Friday.
Too angry to post something cute.
Political Crap
As I am certain you have heard by now, The Atlantic published an article yesterday — a damning, infuriating article — that claimed President Bonespurs called our fallen soldiers, “losers” and “suckers,” that said he couldn’t grasp why people would join the military in the first place, that he asked John Kelly, the father of a fallen soldier, “what’s in it for them?” while standing in Arlington Cemetery, that he was furious that flags were flown half-staff for Senator John McCain and called him a “fucking loser,” called President Bush a “loser” for being shot down during World War II, and said that he was disgusted with wounded veterans.
I implore you to read it for yourself if you haven’t already, and read it again if you already have.
When President Donald Trump canceled a visit to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery near Paris in 2018, he blamed rain for the last-minute decision, saying that “the helicopter couldn’t fly” and that the Secret Service wouldn’t drive him there. Neither claim was true.
Trump rejected the idea of the visit because he feared his hair would become disheveled in the rain, and because he did not believe it important to honor American war dead, according to four people with firsthand knowledge of the discussion that day. In a conversation with senior staff members on the morning of the scheduled visit, Trump said, “Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers.” In a separate conversation on the same trip, Trump referred to the more than 1,800 marines who lost their lives at Belleau Wood as “suckers” for getting killed.
…
On Memorial Day 2017, Trump visited Arlington National Cemetery, a short drive from the White House. He was accompanied on this visit by John Kelly, who was then the secretary of homeland security, and who would, a short time later, be named the White House chief of staff. The two men were set to visit Section 60, the 14-acre area of the cemetery that is the burial ground for those killed in America’s most recent wars. Kelly’s son Robert is buried in Section 60. A first lieutenant in the Marine Corps, Robert Kelly was killed in 2010 in Afghanistan. He was 29. Trump was meant, on this visit, to join John Kelly in paying respects at his son’s grave, and to comfort the families of other fallen service members. But according to sources with knowledge of this visit, Trump, while standing by Robert Kelly’s grave, turned directly to his father and said, “I don’t get it. What was in it for them?” Kelly (who declined to comment for this story) initially believed, people close to him said, that Trump was making a ham-handed reference to the selflessness of America’s all-volunteer force. But later he came to realize that Trump simply does not understand non-transactional life choices.
…
According to eyewitnesses, after a White House briefing given by the then-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joe Dunford, Trump turned to aides and said, “That guy is smart. Why did he join the military?”
…
Trump has been, for the duration of his presidency, fixated on staging military parades, but only of a certain sort. In a 2018 White House planning meeting for such an event, Trump asked his staff not to include wounded veterans, on grounds that spectators would feel uncomfortable in the presence of amputees. “Nobody wants to see that,” he said.
The story has been confirmed by sources by both the A.P. and The Washington Post, who added that President Deferment also called soldiers who had gone missing in action, “losers,” and made other disparaging remarks about them.
In one account, the president told senior advisers that he didn’t understand why the U.S. government placed such value on finding soldiers missing in action because they had performed poorly and gotten caught and deserved what they got, according to a person familiar with the discussion.
Trump believed people who served in the Vietnam War must be “losers” because they hadn’t gotten out of it, according to a person familiar with the comments. Trump also complained bitterly to then-Chief of Staff John F. Kelly that he didn’t understand why Kelly and others in the military treated McCain, who had been imprisoned and tortured during the Vietnam War, with such reverence. “Isn’t he kind of a loser?” Trump asked, according to the person familiar with Trump’s comments.
President Coward is denying it, of course, going so far to tweet that he SWEARS he’s never called John McCain a loser.
I was never a big fan of John McCain, disagreed with him on many things including ridiculous endless wars and the lack of success he had in dealing with the VA and our great Vets, but the lowering of our Nations American Flags, and the first class funeral he was given by our….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 4, 2020
….John a loser and swear on whatever, or whoever, I was asked to swear on, that I never called our great fallen soldiers anything other than HEROES. This is more made up Fake News given by disgusting & jealous failures in a disgraceful attempt to influence the 2020 Election!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 4, 2020
Yeah, the thing about that?
Via @fitsnews: “Donald Trump: John McCain Is ‘A Loser’” http://t.co/sgiETvdUqi
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 18, 2015
And this is the thing: the White House can trot out as many people to say, “NUH-UH!” to this story as they’d like, but we all know it’s true because he has said it to our faces time and time again.
This coward falsified medical records to avoid being sent to Vietnam, and then compared avoiding STDs in the 70s and 80s his “personal Vietnam.” He also claimed that he’s made up for skipping out on serving in Vietnam by increasing the military budget.
He attacked the Khans, the Gold Star parents of Captain Humayun Khan, who died in Iraq in 2004 after they criticized President Xenophobe’s attack on Muslims at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
He repeatedly attacked John McCain, calling him a “loser” for being captured in Vietnam, which, as shown above, he delightedly tweeted about after the fact.
