I suppose if I was the ruler of the free world, I’d want it too. I mean, if I controlled all I survey, if the nation bowed before me, if the illiterati gave an obedient chuckle at my every quip, yet paused thoughtfully at my pretensions at seriousness, if the world placed me on my rightful pedestal, I’d imagine that the producers of the hottest new movie premiering this month would be similarly overawed that I’d like to see their little film.
Certainly, were I the Übermensch-in-chief, I’d also imagine that these same film producers couldn’t possibly expect me to go to a public theater and be forced to sit with the “people” to see this flick, of course. I’d know that the film’s creators and stars would have the good sense not to expect me to have to sit among the sweaty, loud, unschooled masses, that great unwashed. These filmmakers are smart folks, after all I would know.
So, were I the king of the world, I too would give Paramount Pictures a call and demand that they set up a free, personal screening in my super cool movie house built especially for the president.
Of course, I’d have to jettison every ounce of self respect I have as well as fall to a nearly psychotic view of my own superiority to assume that the world should stop and cater to my every whim. I’d have to be completely unaware that my actions could easily be seen as one of arrogance, one that reveals a disregard for those I am supposed to be leading, one that ignores the concept of being a servant to the people.
With that in mind, what does one think when one reads Politico’s latest little report that reveals that President Barack Obama has called the Star Trek folks up asking for his own special, private screening of the franchise re-boot?
http://www.redstate.com/warner_todd_huston/2009/05/09/noblesse-oblige-the-one-wants-his-own-star-trek-showing/Mustard? Yeah, whatever. That's totally last week's outrage. The new Great Offense is that Obama, like each and every President since Woodrow Wilson requested a private showing of Birth of a Nation, is going to watch a movie in the White House. And what's more, he's going to watch one in the special screening room that was built specifically for Obama (er, built for Obama in 1942, when FDR decided to make better use out of a long cloakroom). Never mind that Bush watched movies in the White House, Reagan watched movies in the White House, Eisenhower--heck, Eisenhower watched over 200 different Westerns. Couldn't get enough. This is psychotic behavior, though, because...well, because Obama's doing it, and we all know Obama does not deserve to sit in the same screening room that Reagan did.
Imagine if Obama had gone to public some movie theater in DC, though. "He's disrespecting White House tradition! He made the Secret Service lock down an entire public theater at huge taxpayer cost, inconveniencing paying customers, when he has a perfectly good movie screening room in his own house!"
I really can't imagine where they think they're going with this: "Obama goes out to eat hamburgers and puts mustard on his hamburger." "Obama likes popular action movies and screened one at the White House room that was installed specifically for that purpose." Really? That's how you're gonna call him an elitist? Because he likes burgers and Hollywood blockbusters?
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