Marcus Gilmer on how Chicago politics in 2011 were ‘deceptively awful’

Marcus Gilmer on how Chicago politics in 2011 were ‘deceptively awful’
A satirical portrait of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich spotted on Fullerton Ave. in Chicago. Flickr/Andrew Ciscel
Marcus Gilmer on how Chicago politics in 2011 were ‘deceptively awful’
A satirical portrait of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich spotted on Fullerton Ave. in Chicago. Flickr/Andrew Ciscel

Marcus Gilmer on how Chicago politics in 2011 were ‘deceptively awful’

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(Courtesy of Marcus Gilmer)
For the last show of the 2011 season, The A.V. Club editor gives us his take on this year in Chicago politics. He makes it clear it’s been a bit of a mixed bag:

From the outside looking in, if you were to go by the entertainment industry’s view, nothing seemed different about Chicago politics in 2011. This fall, Starz debuted its newest contribution to pop culture’s take on Chicago-style runnings with Boss, a drama starring Kelsey Grammer as the mayor of Chicago, whose status is described by the network like so:

“Mayor Tom Kane sits like a spider at the center of Chicago’s web of power, a web built on a covenant with the people.”

Melodramatic, yes. But also based on some reality.

Tune back in to the Machete in January, where there will be journalists, comedians and storytellers talking about current events, pop cultures, and American manners.

The Paper Machete is a weekly live magazine at the Horseshoe in North Center. It’s always at 3 p.m., it’s always on Saturday, and it’s always free. Get all your The Paper Machete Radio Magazine needs filled here, or download the podcast from iTunes here.