Some people pride themselves on not watching television. I am not one of those people. Three television moments this week stuck with me.
First, Colbert Report: I love his parody of O'Reilly. Colbert has the self-righteousness down pat. I like to think that fake news teaches people a kind of critical media literacy. But it could just be that it teaches people that all news is entertainment. Maybe these are the same poimt.
Second, and relatedly, Rob Corrdry on The Daily Show. He did a bit where he read the Bush administration as a television series. The supposition was the seamless integration of news and entertainment media. So Corrdry talks about the thrilling aircraft carrier landing in season one, that sort of thing. But, then, in assesses the administration in terms of the narrative conventions of television: the Osama thread goes no where; he is the villain early in season one and then what happens? What I found interesting was thus the extra twist, the way that narrative or dramatic conventions could function as a normative or critical standpoint by which to judge an administration that itself works very hard to stage events (Corrdry's bit also brings these in), that pays propagandists, that spends more time and energy on the appearance of governance than on governing.
Third, and completely unrelatedly, I love Boston Legal. What enchants me these days is the friendship between James Spader and William Shatner. It seems to me that television has a difficult time with male friendship, that the interactions are so defended that the characters resort to dismissive retorts or crazy escapades. What the Spader-Shatner friendship shows is compassion between two different, generally not very pleasant, men. They provide each other with comfort and reassurance, with companionability. And, I wonder, how much of this friendship is enabled by the fact that Shatner's character has 'mad cow' (I think they mean Alzheimers)?
Yes but 'thou shalt not like Boston legal.' That's how they get you! I admit I'm a complete sucker for most of not all of what comes out of the Jon Stewart 'school': Coddry, Stewart himself, Colbert. I don't watch the shows but I watch excerpts that can be viewed over the Internet while I'm here in Italy. Thus I have seen both the Corddry bit and excerpts from the Colbert bit. You can do this too: if you ever miss an episode of something you like from comedy central, just go to their web site the next day or so and you can see excerpts of it. This is also a very popular thing to do at parties, and a great ice breaker -- fire up the computer and have everyone watch video excerpts from favorite comedy central shows.
Posted by: John S. Ransom | October 22, 2005 at 12:33 PM
Spader and Shatner were friendly prior to Shatner contracting mad-cow, and I recall a bit of a competition at first. Spader is an excellent actor - perfect mix of attorney-shark and the hint of humanism he can't/won't eliminate.
The playing off the Shatner-uberego is superb. Spader just accepts it and then they slowly open up how they feel.
Try Rescue Me sometime.
Posted by: pebird | October 22, 2005 at 02:59 PM
I actually don't much of the Boston Legal backstory--is it really mad cow disease? And, I've never heard of Rescue Me.
John: yes, it's great to be able to get a Daily Show fix on the net. One thing, these days there are 'new reporters'; I'm pretty skeptical about them and with Stephen Colbert were still around. Oh well, the times they are a changin'.
Posted by: Jodi | October 23, 2005 at 01:54 PM
Shatner either doesn't want to admit it is Alzheimers, or gets the two mixed up, so he calls it madcow.
The early Boston Legal was Spader getting involved with the young legal/paralegal women in the office, the relationship with Shatner was more of an old dog vs. rising star antagonism, which changed into the friendship now.
Posted by: pebird | October 23, 2005 at 03:06 PM
I've now forgotten the name of the creator of the show (David something?), but didn't he also do Picket Fences, which also had someone with Alzheimers? I wonder if he had/has a parent with it.
Posted by: Jodi | October 23, 2005 at 04:56 PM
He did *create* (one of those Hollywood terms which means what?) Picket Fences (as well as Doogie Howser, M.D.), Ally McBeal and LA Law.
Don't know about the personal connection to Alzheimers - he is such a prolific TV writer and has that ability to pick up on a cultural meme and go with it that I wonder if he knows someone or just has that extra sense.
Posted by: pebird | October 23, 2005 at 07:20 PM
Sorry, almost forgot the name is David E. Kelley.
Posted by: pebird | October 23, 2005 at 07:21 PM