Barack Obama Just Very Seriously Interviewed The Creator Of ‘The Wire’
Presidents can pretty much do whatever they want.
President Obama’s viral cameos have been well noted over his two terms in office. Each time he rocks up on Kimmel, Fallon and Colbert the internet partially explodes and his youth vote no doubt goes through the roof. But this isn’t his only kind of interaction with pop culture: he’s also an active consumer.
Obama has shown quite a respectable taste for TV and film over the years. Some of his favourite shows include Breaking Bad, Boardwalk Empire, and Parks and Recreation; his favourite film of the last year was Boyhood; and he even gets preview copies of Game of Thrones. And, while many politicians feign interest like this to make them seem like regular humans, there’s mounting evidence to suggest Obama really knows his shit.
Case in point: he just sat down with David Simon, the creator of The Wire, and the resulting interview would put a lot of entertainment journos out there to shame.
But actually, holy shit! This is such a valid, and worthwhile discussion the show, the issues it raises, and its parallels to modern-day America. Did this conversation just seriously affect the US criminal justice system, or was it just an elaborate ploy for the President get some more info about Omar?
Judging by the impressively profesh Active Listening Nods Obama’s nailing, this should be the first is a series.
Next week: President Obama In Conversation With Nic Pizzolatto — Let’s Get Real About The Yellow King.