Wednesday, February 14, 2007

24! Everybody loves it.

I followed the first season of Fox’s hit show 24. I thought the concept was interesting and that the drama was appropriate and well played out, I also, being a fan of Kiefer Sutherland, approved of the acting. The following seasons left me in the dust and after the 4th season (I believe it’s the fourth season, I’m not sure) I am completely lost but to no avail, a recent viewing of the episode disappointed me: obviously Islamic men (TERRORISTS!!) playing the antagonists and a poorly aimed gunfight at every climax. Now in the first season you didn’t know who the bad guy/girl was, probably in the cubical next to you; that’s drama. One more amazing thing is that the show didn’t need violence to be good, just the anticipation of violence, running up stairs two at a time, flinging the door open and proclaiming “Ha Ha, caught you Mildred!” But the show has become what every other Fox viewer wants: a bad Steven Segal-esque propaganda movie with another one-man army.

The show has come under fire recently by non-other than the US military for 24’s casual use of torture to gain information for the show’s antagonists. Luckily the show’s star: Kiefer Sutherland denoted the show’s use of torture saying that it is both unethical and ineffective. My opinion is that sue of torture is wrong in any situation no matter what the situation and every man/woman/undecided that gets arrested and accused in this war or any war has a right to a fair and ethical trail and places like Guantanimo bay should be outlawed (even though they technically are already). The way I see it is that Timothy McVey got a fair trail, perhaps because he was white, Christian, and right-wing ExtremoFascist. And he targeted a DAY-CARE CENTER!! That’s what I have to say so now I’m gonna put my two cents in.

3 comments:

MHanson said...

One of the biggest reasons that I don't watch television is the blatant violence. Perhaps a more important reason is that most shows are completely absurd and mind-numbing.

Now, I am not sure if watching violent TV shows or playing violent video games leads to violent actions, but I do know that I feel so much better doing something to improve myself or my life.

I would rather exercise, read, or even clean the kitchen than watch the cr**, er, uh, I mean junk they call entertainment.

As far as using torture I will refer to Ghandi for inspiration. He said, "An eye for eye will make the whole world blind." Although not technically refering to torture, I think the point is that violence can and does only lead to more violence.

Peace out!

Unknown said...

It's not surprise to me that Islamic men and women are being portrayed as evil and violent and people we should all be afraid of. After all, isn't that what this war on terror is all about?

Stereotyping is an easy, convenient way for us to avoid confronting our fears and our misunderstandings and our misguided notion that we'll be safer if we only have someone to point our finger at, some ethnic group to blame. That the media has joined the conversation is no surprise to me.

Anyone who believes that justice is blind, that all people regardless of skin color or religion or economic standing are treated equally by our justice system is naive. The news is full of examples that show what the reality is.

As for television, much of it isn't worth the effort. I haven't watched network TV in a very long time. It's inane, pointless, and just plain boring. Exceptions are out there of course, but it takes some searching to find them. The news used to be dependable, but even that has become more entertainment than news.

Most innovative programming is on cable. There are actually shows that give me some credit for having a brain in my head, for being able to think and reason and be entertained without nudity and violence. That's refreshing.

There's always PBS. It's like a port in a storm.

Nathan said...

I totally agree with you Jake. 24 has really degenerated from its second season into a steaming pile of propaganda. Why are they always “Terrorist” antagonists? It reminds me of what happened to X-Files. I loved that show! I watched it religiously for 3 years and then it got way to involved in the alien story arc. Until then it was like a new hip 90’s version of The Twilight Zone. One week it would be about circus freaks the next it would be about genies, a man who can walk through walls the next, werewolves after that… Man I miss that show. I guess the point I am trying to make is that like the X-Files ; 24 had a good first few seasons but deteriorated into some thing boring and worse in 24’s situation. What was once a suspenseful show about political intrigue and slander is now a large propaganda stain on primetime television.