Barack Obama has been the President of the United States of America for a little over a month now, and in that short time, he’s done a lot: He’s gotten an economic recovery plan through Congress, he’s announced several new foreign-policy initiatives, and he’s preempted primetime TV programming on two occasions — with a press conference a few weeks ago and tonight’s State of the Union-ish address at 9 p.m. Eastern. Barack!
Obama may have been dubbed "President Rock Star" by a certain weekly entertainment magazine, but who knew he’d so quickly turn into a TV star, too? Not that I’m complaining. Usually, these prexy pep talks feel like an annoying hindrance to watching The Mentalist (which, ahem, you can see next week, at its regularly scheduled time), but given the economic crisis, I’m actually kinda looking forward to hearing what Obama’s going to say tonight. What about you, PopWatchers? Do you endorse all this Presidential preemption, or will it be getting your veto?
What happened to escapism television? That’s what I turn to television for. If I want to hear about political situations, I’ll read the paper.
Nope. Too busy getting an MBA to watch live. But I’d make room for a new Office and 30 Rock.
Yes, I will definitely be watching. There is more to life than escapist television–like real life.
I’ll definitely start it, and I’m only slightly ashamed to say I probably won’t make more than an hour no matter how interesting he is (he did seem a bit verbose in the last press conference).
As an aside, there’s only one place to watch: C-SPAN. Absolutely every other channel insists on spinning even minutiae, and I just get nauseous.
No.
He’s screwing up American Idol for the week. He can go to hell.
I hate that they have to pre-empt everything!!! Can’t they just pick a freaking network and let everyone else run regular programing? No I won’t be watching. I’m actually going out tonight, but I wouldn’t watch it anyway. I read msnbc. I listen to the radio. What could he possibly be planning to say that won’t be recapped all over the place for the next 3 days?
A DVR’d “24″ from last night or a speech? Think I’ll take Jack Bauer over Obama EVERYTIME!!
I would rather watch President Taylor from “24″ give the speech. Now she is a president!
No, he is a jackass…I want my American Idol. He is a friggin idiot!
Oh, how terrible to pre-empt American Idol to discuss something so petty as the future of America. Give me a break people, TV is TV and life is life. Those who have both won’t mind listening to the most inspirational public speaker the oval office has seen in a long time. Surely he’ll have something of more substance to share than Simon and Paula’s weekly drivel. If you can’t get over it just think of it as “Reality TV”.
These presidential telecasts are nothing but propaganda. I love Obama, but I will not be watching. I HATE having my TV schedule interrupted.
Some of you people sound as bad as the soap opera watchers did back in 1981 when General Hospital was interrupted because Reagan got shot. They all called the network cause they missed Luke and Laura that afternoon.
Can you blame them? I hope they reaired General Hospital. That was back in the days when there was no TiVo, VCRs, or reruns of soap opera episodes.
Why can’t it air on the cable news networks, the internet or something? Now tomorrow night I’ll have to choose between Lost, Life and AI. I’m guessing AI gets the boot. In the sucky climate we’re in now I like having my TV to cheer me up. Is that really so awful?
What?! TV is what keeps you going? How pathetic.