May 17, 2014

The NYT calls it "Pedigree vs. Policy," but I disagree.

On one side in this race for County Board of Supervisors, you've got Bobby Shriver, a Kennedy family person, so I'll accept "pedigree" for that. But on the other side, you've got Sheila Kuehl.
Ms. Kuehl, under the name Sheila James, played Zelda on “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis,” a situation comedy that ran from 1959 to 1963, and she went on to become the first openly gay member of the California Legislature. “I have a lot of, can I say, good will because of my TV work,” she said. “I don’t believe a day goes by that someone doesn’t come up to me and say, ‘I know you are running, I wish you luck, but I loved that TV series.’ ”
I call that pedigree. (And I loved that TV series.)

15 comments:

Phil 314 said...

"She is known for her command of policy. The room filled with elected officials, community organizers and gay activists at a Saturday night fund-raiser was testimony to her years in government and her work on gay rights."

A vivid image, a frightening thought.

Anonymous said...

Not enough people named 'Zelda' anymore. Same goes for 'Maynard'.

Ann Althouse said...

Some day in the dog park, I predict, there will be a Zelda and Maynard. Why just yesterday, there was a Dobie.

Sam L. said...

I loved that show, too. Don't recognize her, now. Perhaps she will come to embody the new "Legend of Zelda".

Michael K said...

The last "Dobie" I cared about was Harry Carey Jr.

California politics is a joke. Especially LA County. This is what a country would look like if the Democrats ruled.

madAsHell said...

"We're victims of propinquity."
-Zelda Gilroy

Anonymous said...

Nagourney, get on a plane to Tinseltown and move some papers, kid. Give 'em an angle, something to hold on to.

"Fighting out of Santa Monica, at 190 lbs of pure uncut Kennedy, East coast entitlement and West Coast smooth, He can see the poor from his front door. He's been to Yale and he really hates shale, It's battlin' Bobby Shriver.

***Meet Bobby over a power lunch and meet his family at the next stump speech.

"Also out of Santa Monica at 190 lbs, she was for hate crime laws before the President evolved, she's a former child star raising the single-payer bar. If labor's involved problems get solved. Don't mind the majoritarian, authoritarian impulses folks, it's all for a good cause.

Keep that in mind when the tax PERSON comes to your door...it's Sheila Kuuuuueeeehl.

***Please respect people of all backgrounds and lifestyles. Traditional hetero-normative assumptions and male-dominated power relationships have no place in a free, open and democratic society of equals.

Wilbur said...

I'd vote for Larry Mondello, were he on the ballot.

Bob R said...

Those are two pretty specialized pedigrees. One a Kennedy a couple of times removed. How many voters even remember Teddy, much less Sargent Shriver (or is Maria the important connection? Really?) The other a star of a TV show that went off the air 51 years ago. I guess in a county election, it's us old farts that vote, so perhaps this matters. But it's pretty thin gruel.

Ann Althouse said...

Here's a good Zelda clip. Zelda isn't the first female you see. Zelda shows up in the middle to screw things up for Dobie Gillis, who's planning marriage with Phillis.

Among Zelda's arguments is that if Phyllis marries Dobie, she'll be Phyllis Gillis.

Fandor said...

DOBIE!
Wants a gal who's dreamy!

Dobie would have a coronary if he was thrust into the 21st century as a teenager. He'd have to settle for a gal who suffered from "gender confusion", with tattoos and no doubt was raped by her father or brother (this she would have uncovered in therapy), so the gal would be more of a nightmare than "dreamy".

So happy to hear Zelda adapted to the times.
That's progress. Or is it "progressive"?
What ever.

I understand Zelda, aka Shelia James was a thorn in the Governator's side while he "ruled" over sunny California.

Still, I'm glad Ms. James is still around. She was a fine actress, sorry, actor, in a very funny comedy series, "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis".

They don't make 'em like that anymore (TV series) and the world has taken a few spins since 1959. I mean now, we're in like, "Nowheresville".

American Liberal Elite said...

Remember when she would scrunch up her nose, forcing Dobie involuntarily to do it too?

Tom Veal said...

In the book - how many of you know that there was a book before there was a TV series? - Dobie and Zelda got married and lived happily ever after. Just shows how rife homophobia was back then.

Gary Rosen said...

"I'd vote for Larry Mondello, were he on the ballot."

Might as well, most politicians bear a closer resemblance to Eddie Haskell, or Sgt. Bilko. But not as funny. Or honest.

amielalune said...

Yet another race where I wish they could both lose.