Contributor Post Created with Sketch. Recommended by Ricochet Members Created with Sketch. When the Rains Came

 

For two years, the president’s pick to lead the agency that supervises Voice of America has been frozen out and denied confirmation despite a sterling, top-level career in non-fiction filmmaking and broadcast decision-making. He’s got a resume so strong that even his opponents don’t challenge it. He’s been sitting in bureaucratic limbo simply because Democrats in Congress despise the president who wants to appoint him. No other reason. This guy deserves to have a great documentary filmmaker follow him through the political and media circus to expose this hypocrisy. The only problem is…

…He is a great documentary filmmaker. He’s Michael Pack, director of this year’s film, Created Equal: Clarence Thomas In His Own Words. For more than 30 years, he’s been a rare conservative voice at the top ranks of historical film and public broadcasting. He’s a crusader for truth, not for a partisan point of view, even ours. It just so happens that he manages to uncover a lot of true stories that others choose to ignore. Over a week ago, President Trump mentioned Pack by name as someone whose leadership VOA and the country need now, coming at a time when Voice Of America has been much criticized for its coverage of China and C19. Trump says that if forced by Congress, he’ll make a recess appointment.

I knew Pack in sunnier ideological days, when liberals tolerated conservatives, if not always too graciously, and we worked to make them sunnier still. His interest in public broadcasting was natural: before streaming, PBS was virtually the only television market that documentaries had. At the turn of this century, cable television was beginning to make a mockery of the slogan, “If Not PBS, Who?” The answers were the Discovery, Learning and History Channels, but as the 21st century began, the PBS audience, cultural impact, and prestige were still larger than any of the cable channels. From about 2003 through 2005, when Michael Pack was an executive of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, we met frequently to discuss ways of bringing a diversity of ideas—real diversity—to the PBS screen. Here and there, we succeeded, but we wanted a major push, planned to begin in spring 2004. The project had a working title, “Crossroads”.

The times seemed ripe for it. The cultural Left at this point had been wailing in distress forever; they never really considered Bill Clinton as one of their own and had despised Jimmy Carter, if anything, more than the Right did. The culture’s Old Left suffered the humiliation of seeing America win the Cold War; the aging agitprop documentary filmmakers of the “New Left” of the first Woke Era, 1968-72, lived to see the country turn its back on them. By spring 2004, it was becoming dreadfully clear to them that as much as they hated George W. Bush, he was likely to be re-elected, and so were Republicans in Congress. In I Claudius, Robert Graves drolly observed that “The Hun is either at your feet or at your throat”. In 2004, after generations of defeat, the cultural Left was sullenly at our feet. We knew that if we didn’t take full advantage of the opportunities that afforded us, it would find a way to live its dream of being at our throats. We were right. Here’s one brief glimpse of the past.

Wednesday, March 31, 2004. Across Highland Avenue, an enormous billboard of Ryan Seacrest was visible from the glassed-in studio where his “On Air” program was broadcast live every day. I parked in the cavernous underground lot of the Hollywood and Highland development, home of the Oscars. The sunny day we expected was slate grey and ready to rain. It would prove to be an inauspicious sign.

The Grand Ballroom, site of the stuffy official Oscar party, is a dump, an ugly new high-ceilinged function room with all the charm of a Communist Chinese parliament, circa 1988. Though the ballroom was nearly empty when I got there, it was almost full shortly after Michael Pack called the meeting to order. A sizeable portion of the people in the room were independent filmmakers with some previous business relationships with the public TV system. The anxiety was palpable.

The purpose of the meeting was to announce the formation of this new documentary initiative, America at a Crossroads, to the filmmakers and other interested members of the non-fiction film field. CPB had decided to demonstrate the kind of mix-it-up they had in mind with a panel of three non-filmmakers, just to show that differing opinions were going to be a big part of Crossroads. The three panelists were Steve Wasserman, the urbane lefty who edited the L.A. Times book review, Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, a local good-government lady and old-fashioned Roosevelt liberal, and the panel’s one conservative, famous former Reagan speechwriter Peter Robinson, a Hoover fellow by then. Each made a few opening remarks about how the nation had changed since 9/11.

