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September 7, 2006 at 11:54 pm
I really resent Bill Clinton trying to censor what I see. I am an adult and should be free to watch this show if I like.
Of course, I have no intention of ever watching it, and never did…
September 8, 2006 at 8:11 am
Opie, nobody is trying to censor what you see. If anyone is doing any censoring, it’s the producers of this movie who have mischaracterized events, both ones that did and ones that did not happen, as well as completely made entire scenes up from complete cloth.
And that’s an admission, from the producers, on their website.
Documentary, drama, or “docu-drama,” don’t you feel that when writing a story, film, or mini-series about an event as terrible and recent as 9/11, not to mention an event that has catapulted the US into ever-lasting wars and completely changed the political and emotional landscape of not only our country, but that of other countries as well that…well…
…perhaps someone should make their best effort to make sure the filnm is as factual and dead on what’s accepted as fact as possible?
Or maybe, if I decided to make a movie about Pearl Harbor, it would be ok if I presented the current president at that time as too busy forging alliances with space aliens from Mars to focus on the possibility of a Pacific attack?
That never happened, though, did it? But would it be ok to make up a scene like that and include it in the movie?
September 8, 2006 at 6:51 pm
From Reuters today:
Reid and other leading Senate Democrats wrote to Robert Iger, president and CEO of ABC’s corporate parent, the Walt Disney Co., urging him to “cancel this factually inaccurate and deeply misguided program.”
If I held public office, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near the appearance that I was tacitly threatening a private-sector media outlet to kill a broadcast or deal with the consequences. I’d avoid it at all costs.
Having said that, I am serious when I say I don’t intend to watch it. I’ve never cared for historical fiction exactly because it always leaves me wondering what parts were legit and what weren’t. The real story is always more interesting anyway.
September 9, 2006 at 7:53 am
Opie, I’m with you about historical fiction, whether filmed or printed. It just leaves me cold (except for the Three Musketeers).
Regarding the uproar on the left about the film, I have to say it doesn’t seem any different from the uproar on the right about the CBS movie about Ronald and Nancy Reagan a couple of years ago. They may both be equally reprehensible. But neither one was censorship.
Censorship is the goverment’s preventing someone from saying or publishing something. The fact that you and I are able to say something doesn’t mean someone else has to publish it if he or she doesn’t want to.
Of course, thanks to the internet, we can publish our own stuff. But we can’t make anyone read it.
————
Unrelated comment: Is it censorship when a witness in court is directed to tell the truth?
There is a difference between artistic license and artistic licentiousness. This would appear to be the latter.
September 9, 2006 at 9:02 am
“Censorship is the goverment’s preventing someone from saying or publishing something.”
Which is exactly why I think there are ethical concerns when a group of senators urges a broadcast network to “cancel” (THEIR word per Reuters,) a program.
Other than that, I agree with most of what you’ve said, Frank, and this is indeed same song second verse of the Reagan docudrama incident.
September 9, 2006 at 11:23 am
I have to agree with the “docudrama” issue. The last one that I watched was a ‘what if’ when Yellowstone blew. Something to get the doom sayers going. But this…No, I won’t watch it. I haven’t considered watching it. But I don’t believe that “artistic license” should allow for the facts of something like this to be distorted, knowing there will be people who will watch it, & not know the difference. And there will be.
(The senators are urging the cancellation of the show to boost their popularity ratings, I think.)
September 9, 2006 at 5:47 pm
Karen: I think the Senators are concerned that people with watch it and believe the distortions. They aren’t worried about popularity, except as demonstrated at the polls.
Assuming electronic voting machines are not in use.
Opie: They’re Democrats. They have no power.
But at least that’s more honest than paying journalists under the table as the current Federal Administration is wont to do.
September 10, 2006 at 2:27 pm
Opie: Regardless, jsut because a bunch of powerless Democrats call on ABC to cancel the show doesn’t make it censorship.
If Democrats ordered, with legal authorization, ABC to pull it, then you’d have a censorship case on your hands.
But that’s not the case. And the cries from the Right that the Left is trying to censor the mini-series is crap right out the starting gate.
We can bitch and moan until we’re blue in the face. We can organize petitions, protests, boycotts, and inumerable other methods at which to “get back” at ABC/Disney for airing this movie. Hell, we could get Jesus himself to coem down from heaven and voice his displeasure about the movie but ultimately…
…we have no power to actually pull the movie. That’s up to ABC/Disney. And if ABC/Disney pulls the film, nobody should be crying to a bunch of angry Democrats or Senators for it.
Cry to ABC for pulling it. That final decision, ultimately, lies with them.
September 10, 2006 at 8:47 pm
So rich people trying to control things they don’t want you to see doesn’t bother you?
September 11, 2006 at 6:24 pm
Rich people controlling my country’s security, elections, Constitution, laws, and international standing concerns me more.
September 11, 2006 at 8:05 pm
Rich people controlling stuff doesn’t bother me all that much. There’s nothing wrong ipso facto with being rich.
Rich, greedy, amoral, hypocritical, duplicitous people controlling stuff–now that bothers me.
September 11, 2006 at 8:32 pm
This is all very interesting. I wouldn’t have predicted any of it.