Boardwalk Empire: The Contradiction of Nucky Thompson
Last Sunday, the new series Boardwalk Empire premiered on HBO. Â While watching previews, I wondered if the show would address the fact that a large force behind prohibition was the Women’s Temperance movement. Â I was surprised and happy to see that it was addressed in the first five minutes of the first episode. Â Nucky Thompson (played by Steve Buscemi) is shown speaking at a meeting for Women’s Temperance, about how evil alcohol is, and how great it is that women no longer have to fear their drunk husbands. Â If you saw the commercials, it’s obvious Nucky controls the Atlantic City Boardwalk, and part of that role is keeping the booze flowing freely during prohibition. Â The upside for him is that he now gets to charge astronomical prices for a simple cocktail.