Good news for "24" fans. After what was, for me, nearly a whole week of being conflicted about watching the show because of this afore-blogged about "New Yorker" article, Howard Gordon, one of the executive producers of the show, said yesterday that they'll be dialing back on the torture in the remaining shows. Go here for the story. Though Gordon says they're decreasing the amount of torture on the show because it was getting to be "trite" and NOT because of any human rights concerns, I'm just glad they got the message, even if it wasn't Surnow. I'm sure he's up in his office shaking his head at the "liberal media" and the "PC gestapo" everytime he thinks about what they've made him do, but I think the slight shift in the show's content is good for the culture and good for Fox's bottom-line because now liberals can watch the show guilt-free again. Of course the bad news is that they've already shot 16 of the 24 episodes -- all of them no doubt chock full of torture and thinly veiled Republican dogma -- so this new anti-torture directive will effect only the final eight. Good enough, says me.
Also, the new Surnow-produced Fox "comedy" show, "The 1/2 Hour News Hour" premieres tonight on Fox News. If that first clip wasn't enough to convince you that ultra right-wingers are incapable of writing and/or performing comedy, this clip ought to do the trick. No doubt, the two "stars" in this clip agreed to do it because they're close personal friends with Surnow. In a way, this clip makes the New Yorker article come alive by showing concretely the extent of Surnow's connections with these sort of people. In terms of comedy, this clip's even more cringe-worthy. The laugh track makes me depressed -- they don't even want to fool you into thinking actual people are in the studio laughing it up at this dreck. It's as if they know their audience won't know the difference. Yeesh.
Anyway, enjoy the awfulness, and enjoy your weekend.
8 comments:
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What's the worst part of that show is how their jokes are just uninspired, comically bankrupt jabs at the left as if being overly aggressive is enough to make a point. It's truly the "we can be louder than you, thus we win" Fox rule applied to comedy. I give that show half a season.
I share your pain there, Crane. I don't share your pain with 24, however, because it seems as if your only grief with it comes from its contrast to your political and moral beliefs. I don't watch the show, personally, because I just find myself drinking the purple koolaid of that show like everyone else, therefore I'm not affected by it in any capacity. Still, it is a work of fiction. Let's not get our panties in a bunch over a fictional show, no matter how much of it is propaganda or not. I despise torture. I don't think America should be torturing anyone. It goes against our very principles - something we've always prided ourselves in was our humane treatment of prisoners of war even when the enemy (Germany and Japan come to mind) didn't show in kind. That aside, it's just a piece of fiction. Whether it dials back the torture or not, I think its good for our culture one way or another. Censoring it would be bad on our culture, however. My two pennies.
It's as if my "DON'Ts" magically dropped off my posts! Grrr! Here's my addendums to the above post. Sorry - I'm trying to do six things at once here at work.
"...because I just DON'T find myself drinking the purple koolaid of that show like everyone else..."
"...I DON'T think its good for our culture one way or another."
In my first post ever on your blog, I hate to say it, but I agree with Heath. Now I feel all dirty. I also must add my own simple reason for not watching 24: I don't like to watch torture.
Yayy! Thanks for the comment, Gretchen! I agree with you and Heath that the show shouldn't in any way be censored. I think the decision to adjust the content of the show was NOT because the producers thought it was the right thing to do for the public at large, which is debatable, but because it was the best business decision (and also because they'd worn the torture gimmick down to a nub). Yes, the "pain" I feel about "24" does have to do with idealogical differences with the show, but I would never support "censoring" the show. If they decide that the best way to keep ratings up is to self-censor, then that's their decision, and I'm glad they made it.
Actually, I think there's some truth in that 1/2 Hour News Hour sketch. Namely, that the repubs will still be making Cindy Sheehan jokes in 2008.
Sad, sad, sad. Carlos Mencia must be their head writer.
Yes, but he stole all his material from Ann Coulter.
Gretchen, it's great to see you on here. Or should I call you GREATchen for agreeing with me. And, I bet you feel all dirty - you are escused to shower the Heath off of you. [crickets] Inappropriate. But, still, nice to see you around in these here parts. And now that you're here, I guess we'll never see Nathan again. Greatchen is kind of the moth ball for Nathans, right? Didn't you too hate each other? Go. Shower!
If you lived with Nathan, you'd understand, but I wouldn't say I hate him. I just live to torture him and forever point out his flaws. I've been reading the blog for quite a while, just never had the urge to post, but then Shawn told Crane that I read it and I felt guilty. So, here I am. When I'm not too exhausted from work to put together a coherent sentence, I'll post a comment. Maybe. If you're good.
Wow. Nothing funnier than a joke about a woman with a dead soldier son! Ha ha ha! Hoo boy, that situation was sure ripe for a punchline. Kudos, Fox!
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