In 1985 I wrote a college paper on the theater of politics by examining the 1980 televised presidential debate between Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter. As a Political Science Major who was also studying acting, I wanted to understand how our political system was becoming increasingly performative with television as the medium. Many of us at the time were horrified that a B-movie actor could harness the power of television as well as Mr. Reagan. Given the power that television had in 1980, it should come as no surprise that a reality TV show and social media celebrity has become President. Unfortunately, this all feels eerily familiar.
Serge Seiden — Photo: Todd Franson/File photo
But Reagan was old-school. His use of TV was all about acting — about projecting a warm, trustworthy personality through the cameras to our screens. He was just good at that role. You have turned the election — and now our entire public life — into a reality TV show. No acting necessary.
During the primaries any candidate who played by the traditional rules was eliminated from the show, and we ate it up with a spoon. As President-elect you’ve had to introduce the latest round of contestants — “cabinet appointments,” each one clearly cast for the entertainment value of their confirmation hearings. As a theater director, I’ve marveled at your ability to control the focus and keep us entertained. Like a good reality TV show, we’re disgusted, but we just can’t stop watching.
But how long can you as the ringmaster keep this circus going? And what happens at the end? What’s the season finale you’re planning? And meanwhile, what damage will you inflict on real people while we’re all distracted by the high-wire act?
For me, and many of my peers, Reagan’s warm, trustworthy TV persona was vile mask that refused to address a deadly epidemic, broke unions, gave tax cuts to the rich, and spent billions on the military. Our TV addiction had real and deadly consequences.
As a theater practitioner, I’m always telling myself that the reason live theater never dies out completely is something to do with community. As isolated and screen-addicted as we are, we still need community. We will always enjoy being together in a dark room as actors tell a story. It goes back to our human origins. I’ve got 11 people staying at my house for the Women’s March coming from all over. This weekend we’ll be renewing real community bonds — in protest — that will eventually overtake the Reality TV nation we’ve temporarily become.
Sadly, I can’t blame you, Mr. Trump. You’re just a bit of casting genius. You’re the flavor of the month. We’ll soon tire of you. And our real bonds of community will remain. But again, what damage will you inflict as the wheel of fortune turns on you?
The opinions expressed in these letters are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organizations and this magazine, its staff and contributors.
U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson, one of several Democrats targeted in Texas's latest gerrymander, says she will seek reelection after a federal three-judge panel blocked a Republican-backed congressional map that would have drawn her out of her Dallas-area district for 2026.
The lesbian congresswoman is one of five Texas Democrats whose districts were reshaped to give Republicans a 2026 edge, and among several Democrats who were effectively drawn out of the seats they currently represent.
In Johnson's case, the proposed map would have stretched her Dallas-based 32nd District into Republican-leaning Rockwall County and rural East Texas, while shifting her hometown of Farmers Branch into GOP Rep. Beth Van Duyne's 24th District, a seat Trump won by 16 points in 2024.
The International Olympic Committee is reportedly preparing to ban transgender women from competing in all female-designated sports, according to a report by the U.K. newspaper The Times.
At present, each sport’s international federation sets its own rules on transgender eligibility, with some requiring athletes to undergo hormone therapy for a specific period before competing in the female category.
But IOC President Kirsty Coventry, elected earlier this year, has called for consistent standards across all sports. After taking office in June, she created four working groups to address key issues facing the IOC, including one focused on protecting women’s sports.
Justine Lindsay, the NFL's first out transgender cheerleader, recently revealed that she was fired this year, a decision she alleges was motivated by transphobia and Donald Trump's election as president.
"I was cut because I'm trans," Lindsay said in an Instagram Live with Gaye Magazine. "I don't wanna hear nobody saying, 'She didn't wanna come back.' Why the hell would I not wanna come back to an organization that I've been a part of for three years? That makes no sense to me. So I was cut. I was devastated. It stung. I was hurt."
Lindsay, who made history as the NFL's first transgender cheerleader when she tried out and made the Carolina Panthers's TopCats squad in 2022, told the magazine that her teammates "know the truth" about the decision to cut her from the squad.
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