Bridgett McDowell of Green Oak Township wants to meet the man who provided some of her recent comments before the Livingston County Board of Commissioners.
That man — Patton Oswalt — is performing at The Fillmore Detroit on Saturday, May 18, 2019 — and McDowell would like nothing more than to meet him because she’s a big fan, and, quite possibly, to thank him for inspiring her three minutes before the county board that went viral. McDowell’s time was part of the People’s Filibuster to protest the board’s decision to stop video recording its meetings, a political strategy that I call brilliantly charming, subversive, and really effective.
“At the filibuster, I was prepared for just one round of public comment,” McDowell said. “So when I realized there was a second round, I quickly googled his nine-minute improvised Parks & Rec filibuster” (delivered in a 2013 episode of the popular show).
It ended up being the filibuster heard ‘round the internet.
So wonderful was McDowell’s reading of the Star Wars filibuster from “Parks and Recreation,” that it was tweeted by Lauren Gibbons, a reporter covering politics for MLive.
And then, on Feb. 26, 2019, Oswalt re-tweeted the video with a three-letter shout-out of a four-letter word that went out to his 4.48 million Twitter followers.
(You can read about it by clicking here. And you can get background on the People’s Filibuster, the brainchild of Jordan Genso of Brighton, by clicking here. )
Then, Nerdist did a story on it.
If anyone deserves to meet Patton Oswalt when he swings through Detroit, it’s Bridgett McDowell, who already has her tickets for his performance at The Fillmore in hand.
“I bought a pair for my husband and myself after the filibuster,” McDowell said. “We are both looking forward to a fun evening — just need to line up a sitter!”
For McDowell, Oswalt is more than just filibuster fodder.
“I’ve been a fan of Patton Oswalt’s for years,” she said. “I’m also a fan of his late wife, Michelle McNamara. The way he continued her true crime book after her death was so loving.”
So, let’s help her meet Oswalt. Retweet McDowell’s tweet by clicking here.
And may the force be with us!
P.S. from McDowell: “With the May show, it’d be great to have an update on the broadcast issue,” she said. “Ideally with sufficient funding to support the recording and quality audio since the chair, Mr. (Donald) Parker, is very hard to hear.”
Oswalt, a popular comedian and TV star who is currently on NBC’s “AP Bio,” has also appeared in “The King of Queens,” “The Goldbergs,” and numerous other shows, including “Parks and Recreation.” Here’s his “Parks and Recreation” filibuster:
