Well, it’s official: C-SPAN is finally kind of cool. No longer is the political network just for people who can’t find their remote in the lint-collecting cushions of their couch or kenneled dogs whose owners don’t want them to feel alone. That channel, the one where those middle-aged men stand behind podiums, is relevant at last.
Surprisingly enough, it’s all because of the GOP. Even though the Republican party may have fewer cool points than a Flomax commercial, they were the unequivocal talk of the town last week. Last Thursday, Kentucky senator Rand Paul made C-SPAN a must-watch with his awe-inspiring filibuster of John Brennan’s nomination as C.I.A. director. Paul went for 13 entertaining, unpredictable, bathroom-free hours.
There really was a bit of everything. Allusions were made to urination. Paul sloppily indulged in a mid-rant candy bar. Senator Marco Rubio referenced Wiz Khalifa and somehow seemed more out of touch. I think Republican politicians could have performed the Harlem Shake in superhero costumes, and it wouldn’t have felt like a huge surprise.
It was every guilty pleasure reality program rolled into one beautiful, political, cringe-worthy package. Except this thing was actually real.
That’s what got lost in all the post-filibuster conversation. Yes, the nationally televised event had far-reaching implications in the world of politics and made libertarians everywhere squeal with excitement. But, more than anything else, it was the reality show we all wish existed. The never-ending event may as well have been called “Middle-aged Politicians Talk Themselves to Death” or, perhaps more fittingly, “So You Think You Can Avoid The Bathroom for 13 Hours?”
The filibuster could be enjoyed by any demographic. It wasn’t just for political junkies left with nothing to do after finishing “House of Cards” — every red-blooded American should have loved the coverage. In our culture of reality TV and silly viral videos, we worship embarrassed politicians and Tweet-worthy speeches. The instant classic on the Senate floor had everything.
And we have C-SPAN to thank for giving us the whole damn thing. Even though it may be the buzzkill of cable TV networks, the live-streamed filibuster was intoxicating. Kind of like behind-the-scenes extras on a DVD, the event was filled with an overwhelming sense of confidentiality. C-SPAN gave us a first-hand look at one of the coolest facets of our political process.
I have since had a prolific realization. The network I used to condemn, as strange as it is for me to say, may not be so bad after all. Viewers get to see politicians doing politics without any bias. I found out via YouTube that prank calling C-SPAN’s talk shows is all too common — not to mention entertaining. There’s a feeling on C-SPAN that anything can happen. It presents unfiltered, bullshit-free politics to the masses.
I’m not saying I intend on replacing “The Walking Dead” with C-SPAN original programming or binge-watching lectures with prominent authors. Although finding the exciting programming on the network is no easy task, it’s still a fantastic format of uninterrupted, undisturbed TV. It’s about time the most certifiably boring channel on everyone’s boob tube got a little credit.
The filibuster more than proved that. While I watched last Thursday night, I continued to check how C-SPAN’s cable news competitors were covering the historic event. Some stations had pundits talking about what it meant, while others overwhelmed the viewer with graphics about other marathon filibusters. In our society that’s overrun with a multitude of opinions and angles, it was nice to just see the news — I have to give C-SPAN its props.
Yes, the publicly funded cable network may still be the “Toby Flenderson” of TV. And it sadly may never compete with the likes of “American Idol” in the ratings battle. But C-SPAN gave us 13 streaming hours of pure political ecstasy. They gave us the undisputed best TV moment of 2013, and maybe one of the coolest of the past decade. That’s something that can’t be ignored.
Fifty cool points to you, C-SPAN.
