--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As I stood up to walk to the spin room I…" description: "\"“As I stood up to walk to the spin room I saw that it was different for this debate. We were surrounded by gossip columnists. I was interviewed by a re..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26e/donna-brazile-2392_reality-television_as-i-stood-up-to-walk-to-the-spin-room-i_54214.png" --- # As I stood up to walk to the spin room I saw that it was… ![“As I stood up to walk to the spin room I saw that it was different for this debate. We were surrounded by gossip columnists. I was interviewed by a reporter from Inside Edition. The campaign had become a reality television show.” quote by Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26e/donna-brazile-2392_reality-television_as-i-stood-up-to-walk-to-the-spin-room-i_54214.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26e/donna-brazile-2392_reality-television_as-i-stood-up-to-walk-to-the-spin-room-i_54214.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26e/donna-brazile-2392_reality-television_as-i-stood-up-to-walk-to-the-spin-room-i_54214.png) > ““As I stood up to walk to the spin room I saw that it was different for this debate. We were surrounded by gossip columnists. I was interviewed by a reporter from Inside Edition. The campaign had become a reality television show.”” [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker observes that political campaigning has turned into a spectacle, with media treating it like entertainment rather than substantive discourse. **In simple terms:** Politics as reality TV Key Takeaway Media spectacle reshapes politics Themes Media influence Political communication Celebrity culture Public perception Power dynamics Mood critical cynical observational Type observation commentary When to use this quote - Campaign rallies - Television interviews - Press conferences - Social media coverage Key Concepts Media framing Political theater Narrative control Practical Applications - Strategic messaging - Media training Questions to Reflect On - How does media framing affect voter judgment? - What are the risks of treating politics as entertainment? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Reality television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality-television/) [Television show](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television-show/) ## Related quotes > [If I'm being interviewed by a reporter, I take my time to answer the question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-wagner/if-i-m-being-interviewed-by-a-reporter-i-take-my-time-to-answer-the/) [Bobby Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-wagner/) > [So there was a constant flow and a thin line there between reality and television and yes, much of what I was experiencing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-thicke/so-there-was-a-constant-flow-and-a-thin-line-there-between-reality/) [Alan Thicke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-thicke/) > [I would consider doing something along the lines of 'Tough Enough' because that was my first endeavor into reality television, and that is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stone-cold-steve-austin/i-would-consider-doing-something-along-the-lines-of-tough-enough/) [Stone Cold Steve Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stone-cold-steve-austin/) > [What little reality television I've seen seems to be about economic desperation. Like the marathon dancing of the Great Depression, which should give us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/what-little-reality-television-i-ve-seen-seems-to-be-about-economic/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [Leaving reality television after 10 years, people have gotten to know me and been on this journey with me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/porsha-williams/leaving-reality-television-after-10-years-people-have-gotten-to-know/) [Porsha Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/porsha-williams/) > [“Off in the distance big white cruise ships had pulled into port, glistening beneath the Mexican sun. Vacationers for whom murder was not on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-underwood/off-in-the-distance-big-white-cruise-ships-had-pulled-into-port/) [Bobby Underwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-underwood/) > [Art is a thing where, the least likely thing that you think is going to be art, is precisely the thing that is going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-phillips/art-is-a-thing-where-the-least-likely-thing-that-you-think-is-going/) [Richard Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-phillips/) > [“Sadism dominates the culture. It runs like an electric current through reality television and trash-talk programs, is at the core of pornography, and fuels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/sadism-dominates-the-culture-it-runs-like-an-electric-current-through-2/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [I don't enjoy reality television at all. I have to say that I get it, though. I watch some of it, and I understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-schaal/i-don-t-enjoy-reality-television-at-all-i-have-to-say-that-i-get-it/) [Kristen Schaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-schaal/) > [“Sadism dominates the culture. It runs like an electric current through reality television and trash-talk programs, is at the core of pornography, and fuels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/sadism-dominates-the-culture-it-runs-like-an-electric-current-through/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [“Real love involves a foundation of respect, honesty, and trust, concepts wholly missing from the pale imitations hawked to us by the folks who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-pozner/real-love-involves-a-foundation-of-respect-honesty-and-trust-concepts/) [Jennifer L. Pozner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-pozner/) > [Not for a million - years. I mean, I like the INXS boys, but I found the process very degrading, really. Reality television has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-may/not-for-a-million-years-i-mean-i-like-the-inxs-boys-but-i-found-the/) [Brian May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-may/) > [“Once we subliminally accept that we are watching a reality show rather than thinking about real life, no image can actually hurt the president…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/once-we-subliminally-accept-that-we-are-watching-a-reality-show/) [Timothy Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-snyder/) > [I've sold everything from fashion, make-up, couture magazines, radio, reality television, movies. There isn't a thing I haven't sold, including Tampax. You name it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-dickinson/i-ve-sold-everything-from-fashion-make-up-couture-magazines-radio/) [Janice Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-dickinson/) > [“I am repulsed by ghostwritten novels by reality television stars, celebrity picture books, sports memoirs, movie tie-in editions, novelty items, and—I imagine this goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/i-am-repulsed-by-ghostwritten-novels-by-reality-television-stars/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) ## More by Donna Brazile > [“Wait,” I said. “That victory fund was supposed to be for whoever was the nominee, and the state party races. You’re telling me that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/wait-i-said-that-victory-fund-was-supposed-to-be-for-whoever-was-the/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) > [We were not republicans or democrats during Katrina. We truly were all Americans, and Trent Lott came through for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/we-were-not-republicans-or-democrats-during-katrina-we-truly-were-all/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) > [Since Bush has been in office, African-American women have fallen behind in terms of income and wages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/since-bush-has-been-in-office-african-american-women-have-fallen/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) > [“I didn’t believe that these nice liberals would have missed seeing the film 12 Years a Slave, in which Solomon Northup’s friend Patsey was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/i-didn-t-believe-that-these-nice-liberals-would-have-missed-seeing/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) > [Trent Lott saved my family. I