It's the debate that just won't end.
Is 24 a show that promotes -- or at time caricatures -- certain political points of view? Is it pro-torture? Or is it just an extremely engrossing fictional jaunt through the Los Angeles metropolitan area with intrepid terrorist hunter Jack Bauer?
Several articles have cropped up recently, once again analyzing the politics of 24:
A staffer at Media Matters, a left-leaning watchdog group, wrote a piece saying that conservative politicians are pointing to 24's success as a "national referendum on torture." But he says they're wrong.
The political blog Daily Kos recently went through an exhaustive analysis of 24, including commentary about MSNBC's Keith Olbermann's attack on the show, in which the talk show host called it "fear mongering."
A writer at NewsBusters, a right-leaning watchdog group, pointed to star Kiefer Sutherland's left-leaning politics (he defined them as such in a Charlie Rose interview) and questioned how 24 could be labeled a show simply for conservatives, as Time Magazine suggested last month.
A column in the San Francisco Chronicle said while 24 is at the forefront of the entertainment industry's coming to terms with 9/11, "the show has become a favorite of those seeking 'good guy vs bad guy' moral clarity in America's battle against Islamic terrorism."
For a show that has been dealing with terrorist threats and torture for six years, all of this attention and vigorous debate can't be too bad for ratings, huh?
The TV Squad Podcast: Vik Sahay of Chuck, Oprah talk, brutal timeslots, and more!
TV Squad Ten: Top Ten ESPN shows from worst to first
Andy Richter: The TV Squad Interview
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-08-2007 @ 8:18PM
Richard D said...
These people have too much time on their hands..
It's a TV SHOW!!!!!!!!
I mean the Presidenial Aides seem to be true to life...
laughs
But it is still just a TV show.....
Reply
2-08-2007 @ 8:28PM
Jake said...
It's painfully obvious that critics saying the show is about Muslim terrorism don't watch the show closely. Last year the bad guy was the President. And more importantly, the President believed he was doing something for the good of the country (not a one dimensional caricature). This year, so far, one bad guy is now a good guy and the complexity of befriending a previous enemy will be fleshed out to a very big extent this season. And perhaps the big oversight: Not every season has involved Islamic terrorism. Also, I must say though that is 24 weren't so thrilling, I would get physically ill that the racist Rush Limbaugh enjoyed it so much. Although obviously people of that ilk (extreme conservatives) will use anything, including fiction, to legitimize their views.
Reply
2-08-2007 @ 9:31PM
Miss Marple said...
It is hard for me to believe that anyone takes 24 seriously. I view it as I would the movie Naked Gun. It is high comedy. And to think Jack Baur is a good guy is outrageous. Whoever does the fictional hiring at CTU needs to be fired as the ones in charge of security. Moles are plentiful and the bad guys get inside the building to plant disasterous devices that kill and maim. There is so too much death of innocent people. God forbid you ever help Jack if you are in some way useful o him. The chance is high you will be killed. And please forget that President Palmer was a great man and president. He was dumb enough to let his exwife bring him down when he already knew the kind of person she was. He called on her to do his dirty work and acted offended with the results. 24 has no politics. It is just funny. All Jack has to do in order to get permission to do his will is say "please". Sometimes he has to say it more than once, but that little word works magically for him. If you view this show as a comedy it is great. I wouldn't miss it for anything. I used to get the most hysterical laughs from the expressions Tony Almeada character would get on his face in dire times. The interior of CTU is dark as a dungeon and everybody wears monochrmatic colors. Every effort is made to make this show a big joke and tons of folks just aren't getting it. Loosen up and laugh along with me.
Reply
2-08-2007 @ 11:12PM
erroneous_nick said...
Way to go, Jake. Liberals just *can't* pass up a chance to get a dig in, can they? The smug, self-righteousness you seem to hate in conservatives flows just as freely from the left. People of your ilk will use anything, including fiction, as an excuse to legitimize their hatred.
Reply
2-08-2007 @ 11:17PM
philadelphonic said...
@ Jake
and liberals take every chance they can get to bash conservatives, especially Rush. Any chance you ever listened to Briant Gumble do any of his racist sports casting? You're no better than anybody who would take 24's use of torture seriously. You are a representative of what is wrong with people in general. But more specifically, an example of what is wrong with your so called "tolerance." Again, why is it ok to be intollerant of Rush and be tolerant of Gumble? Is it because Limbaugh is conservative, or is it because no African-American can be racist? No, it is simply because you have a double standard. Apply some reason to your life, and objectivity.
If 24 was a conservative show, Sutherland wouldn't touch it. Donald Sutherland, self proclaimed Canadian, even wants to be on the show. Stop trying to transpose politics over entertainment, specially when you are going for the wrong intent.
Reply
2-09-2007 @ 12:49PM
John said...
MOMMY! DADDY! STOP FIGHTING!
I wish everyone would stop seeking to invalidate each other's views and actually DISCUSS the topic not argue and yell at each other. There are elements that would both appeal to a liberal such as Jack being wrong, or ineffective using torture (such as torturing Audrey's brother and being wrong and torturing his own brother and being ineffective), the U.S. using internment camps, Walid getting used by the FBI to get information from suspected terrorists and it turned out they were just 'spectators', and let's not forget last year's corrupt president, and then there's the really big issue...having peace talks with a terrorist-you could say that's a tough sell for both sides, but, you have to admit that the typical republican politician doesn't take too kindly the idea of talking to your enemy and even though Christianity preaches forgiveness, that is not what most republicans practice in their politics.
I think seeing the conservative angles are easy, but the everyone's biggest problem is thinking 24 is their show. One of the top guys is a big conservative republican and another is a liberal democrat and I do notice the shows consistent struggle for balance.
http://myspace.com/novumoculum
Reply
2-09-2007 @ 2:31PM
Cold Chilli said...
The last episode proved you can't trust torture to get you information.
Graham was able to tell Jack anything he wanted. It didn't have to be the truth. Even though it was the truth, he could have easily been lying,but not what Jack was looking for.
Graham was able to hold back his China involvement and his fathers.
Reply