Apparently we aren’t the only ones who are hopeful that Ben Silverman is able to resist the urge to pack up his bags and move to England. For, yesterday, the impeccably eyebrowed Vulture hero was invited to be a special guest at … wait for it … the White House! Yes, that’s right, the co-chairman of NBC’s White Tiger Outreach division was invited to debut his network’s latest ratings disappointment, The Philanthropist, at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. This is certainly an honor for both Silverman and his General Electric overlords, especially when you consider the cold snub the previous administration gave to Silverman’s reboot of American Gladiators. Silverman told the New York Post’s Cindy Adams — who, for the record, describes him as a “hotshot medicine man†— that the visit was initiated by the new administration: “We’re responding to Obama’s request to bring the entertainment industry into White House initiatives.â€
Unfortunately for Ben Silverman and James Purefoy, the star of The Philanthropist, President Obama did not have enough time to work in a sit-down with the visiting NBC representatives. However, and this is NOT A JOKE, he did send his dog, Bo, to the screening in his stead. Silverman posed alongside the First Canine*, and also passed along word to Adams that “Bo gave The Philanthropist four woofs.†In today’s increasingly fractured world of television, that’s basically the equivalent of a Golden Globe!
*If you happen to come across these photos, anywhere, please contact us immediately.