Burning Question: How is the Obama administration like an episode of 'The Simpsons'?
Hint: It has to do with that whole ‘making government cool’ thing.
It all started in September 2008, when then-presidential candidate Barack Obama almost offhandedly remarked that he would consider it his job as president to "make government cool again."
We all know what happened next. Obama got elected, and use of the phrase spiraled out of control. Now Steve Losey steps in on the Federal Times "Fedline" blog to throw some cold water on the whole notion.
"All the coolness talk," he writes, "reminds me of the Simpsons episode 'Itchy and Scratchy and Poochie.' In it, television executives try to boost the ratings of the Itchy and Scratchy cartoon by adding a new, 'hip' character called Poochie, who they describe as 'extreme!' and 'totally in-your-face!' But the transparent and desperate attempt at coolness falls flat with the show's audience, and Poochie is quickly killed off."
When you get right down to it, writes Losey, "Simply repeating 'we're going to make government cool' may be the least cool thing anyone can do."
"Making government cool" is the Obama administration's Poochie
(Fedline)
Burning Question is a recurring feature that looks at key issues and compelling stories being explored at other publications and social media sites covering the federal government.