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Obama is Spiderman, McCain the Dark Knight
August 07, 2008 11:37 AM
Entertainment Weekly sat down with Senators John McCain and Barack Obama for some Pop Culture Q&A -- with some surprising answers.
McCain's favorite film/TV president, for instance, is President David Palmer, played by Dennis Haysbert, on 24. "He’s fabulous," McCain says. "He’s a guy who makes tough decisions, he takes charge, he’s ready to sacrifice his interest on behalf of the interest of the country."
And what of the fact that on the show Palmer was the nation's first African-American president?
"You know, I hope that I and all Americans can be color-blind about any president," McCain said.
(No mention of the fact that Palmer was assassinated.)
Obama, meanwhile, is partial to Jeff Bridges in The Contender.
"He was charming and essentially an honorable person, but there was a rogue about him," Obama says. "The way he would order sandwiches – he was good at that." Obama jokes that he similarly wants to test the White House chefs. "I want to see if I can get any sandwich I want," he says.
Of superheroes, McCain likes Batman.
"He does justice sometimes against insurmountable odds," McCain says. "And he doesn’t make his good works known to a lot of people, so a lot of people think he’s just a rich playboy."
Obama says he "was always into the Spider-Man/Batman model. The guys who have too many powers, like Superman, that always made me think they weren’t really earning their superhero status. It’s a little too easy. Whereas Spider-Man and Batman, they have some inner turmoil. They get knocked around a little bit."
Despite the fact that much has been made of his lack of internet prowess, McCain says he watches Youtube spoofs of the campaign.
"I've seen some of them," says the Arizona Republican. "Some of them are too painful for me to watch. One of my favorites is 'It's Raining McCain.' But I also like that early one they did for Obama" -- a reference to the pro-Obama will.i.am song "Yes we can" -- "That was really excellent."
The first movies they recall seeking in theaters?
For McCain it was Bambi. "When his mother was killed," McCain admits. "Oh, yeah, I cried."
For Obama one of the first was Born Free. "I remember that movie having an impact on me," Obama says. "I think I may have teared up at the end when they release [the lioness] Elsa. I couldn't have been more than 4 or 5, but I remember choking up on that."
The last movies they saw in theaters were the latest Indiana Jones vehicle for McCain -- "I enjoyed that so much. The old guy wins" -- and for Obama Shrek 3.
McCain lists his favorite Vietnam films as We Were Soldiers, Full Metal Jacket, Coming Home, Born on the Fourth of July, and Apocalypse Now. Viva Zapata! is his favorite film.
"Elia Kazan made three movies with Marlon Brando," McCain recalls. "One was A Streetcar Named Desire, one was On the Waterfront, and the third was Viva Zapata! Many people think Brando's performances in Streetcar and Waterfront were his best. I think Zapata! was his best. I'm in the minority about this. But go back and watch the scene of his wedding night, with [Brando] and Jean Peters — the actress who later married Howard Hughes, who made her give up acting — when she teaches him to read by taking out the Bible and reading it with him. That's a poignant scene."
Of TV shows he liked watching growing up, Obama mentions M*A*S*H and The Dick Van Dyke Show.
Who controls the remote at home?
Generally, Michelle Obama. "Most of the time," says the Illinois Democrat, "the TV is on HGTV, and I suffer that silently...She likes American Idol, her and the girls, in a way that I don't entirely get."
The McCains fight over control of the clicker.
"Foolishly she continues to try to assert her control over the remote," McCain jokes about his wife Cindy. "This is a battle that will continue for a long time. But there are shows we agree on. We like the reruns of Seinfeld. I really like Curb Your Enthusiasm. I kind of like Dexter, too, although it certainly has a macabre side to it. I'll tell you that Cindy likes Big Love — I haven't watched it much, but she enjoys that. And I like The Wire a lot, too. That's a great show."
The last videogame Obama played was pong. "That gives you a sense of my age. I loved that game."
On Obama's iPod; Frank Sinatra, Sheryl Crow, John Coltrane, Bob Dylan, Javanese flute music, African dance music, a lot of R&B.
And McCain cops (again) to more ABBA love, though he notes "'I'm also a Roy Orbison fan and a Linda Ronstadt fan — all the ones whose place in the spotlight ended some years ago. But I like Usher, too. I was on Saturday Night Live with him, got to see him perform, and I was very impressed with him."
- jpt
August 7, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (39)
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Wow bum when I see Sarah Palin she must be her BBF.
Posted by: Renee | Sep 17, 2008 11:04:30 AM
McCain need to stop sheilding Sarah Palin. She needs to stand on her own. Every time someone talk about her it comes out it was sexiest. SNL was funny. McCain needs to stop complaining about every little thing. His wife said the View pick their bones when they interviewed them the other day. That was just questions that should have been ask by any show/reporter. They women just wanted to know the view on everything out there that being said by Obama and McCain.
Posted by: Renee | Sep 17, 2008 10:59:20 AM
As told my friends 4 years ago, Bush will bring this country down. I also told them if you vote for him in the White House you should not complain about anything that goes on with in his last 4 years of office. McCain will bring the same values as Bush. If you put him in the White House do not complain if this country go to heck..... more.
Posted by: Renee | Sep 17, 2008 10:50:24 AM
That was a pretty low blow for you to say, about John McCain's choosing Dennis Haysbert's character (David Palmer) as his favorite TV president, "No mention of the fact that Palmer was assassinated." Had he even been asked about it?
