Maddow 101

I realized recently that I have one obsession that I don’t share with the world much. It’s not that I’m ashamed of it, it’s just that when its 9pm pretty much every weekday, my focus is on finding the remote and figuring out what channel MSNBC is.

That’s right, Rachel Maddow. I love her. [and that’s her dog, Poppy, for the record – Photo courtesy of her official web presence]

I’m not embarrassed by my love of Dr. Maddow – that’s right. SHE’S A DOCTOR, ya’ll. I don’t TALK about how much I love Maddow like I do about Idina Menzel, Chely Wright, those weeks when I think Lady Gaga may actually be the second coming of Christ, but that’s mostly because I don’t want anyone to think it’s just a crush. True! I have a crush on her. But it’s the same way I have a talent crush on Adele – I don’t read interviews or things about her, I just let her voice waft through my bedroom and wish I had those pipes. In addition to being seven thousand kinds of adorable and funny, Maddow is also [dare I say it] the smartest person on television, maybe the smartest person alive. It’s just that – to enjoy Maddow, you must also have a basic appreciation of government & politics – which means I owe a HUGE thank you Cameron O’Quinn & Chad Keister. If you’re reading this – I give all the credit to you. But the fact of the matter is not everyone likes to think about this stuff – read: not everyone is as much of a nerd as me and finds other things more entertaining. Sorry ‘other-people-who-find-cable-punditry-stupid-and-this-post-boring’, but I don’t just enjoy this stuff, I LIVE for it.

Hence, some of the reasons why Doctor Rachel Maddow is both amazing at her job and amazing in general:

The major difference between her and Keith Olbermann (who also love, for the record) is that she somehow brings people on her show who you know from the beginning that she vehemently disagrees with their opinions and such, and manages to listen to them, allow them to say their piece, and then swiftly pull the rug out from under them with little to no flourish of self-satisfaction.  In this clip, the man she’s interviewing believes in some sort of gay-to-straight conversion therapy. Maddow is an out lesbian with a partner of over 10 years, and you know? She every right in the world to find this guy’s opinions repulsive, but she does let him talk. And she even allows him to interrupt her more than once when she should probably just keep talking. And in the end – she pretty much does ‘smack him down,’ as the Youtube title of the video says…

She will run a correction. She will also call you out if you want her to run a correction on something that was in fact correct in the first place. And she’ll even defend a Fox New anchor who has cited something that is correct, and yet has been told that he’s a liar, etc – simply because SHE CITED IT TOO. It’s that kind of fair that makes her an extra step above the usual level of awesome.

I have about 8,000 different videos of her that I could post here. Things I suggest you look up on Youtube include anything where she talks about Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker who recently busted the unions in his state, Christine O’Donnell, interviews with Rand Paul & Ron Paul, that time she went to the NRA convention as Meghan McCain’s date, etc. But those are serious things. And it’s important to remember that part of the reason Maddow is awesome is that she is able to put serious aside for a moment and be her geeky self.

One of my favorite Maddow-isms is that if she wasn’t a radio host (she was originally on Air America before becoming Keith Olbermann’s pet talking head) talking about politics she would find a way to ‘professionally bully people about what they drink.’ Needless to say, I’m underage so I have not sampled her cocktails, but when I turn 21, I will have taste in alcoholic beverages that far exceeds my years and probably my bank account. Fear not Vermouth. No bottled citrus juices. Shake until it hurts to hold the shaker. Don’t eat the garnish. I suggest you youtube search ‘Rachel Maddow Cocktails.’ It’s a few hours of wandering aimlessly through links of fun.

[NOTE: that is not the cocktail video I would choose, but MSNBC videos don’t enjoy imbeding in blogs. SO, if you want to see what I REALLY wanted there – go to http://maddow.msnbc.com and click on the cocktail moment section. The first video is her teaching her parents in California how to make a mojito for her Aunt Joan the nun. It’s awesome.]

All in all, this ‘Maddow 101’ post of sorts is mostly a means to me expressing that I both love and respect her. I intend to apply to intern for her while I’m in the city, and I pray that it actually gets to happen. If I could have her job or a job working closely with her, I would jump on it before you could bat an eye. Oh, and one more moment of Maddow greatness?

Yep. She’s that cool.