TV Wisdom

Roy usually covers the aesthetic Stalinism beat. But the question of whether or not the TV show 24 is conservative or not is simply too important to be entrusted to any one blogger. That is, if it's still being aired, as it may very well be: I have no idea, as I have never watched it, or plan to, though I do understand it has torture in it and a lot of people think that's Super.

Anyway. The question of 24's ideological provenance much exercises Noel Sheppard of "NewsBusters," a site where Committed Conservatives gather to swap steamy anecdotes about giving Dan Rather the Business. Sheppard is ordinarily rather a run-of-the-mill cretin of the anti-MSM variety, but here he does himself and his Movement proud with some really first-class gibberish.

Remember all that media chatter in January about the hit TV series "24" being conservative?

Well, likely to the applause of Jack Bauer's green fans, the producers  announced the following Saturday (emphasis added, h/t NBer amber):

"24," the Emmy Award-winning series from Imagine and Twentieth Century Fox Television, will strive to become the first television production ever to save enough energy and reduce enough carbon emissions over the course of a season to render its entire season finale "carbon neutral."

Star Kiefer Sutherland has already filmed a public service annoucement which begins: "Global warming is a crime for which we are all guilty!"

Think that will put to rest all the "24" is conservative nonsense? No, I don't either.

There's a lot to chew on here, as the dog said to the nachos it just puked on the carpet. 

For openers, as I understand it, the objections to 24 were to do with what it depicted on-screen, not with what its star said in PSAs nor what fuel they use to fire up their shows. The show's producers could have a policy of hiring solely illegal immigrant quadriplegic lesbian hippie Islamofascists to man the cameras, but if the filmed product shows Keifer S. testicle torturing an illegal immigrant quadriplegic lesbian hippie Islamofascist in order to save Nebraska from Socialized Medicine, well, it just ain't a liberal show.

Then there is this shit:

At the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center, the Heritage Foundation hosted a forum on the hit FOX-TV show "24" that can only be described as adulatory. Though the panel featured homeland security experts, the co-creators of "24" and three of the show's stars to purportedly discuss "'24' and America's Image in Fighting Terrorism: Fact, Fiction, or Does it Matter?" the event became a love-fest -- a lofty, intellectual, probing one, but a love-fest nonetheless, with the amphitheater packed with rows and rows of the show's fans from the city's conservative power structure.

Front row center sat Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff gave the opening remarks. And it was a chance to see Rush gush.

"I am literally in awe of the creativity of the brains behind the program," said conservative talk radio icon Rush Limbaugh, who moderated the panel. "The vice president's a huge fan. Secretary (Donald) Rumsfeld's a huge fan."

Ewww.

None of that may have anything to do with the show's artistic merit, whatever that may be. But it's pretty lame to use 24 for propaganda benefit when it's convenient and then get all pissy if someone dares call it propaganda. And "conservatives" most certainly were trying at one point to wring cool points out of 24, as embarrassing and pathetic -- and characteristic -- as that is. (I'm astounded that as of yet no bright young Cornerite has tried to claim The Fonz as one of Their Own. To my certain knowledge, anyway. If they have, I do not want to know about it, and I mean that most sincerely.)

Finally, and this is the only point that is actually significant: why do these lunatics think that using less fossil fuels is "liberal"?

Good, smart "Conservatives" are apparently supposed to now believe that:

-- Global warming is stupid;
-- The  "MSM" wants to elect a Democrat;
-- Saddam and Al Qaeda were in cahoots;
-- "We fight them there so we don't have to fight them here";
-- Torture is swell;
-- Stupid TV shows and movies need to be constantly scoured to gauge their precise degree of Ideological Comfort.

These ideas are all quite simply insane.

Anyway, I'll leave you with Sheppard's closing remarks, because why should I be the only one to suffer?

Great. Now one of my favorite shows has become part of Al Gore's scam.

And I was having such a great Saturday.

Poor little fucker.

Comments

[Mithras]

Testicle torturing a lesbian! will be the name of the next Modest Mouse CD.