Anyway, McCain probably (like me) hasn't had time to watch TV for entertainment since David Palmer was president on "24" and perhaps (like me) doesn't know that the fictional Palmer character had been assassinated. "24" was my favorite show too, before I got too busy to watch anything but news--and I'm not even running for President--but your article is the first I've heard of his being assassinated.
Posted by: gradivus | Aug 8, 2008 11:51:44 AM
As someone who does not watch any television at all anymore, I appreciate that at least one candidate can put things into perspective and pick his battles over important stuff, while the other is an overbearing control freak trying to compensate for the fact that he's living off his wifes fortune.
Posted by: Mike | Aug 7, 2008 8:49:40 PM
McCain is using sarcasm. He is saying that she is wasting her efforts when she tries to get control of the remote (NOT!).
Posted by: John | Aug 7, 2008 4:47:00 PM
. If I'm wrong, the fact that he likes ABBA is, well, kinda lame.
Posted by: Scott | Aug 7, 2008 3:10:57 PM
**********
Sorry to inform you, but McCain also was quoted in 2004 as loving ABBA.
Posted by: jmc663 | Aug 7, 2008 3:56:42 PM
To answer you question SpaceCat, my theory is that McCain is probably joking around when he says he loves ABBA. Saying you like ABBA is similar to telling Chuck Norris jokes. Two years ago when I was a junior in college, playing ABBA songs on the jukebox was the "funny" thing to do. Kind of like how playing Journey and yelling "Oh my God it's Journey" is the "funny" thing to do. I suspect that next year either Asia or REO Speedwagon will take Journey's place. Nontheless, if my theory is correct, I'm actually kind of impressed that McCain is intune with pseudo-hipster humor. If I'm wrong, the fact that he likes ABBA is, well, kinda lame.
Posted by: Scott | Aug 7, 2008 3:10:57 PM
What's up with McCain's obsession with ABBA? He some kind of fruit?
Posted by: SpaceCat | Aug 7, 2008 2:53:34 PM
You people who find offense in Mccain saying that his wife foolishly try to assert her whatever over the remote are crazy.
You know I foolishly try to assert my authority over the TV when my kids are watching Noggin and I foolishly believe I can win this battle which I always lose.
Before I had kids, my husband foolishly thought he could wrestle the remote from me. Do I have no respect for my husband to think that he's foolish to even think he could win this battle? No. I respect my husband more than any other person in the world. Now we both sit foolishly waiting for our kids to give up the remote so we can watch something. It never happens so we just wrestle the remote from them and let them cry until it's their turn again.
Posted by: coolrepublica | Aug 7, 2008 2:38:17 PM
"The McCains fight over control of the clicker."
I guess that is togetherness. At my house we go to separate rooms. TVs are cheap.
Posted by: len | Aug 7, 2008 2:07:40 PM
Slooooooooow news day.
Posted by: LESD | Aug 7, 2008 2:07:23 PM
jmc663 said:
I disagree McCain's quote of:
"Foolishly she continues to try to assert her control over the remote," McCain jokes about his wife Cindy.
This shows disregard for women. Foolishly tries to assert her control...guess McCain thinks it is foolish for a woman to assert herself.
***************************************
Can you stop it already? It would be nice to just read something about them w/out having to hear someone making it ridiculous like you did. Ever hear of a "joke"?
Posted by: Kim | Aug 7, 2008 2:01:02 PM
at least this article was fun to read
im tired of all the bs
Posted by: bhrandon | Aug 7, 2008 1:35:43 PM
coolrepublican,
I disagree McCain's quote of:
"Foolishly she continues to try to assert her control over the remote," McCain jokes about his wife Cindy.
This shows disregard for women. Foolishly tries to assert her control...guess McCain thinks it is foolish for a woman to assert herself.
Posted by: jmc663 | Aug 7, 2008 1:33:04 PM
where did the dark knight come from--------I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT MCCAIN WAS EXXON JOHN THE OIL MAN--DRILL DRILL
Posted by: rodney | Aug 7, 2008 1:28:52 PM
coolrepublica | Aug 7, 2008 1:18:27 PM
*************
what i learnt is that mccain does not respect his wife, abusing her in public, why must he call her foolish, just because she want the remote?
only God knows what would happens if she wants equal pay or right to her body?
Posted by: johnosahon | Aug 7, 2008 1:28:49 PM
Slightly amusing.
I like McCain as the Dark Knight. Obama is more like Two-Face though.
Hillary is Wonder Woman.
Posted by: Hillary2012 | Aug 7, 2008 1:26:26 PM
I like Dexter and Mccain likes Dexter. He admits to liking Dexter is amazing. I thought he would say something stupid like I like dancing with the stars.
Mccain has the same TV taste as I and I could not be happier.
Someone asked what can we possibly learn from this. Well, I learned a lot. Obama sits and passively suffers as his watch watches HGTV all day long. He doesn't ask for his turn. He doesn't ask that they watch his shows. Whatever she wants she gets.
McCain said that the battle for the remote will go on for a while. They are on equal footing at his house. He's not afraid to say I want the remote.
Posted by: coolrepublica | Aug 7, 2008 1:18:27 PM
I agree, the headline is misleading, McCain is certainly not Batman. If anything he's Two Face/Harvey Dent sans the former commitment to the honorable pursuit of justice. It's annoying to hear the GOP continously citing "The Dark Knight" as somehow vindictive for their ideologoy. I may only think that Batman is apolitical, but I know he's not a conservative. Bruce Wayne comes from a family that is dedicated to combating poverty and bringing about social change.
Posted by: Scott | Aug 7, 2008 12:54:57 PM
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