I finally reached a new low in my dutiful following of Barack Obama as far as reading his midyear and year-end lists of recommended books, movies, and music.
As was the case with his Summer 2022 list which I wrote about in Part II of this series, not only have I not read a single title which he listed in his fave books, I actually have only heard of exactly one of the authors. But at least for his summer list, the one author’s name that was at least familiar sounding was someone who was not his wife and former FLOTUS.
If you click on the link above in the caption to the cover photo, he doesn’t and has never included a list of TV shows he enjoyed throughout the year. Even though he has literally won an Emmy for producing a TV documentary series. Because TV is the boob tube, and anything that can be referred to using the word “boob” is apparently not the kind of content befitting of a former POTUS.
Nor have I seen any of the movies. I will really try getting around to watching The Woman King and Tar1, so I will at least tie my record of TWO Obama-endorsed annual best-of flicks (last year I did see and love West Side Story 2021 version and Power of the Dog). I think I have lost interest by now in Top Gun: Maverick (never even watched the first one), and I had read an article that The Fabelmans is basically Dawson’s Creek. Which I have already thoroughly consumed every episode of every season the first time around. You can say I prefer my Spielberg-related screen content to be ersatz and adjacent, not actually directed by and about the real deal. Btw, #teampacey all the way, am I right Gen X ladies?!
Speaking of The Woman King, I love Viola Davis but when I think about it, I have actually only watched six movies she was in, and two of them were Suicide Squad I and II. I was trying to argue with my husband (as I am wont to do on a very frequent basis) that Viola Davis is the GOAT in terms of actors (sorry Denzel), NOT Meryl Streep although of course Meryl is awesome and second place in my book. For much like in tennis where I feel you need to win ON ALL THREE SURFACES to be considered GOAT (therefore clearly my hubs is dead wrong and Andre Agassi is the superior tennis player to Pete Sampras), I think an actor needs to achieve all the top awards in the industry.
It’s undeniable that Pete won more men’s singles majors titles than Andre, and Meryl has more Academy Awards than Viola. But Agassi won at all four of the Grand Slam tennis events (Australian, US, French Open, and Wimbledon). Whereas Pete Sampras has never ever won at Roland Garros in his life. Maybe he did win on clay at one of those nothingburger tourneys leading up to Paris which were often skipped by champions like Guga who actually knew how to put topspin on a ball. But IMHO,
If you can only win on grass and hardcourt by being a one-trick pony with your serve and volley game, then straight up you are not GOAT like Serena and Rafa.
Much like Obama, both Viola and Meryl have won the Emmy. You can say then that they have all won the entertainment industry’s equivalent of the Australian or U.S. Open, which are hardcourt and generally regarded as the less prestigious half of the four major tennis tournaments. Unlike Obama though, Davis and Streep have won the Oscar which is acting’s analogue to Wimbledon. Played on grass, but still similar to hardcourt in that both surfaces are “quick” which played to Sampras’ style of game well. Correspondingly, while both the Emmys and Oscars are for screen acting, the former is just for TV and the latter just for movies. And as we have already established, anything called “boob tube” is traditionally not in the same league as “the big screen.”
Viola has won the Tony award, not just once, but twice. Hmmm, let’s see how many Tonys that Meryl has — oh that’s right, nada. She was nominated one time but never won. So Meryl has never won the industry’s highest award for STAGE ACTING. You know, the original kind of acting before we had films, like back in Shakespeare’s day. That was live and in real time, without the benefits of any kind of post-production editing and special effects.
Where it’s more serious and you have to act superbly enough to touch the hearts of people in the nosebleed section, not just the rich peeps who can see and hear you loud and clear due to the fact they can afford the front row.
So there you have it — I have finally won an argument with my husband, hurray! He did try to say “but Meryl won the Palm d’Or for best actress at Cannes.” However, he’s French so he is tres biased. Plus I mean c’mon, Roland Garros was an aviator which last time I checked has nothing to do with tennis, so I’m at a loss why they named the most prestigious clay court tournament and stadium in the world after him. (So I did check just now and apparently Roland wasn’t even good at playing tennis recreationally.) Qui sait? Silly French people!
But what I do know is that Obama needs to loosen up for his next semiannual collection of faves; let’s start with adding his top boob tube reccos. See you back here for Part IV when he comes out with his Summer 2023 list!2
This article first appeared in ’s excellent Fanfare pub on Medium.
Update: I’m doing so good now, I’ve watched a record-breaking FIVE of Obama’s listed movies! I really highly recommend Tar, Everything Everywhere All at Once, and Decision to Leave. You can skip Aftersun.
I love the tennis analogy! So great.
I would actually PAY for an Obama newsletter alllllll about Le Tube Boob! I haven’t heard it referred to that in epics and I am STILL laughing. Like, we know Barry cried at the end of Ted Lasso. C’mon now!