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Decoding 'Sarah Palin's Alaska': Top 3 lessons from the debut episode

21239_0257 The claim that "Sarah Palin's Alaska" is a wholly apolitical travelogue-cum-family tableau, meant only to showcase the rugged beauty of our largest state and the just-folksiness of its former governor, lasts about five minutes into the first episode.

That's the point at which we learn that Sarah's enjoyment of working on the "cement slab" outside (naturally the Palins would have nothing so fancy-pants as a "patio") is hampered by the presence of a new neighbor, the writer Joe McGinniss, who's rented the house next door while researching what Todd Palin describes as a "hit piece" on his wife. Sarah explains that Todd's reaction to McGinniss' arrival was to get out there with his buddies and erect a 14-foot-high fence between the properties (as you do), and before I can finish writing "immigration analogy?" in my notes, she clarifies: "By the way, I thought that was a good example, what we just did, others could look at and say, 'Oh, this is what we need to do to secure our nation's border.'"

To be fair, that is the only overtly political remark Sarah makes in the first episode. There's still plenty of campaigning going on, most of it coming via metaphor, innuendo and sled-dog whistles. Sport fishing, for instance, provides an opportunity to empathize with recession victims: "The only thing more frustrating than not catching a fish," says Sarah, "is sitting there watching everyone else not catching a fish."

Negotiating a crevasse-pocked glacier offers an important lesson in unity: "If you're not roped together, you're gonna fall, and you may not stop." And even if she might run for president someday, Sarah Palin would like us to know she's not one of those off-putting, overly ambitious career gals or anything; she still believes in the old adage, "a poor day of fishin' beats even a great day of work."

There's plenty more to decode among the messages "Sarah Palin's Alaska" is sending to everyone else's America, and I'll be doing that each week after the show airs. Here are the top three lessons I learned from this episode:

1. If you don’t belong somewhere, it’s your own fault if you get your throat ripped out.

"You're in their territory," Sarah and Todd remind us more than once, referring to the brown bears that live along the shores of remote Big River Lake. Keeping your distance is not simply a matter of common sense or respect for wildlife, see -- it's a matter of respect for borders and ownership. You wander too far onto someone else's turf, you certainly can't expect a warm welcome, silly! You should be happy to get out alive. (Just in case you missed the fence line.)

2. As long as you exhibit a sense of wonder about it, there is no privilege great enough to automatically make you an elitist.

Some things that render Sarah Palin awestruck in this episode: Pristine lakes; impossibly vast, frozen landscapes; brown bears wrestling; Denali National Park; and the technology that allows her to be a regular Fox News commentator from a television studio in her backyard. As the song goes, one of these things is not like the others.

See also: her folksy amazement at getting door-to-door float plane service, which she claims is just like a taxi for places where roads are scarce: "It is pretty cool that I can just step out in my frontyard and there, on the dock, is an airplane that we get to hop into!" Yes, I imagine that is pretty cool! I wouldn't know, on account of how I'm an elitist who lives in a walk-up apartment in a sketchy neighborhood! But now that I've seen how the other half lives, I think I finally understand Sarah Palin and her down-home fans a bit better: Why would anyone want to pay more taxes to build and maintain roads when you can fly instead?

3. Scaling the face of Mt. McKinley is exactly like politics.

That is, if you're Sarah Palin; you go into it with very little knowledge, only recognize how woefully unprepared you are once you've gone too far to stop, and eventually get as far as you do thanks largely to a far more experienced man coaching you and pulling on your ropes. No wait, I mean you confront your greatest fears, persevere in the face of difficulty, stubbornly refuse to quit, and then rightfully enjoy it when your hard work and determination land you on top of the world! One of those, anyway. The great thing about this show is how it works on multiple levels.

-- Kate Harding

Photo: Sarah Palin checks fishing nets for holes. Credit: Gilles Mingasson / TLC


'Sarah Palin's Alaska': Reality show or campaign ad?

Review: 'Sarah Palin's Alaska'

Comments () | Archives (39)

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Conservative commentators have offered several explanations of liberalism in recent years, such as liberalism is a religion, and it is a mental illness. Based on Kate Harding's "review" of this show, the mental illness explanation is more convincing.

