The B in Apartment 23 and French Politics
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is the type of political flip-flopper who would have made John Kerry envious. Elected in 2007 under the promise of bringing conservative fiscal policies to France by reducing the deficit and eliminating wasteful government spending, he later backtracked from the euphemisms of the campaign trail when faced with the global economic crisis of the times. Taking out his Etch A Sketch, Sarkozy instead launched a stimulus package designed to not only help the economy but eliminate any growing social disenchantment as well, going so far as to elicit a new promise of achieving full employment within the country. The eventual collapse of Greece and growing instability of the euro, meanwhile, forced the French president to again change course, advocating a policy of “austerity” that may have balanced the budget but left many programs underfunded, led to lower wages in the workplace and growing levels of homelessness. All things considered, it should be no surprise then that the re-election campaign of Nicolas Sarkozy failed to gain a second term in May 2012.
Around the same time as his defeat at the polls, the ABC comedy Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23 revealed that the title character of the American sitcom was globetrotting with Sarkozy on a private jet. It was previously established that Chloe serves as a “nightlife guide” within the international political arena, an endeavor that produces seventy percent of her yearly income. Sarkozy, meanwhile, has a reputation for living a glamorous lifestyle, vacationing on luxurious yachts owned by members of the French corporate elite and marrying a former model shortly after divorcing his wife. Meeting Chloe in Marseilles for an evening of fine dining was thus certainly within the finely-crafted image that Nicolas Sarkozy has constructed for himself, but what if the clandestine encounter was something more? Sarkozy was often accused of being a “populist president,” a designation that he was unable to reconcile with the fiscal conservative policy of austerity. What if he was thus consulting with Chloe for assistance in his current campaign? Who better to navigate the conflicting left-leaning social issues of the times with the necessity for right-wing economic prudence than an independent, non-working woman living the American dream in New York City?
From a social standpoint, Chloe is obviously on the liberal side of the fence. Far from the “stay-at-home mom” advocated by former Republican Senator Rick Santorum, the B in Apartment 23 lives a carefree lifestyle filled with plenty of alcohol and an equal quantity of sexually available men. Whereas the American right wing displays a disdain for the liberal elements of Hollywood, Chloe has latched on to actor James Van Der Beek as her non-gay BFF and is not above tricking the likes of Hercules thespian Kevin Sorbo into escorting her to a wedding.
In regards to such conservative “hot button” issues like religion and homosexuality, meanwhile, Chloe would most definitely be amongst the outcasts. When roommate June begins attending a Korean Baptist Church, Chloe inadvertently refers to the denomination as Korean as opposed to Christian and appears to not understand the difference when corrected. Later she even refers to the congregation as a cult. Chloe is also liberal when it comes to sexuality. While attending a launch party for Beek Jeans, for instance, she is both at ease and comfortable in the predominantly gay crowd. She likewise exhibits an openness towards not only women, but redheads as well, when she questions June about her previous promiscuous adventures. “I’m not a fan of the lady cave either,” she explains. “But in a pinch…”
While Chloe may be left-leaning in regards to social issues, it does not necessarily translate into being liberal when it comes to economic matters. Yes, it is true that during a four year span she borrowed over twenty thousand dollars from James Van Deer Beek for such welfare relief necessities as dinner and shopping sprees. It is also apparent that she has no intentions of reducing the deficit that she owes in the near—or even far off—future. This does not mean, however, that Chloe relies on handouts to pay her bills and expenses. Like Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who built a sizeable fortune via the proven American tradition of starting his own business and succeeding in the financial area, Chloe is an adept entrepreneur when it comes to her own economic stability.
The “roommate scam” has proven to be one of her most effective methods, in which she tricks a potential new roommate into handing over “first, last and security deposit” before moving in and then drives the newbie away while pocketing the cash. When current roommate June decides to sell homemade jam as a way to raise money for the rent, meanwhile, Chloe realizes the poor returns on such an endeavor and instead installs secret cameras to film the two of them preparing the jam. “I made a fetish site, we’re going to make a fortune,” she tells June of the Jammin’ June’s Jams webpage. “Remember when you fed me a taste of your hot, hot jam? Well I realized that perverts would pay a lot of money to watch us make it.” If it wasn’t for a current saturation in the food fetish market—including Salad Shooters, Grandma’s Garden and Ripe Cherry—it undoubtedly would have succeeded.
Because of her “self-made-man” attributes and Social Darwinism characteristics, it is safe to assume that one would never find Chloe amongst the protesters at an Occupy Wall Street event. Although she herself may be part of the ninety-nine percent, she has no qualms against the remaining fraction. In fact, given her penchant for around-the-world gallivanting at the expense of others, it would be safe to assume that she is a strong supporter of the economic divide. Furthermore, Chloe has her own ideas when it comes to redistributing the wealth that has nothing to do with socialism. At the aforementioned jeans launch party held at the residence of the rich James Van Deer Beek, she “loosened the upstairs railing so that I could trip and accidently fall and sue him for damages.”
Within the French political arena, Chloe would no doubt have supplemented the “let them eat cake” insensibilities of Marie Antoinette with free samples of cake-flavored vodka obtained from the many alcohol launch parties that she attends in New York City. Unfortunately for Nicolas Sarkozy, the late night rendezvous between the two was cancelled at the last minute, robbing the former president of a potential reprieve at the ballot box. His loss may be America’s gain, however, as 2012 is also the year of a presidential election in the United States. With her rugged American individualism and sympathetic support of liberal social causes, Chloe may be the perfect non-partisan pundit for the current political cycle.
In the Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23 episode “Parent Trap…,” for instance, Chloe demonstrates a readiness to pose with roommate June as a live-in lesbian couple looking to adopt a child to serve as a personal assistant. Based on such actions, she is no doubt in line with President Barack Obama’s public support of gay marriage. Her unwillingness to high-five a random drunk that stumbles in her direction while having drinks in a bar, meanwhile, likewise proves that Chloe is against free handouts, much like Republican candidate Mitt Romney and his opposition to Universal Health Care. By advocated liberal policies in regards to social issues and demonstrating conservative leanings from an economic standpoint, Chloe may indeed possess the right balance for tightrope-walking the middle ground of a divided Twenty First Century American populace.
It is doubtful that either politician would consult with the self-proclaimed B of Apartment 23, but what if Chloe herself ran for president? Roseanne Barr appears intent on securing the Green Party’s nomination, and is even considering Willie Nelson as her running mate. Would a Chloe campaign be that much more unfathomable?
What do you say, America? “Chloe for President” anyone?
Anthony Letizia (June 11, 2012)
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