And, of course, a story that has unfortunately been unceremoniously dropped by the mainstream press: Russia has placed bounties on our soldiers’ heads in Afghanistan, and he has done NOTHING to stop this. He has not denounced this, he has not confronted Putin, he has not penalized Russia in any way, shape, or fashion.
Additionally, and notably, John Kelly has not disputed the story.
Mr. President, if you don’t respect our troops, you can’t lead them. pic.twitter.com/hcX9hGgdm5
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) September 4, 2020
Donald Trump called our fallen troops "suckers" and "losers."
They can't speak for themselves, but these 6 Gold Star families speak for our fallen.
Here is their POWERFUL message.#GoldStarParentsAgainstTrump #VeteransAgainstTrump pic.twitter.com/ZnbFevqkNR— VoteVets (@votevets) September 4, 2020
I was an Air Force brat, and come from a military family, several generations back. I moved around a lot as a kid — but admittedly not as much as many of my fellow military kids as my father wasn’t career military. Still, being a part of a military family and bouncing around Air Force bases for 10 formative years, it shaped me.
So when I read this article yesterday afternoon, the thing I was most surprised by was how shocked and disgusted I was by it. There’s nothing new here, nothing that we couldn’t have guessed he might have said. And yet, even now, almost 24 hours after reading the piece, I’m still so full of rage when I think about it that my eyes well with hot, angry tears. That part of me that was shaped by my time as a military brat, it is inflamed. This is the President of the United States, dismissing men and women who have sacrificed everything for this country as “losers” and “suckers,” who finds himself disgusted by our wounded warriors, who can’t fathom why anyone would do anything that wouldn’t financially benefit them. I know perfectly well that he’s a sociopath and has no concept of selflessness, and yet, here I am, fuming.
My anger is two-fold: It is directed at him and his performative pro-military bullshit. He loves to talk about “his” generals and how much he loves the military and how no one has ever done more for the military and how he wants to have military parades in the style of North Korea, etc. And yet none of that love is shared with the actual human beings who make up the military, the soldiers who put their lives on the line every day, or the families they leave behind. They’re just the “suckers” who collectively make up the hyper-masculine mythos with which he likes to associate himself.
But it is mostly directed at his supporters, relatives of mine who are vets, one a Wounded Warrior, who are going to vote for President What’s In It For Me? anyway. Here he is, telling them to their faces that he has disdain for their choices, disgust at their sacrifice, and yet, because our politics have become so tribal, they will continue to support him because of what he represents to them, entirely disregarding who he really is.
And so, while I would like to believe that this disgusting story will change hearts and minds of at least some undecided voters, I am pessimistic. He’s told us all this before, time and time again. Why should this time be any different?
Going Viral
Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s own Donald Trump, has been hospitalized with COVID-19. You hate to see it.
THIS VIRUS HAS NOT GONE AWAY. DO NOT CONGREGATE IN GROUPS WITHOUT MASKS. WE ARE ALREADY AT 191,000 DEAD, WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO MAKE YOU IDIOTS LISTEN?
Shows that have gone back into production:
- Lucifer
- RuPaul’s Drag Race
- RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars
- Shameless (on September 8)
- Animal Kingdom (on September 7)
- Mom (on September 14)
- Ruthless
- Bruh
Variety has a very comprehensive list here and here.
Not all the news is good, though: production on Chucky has been pushed back to 2021, and Cortés y Moctezuma, a four-hour miniseries at Amazon, has been scrapped altogether.
All Other TV News
Anna Faris is being written out of Mom in the upcoming season premiere. What? I mean, yes, Allison Janney is the title character, but if you show is called “Mom” shouldn’t there be a kid? Weird.
Disney+ is adding a tribute to Chadwick Boseman:
“Chadwick Boseman – A Tribute for a King.” Now streaming on #DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/poxeZs9Pgu
— Disney+ (@disneyplus) September 4, 2020
Today’s a double-feature! The first two tablereads of #Riverdale Season Five! Even on Zoom and in quarantine, so grateful to be able to continue telling these stories with this incredible group of people. Back to the Town with Pep we go!! ❤️📺👠🐍🕺💃🏻🌹🌈🌪🎭🎟🚑🚀📸☎️🛢💣💵☠️👨🏻💻 pic.twitter.com/pb3jb1yXTp
— RobertoAguirreSacasa (@WriterRAS) September 2, 2020
The #Riverdale Players Theatre continues with our next two table reads today via Zoom!! As we say goodbye to high school and hello to…??? 🚀🎟🐍🕺☎️🌪📸😞👨🏻💻🏃🏻♀️🏃🏻♂️🕷🚢🚧🗽☠️👀👯♀️👩👦👦 pic.twitter.com/GplWbUUmBB
— RobertoAguirreSacasa (@WriterRAS) September 3, 2020
But let’s be honest, they’re not killing Archie off.
