Newt and Callista Political Collectors Puppets

NEWT AND CALLISTA GRINGRICH are two very interesting political creatures, they form the first in a series of Political Collectors Puppets. Bill Moyers interviewed film historian and culture critic, Neal Gabler “who painted a compelling picture of politics as heroic cinema and theater. He articulated an engaging argument of how representations of heroism in the movies shape our expectations of a US president, and how our real-world candidates are packaged into superficial, two-dimensional personas designed to appeal to both the electorate and the media. As a result, says Gabler, we never get to the true pressing questions and issues of America.”

Gabler also pointed to very real differences between the politician as campaigner and later as elected official who is responsible for decisive governance. We as audiences are seduced by the larger than life characters layered in  lights, cameras and actions. One wonders what kind of characters lurk below their polished surfaces. Would we be comfortable with political all-stars and their spouses chatting warmly with us around our dinner tables? Puppets become perfect imaginary creatures instantly manipulated back and forth between candidacy and governance. This couple was caught between scenes.