[r€nato]

the producers of 24 like to blow off criticism by saying, "Hey, everyone knows it's just a TV show." But that little shindig at the Heritage Foundation puts the lie to that rationalization, doesn't it?

[Davis]

It's curious, isn't it, how conservatism has synonymous with anti-science: global warming, evolution, emryonic stem stell research, "persistent vegetative state", etc., all have to be opposed for some reason. And ample testimony from experts that torture doesn't work and quickly degenerates into sadism must be dismissed.

[JB]

Anti-science, but weirdly, pro-faith. I guess if you can show your work, they're not interested.

[Mooser]

If I had any time out from my job as a international terrorist/podiatrist to the worlds leading religious hermits, I would watch the hit FOX show "24". But I don't, so I haven't caught a single episode Quel Tragedie!

[Mr.Murder]

Due to the deficit, "24" is being listed as "12.45" until the budget is balanced...

bordering on 'reality show' territory now.

[KC45s]

Perhaps there's also something of the Jonah Goldsbergian logic (I use the term loosely) that it is better to be wrong than associate with people you dislike who are right.

And let's not forget the old "if liberals like it we must oppose it and vice versa" philosophy

Man, if we could only convince Rush and Noel that liberals would be upset if they jumped into a wood chipper...

[reverter]

And Rush is a "huge" fan, too!

[Knoodles]

Rush wouldn't fit in a wood chipper. If he tried, it clog the thing up. I'm a liberal and it would upset me if he tried. Don't you dare jump in this liberal's wood chipper, Rush.

["Fair and Balanced" Dave]

The quality of "24" has gone consistently downhill since the first season. The show's quality went into nosedive last season the writers killed off former President David Palmer--easily the best-written and most complex character in the series (wonderfully portrayed by actor Dennis Haysbert).

The series always stressed believability to the breaking point but they "jumped the shark" in the most recent season. Anyone who believes that a group of Russian ultra-nationalists would willingly give nuclear weapons to a group of Islamic extremists is not merely clueless but totally delusional.

[PattyP]

If Al Gore was in any way involved with 24 they'd have to rename it 12, because that's how much more efficient he is.

[American Citizen]

The big strategic mistake is that liberals are publically in favor of things they like. If liberals had denied global warming theories, the whole country would be carbon-neutral by 2010.

[dan mcenroe]

But that little shindig at the Heritage Foundation puts the lie to that rationalization, doesn't it?

Eh. You go where the marketing deparment sends you. It was probably one more stop before Comic-con.

the event became a love-fest -- a lofty, intellectual, probing one, but a love-fest nonetheless,

The probing is the best part of any love-fest.

[BushYouth]

"show's artistic merit,"
???????

You're shitting us, right? That show has the artistic merit of Walker, Texas Ranger.

[Bob Smith]

I still want to see the episode where Kiefer goes back in time and kills his Grandfather thus saving Canada from socialized medicine

[Phila]

Great. Now one of my favorite shows has become part of Al Gore's scam.

Wait 'til he finds out that denialism is the new Bolshevism, but in a good way.

[gcdem]

The Producer, Joel Surnow is extremely conservative - BFF of Rush Limbaugh (really). Pretty much all the questions raised in this post were answered recently in the New Yorker. Read it at: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/02/19/070219fa_fact_mayer

Among many disturbing anecdotes about the conservatives behind this show, this article tells the story of a visit to the set by Military interogation trainers who wanted to convince the writers and producers to tone down the torture because their trainees think 24 gives a real insight on "how to" interrogate. The trainers are disturbed on many levels by this development.

Yes, there are some liberals associated with the show, but in the New Yorker, Surnow proudly admits to having a conservative agenda. The facts in this article ruined 24 for me. I finished the current season, but I may not watch next season.

[Snow]

Adding to the confusion for these moroons (or I guess adding to their new oh-so-persuasive case for the non-conservative agenda of the show): saw today that a very out gay lady has been cast as the new president. Uh-oh.