Pack conducted the meeting confidently and smoothly, but the format was tone-deaf, a bit off. Lacking a flawless natural tuning fork myself, I ask key people questions before mounting a public event like this—how will this come off? Will the audience understand the intention? What’s the flow, what happens next? They didn’t do that, and it would cost them.

The floor was opened to questions. At first, these were cautious, greedy-but-polite filmmaker skepticism: Can we really get some money? How much money? How soon can we get it? Can I get it for something I’m already doing? Do you have to approve of what I do to get the money? How do we know that PBS will air the shows?

Then the questioning went nuclear. Up until now, nobody had attacked the hosts or mentioned the obvious idea that this was, by definition, a program fund that for the first time in PBS history had to be politically balanced.

Now the hardest edge of the left minority faction took the floor. First, an upset Latina asked repeatedly about diversity, meaning racial and ethnic diversity, of course—that’s all she wanted to talk about, and all that she expects out of PBS. She had never known a world where she couldn’t claim the privilege of victimhood, and the imminent prospect that something is being given away with little regard to ethnicity is a total threat, an existential threat—her whole world will collapse if merely being a Chicana is just an everyday thing, nothing special one way or another. If she’s a documentary filmmaker in today’s America, she literally makes a living off of her personal ethnicity. Of course she’s threatened by what we’re proposing to do.

But nothing compared to the next prize package who spoke up, a guy in our row who, like many of the other subsequent speakers, had the funny habit of opening his socially conscious remarks with a plug for the prizes and invitations his own films had won, before launching into a blistering and indiscriminate attack on the alleged racism of the organization that is going to so much trouble to tell them how to get the money. Several of these people did this; started like it was Oscar night, then droned on like it was call-in time on C-SPAN. Two of them said they were excited about Air America Radio, a new initiative in liberal AM talk radio that was going on the air the next day. Maybe Air America could show PBS how broadcasting ought to be done.

There was an ugly undercurrent—no, make that ugly river— oozing out of a couple of these pissed-off people. It wasn’t just enough that they weren’t going to have guaranteed dibs on this new pot of money. It was the very idea that someone who, god forbid, disagreed with them might get the money, and that thought couldn’t be tolerated. A black priest from Denver took a courageously color-neutral stand, letting a lot of the heat out of the discussion, to general applause. Some people in the audience—ones who don’t listen—seemed to think the all-white panel of talking heads in front of them was the actual judging process. The talk drifted unproductively into angry demands that the selection “panels”, which don’t actually have a statutory existence, include people of color, gays, women, etc. intolerable numbers. Pack parried it respectfully while committing to nothing: “Of course we’ll invite the broadest cross-section”.

Thursday was April 1st. I sent a message to the ACF board about the Hollywood and Highland panel and reception. Rob Long said that he knew how to get in touch with Peter Robinson, that distant deity.

Friday, April 2nd. Our make or break CPB business lunch with Michael Pack and CPB executive John Prizer would be on the Sunset strip, a theme park for rockers and lingerie lovers. The Argyle Hotel is the old St. James’s Club, which had been abandoned for years. Nowadays it’s spiffed up beautifully but is under-utilized when the Oscars aren’t in town. Funny place to discuss cultural revolution. We went back and forth between gossip and replays of the Wednesday meeting and getting down to business about what ACF proposed to do. But there was a distinct letdown in implied magnitude, and a slight backing away from some of the other stuff. I compared it to what I’d been told in Washington the previous week.

The hidden factor was the rough filmmaker reaction to the panels, faithfully amplified in media accounts. Some of it was simple exhaustion. Under those circumstances, it wouldn’t be surprising. The guys were definitely playing it closer to the vest, having gotten burned in the press over their New York and Los Angeles public meetings. The GOP Congressional leadership was quietly backing down from backing change at PBS. Pack’s implied power was becoming a bluff, and it wasn’t his fault.

