If Fran Drescher becomes a member of the U.S. Senate, then there’s no telling how soon Gilbert Gottfried will be the next gubernatorial contender for California.
The actress, who came to fame by speaking through her nose on the television show “The Nanny,” is reportedly considering running for the seat previously held by Hillary Clinton in the 2010 New York senate race.
In an interview with The Malibu Times, Drescher said, “I’ve been told by very high-level U.S. senators that I should run for the senate and that I’d be great in the senate. And high level Democratic donors have encouraged me.”
This encouragement, however, could very well be a case of diarrhea of the mouth on the senators’ behalf. It’s sort of like when people in Los Angeles say that you should be an actor or a model. They don’t really think that you’re going to be an Academy Award winner or a cover model, they’re just being nice. Talk to anyone for a short enough time and they’ll think you’re capable of lots of stuff you probably shouldn’t pursue.
As a health diplomat representing the U.S. State Department, Drescher has helped fund a organization called “Cancer Schmancer.” What? That’s not even clever. As a survivor of uterine cancer, Drescher promotes health care reform as part of her political platform. This elementary play on words could become her trademark campaign slogan. Expect “Poverty Schmoverty,” “AIDS Schmaids,” and “Al-Qai’da Schmal-Schmai’da” to become her legacy.
A native of Queens, Drescher “is about as authentic of a voice for New Yorkers as there is,” according to her political advisor Jordan Brown. That statement sums up her entire career. In 1996 she wrote her first book called “Enter Whining” in which she whines about being cursed with that voice of hers.
In response to Drescher’s announcement, Justin Brahms, a third-year political science student, said, “Her lack of exposure to insider politics does not necessarily disqualify her from being a competent candidate.” Brahms believes that her work with interest groups and in lobbying gives her at least some insight in what being a politician entails and that her desire to follow this past could be successful.
There have been some steps already taken to prove that the actress has experience in the public sphere. Drescher’s background in diplomacy and lobbying has contributed to her recognition as a contender for the Senate. EMILY’s List, a group that transforms women into viable candidates for public office, has already approached Drescher about being a congresswoman, to which Drescher said, “Having worked as a lobbyist for women’s health issues and an advocate and activist for children’s education, I find that I prefer the Senate because it’s a much smaller, more bipartisan group. That’s a large reason why I feel I would function better in that arena.”
It seems that actresses and actors would be the perfect target for groups like EMILY’s List. Basically, they direct potential politicians, instructing them on how to look, what they should say, and how their public appearances can help and hurt them. Actresses are used to submitting to directors’ instructions, and so this could be the role of her life. It’s like the movie “Zoolander”, except actors and actresses aren’t really trained to be killing machines (with the exception of Arnold Schwarzenegger) and are more fit to act as talking heads.
Name recognition and the ability to speak comfortably in public (regardless of how much their voice makes crowds want to pour acid into their ears) don’t qualify a person to take public office. While much of the policy making and legislation is driven by lobbyists and special interest groups, using an actress that used to be somewhat famous and has spent the last 10 years sliding down to the bottom of the D-list will do just fine to promote their causes; besides, it’s not like she’s doing anything else.
As much as special interest groups would like Fran Drescher to play the role of Senator, the American public would be better off if she used her talent to star in “The Nanny: The Movie.”
E-mail Jagerman at njagerman@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.