The American Spectator has had the ear of every president from Lyndon B. Johnson to Donald J. Trump. In addition to providing comprehensive editorial coverage of each administration, the magazine, under the stewardship of its founder, R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr., has enjoyed a unique relationship with the White House and many of the respective occupants of the Oval Office. (RELATED: Surviving the Kultursmog: R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr. and the Rise of The American Spectator)
I recently sat down for a second interview with Robert Orlando, the director of the upcoming documentary Surviving the Kultursmog: R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr. and the Rise of The American Spectator, to examine The American Spectator’s special relationship with the White House across the past six decades. (RELATED: Behind the Making of Kultursmog: An Interview With Rob Orlando, Director of New Documentary on The American Spectator)
Cravotta: The American Spectator has covered every presidential administration from Lyndon B. Johnson to Donald J. Trump. How is The American Spectator’s role as a chronicler of history reflected in Kultursmog?
Orlando: What I’m discovering as I make this film is just how much The American Spectator has been a running commentary on our national story — not from the sidelines, but right in the thick of it. I’m not treating it like just a magazine; I’m approaching it as a kind of cultural logbook. Each administration leaves its imprint, and Bob Tyrrell has been there, sharp pen in hand, taking it all in. For me, the film becomes a journey across shifting eras, with The American Spectator as a constant presence — sometimes contrarian, sometimes prophetic, always unmistakably itself.
“Mr. Tyrell Goes to Washington,” courtesy of Nexus Media.
Cravotta: The American Spectator had a particularly strong connection to the Ronald Reagan administration, as is evidenced by Bob Tyrrell’s personal encounters with President Reagan, such as the time he hosted the president for dinner at his home. How do you, as a filmmaker, bring such a meaningful experience to life?
Orlando: I’m still shaping how we bring that to screen, but I’ll say this — there’s something quietly powerful about Bob’s relationship with Reagan. It wasn’t transactional. It was built on mutual respect, shared ideas, and a deep sense of the stakes at that moment in history. I’m not trying to stage some grand recreation. Instead, I’m focusing on the feeling of it — the warmth, the candor, the fact that a sitting president trusted this editor enough to sit at his table. Some moments, I want the audience to lean in and sense the intimacy. That one’s definitely in that category. But I won’t give away how I pull it off. You’ll see.
Cravotta: Although The American Spectator has existed since 1967, it reached an apex of visibility in the early 1990s with its investigation of the Clinton administration’s various scandals, including Troopergate, Whitewater, Monica Lewinsky. How does Kultursmog take us back to that period? What was your approach in elucidating The American Spectator’s takedown of Bill and Hillary Clinton?
Orlando: That part of the story is raw, and still controversial — and that’s exactly why I want to get it right. I’m not out to re-litigate every detail, but to show how The American Spectator became a lightning rod at a moment when politics, media, and scandal collided. In the editing room, I’m threading together voices, footage, and energy from that period to help viewers feel how chaotic and alive it was. The magazine wasn’t just reporting on the Clintons — it was part of the national conversation that changed the way political journalism operated. That’s a big part of what I want the audience to sit with.
Cravotta: The American Spectator not only chronicled various presidential administrations — Bob Tyrrell and his publication also advised them. How is this special vantage point depicted in Kultursmog?
Orlando:
I see Bob as someone who doesn’t seek power so much as speak truth as he sees it — and that has always drawn power toward him. That’s a subtle but important distinction. I’m finding ways to show this — not through big declarations, but in the quiet confidence of his influence. When people in power read your words closely, you’ve earned a kind of seat at the table. Bob’s voice has had staying power because it isn’t manufactured. In the film, I’m not highlighting him as an operator. I’m showing him as a steady presence — part critic, part conscience, always observing.
Cravotta: The American Spectator, through Bob Tyrrell and some of the magazine’s contributing writers, has the ear of President Trump. How is this special relationship portrayed in the film?
Orlando: That’s a relationship I’m still unfolding onscreen. There’s something unpredictable about it — which, to be honest, fits the spirit of the Trump era. It’s not a straight line. What I’m interested in is the way The American Spectator was ahead of the curve in understanding Trump — not just politically, but as a cultural phenomenon. Bob recognized something about showmanship, the media gamesmanship. He’s seen it before, just in different suits. I’m letting the visuals and commentary speak to that — how a magazine rooted in satire and substance managed to stay relevant, even in the era of the tweet.
Cravotta: Rob, as the director, what was your greatest challenge in depicting the role of The American Spectator through the lens of different presidential administrations and their accompanying political and cultural zeitgeist?
Orlando: The biggest challenge is also what keeps me going — how to tie together such wildly different moments in time while keeping the story grounded. Each administration brings its own tone, its own drama, its own noise. But I have to keep coming back to The American Spectator as the throughline. What does it reveal? What does it resist? What does it absorb? That’s where I start each scene. And there’s also the personal challenge — how to let the film reflect my own curiosity without overshadowing the legacy I’m capturing. It’s a balancing act, but one I care deeply about getting right.
Cravotta: The American Spectator is known for covering presidential administrations with a mélange of hard-hitting reporting, insightful commentary, and humor — especially through the magazine’s creative illustrations and cartoons. How did you, as a filmmaker, showcase The American Spectator’s playful personification of the political personalities du jour?
Orlando: That’s actually one of the most joyful parts of this process. I love how The American Spectator doesn’t just report — it riffs, caricatures, pokes fun, tells stories through visuals. As a filmmaker, that’s a gift. I’m blending those original cartoons with motion, color, and energy — letting them breathe on screen. They give the film rhythm, but also depth. Politics can be brutal. Humor is how The American Spectator keeps its edge — and how I’m trying to make sure this film doesn’t just inform, but entertain.
Again, at its heart, this film isn’t about policy or partisanship — it’s about vision, memory, and survival. It’s about a voice that kept speaking clearly even when the world got noisy. And in making Surviving the Kultursmog, I’m not just telling The American Spectator’s story — I’m learning from it.
Cravotta: Thank you, Rob, for your incredible insights. I look forward to our next conversation about Surviving the Kultursmog: R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr. and the Rise of The American Spectator.
For more information about Kultursmog, visit https://www.kultursmogfilm.com/.
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