in the twentieth century, when Cleveland was close to being a swinging town. Then, it fell into a state of decay, blight and boredom. Since then, the city has made a serious and commendable effort to become a better place. For example, its two nearby bodies of water, Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga River, used to be filthy (to the extent that, yes, the river did actually catch on fire). Now they have both been cleaned up considerably. Their art museum and orchestra are top-notch, plus they have the Rock and Roll Hallway of Famousness. Let me stop here, before I get confused for a starry-eyed booster. The point is, this is an OK city, trying to do a job that would be a formidable undertaking for any city in the nation: not only to host a convention, but host one that has become such a very contentious undertaking. Even though she did so in a very witty manner, I felt that Ms. Bee ended up making the same cheap, outdated jokes about the city that so many before her have made, back when they were a lot more germane.

I don’t know, maybe I’m being a little thin-skinned. I have provided a link below so that you can judge for yourselves, if you did not already see the show.

But, you know something? For all the wit and wisdom I got from Full Frontal, the funniest comment I heard on the subject that night came from Stephen Colbert on his regular late-night talk show. In a film clip, he entered the nearly empty convention hall, took his position at the podium and announced the start of the Hungry for Power Games. At that point, he was chased away by a security guard. Colbert’s parting words: “I know I’m not supposed to be up here but, to be honest, neither is Donald Trump.”

Full Frontal, TBS, July 18, 2016

The Late Show, CBS, July 18, 2016

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Thomas Cleveland Lane

Thomas Cleveland Lane is a semi-retired freelance writer for pay and a stage actor for nothing more than the opportunity to make a fool of himself. Well, he does get a small stipend from the Washington Area Decency League, after playing the role of Hinezie in The Pajama Game, to never, ever appear on stage in his underpants again. When he has not managed to buffalo some director into casting him, Thomas can often be found at his favorite piano bar, annoying the patrons with his caterwauling. Thomas is the author of an anthology called Shaggy Dogs, a Collection of Not-So-Short Stories (destined to become a cult classic, shortly after he croaks). He is also the alter-ego to a very unbalanced Czech poet named Glub Dzmc. Mr. Lane generally resides in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and was last seen in the mirror, three days ago.
Thomas Cleveland Lane

Thomas Cleveland Lane

Thomas Cleveland Lane is a semi-retired freelance writer for pay and a stage actor for nothing more than the opportunity to make a fool of himself. Well, he does get a small stipend from the Washington Area Decency League, after playing the role of Hinezie in The Pajama Game, to never, ever appear on stage in his underpants again. When he has not managed to buffalo some director into casting him, Thomas can often be found at his favorite piano bar, annoying the patrons with his caterwauling. Thomas is the author of an anthology called Shaggy Dogs, a Collection of Not-So-Short Stories (destined to become a cult classic, shortly after he croaks). He is also the alter-ego to a very unbalanced Czech poet named Glub Dzmc. Mr. Lane generally resides in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and was last seen in the mirror, three days ago.