CBS Caves
So CBS has pulled the Reagan mini-series. They caved because of... what? Political pressure? Maybe. The bottom line? Mostly. Networks will show anything they can get away with if they believe it will hold viewer's interest between advertising segments. So while conservatives may have been the group to apply the pressure, their politics aren't especially material to CBS's decision.
But the decision by CBS to pull the docudrama from the November sweeps sends a disturbing message. The drumbeat of conservative criticism has now been internalized by network executives to the point of censorship of their own entertainment productions.
Shrewd conservative commentators have sold the view that liberals dominate the media and that the news is skewed against them. This belief has fueled the construction of a large network of conservative institutions -- especially on radio and cable television -- that provides conservative viewpoints 24/7. Evidently, conservatives now feel that network television entertainment is also skewed against them and launched diatribes against CBS without actually seeing the Reagan dramatization.
Quite honestly I don't know what sparked all this self-righteous conservative outrage. Liberal revisionist history? Don't buy it. We're talking about entertainment not history. It's got to be history before it can be revisionist and this ain't history. No footnotes or bibliographies are provided. Inaccurate and unfair? So what. A glowing, rose-tinted portrayal of Reagan would be just as inaccurate and unfair and I'm pretty sure conservatives wouldn't squawk in that case. It disrespects someone who can't defend himself because he is incapacitated? Hollywood has never been a bastion of propriety.
If this production had come out of CBS news or was destined for 60 Minutes, then the issue of accuracy becomes much more important. But this mini-series had no such pedigree. While conservatives would probably like to believe it was their brave, relentless voice from the right that shut down what would have likely been just one more mediocre TV mini-series, in truth their harangue resulted in a more than a little disturbing act of censorship.
K-
PS. For a good exposition on this issue from a more conservative viewpoint, check out Joe Kelley's The Sake of Argument. It's a great blog (I love it.) that "explores the true water cooler topics that will envelope daily dialogue." One of his entries today gives you an opportunity to opine on this issue if you're so inclined.
Excellent analysis. I don't know if this counts for anything or not, but on the NBC Nightly News tonight, they got the makers of the movie to admit to one line spoken by Reagan in the mini series that was a total falsehood (something to do with AIDS patients). Also, NBC tried to make an mini issue of the fact that James Brolin, husband of the very liberal Barbra Streisand is playing the lead role. I can't imagine that has anything to do with anything. However, he looks to be a very convincing Reagan. I do wish that CBS wouldn't try to make us believe they didn't pull the show because of pressure from the conservatives. Clearly, that was a major factor.
Marie, thank you for the compliment and indulging my rant. But I've been complaining on my blog a lot recently so for the next few days I'll try to keep things airy and light. No more rant.
Say did you hear about the horse that walked into a bar? The bartender asks "Why the long face?"
Well, it's a start.
K-
Don't worry, Kem, I've been ranting and complaining too. So have a lot of the folks I read. Maybe it's something in the air. Anyway, I think this whole thing is silly. I don't tend to watch these docudramas, but I can't imagine the network is doing anything that isn't motivated by $$$. I figure they must have done some market research telling them no one would watch it, so they pulled it and are now trying to stir up interest for the showing on cable. And I'm with you on the myth of liberal media dominance. To me, the media seems skewed toward BOTH extremes, leaving us poor peons in the middle out in the cold.