needed three things from him personally, and he came through for me. He made sure that the ice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/trent-lott-saved-my-family-i-needed-three-things-from-him-personally/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) > [No voters will be left behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/no-voters-will-be-left-behind/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) > [There's no question that Donald Trump has said things that are very unsettling. I mean, whether it's comparing Mexicans to rapists, demonizing Muslim Americans,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/there-s-no-question-that-donald-trump-has-said-things-that-are-very/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) > [“Although the Russians had sown disinformation through fake news in the Ukrainian election in 2014 and hacked into the election system to manipulate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/although-the-russians-had-sown-disinformation-through-fake-news-in/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) > [Donald Trump has not held an event in the black community. He has not gone to a black church, as Hillary Clinton has done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/donald-trump-has-not-held-an-event-in-the-black-community-he-has-not/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) > [“learned two things from the students. One was that they disliked identity politics. They thought that Hillary spent too much time trying to appeal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/learned-two-things-from-the-students-one-was-that-they-disliked/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) > [If a critic doesn't think I can act, it's because I'm not acting. That's me - and that's the way I act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/if-a-critic-doesn-t-think-i-can-act-it-s-because-i-m-not-acting-that/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) > [“After CrowdStrike rebuilt the system, all of our staff had to learn new computers, new log-ins, new procedures, at the moment when their personal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/after-crowdstrike-rebuilt-the-system-all-of-our-staff-had-to-learn/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) > [“The fact that the press could not get a straight explanation out of Hillary or her staff meant they turned to the next person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/the-fact-that-the-press-could-not-get-a-straight-explanation-out-of/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) > [“We decided about six in the morning that we did not want Chip to suffer. His last act was to kiss Betsy on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/we-decided-about-six-in-the-morning-that-we-did-not-want-chip-to/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) > [“It all seemed like an election fable, like many that had been cooked up to confuse the voters about the integrity of the election.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/it-all-seemed-like-an-election-fable-like-many-that-had-been-cooked/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) [Explore all 169 Donna Brazile quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) ## More Reality television quotes > [“I am repulsed by ghostwritten novels by reality television stars, celebrity picture books, sports memoirs, movie tie-in editions, novelty items, and—I imagine this goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/i-am-repulsed-by-ghostwritten-novels-by-reality-television-stars/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [I've sold everything from fashion, make-up, couture magazines, radio, reality television, movies. There isn't a thing I haven't sold, including Tampax. You name it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-dickinson/i-ve-sold-everything-from-fashion-make-up-couture-magazines-radio/) [Janice Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-dickinson/) > [“Once we subliminally accept that we are watching a reality show rather than thinking about real life, no image can actually hurt the president…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/once-we-subliminally-accept-that-we-are-watching-a-reality-show/) [Timothy Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-snyder/) > [Not for a million - years. I mean, I like the INXS boys, but I found the process very degrading, really. Reality television has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-may/not-for-a-million-years-i-mean-i-like-the-inxs-boys-but-i-found-the/) [Brian May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-may/) > [“Real love involves a foundation of respect, honesty, and trust, concepts wholly missing from the pale imitations hawked to us by the folks who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-pozner/real-love-involves-a-foundation-of-respect-honesty-and-trust-concepts/) [Jennifer L. Pozner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-pozner/) > [“Sadism dominates the culture. It runs like an electric current through reality television and trash-talk programs, is at the core of pornography, and fuels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/sadism-dominates-the-culture-it-runs-like-an-electric-current-through/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [I don't enjoy reality television at all. I have to say that I get it, though. I watch some of it, and I understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-schaal/i-don-t-enjoy-reality-television-at-all-i-have-to-say-that-i-get-it/) [Kristen Schaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-schaal/) > [“Sadism dominates the culture. It runs like an electric current through reality television and trash-talk programs, is at the core of pornography, and fuels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/sadism-dominates-the-culture-it-runs-like-an-electric-current-through-2/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [Art is a thing where, the least likely thing that you think is going to be art, is precisely the thing that is going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-phillips/art-is-a-thing-where-the-least-likely-thing-that-you-think-is-going/) [Richard Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-phillips/) > [“Off in the distance big white cruise ships had pulled into port, glistening beneath the Mexican sun. Vacationers for whom murder was not on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-underwood/off-in-the-distance-big-white-cruise-ships-had-pulled-into-port/) [Bobby Underwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-underwood/) > [Leaving reality television after 10 years, people have gotten to know me and been on this journey with me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/porsha-williams/leaving-reality-television-after-10-years-people-have-gotten-to-know/) [Porsha Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/porsha-williams/) > [What little reality television I've seen seems to be about economic desperation. Like the marathon dancing of the Great Depression, which should give us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/what-little-reality-television-i-ve-seen-seems-to-be-about-economic/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [I would consider doing something along the lines of 'Tough Enough' because that was my first endeavor into reality television, and that is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stone-cold-steve-austin/i-would-consider-doing-something-along-the-lines-of-tough-enough/) [Stone Cold Steve Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stone-cold-steve-austin/) > [So there was a constant flow and a thin line there between reality and television and yes, much of what I was experiencing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-thicke/so-there-was-a-constant-flow-and-a-thin-line-there-between-reality/) [Alan Thicke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-thicke/) > [This whole thing about reality television to me is really indicative of America saying we're not satisfied just watching television, we want to star…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/this-whole-thing-about-reality-television-to-me-is-really-indicative/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) [Browse all 130 Reality television quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality-television/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“As I stood up to walk to the spin room I saw that it was different for this debate. 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