This morning, we sat on the back porch talking about Kevin Spacey, who has been discovered to be a groper of young men. Although groping people is a rotten thing to do, Spacey’s case seemed more complicated than that. For starters, he already plays the biggest villain on tv, Frank Underwood.
We’ve been binge-watching House of Cards this year, trying to catch up with the rest of America, as we grapple with a vision of American politics that’s darker than Shakespeare. The “hero” of this drama is not a likable guy. Frank makes ruthless deals. He has people killed and kills people himself. He takes advantage of people in every way — politically, personally, and sexually. And then he has the gall to turn to the camera, conspiratorially, to tell “us,” the audience, what we think and why we’re wrong. He brings us into his web of deceit and makes us complicit. Read More
