As a passionate advocate for gender equality and inclusion, I find it incredibly inspiring to delve into the stories of trailblazers like Geena Davis and Rod Lurie. Their work, particularly on Commander in Chief and The Contender, has not only captivated audiences but also paved the way for more diverse and empowering representations of women in media.
In the hypothetical scenario of a future election in 2024, the elderly President is stricken with health issues, prompting his younger, female vice-president to take over. This narrative unfolds as Vice President Kamala Harris assumes the Democratic nomination, stepping up for an ailing Joe Biden. Interestingly, this plotline bears resemblance to a TV show script – albeit one produced around 20 years prior.
The television series titled Commander in Chief, airing in 2005, featured Geena Davis as the groundbreaking character of America’s first female vice president. This fictional role was created to give a boost to an older, white male political candidate, appealing to diverse groups. Remind you of someone? While the political narrative depicted in this show and the 2024 race share some similarities, there are substantial differences to note. Firstly, the character, Teddy Bridges, portrayed as president, is a Republican, whereas Geena Davis’s character, Mackenzie, is an Independent. Additionally, in the series (spoiler alert!), President Bridges passes away, leading to Mackenzie assuming the role of Commander in Chief, marking the first time a woman holds this position.
At first, the series garnered immense popularity among viewers, outperforming “House” in ratings. However, it failed to sustain its success and was terminated after a single season, sparking debate over whether the public was prepared for a female president, real or fictional. Recently, “The Hollywood Reporter” interviewed some of the main contributors behind “Commander in Chief” to discuss the impact of the show and any potential insights it may offer regarding the 2024 election.
When asked about whether Commander in Chief contributed to America’s readiness for its first female president, series creator Rod Lurie emphatically responded, “Absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt.” He remembers telling the show’s executive producer, “If we all do our best… We’re going to make history. Because what we’re creating is going to make the world more accustomed to the title ‘Madam President.’
Davis expresses a similar thought, believing that portraying a woman as president on-screen could make the concept seem ordinary to viewers. Lurie found the idea of a series centered around the first female president to be an obvious and excellent choice, which ABC bought into, subject to securing a prominent actor. Such depictions of women presidents in Hollywood were scarce prior to this, with only occasional exceptions like Polly Bergen’s role in the 1964 comedy “Kisses For My President.” Bergen later appeared as the mother of President MacKenzie Allen on “Commander in Chief.” Glenn Close portrayed a female vice president in the 1997 film, “Air Force One,” although.
Over time, numerous articles have been published discussing how popular culture has played a significant part in making it more accepted for certain underrepresented groups within society, as put by David. Shows like “Will & Grace” and comedian Ellen DeGeneres are often recognized for changing the perception of gay individuals in America, contributing significantly to the contemporary LGBTQ equality movement. A survey conducted by Kaplan Thaler revealed that 76% of Americans who were aware of “Commander in Chief” were more likely to consider a female presidential candidate seriously following its premiere.
Lurie remembers a conversation with several journalists during which one criticized him for being a Republican supporter because his female president (who was an Independent) served in a Republican government. Another journalist then asked if he was preparing the path for President Hillary Clinton. “No, I wasn’t,” Lurie clarified. “However, I was indeed working towards having a female president, yes.” Davis recounts that future Democratic nominee Clinton admired the show. At an event, Bill Clinton entered and spotted me, exclaiming, “My president!” He said it was their favorite program, one they never missed.
Despite Davis’s Golden Globe victory for her role, the series faced a downfall due to internal conflicts, one of which led to Lurie’s dismissal. The reasoning behind this decision was that Lurie was often late with script submissions. To try and revive the series, they brought in renowned producer Stephen Bochco, famous for hit shows like “Hill Street Blues” and “NYPD Blue”. However, according to Lurie, the essence and core theme of the show transformed dramatically under Bochco’s leadership. The show that initially aimed to advocate for a female presidency shifted focus to question the necessity of one. Although Lurie acknowledged his own imperfections during his tenure, he felt the change was not entirely positive. Bochco also left the project later, describing it as a terrible experience. With its turbulent production and changing direction, the series struggled to survive.
Davis remarks that the show could have made a greater difference if he’d stayed longer in his position, asserts Anne Sweeney, who was once known as the most powerful woman in Hollywood due to her role as the first female president of ABC Television Group. She believes that “Commander in Chief” was an essential series to air in 2005 because, at that time, fewer women held political seats and influential positions in government compared to today. In 2005, there were only 14 female US senators; currently, there are 25. In 2005, there were 74 women in Congress, whereas in 2024, that number has grown to 126.
Melissa Silverstein serves as Artistic Director at the Athena Film Festival, a position she’s recognized for, yet she gained fame by establishing Women and Hollywood – a platform promoting gender equality and inclusion through education, advocacy, and activism. During the period known as the Commander in Chief, she was engaged with The White House Project, an organization dedicated to instigating social change to facilitate America’s first female presidency. Silverstein attributes the Commander in Chief era to being instrumental in paving a path for more credible female political candidates and even broadening the spectrum of such candidates. She notes that during this time, female candidates were subjected to excessive media scrutiny concerning their hairstyles, clothing choices, and marital status – criticisms typically avoided by male counterparts.
When crafting the character of President Allen, these were the aspects that Davis and I delved deeply into, shaping him within our creative process. We sought to challenge the stereotype that a strong woman in politics must deny her femininity, yet we couldn’t ignore the unfair biases women politicians often face. Topics like fashion, among others, became significant points of discussion as we navigated this delicate balance.
It came as a surprise when contacted for this article that Lurie mentioned not many in the media had approached him regarding his TV show Commander in Chief. However, they did contact him about his 2000 film The Contender, where Joan Allen played a female senator aiming to become vice president, whose political career was disrupted by a sex scandal.
Among some Hollywood supporters of Harris, there was apprehension that her adversaries might sabotage her campaign by bringing up personal attacks. Lurie observes that although she’s been democratically elected, not appointed in her positions, there are still offensive remarks about her. The fact that these attacks seem to have had minimal impact, according to Lurie, shows how much progress we’ve made since the days of his projects like The Contender and Commander in Chief, which were inspired by having a daughter and aimed to portray powerful, multidimensional women.
Beyond playing a fictional U.S. president, Davis also emerged as a genuine advocate for gender equality. Prior to her show’s debut, she established the Geena Davis Institute, driven by her daughter’s inspiration. She explained: “I was shocked to discover that there were significantly more male characters than female characters in content designed for and marketed towards children. I didn’t initially plan to delve this deep, but when I shared my concerns with others, no one seemed to notice what I was observing. In fact, everyone in the industry I spoke to claimed, ‘That’s no longer an issue, that’s been resolved.’ It became clear that something wasn’t adding up, which led me to recognize the importance of conducting research.” The Geena Davis Institute primarily focuses on this area of study. A 2019 report revealed that “almost a third of strong female characters were portrayed in revealing attire compared to less than 10% of similar male characters.
Davis remarks, “I often assert that addressing gender inequality in entertainment doesn’t require gradual steps or phases. Instead, the next film, TV series, advertisement, or video game you produce could already feature a balanced gender representation with diverse women as leads, supporting characters, and extras. In these projects, we can effortlessly construct worlds where women make up half of the characters and engage in half of the intriguing activities.
As a gamer, I’ve always cherished the idea of seeing strong female characters lead in my favorite games. And, in this real-life scenario, I truly hope that the 2024 election will bring us a woman president – not just another inspiring figure in a storybook past, but a living, breathing leader who embodies the power and resilience we’ve come to admire in our fictional heroines.
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2024-10-23 02:25