Weiner

[WhizzerMarvin]

I saw the new Weiner doc this morning and loved it! It's completely fascinating and engrossing; you truly won't believe that they kept letting them film some of these moments.

 

The film starts out with news clips from the 2011 scandal and then begins as a comeback doc with Weiner's run for mayor two years later. This first half plays like a Scandal episode, spinning his past indiscretions and making him a viable candidate once again.

 

the second half deals with the second wave of photos, which seem to catch even the doc filmers off guard and change the trajectory of their movie. Huma, his wife, goes full on Alicia Florrick and clearly hates being in trapped in this doc, but just like Alicia did so many times for Peter, she sticks it out. 

 

As for Weiner himself, I really liked the guy. He has a sharp wit and was often very funny. I believe that he was truly passionate about his politics, and it's a shame the scandals ruined his career. 

No matter what you think of him it's a great film and absolutely worth watching. Sat with a packed house at the IFC Center; the audience was clapping and very vocal at certain parts. Check this one out. 

 

[bunnie3]

I saw it today, too, up by Lincoln Center.  I think it s one big Damage Control docu.  However, prior to his sexting scandal, I thought he was a pretty nifty and brilliant politician, much like Elliot Spitzer, before HIS downfall.  Analytical minds, but weak character.

[SmoothLover]

He and Spitzer are both kind of sexy.

[yankeefan7]

"and it's a shame the scandals ruined his career"

 

He is to blame for the scandals so tell me why it is a shame his career is ruined?

[WhizzerMarvin]

He is to blame for creating the scandals, true, and he admits as much in the film. He says he can't blame the media to a point for covering the story because he did what they say he did. 

 

The thing is, in my opinion, the only thing he really did wrong was lie about the texts when the story first broke in 2011. (He never denied anything in 2013.) The texts themselves are a personal issue and completely irrelevant to what he could have done as a politician. He never broke any laws, embezzled or misused funds, hired a prostitute- he never was met or was even in the same room as any of the women he sexted with. Maybe he doesn't have self-control in this issue, but honestly I don't think it's that bad. Maybe akin to having a porn addiction. For me it doesn't take away from the issues he was passionate about the good I believe he would have been capable of doing. 

[yankeefan7]

"The thing is, in my opinion, the only thing he really did wrong was lie about the texts when the story first broke in 2011. (He never denied anything in 2013.) The texts themselves are a personal issue and completely irrelevant to what he could have done as a politician."

 

Sorry but it is a big deal to lie, makes people question your credibility. Yes, the texts were personal but he is kind of creepy to me. Guy is married to smart and attractive woman and he needs to do sexting - wow. Nobody threw him out of office if I remember correctly, he resigned. The people of NYC spoke on how they feel about him when he ran for Mayor.

[WhizzerMarvin]

I agree that it was a big deal to lie; he made a mistake and apologized for it. Watching the film I understood him lying out of panic and believe he learned his lesson. 

 

Lots of people who are married/partnered/dating attractive people watch porn or need open relationships or whatever. I don't think it's creep- if anything I find it humanizes him. Whether someone finds it creepy or normal though is besides the point. He can do whatever he wants sexually as long as he isn't breaking any laws. That's his own private business and has no effect on his ability to handle his duties in political office. 

 

He was leading all the polls in the mayoral race until Sydney Leathers stepped forward with the pics he sent her (along with the text messages).  They were old messages that had surfaced, but it didn't matter. The media latched on and that was it. 

 

I didn't vote for him and had no real desire to see this doc thinking it would just be a salacious story about the scandals, but it wasn't that at all and I found myself really siding with Weiner. It went a long way in changing my mind about him and I now wish I had voted for him instead of de Blasio. (The rave reviews for the doc are what got me into the theater, btw)

[yankeefan7]

"He can do whatever he wants sexually as long as he isn't breaking any laws. That's his own private business and has no effect on his ability to handle his duties in political office. "

Understood, we went through all of that with President Clinton.

 

"Lots of people who are married/partnered/dating attractive people watch porn or need open relationships or whatever. I don't think it's creep- if anything I find it humanizes him"

 

Ok, just difference of opinion. I think he is creepy.

"I agree that it was a big deal to lie; he made a mistake and apologized for it. Watching the film I understood him lying out of panic and believe he learned his lesson. "

How many political examples of this type of stuff has he seen that where it is better to just tell the truth and deal with it, in the long run the public reacts better.
 

[John Adams]

I would rather have a man in office who excels at law and politics. I just don't care about "the things most men do" with their personal time. The only other requirement I have is that they make d@mn sure it's done on their personal time and their personal dime.

Donald Trump is much more offensive and wrong for politics than the other, more qualified politicians who have been made to be pariahs, yet we tolerate him. Trump has absolutely no political experience/education, yet he's running for President, and others are not.

In the case of Weiner, I'm very OK with him holding political office. I hope he's OK with the fact that every time I see him, I will think about his penis. ...and I will google it to see it again if I can't recall what it looks like. I'm thinking about it now as I type this. Men do what men do.

