So this is sort of dated already, so sue me. But as everyone has already heard by now, Fran Drescher is interested in taking over Hillary Clinton’s Senate Seat. Now, I don’t know the woman or her politics at all, so it’s impossible for me to say what kind of Senator she would be. But we DO know all about the character she is most famous for – Pamela Finkelstein, the plucky receptionist from Weird Al’s 1989 classic, UHF, so that seems like as good a basis for comparison as any.

Pamela Finkelstein was an extremely dedicated receptionist, staying at U62 for years and through countless bosses, eager to earn her stripes. Well, that’s a great characteristic for a Senator – you have to be willing to put in your time and understand that you won’t be able to change everything overnight.

Pamela also was able to keep her wits about her, even when the mailman mistakenly delivered a package to the UHF station that was destined for their rival, R.J. Fletcher. She warned her new boss George that he wasn’t the nicest guy, but she didn’t get in his way, knowing that George had to do what George had to do. And when the experience backfired, she never once lectured George after the fact – she was able to quickly move on after her wisdom was not heeded. Now come on, wouldn’t it be great if all Senators could be so level-headed?

Finally, unlike George, Philo, and Stanley Spadowski, Pamela didn’t use the reinvention of U62 to get herself on the air with silly programming – she wanted to be a serious journalist. Her dedication to her craft and her original goals was certainly an admirable trait in the movie, and would be even more meaningful in Washington. Sure, she got a little peeved when she was out-muscled by the network affiliate, and by the “broads don’t belong in broadcasting” crack specifically, but again, she rose above it, and was more concerned about Noodles’ injury than she was about her hurt ego.

So, it is the opinion of this blogger that Pamela Finkelstein, the fictional character from UHF, would make an excellent Senator. Fran Drescher, who knows. But if she modeled her political career after the role that made her famous, I’m sure she’d do great.