For those of you who watched the admittedly entertaining, but deeply problematic Netflix series, Indian Matchmaker, maybe everything didn’t unfold exactly as it seemed? Shocking for a reality series, I KNOW.
Renewals
- Reno 911! has been renewed for a second season on Quibi.
Cancellations
In Development
- The Golden Child, a family drama, is being developed at ABC.
- The Farm, a farm drama, is in development at Fox.
- Quinta Brunson has a put pilot commitment for a teacher comedy at ABC.
- Blair, a half-hour comedy, has been sold to HBO Max; Wiped Out, another half-hour comedy has been sold to Peacock. Both shows are produced by Chelsea Handler.
- Silk could be the next Marvel character to get her own live-action TV series.
- Curious George: Go West, Go Wild is coming to Peacock.
Casting News
- Sara Haines is officially returning to The View.
- Gina Torres is joining 9-1-1: Lone Star on Fox.
- Luke Wilson will host the unscripted series, Emergency Call, on ABC.
- Ciera Payton and Morocco Omari are your Wendy Williams and Kevin Hunter in the upcoming Lifetime movie, Wendy Williams: The Hot Topic.
- Roland Møller will co-star in Citadel on Amazon.
Mark Your Calendar
- American Barbecue Showdown will premiere on Netflix on September 18.
- BET and ET Present Chadwick Boseman: Life and Legacy will air on BET on September 6.
- 40 Years a Prisoner will premiere on HBO on December 3.
- Home & Family will return on Hallmark Channel on September 14.
WATCH THIS
FRIDAY
The Boys: The Boys continue their mission to expose “The Seven” in the second season. Season premiere (episodes will be released weekly). Amazon
Away: Hillary Swank stars in this series as an astronaut bound for Mars, and leaving behind her husband and child. Series premiere. Netflix
I’m Thinking of Ending Things: Jessie Buckley, Jesse Plemons, Toni Collette, and David Thewlis star in this Charlie Kaufman movie about a trip to meet the boyfriend’s parents that turns everything on its head. Premiere. Netflix
Noughts + Crosses: A pair of star-crossed lovers are kept apart by racism and prejudice in this British sci-fi series. Series premiere. Peacock
Mulan: Shell out nearly $30 to watch this live-action version in your living room! Disney+
SATURDAY
Kentucky Derby: Four hours of coverage for a two-minute race! Get your bourbon on! 1:30 p.m., NBC
21 Bridges: The recently passed Chadwick Boseman stars in this crime drama. 8 p.m., Showtime
V.C. Andrews marathon: Get your trash TV on all day. 11 a.m., Lifetime
Saturday Night Live: The Chadwick Boseman episode with the classic “Black Jeopardy” skit is replayed. 10:30 p.m., NBC
SUNDAY
Power Book II: Ghost: Tariq navigates his new life and tries to shed his father’s legacy in this sequel to the popular series, Power. Series premiere. 8 p.m., Starz
Top Gear: Season 28 premiere. 7 p.m., BBCAmerica
Black Panther: Another way to honor Chadwick Boseman, with perhaps his most famous role. 6 p.m., & 9 p.m. TBS
| FRI. | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 |
| ABC | Shark Tank (repeat) |
20/20 |
| CBS | MacGyver (new) |
Love Island (new) |
Blue Bloods (repeat) |
| CW | Masters of Illusion (repeat) |
Masters of Illusion (repeat) |
Being Reuben (new) |
Being Reuben (new) |
Local |
| FOX | Friday Night Smackdown | Local |
| NBC | America’s Got Talent (repeat) |
Dateline |
—
| SAT. | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 | 10:00 | 10:30 | 11:00 | 11:30 |
| ABC | College Football (maybe!) (live) |
News/Local |
| CBS | Love Island | 48 Hours | News/Local |
| FOX | MLS Soccer (live) |
News/Local |
| NBC | Stanley Cup Playoff | News/ Local |
Saturday Night Live (repeat) |
—
| SUN. | 6:00 | 6:30 | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 |
| ABC | America’s Funniest Home Videos (repeat) |
NBA Playoffs (live) |
| CBS | 60 Minutes | Big Brother (new) |
Love Island (new) |
NCIS: New Orleans (repeat) |
| The CW | Local | Fridge Wars (repeat) |
Supernatural (repeat) |
Local |
| FOX | Fox PBC Fight Night (live) |
Local/News |
| NBC | Stanley Cup Playoff (live) |
Anna Faris leaving Mom is a huge deal? What? Why? Ahhh
She is “pursuing new opportunities.” I.e., seven seasons is enough. Interestingly, she and Janney are both in the middle of two-year contracts, so there’s clearly more to this story.
-T