Love her or hate her, Americans seem to be intrigued by former Alaska governor and 2008 Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin. First indications of this appeared when her book Going Rogue topped national bestsellers’ lists. Now, her fame is showcased in the success of her new reality show on the TLC network, "Sarah Palin’s Alaska." According to About.com, the series has quickly become the most watched debut in TLC history, having attracted 5 million viewers.
TLC describes the premise of Palin’s 8-part miniseries:
"Sarah Palin’s Alaska" takes viewers into the country’s "final frontier" through the eyes of one of its most famous citizens — Sarah Palin. Sarah is joined by various family members as she shares the state she knows and loves. Along with Alaska’s great wilderness, the Palins encounter Alaska’s fascinating residents and share what it takes to thrive in the country’s largest state.
{modulepos inner_text_ad}
The show debuted on Sunday evening and found viewership in mature audiences. Variety reports that the majority of the show’s viewers are over the age of 35. TLC was all too happy to report on the show’s early success:
The premier of TLC’s Sarah Palin’s Alaska (Sun. Nov 14, 9-10 p.m. ET/PT) garnered a 3.5 HH rating and delivered 4.96M P2+, 1.8M P25-54, 1.1M W25-54, 1.6M P18-49, 4.7M P18+ and 3.9M P35+, according to Nielsen fast nationals.
"Sarah Palin’s Alaska" is the #1 program launch in TLC history among HH (households) and P2+ (persons aged 2 and older) delivery, besting the "What Not to Wear" series launch in 2003, and posting triple digit rating and delivery gains vs. the prior six-week prime average, and the 4Q10 to-date prime average.
The popular television show offers a different perspective of Palin, the fiery de-facto leader of the Tea Party movement. In contrast to Palin in campaign mode, the new show gives viewers a glimpse into Palin as mom, wife, and adventure seeker, one that enjoys hiking, fishing, and close encounters with brown bears.
The program seems to give new meaning to the term “Mama Grizzly,” as Palin both encounters mama bears, and highlights her own maternity. In one scene, she prevents a boy from heading up to her teenage daughter Willow’s room.
“See this gate?” she said, referring to small gate used for her toddler grandson. “It’s not just for Trig. It’s for nooo boys go upstairs.”
Though the show is touted as nonpolitical, roots of her conservatism appear at times. Pointing to the 14-foot wall that her husband, Todd, built to give the Palin family privacy from journalist Joe McGinniss — who moved next door to Palin in order to conduct research for a book about her — Palin said, “By the way, I thought that was a good example, what we just did, others could look at it and say, ‘Oh, this is what we need to do to secure our nation’s border.’”
Likewise, Palin asked Todd whether or not American tax policy would affect his hiring practices, likely knowing that his answer would most certainly be “yes.”
On the other hand, the show reveals some of Palin’s vulnerability. In one scene, while rock-climbing with her husband, she became visibly frightened and declared, “I just don’t like heights! I was so cocky — I’m being punished for it. I don’t know if I can do this.”
In addition to revealing Palin’s different angles, the show provides viewers with incredible, eye-popping scenery within the beautiful state of Alaska. The reality series will very likely be responsible for an increase in Alaskan tourism.
Whether the miniseries will have a negative impact on Palin’s potential presidential bid for 2012 remains to be seen.
According to ABC News political correspondent Cokie Roberts, “She has to decide: Is she going to make her life as a celebrity and take that path, or is she going to get serious about politics and government? I think at this point she hasn’t decided … And this program is a way to keep her options open.”
Palin seemingly has no desire to give up politics just yet. This past weekend, she posted a letter on Facebook to the incoming house freshmen, instructing them on how to deal with the press and on what their priorities should be:
The first step is, of course, to defund Obamacare.
When the Left in the media pat you on the back, quickly reassess where you are and readjust, for the liberals’ praise is a warning bell you must heed. Trust me on that.
Karl Rove, however, contends that the reality show does not lend Palin “presidential gravitas.” He indicates, “With all due candor, appearing on your own reality show on the Discovery Channel, I am not certain how that fits in the American calculus of ‘that helps me see you in the Oval Office.’ ”
Rove goes on to say, “There are high standards that the American people have for [the presidency] and they require a certain level of gravitas, and they want to look at the candidate and say ‘that candidate is doing things that gives [sic] me confidence that they are up to the most demanding job in the world.’ ”
