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| Scene from The Mayor |
Welcome to a new column called Channel Surfing, in which I sporadically look at current TV shows and talk about them. These are not ones that I care to write weekly recaps for and are instead reflections either on the episode, the series, or particular moments. This will hopefully help to share personal opinions as well as discover entertainment on the outer pantheon that I feel is well worth checking out, or in some cases, shows that are weird enough to talk about, but should never be seen.
The 2016 American presidential election brought out a variety of emotions in people. The overlying theme for most was a message that Barack Obama preached: get out there and make a difference. Run for office and make the change that you want to see. Likewise, the current president's status as a former reality TV star only makes the idea of "Anyone can run for office" seem a bit more bizarre. With The Mayor, these two mindsets coalesce when a young rapper runs for mayor of a small California city. It's a prescient subject and could make for one of the better sitcoms of the Fall TV season. With that said, the show is more apolitical so far and is more about the struggle for a young man to recognize his responsibility that comes with power he had initially used for shameless self-promotion of his new hot album.
There is definitely that part of the show that relies on mismatched cultures. The idea of a rapper dealing with uptight government culture is ripe for comedy. The first half of the pilot deals with this concept, portraying a man whose urban roots sympathize with a world that the career politician (David Spade) claim to recognize but have no knowledge of. T.K. Clifton (Marcel Spears) is a youthful and savvy entrepreneur who plays on sympathy for the simple desire of getting exposure. Clifton is just a kid, and one who casually swears and references hip-hop culture when he sees fit. It's easy to see why he got the youth to vote for him, though it's easy to see once he becomes mayor why it's not exactly the greatest idea. Symbolized by secretary Valentina (Lea Michelle), Clifton has to learn to care about everyone else when throwing raucous parties aren't enough.
Beyond the public image is his mother, Dina (Yvette Nichole Brown). Much like in the familiar maternal ways, she serves as the moral compass for Clifton, who needs a sober reality that being mayor is a lot harder than selling music. He needs to show sympathy for those different from himself and help the community. He threw himself into a role of power, and it's both as rewarding as it is taxing. The first episode hits the familiar marks that are needed to understand who Clifton is. He's a good kid, but he's clearly out of his league. He has an ego that throws him into a very odd situation. How will he do as the role of mayor? By the end, it's understood that he's going to try, but without losing his youthful style.
The Mayor may not be a prescient comedy about real life politics, much like Parks and Recreation may not be the best representation of public services. Still, it's another one of the better shows to premiere this Fall season with a solid supporting cast. Spears in particular has an empathetic balance between braggadocio and vulnerability. He realizes that he needs to change, but the show isn't above a joke of wasting note cards on a paper mache as Valentina looks on in disgust. Admittedly, these are only the rough outlines of what could make the show great. For now, it's a decent establishment of a mismatch comedy that depicts a changing dynamic in local politics. It's unlikely that The Mayor will hit any hard subjects, but it'll at least be a fun character developing sitcom with a strong central cast. Only time will see if it's more than novelty. For now, it's a pretty fun way to pass the time.
There is definitely that part of the show that relies on mismatched cultures. The idea of a rapper dealing with uptight government culture is ripe for comedy. The first half of the pilot deals with this concept, portraying a man whose urban roots sympathize with a world that the career politician (David Spade) claim to recognize but have no knowledge of. T.K. Clifton (Marcel Spears) is a youthful and savvy entrepreneur who plays on sympathy for the simple desire of getting exposure. Clifton is just a kid, and one who casually swears and references hip-hop culture when he sees fit. It's easy to see why he got the youth to vote for him, though it's easy to see once he becomes mayor why it's not exactly the greatest idea. Symbolized by secretary Valentina (Lea Michelle), Clifton has to learn to care about everyone else when throwing raucous parties aren't enough.
Beyond the public image is his mother, Dina (Yvette Nichole Brown). Much like in the familiar maternal ways, she serves as the moral compass for Clifton, who needs a sober reality that being mayor is a lot harder than selling music. He needs to show sympathy for those different from himself and help the community. He threw himself into a role of power, and it's both as rewarding as it is taxing. The first episode hits the familiar marks that are needed to understand who Clifton is. He's a good kid, but he's clearly out of his league. He has an ego that throws him into a very odd situation. How will he do as the role of mayor? By the end, it's understood that he's going to try, but without losing his youthful style.
The Mayor may not be a prescient comedy about real life politics, much like Parks and Recreation may not be the best representation of public services. Still, it's another one of the better shows to premiere this Fall season with a solid supporting cast. Spears in particular has an empathetic balance between braggadocio and vulnerability. He realizes that he needs to change, but the show isn't above a joke of wasting note cards on a paper mache as Valentina looks on in disgust. Admittedly, these are only the rough outlines of what could make the show great. For now, it's a decent establishment of a mismatch comedy that depicts a changing dynamic in local politics. It's unlikely that The Mayor will hit any hard subjects, but it'll at least be a fun character developing sitcom with a strong central cast. Only time will see if it's more than novelty. For now, it's a pretty fun way to pass the time.
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