So, Dr. Sanjay Gupta is up for Surgeon General. Multiple instances of incredible credulity, inaccurate accusations against Michael Moore, and cozy pharma industry ties aside, his appointment seems to hinge on the use of the power of celebrity, alongside reasonable credentials, to emphasize the bully pulpit side of the Surgeon General's job.
It occurs to me that the Obama Administration might use the power of celebrity in some other offices. I think Mike Rowe, of Discovery's Dirty Jobs and Deadliest Catch, would make an excellent Labor undersecretary. He has more respect for the people who do the dirty jobs "that make civilized life possible" than any politician.
Heck, why do we have to limit it to actual, real people? I mean, Dr. Sanjay Gupta the CNN reporter is probably not the same person who you'd have a beer with. Dr. Sanja Gupta the CNN reporter is really a character he plays.
For example: last night I saw Doubt. I want Sister Aloysius Beauvier somewhere in the Department of Justice, interrogating Al Qaeda. Maybe we can get Meryl Streep to do the character part-time, or something.
If John Houseman was still alive, we could put Professor Kingsfield in charge of something at either the Department of Education or the Department of Justice. Maybe he could work part time at each, taking the skulls full of mush in both our nation's top lawyers and our children and making them, well, think. Like something.
John Hodgman, the Daily Show correspondent and Bill Gates stand-in, could do some good work either for Obama's proposed Chief Technology Officer or maybe for the press secretary. (We sure as hell don't want that Mac guy working for the CTO; he's too damn smug.)
Which celebrity or fictional character do you want to see in the Obama Administration?
It occurs to me that the Obama Administration might use the power of celebrity in some other offices. I think Mike Rowe, of Discovery's Dirty Jobs and Deadliest Catch, would make an excellent Labor undersecretary. He has more respect for the people who do the dirty jobs "that make civilized life possible" than any politician.
Heck, why do we have to limit it to actual, real people? I mean, Dr. Sanjay Gupta the CNN reporter is probably not the same person who you'd have a beer with. Dr. Sanja Gupta the CNN reporter is really a character he plays.
For example: last night I saw Doubt. I want Sister Aloysius Beauvier somewhere in the Department of Justice, interrogating Al Qaeda. Maybe we can get Meryl Streep to do the character part-time, or something.
If John Houseman was still alive, we could put Professor Kingsfield in charge of something at either the Department of Education or the Department of Justice. Maybe he could work part time at each, taking the skulls full of mush in both our nation's top lawyers and our children and making them, well, think. Like something.
John Hodgman, the Daily Show correspondent and Bill Gates stand-in, could do some good work either for Obama's proposed Chief Technology Officer or maybe for the press secretary. (We sure as hell don't want that Mac guy working for the CTO; he's too damn smug.)
Which celebrity or fictional character do you want to see in the Obama Administration?
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1 comment:
I'd much prefer Tardy Turtle to run the Department of Education.
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