Great New York Times article on one of my favorite shows, "24", and the changing political landscape around it (H/T to Sarah for that one). But one thing I've always hated about the people behind "24" is that they claim to be so naive about what's going on in the world around them. They think what happens on the show is insulated from everything else going on in the world. And they claim that they straddle the fence soooo well...
This ridiculous passage sort of sums it up
Over the years the creators of "24" have bragged that it has drawn accolades from fans as diverse as Rush Limbaugh and Barbra Streisand. This year, in addition to Cherry Jones in the role of the president, new cast members include Janeane Garofalo, the comic and former host of a liberal radio talk show, and Jon Voigt, an ardent conservative.
Their participation, Mr. Gordon said, implies that the show does not serve one political agenda. He also said that anyone who claims that "24" has promoted torture should also acknowledge that with Dennis Haysbert it cast an African-American president seven years ago.
"If we're going to take the blame for Guantánamo and Abu Ghraib, I think we should at least get the credit for Obama," he said. "It's the other side of the same coin."
Yeah...um...what? Because "24" put an African-American male as president, they should get credit for the country electing him seven years later? Are you serious, Mr. Gordon?
Do you remember when you issued an on-air disclaimer in 2005 "reminding viewers that the Muslim-Americans community renounces terrorism?
Or this "On Point" NPR broadcast about the politics of "24"?
Do you remember this New York Times article (with this amazingly prophetic passage "Recently in his blog on "24," the humorist Dave Barry expressed a wish for Congressional hearings into the show's crimes against narrative cohesiveness." Well there's going to be congressional hearings next season...just maybe not on narrative cohesiveness)?
Or maybe this one, also from the New York Times about normalizing torture on "24"?
This ridiculous passage sort of sums it up
Over the years the creators of "24" have bragged that it has drawn accolades from fans as diverse as Rush Limbaugh and Barbra Streisand. This year, in addition to Cherry Jones in the role of the president, new cast members include Janeane Garofalo, the comic and former host of a liberal radio talk show, and Jon Voigt, an ardent conservative.
Their participation, Mr. Gordon said, implies that the show does not serve one political agenda. He also said that anyone who claims that "24" has promoted torture should also acknowledge that with Dennis Haysbert it cast an African-American president seven years ago.
"If we're going to take the blame for Guantánamo and Abu Ghraib, I think we should at least get the credit for Obama," he said. "It's the other side of the same coin."
Yeah...um...what? Because "24" put an African-American male as president, they should get credit for the country electing him seven years later? Are you serious, Mr. Gordon?
Do you remember when you issued an on-air disclaimer in 2005 "reminding viewers that the Muslim-Americans community renounces terrorism?
Or this "On Point" NPR broadcast about the politics of "24"?
Do you remember this New York Times article (with this amazingly prophetic passage "Recently in his blog on "24," the humorist Dave Barry expressed a wish for Congressional hearings into the show's crimes against narrative cohesiveness." Well there's going to be congressional hearings next season...just maybe not on narrative cohesiveness)?
Or maybe this one, also from the New York Times about normalizing torture on "24"?
And who can forget this memorable, brilliantly-written piece in the Brandeis University newspaper, "The Justice"?
The first episode of "24", where a plane blows up was supposed to air right after the horrors of 9/11. They debated going to war in Season 2, as Americans were debating the same thing. And you think that this show is not intertwined at all with what's going on in the world? I think that maybe the people behind "24" need some sense of reality. Hopefully the new season of "24" reflects some of that...and maybe some new, exciting plotlines.
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