[AC126748]

Weiner is a victim of this country's prurience. I'm not saying he was the best politician ever -- he was really more of a showman than a roll-up-your-sleeves and get the job done lawmaker -- but it's insane the amount of penance he's had to do over what is really a rather minor indiscretion. If the voters of his district wanted to ditch him, that is one thing, but the fact that he was all but expected to resign is wrong. But what else would you expect from a country that places "cheating" as the ultimate moral failing? I haven't seen the documentary yet but I'm very interested.

[Liza's Headband]

AC126748 said: "Weiner is a victim of this country's prurience. I'm not saying he was the best politician ever -- he was really more of a showman than a roll-up-your-sleeves and get the job done lawmaker -- but it's insane the amount of penance he's had to do over what is really a rather minor indiscretion. If the voters of his district wanted to ditch him, that is one thing, but the fact that he was all but expected to resign is wrong. But what else would you expect from a country that places "cheating" as the ultimate moral failing? I haven't seen the documentary yet but I'm very interested.

 

"

 

Because many people draw parallels between personal and professional lives. If you lie and cheat in your personal life, why should we expect differently when it comes to your profession? That says much about your integrity and character, which are factors while holding political office. 

 

[Call_me_jorge]

Penis

[AC126748]

Liza's Headband said: "AC126748 said: "Weiner is a victim of this country's prurience. I'm not saying he was the best politician ever -- he was really more of a showman than a roll-up-your-sleeves and get the job done lawmaker -- but it's insane the amount of penance he's had to do over what is really a rather minor indiscretion. If the voters of his district wanted to ditch him, that is one thing, but the fact that he was all but expected to resign is wrong. But what else would you expect from a country that places "cheating" as the ultimate moral failing? I haven't seen the documentary yet but I'm very interested.

 

"

 

Because many people draw parallels between personal and professional lives. If you lie and cheat in your personal life, why should we expect differently when it comes to your profession? That says much about your integrity and character, which are factors while holding political office. 

 

 

"

And that's another very American misconception -- inextricably binding the personal with the professional/political. Unless it can be shown that it demonstrably affects the person's job performance, it is irrelevant. 

[Mr Roxy]

A politician lie? Who would have thought.

[Liza's Headband]

And that's another very American misconception -- inextricably binding the personal with the professional/political. Unless it can be shown that it demonstrably affects the person's job performance, it is irrelevant. 

 

So, we give the liar/cheater the benefit of the doubt in their profession? Why? What has he/she offered to be given that luxury or convenience?

[PalJoey]

French politicians routinely have mistresses. It is expected and no one is ever shocked. 

At Francois Mitterand's funeral, his widow and his grieving mistress stood side by side, with his two sons from his wife and his daughter from his mistress.

[John Adams]

Liza's Headband said: "If you lie and cheat in your personal life, why should we expect differently when it comes to your profession? That says much about your integrity and character, which are factors while holding political office."

The two (personal and professional) aren't as related as some think. In my personal life, I have self-control issues regarding my intake of food. That does not mean that I lack self-control in other areas of my life; areas that hold more significance regarding how I conduct myself in my professional (and even social) life.

Weiner's indiscretion (lying and cheating) regarding only one aspect of his life does not mean that those indiscretions can be found in every aspect. If that were so, he should be banned from ever entering any retail outlet as he would probably "lie and cheat" all merchants out of their source of income. Every tax return he ever filed should be automatically audited because he most likely "lied and cheated", etc.

[Liza's Headband]

If you lie and cover up something regardless of what it is, I am certainly going to question your personal integrity and be forever skeptical. 

[John Adams]

I tend to agree with yankeefan's comment, "How many political examples of this type of stuff has he seen that where it is better to just tell the truth and deal with it, in the long run the public reacts better." It would have been better.

But hindsight is 20/20, and I can also see how the fear of what a sexting scandal might do, and ultimately did do to his political career might prompt him to make decisions he wouldn't normally make (regarding the lying aspect).

I would much rather see a politician ousted from, or leave their office because of professional wrong-doings that caused harm to the government or its citizens. I don't feel a need to condone or condemn what they do in their private lives unless it brings such shame to the office, the state, or the country, that those entities/citizens then also suffer. I just don't think that's the case, here.

Oh, ...and he has a nice penis.

[PalJoey]

 

I find it amusing when anarchists are more prissy and moralistic than Queen Victoria.

 

[Wilmingtom]

"Guy is married to smart and attractive woman and he needs to do sexting - wow."

Is the insinuation that, were his wife homely, it would have been understandable?

[yankeefan7]

"Is the insinuation that, were his wife homely, it would have been understandable?"

 

It is not understandable at all to do it. I just think the average person would think his wife would be enough to make him happy and he would not have to be "sexting".

[Mr Roxy]

Saw the trailer for this and it looks really good.  May have to see this .