I bet Sara wishes she was smart like the journalists who write for the La Times

...build the fence "to secure our nation's border"... What cracks me up about that is often when Fox News has a piece about border security is they show a clip of dark skinned people climbing over a fence. I didn't see the show and don't care for Palin, but I kind of agree with the comments saying the author of this article is petty and seems jealous.

wow. this is the first time i've read comments on the times web site. are some people always this hateful? i thought harding's article was sort of funny.. certainly nothing that should've provoked anybody to release the hounds.

Any chance she addresses how far Russia actually is from the front steps of her house? Bet she's pretty awestricken 'bout that now, huh? You betcha'!

Folks: Whatever one thinks about Palin, and this show -- which clearly is her publicity build-up for '12 -- it's *just* a show.
If you don't like, don't watch. But please, spare us the constant jarring over this.
I am not watching it. And you know something, life goes on just fine.

This is what I took away from watching Palin's Alaska. The scenery was gorgeous but it was absolutely destroyed every time Palin opened her mouth. I am a Republican and to say that this was not political as some of the commenters are trying to say is ridiculous. The "border fence" The "Mama Grizzleys" - Echoing her campaign video. Come on, it's as political as any 30 sec spot we watched prior to the election.
I was incredibly disturbed by the boy going upstairs after being told not to. Yes, this does happen in real life, but most of us learn from our mistakes and if your 17 year old gets pregnant because you allowed a boy to "go upstairs" you really need to make this a hard and fast rule. I found it irresponsible. I also thought the kids were mouthy as heck and obviously resenting the life they are now living. Yes, kids can talk back but when a camera is present? Are you kidding me? I would hope most of us raise our kids to be polite in front of others, that's how I raised mine and the consequences for talking like Palin's kids would be a couple days grounding minimum.
I am actually disappointed in her. I had great expectations, especially when she said she was editing the show personally so that she would not be misrepresented. If this is truly her being herself, then no thanks. There are other documentaries about Alaska out there where I can see the scenery and not see Palin and her family.

The show should kill any ideas of a future political career for Sarah. She's not a mama grizzly,more like a mama marmot.
We went to big River Lake in June. Had no problem catching fish. I guess you appreciate the area more, when you are not from Alaska.

I would not, under any circumstances, vote for Sarah Palin. That said, I would suggest Kate Harding consider therapy -- her bitterness is obviously all-consuming, and that's a sad way to live.

The show was fine. Makes me wanna go on vacation to Alaska. Great nature footage! I saw no heavy politics in there.
I still won't vote for her. But she's a cool person and I liked the show.

This woman disgusts me almost as much as the so-called "Learning Channel", which is providing her with free air-time to set up her 2012 presidential run.

Sarah Palin is being set up as some kind of role model for clean American living and appreciation for the environment. In fact, her ideology says exactly the opposite about her. This is a woman who write speech notes on the palm of her hand and thinks that Africa is a country. Up until she was recently informed, she had no idea why there was a North and South Korea. She thinks that being able to see Russia from an island she never set foot on gives her foreign policy expertise, and that mankind walked alongside living dinosaurs. This is a woman who thinks half of America is filled with people who are unAmerican and that the President of the United States is a socialist who pals around with terrorists. She claims to read the Bible all the time but can't name her favorite Book, and has said that George Washington is her favorite Founding Father, even though he wasn't one of them. She's an ignorant, opportunistic, divisive and mean-spirited woman. Therefore, I won't be watching her show.

Why does Sarah care about her environment when all she wants to do is drill...she is such a phony...anyone who thinks otherwise is delusional...please, can the rich powerbrokers quit giving her money to talk and find someone (anyone else) to be their spokesperson?????

Since when do Alaskan women wear 10 pounds of makeup to go out and fish or hunt? Can you say publicity stunt. Every time I've seen her "fish" or go out and supposedly do "things with nature", she's dolled up. Back to reality.. real women who fish or hunt, don't wear much (if any) makeup in Alaska.

As for the politics. She couldn't name a source of news. Couldn't name one founding father. Spent campaign money on her tacky wardrobe. She's a redneck wolf killer. Had a tanning booth in the Gov. Mansion. Quit on Alaska. Ruined McCain's run.

