CBS’ Blue Bloods delved into the narcissistic, self-obsession of college campus activists on Friday night. In an episode called “Backstabbers,” Nicky Reagan (Sami Boyle) tries her hand at campus radicalism by helping a friend distribute flyers where students can get their privilege checked. Because that’s what is needed in life...more checking of privilege:
**WARNING: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE**
Nicky: Join CSC and our fight for social justice on campus! We don't accept, we disrupt!
Chrissie: You can give money or sign up for a "Check Your Privilege" workshop!
Student: Hope this helps.
Nicky: Thank you.
Chrissie: You know how to work a crowd, Nicky.
Nicky: One nickel at a time.
Chrissie: Every little bit helps.
Meeks: Miss Watkins?
Chrissie: That's me.
Meeks: Ted Meeks, security investigator for the university. You left a voicemail about some sort of threat you received last night?
Chrissie: It wasn't "Some sort of threat." Someone's trying to kill me.
Nicky: What?!
Meeks: And this was on the school message board. The social studies forum.
Chrissie: Social justice forum. I'm trying to make things better on campus, and this troll starts threatening me. Here, I printed it out.
Nicky: Chrissie, why didn't you tell me about this?
Chrissie: I didn't want to scare you. I'm scared enough as it is.
Meeks: These aren't exactly threats.
Chrissie: What are you talking about? "Go to hell, bitch?” "Crybaby feminists should be run off campus?"
Meeks: It's rude, yeah, but the First Amendment doesn't protect you from hurt feelings.
Chrissie: So you're not gonna do anything?
Meeks: I'm happy to take the report.
Nicky: That's it? A report?
Meeks: And you are?
Nicky: Nicky Reagan, treasurer of CSC.
Meeks: Well, Miss Reagan...
Chrissie: You know what? Forget it. I get hostility all the time. What's a little more? Join CSC in the struggle against racism, sexism, and the hate we see around us every day!
So, our campus mini-Maddow clearly possesses an overinflated view of her own self-importance, coupled with a complete lack of understanding of the 1st Amendment. To the point that she has to get instruction on this basic American right from a campus security guard.
She even finds time to try to brainwash Nicky (who is the granddaughter of the NYPD Commissioner) with an anti-NYPD rant before discovering what appears to be an escalation in the amount of hate coming her way:
Chrissie: Your uncle didn't arrest Scott?
Nicky: He said his record is clean.
Chrissie: So typical. The people in power never protect the less powerful.
Nicky: That's not true, Chrissie.
Chrissie: Have you watched the news lately? Tell me the NYPD are the good guys.
Nicky: The good things cops do rarely make the news. Look, maybe my uncle's right. You're not really in danger.
Chrissie: Now you're blowing me off, too?
Nicky: Ok, but... Look, if someone hates you so much, have you thought about maybe, I don't know, keeping a lower profile for a little while?
Chrissie: Nicky, they want to shut people like us up. Are you willing to keep "A low profile" when you see injustice, income inequality, attacks on gay rights?
Nicky: Well, no.
Chrissie: Neither am I. So we keep fighting, right?
Nicky: Right. Isn't that your room? Oh, my God.
Chrissie: See? Someone does want me dead.
Except that this “escalation in hate” is not quite what it seems:
**WARNING: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE**
Nicky: Knock, knock.
Erin: Hey, come see this.
Nicky: Is that the video from Chrissie's building? Still can't believe the landlord gave it to you.
Erin: Well, get ready to not believe something else.
Nicky: What do you mean?
Erin: Just watch.
Nicky: God, what a bastard. Sorry.
Erin: Gets worse.
Nicky: It was... Chrissie?
Erin: Time code shows that she did it about a minute before she bumped into you on the street.
Nicky: But... It can't be her.
Erin: I gave it to campus security. Now they think she posted the online threats.
This is why I love this show. It might be the only show on network TV that’s not afraid to expose underlying truths that make liberals get that not-so-clean feeling. Like the fact that buried beneath their exterior of emotion and passion for the “cause” lies a little kid who is just screaming out for attention. Claiming all along to be fighting for others while really only concerned about themselves.
Kudos are definitely in order here for Blue Bloods. Well done.
