From 'The Godfather' to 'Game of Thrones': Everything President Obama Watched in His Eight Years

There's no doubt that we're all going to miss Obama terribly, so console yourself with some of his film and television favorites.

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It’s a cliché at this point, but dammit, we’re going to miss Obama. The man who gave us healthcare, marriage equality, and the most satisfying bromance in the universe will no longer be president in a few days. And though we'll likely be seeing him in the future, you gotta think he'll take a break from the public eye for a little bit, just to catch up on some relaxing. And even though the president loves music, is a big reader, a doting husband and a loving father and, most importantly, a double dog-dad—all time-consuming activities and important in their own way—the one we care the most about is his pop culture sensibility.

Obama's taste in movies is, rather predictably, pretty classic. He seems to show a preference for dramas; the only real comedy he seems to have watched in the past eight years, bar the children’s movies, has been The Martian, and that’s only a “comedy” because the Golden Globes are stupid. When it comes to TV, Obama is edgier. And refined—nearly none of his favorites are on network television, which is where good TV goes to die. In fact, former aides have actually called him “the HBO president,” signaling his love for the dark comedies the premium cable channel specializes in.

Maybe that taste for violence and mystery explains how he made it as leader of America for the past eight years. Whether you love this country or not, being the president of it is definitely not for the faint of heart. In his memoir Audacity of Hope, Obama says he “generally [doesn’t] care what adults watch in the privacy of their home” which definitely does not confirm but vaguely suggests that he, like you, isn't mad at all the nudity on Game of Thrones. And this should be a reminder to all of us as we study this list. Let us never forget that although he may be a national treasure, but he is also a man.

The Classics

Godfather

Contemporary Movie Picks

Martian

White House Screenings

To Kill a Mockingbird

TV Shows

The Wire

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