When you take away all the serious issues surrounding the Petraeus story — the possible breaches of security, the FBI digging into e-mails without a whole lot of probable cause, the probable break-up of marriages — and look at it with from just the perspective of characters and plot and story, this is a farce worthy of the best comedy writers.
Look at it: the dizzying connections between the leading characters, the jealousy between men and women fighting over their prizes, the FBI agent posing shirtless for photos, the society folks puffing up their resumes and connections, even the local TV coverage with the classic “oops” moment; it’s an updated Feydeau farce. Or better yet, a Woody Allen sex comedy; after all, he knows something about fooling around with women on an inappropriate level.
I realize a lot of careers and important issues are on the line here, but perhaps the best way to look at it is to realize just how seriously funny all of this is once you get down to the fact that these alleged grown-ups were acting like a bunch of horny teenagers.
Stay tuned for scenes from our next episode of Covert Affairs.
One more reason I left Tampa Bay. The only things it seems there are to do there are suntan, ride the coasters at Busch Gardens, attend/evade the Scientologist gatherings [your choice] – or spouse-swap at CENTCOM shindigs. (And yes, I left work off the list deliberately, because frankly there is none).
I don’t know why anyone is really that surprised. “Fidelity” in Tampa Bay terms seems to be a word confined solely to the investment house there: I for one lost track of the people I met who were “single” – yet if you dug just a bit you discovered they were stepping out on wife/husband/boyfriend/girlfriend/probation-officer/whatever.
Funny, yes, as long as it doesn’t turn into a Greek tragedy…
I’m the first to trash Maureen Dowd, the Queen of Snark, but this morning she has written the best summary of this entire drama. I’ll be frank, I never thought Peaches Petraeus was much more than a self-promoting newer version of Lincoln’z Gen.George McClellan. Same challenge to the authority of the President, same going behind his back to members of Congress, same adulation from the public. It’s a story from Macbeth or Othello but sillier.
You gotta love that FBI agent who put the entire weight and force of the Federal Bureau of Investigation behind finding out who sent his “friend” an annoying email. I need to get into that line so the people I find annoying will find themselves subject to an FBI investigation done as a personal favor.
What a bunch of people!! I don’t think the nation will be crippled by the loss of Petraeus – or Allen for that matter. Have you seen the story about General William Ward? What a piece of work. The top brass needs to be hosed out into the sewer and let’s start over from scratch. Some of these people are just too venal, tacky, and trashy to be let out in public. Yech!