NBC’s “Smash,” which revolves around the making of a musical, thinks being Republican is a weakness. At least that’s what Julia, the adulteress who is the lyricist on the show, has to say when the musical’s composer, Tom, mentions that his gay lover is a Republican.
“Everybody has a flaw,” she snarks.
On a show that features adultery, random affairs of every sexual variety, and pill-popping, calling someone flawed for being a Republican would be laughable if it weren’t for the pedigrees of the creators.
The show began in 2009 at Showtime from an idea by Steven Spielberg; the idea was that each season would feature a new musical, and if it were any good, Spielberg would take it to Broadway. Spielberg, a militant liberal, is one of the executive producers of the show.
Marc Shaiman, the Hollywood composer who is another executive producer on the show, has directed vitriol at conservatives before, too. Shaiman was the creator of the video, “Proposition 8: The Musical,” which lampooned supporters of California’s referendum upholding traditional marriage. Shaiman’s musical started with Christian activists conspiring against homosexuals, asserting, “Look, nobody’s watching. It’s time to spread some hate, and put it in the Constitution.” And Shaiman is an Obama worshiper; when asked about Prop 8, he sadly remarked that he had thought the country was past such things: “Barack Obama’s ascension just had us all so giddy.”
“Smash” has lost its audience share rapidly; it started with 11 million viewers and that number has dwindled to less than 7 million. Its network competitors, “Hawaii Five-O” and “Castle,” are killing it in the 18-49 age group, which can’t be good news; those over 50 are definitely not the show’s target audience.
Republicans are flawed? Perhaps it’s that sort of mentality that’s driving a show that spends $3.5 million per episode down the ratings memory hole.
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