Other. Her accent is like nails on a chalkboard. When she talks fast she sounds literally insane. She has no place in politics. She does anything to get publicity very desperate.

Alaska doesn't want her, and neither does most of the USA. Just stick to "reality" television Palin even though it isn't even reality for you.

I could go on but I'm bored with it now!

and what do we know about sarah: that she's not very educated, doesn't understand the nation's history, the world situation and doesn't think that matters -- will do just about anything to win and thinks she deserves too.

that's one evil recipe in my book, in the footsteps of some of the worst public servants this country has ever spawned

now a good journalist or person has a duty to afflict the comfortable, including murdoch's little pet politica, so I say good for you kate harding, journalists who celebrate this kind of pandering deserve to be held in contempt.

Kate, you passed the integrity test and called it like you see it. Yay hoo.

I just love watching Liberals go apoplectic whenever Sarah Palin is in the news or other forms of media. I hope she has a long, successful career in whichever she chooses, either media or politics, and torturing the Libs at every turn!


Please tell me you don't actually believe what you have written here! I find it hard to believe that a self-proclaimed feminist, a professional, such as yourself, writing for a respectable publication, like the LA Times, could harbor such a belief. That behind every successful, powerful, beautiful, athletic woman would be a "far more experienced man coaching her and pulling on her ropes." Seriously? Kate, is your husband really the one behind this article? Is he doing your homework for you? Come on! I would respect you a heck of a lot more if you would just be honest and call this what it really is - you don't like her politics, Kate. You don't like her belief systems, her values - FINE, but that doesn't give you a license to attack her character-to attack her person, and to attack her womanhood. And woman to woman Kate, sexism is soooo 1950's. We're over it! Women have moved on and America has moved on. You should also. Honestly, I believe the sexism we are experiencing, the trend of sexism-where woman are attacking woman, tearing each other down and throwing each other to the wolves -it's coming to a screeching halt!! There is a new breed of women rising up in this country that will take a stand against hate and racism on every level; black, white, male or female! This article's tone and attitude is offensive to me but this comment should have EVERY woman (and every man by her side) in America uneasy! This comment takes women's role in history backwards about a century. I'm sure you have some historical heroine that fought for your right to vote in this country-some heroine that burned her bra and protested in the streets for you to have the kinda job you enjoy today, the kind of pay you enjoy today - for you to have the kind of platform and voice you enjoy today, as a woman. Women have been emancipated in America, Kate, and we aren't going backwards! Not for you-not for anyone.

Yeah, that's pretty much what I've heard about this "show". Your analysis is right on point I think. Thanks for a good piece, Tracker, on the nation's top fund raiser - helping raise money for - herself.

I have thoroughly enjoyed Sarah Palin's Alaska! I have wanted to take a trip there all my life and am making plans to go next summer. I am a paralegal and have very little time for t.v. but will watch some night shows once and awhile. I was not familiar with Sarah Palin as far as her personality or home life. I mainly watched the show because of the background, of it being filmed in Alaska, to be able to "be there" from my recliner. From her first show, I have made it priority to watch it. The only one I did not like was when she had Kate Gosslin on there; Kate Plus 8 has been a favorite of mine over the years too, but I will never watch it again because of the way she acted on Sarah's show; she was nothing but rude, tacky, spoiled brat, tasteless trash. Sarah and her family went to a lot of work and trouble to have Kate and her 8 children join them on a campout in Alaska's beautiful setting. The children were enjoying Sarah and her family entertaining them, even if it was raining. Kate Gossling did nothing but whine the entire time, ruining the show for all the viewers. In my opinion, GO HOME KATE GOSSLIN, and I sincerely hope TLC drops you from their programs; your ratings will certainly drop. As far as Sarah Palin, from what I have seen, she is a sincere person, whom I admire for her sportsmanship and not worrying about what the public "eye" thinks of her hunting, camping, enjoying life as she wants to. I, too, am a female outdoors type person who has hunted all my life; she is right to say that if there was not organized hunting for certain animals, disease would certainly wipe out several species. And someone stated that there were stores to buy groceries where she lives; well, why kill an animal and not eat it; that is the proper thing to do. I hail Sarah Palin; I hope she does run for President, I will vote for her for sure! Keep the show open; I love watching all she does in Alaska!!!

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