With Rob Long and Peter Robinson’s help, the American Cinema Foundation mounted one of the first truly critical conferences about public television. It took place in the fall of 2005, not 2004; it was only about two thirds the size of what the CPB originally asked for, and it didn’t have a built-in renewal for subsequent years. Still, it was a great success, and I knew it was the best that Pack and Prizer could get for us. The films made under CPB’s “America at a Crossroads” initiative aired, and most of them were well-reviewed as a refreshing change from the usual PBS fare.

The following year Michael Pack left the CPB, returning to private life as a documentary filmmaker. Despite GWB’s re-election, by 2005 conservative political and cultural strength was on the wane. In a few years, it would collapse utterly. Our rainy day in Hollywood turned permanent.

Pack has fallen under ginned-up, fake criticism because he partly finances his films through an auxiliary non-profit, like many other PBS filmmakers have for decades, like Bill Moyers and Ken Burns. Because his wife is his business partner, she’s been dragged into this phony, non-existent “scandal” whose “troubling questions” are entirely specious.

I haven’t seen Michael in many years, but I’m pleased to still receive his friends-and-family emails. On the 15th, Gina and Michael announced that Pack’s Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in His Own Words will air on PBS next month. Regardless of what happens with his nomination as the US international broadcasting CEO, give his film a look. Not because Pack’s a conservative, but because he’s one of the most honest storytellers in media.

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  1. Arahant Member

    Gary McVey: On the 15th, Gina and Michael announced that Pack’s Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in His Own Words will air on PBS next month.

    Good news.

    • #1
    • April 27, 2020, at 8:13 PM PDT
    • 8 likes
  2. Randy Webster Member

    Gary McVey: In I Claudius, Robert Graves drolly observed that “The Hun is either at your feet or at your throat”

    Taken from Churchill, I believe.

    • #2
    • April 27, 2020, at 8:16 PM PDT
    • 9 likes
    • This comment has been edited.
  3. The Reticulator Member

    Ah, yes. Troubling questions. That means they’re just about done painting their target. 

    • #3
    • April 27, 2020, at 8:25 PM PDT
    • 8 likes
  4. RightAngles Member

    his phony, non-existent “scandal” whose “troubling questions” are entirely specious.

    I swear if I hear one more of these people use the words “troubling” or “problematic,” I’ll scream.

    • #4
    • April 27, 2020, at 9:11 PM PDT
    • 9 likes
  5. Clifford A. Brown Contributor

    An excellent bit of history as cautionary tale. 

    The monthly theme is going through a bit of a dry spell this month. Whether you have a flower or blossom sighting from a walk, or a bit of beauty in or around your abode, do snap and share!

    Please stop by the April group writing sign up sheet, with the broad theme “April Flowers.” Yes, it is April showers and May flowers in the old rhyme, and I’ve linked the two with good cause in this particular spring season. May’s theme is “A Merry Month.” Stop by to stake out your day.

    Tired of binge watching your streaming service? Cast an eye back across the wide range of different, delightful, and downright entertaining and informative past contributions. See the handy compendium of monthly themesCheck out links in the Group Writing Group. You can also join the group to get a notification when a new monthly theme is posted.

    • #5
    • April 27, 2020, at 9:12 PM PDT
    • 4 likes
  6. TBA Coolidge
    TBA

    RightAngles (View Comment):

    his phony, non-existent “scandal” whose “troubling questions” are entirely specious.

    I swear if I hear one more of these people use the words “troubling” or “problematic,” I’ll scream.

    “Concerning.” 

    • #6
    • April 28, 2020, at 12:21 AM PDT
    • 7 likes
  7. Percival Thatcher
    Percival Joined in the first year of Ricochet Ricochet Charter Member

    Gary McVey: Two of them said they were excited about Air America Radio, a new initiative in liberal AM talk radio that was going on the air the next day. Maybe Air America could show PBS how broadcasting ought to be done.

    Ah, Air America: the Hindenburg of radio networks. Reminiscent of Steve Colbert’s “The Colbert Report”, except they meant that drivel and as a consequence (unlike Colbert) it was funny.

    They fired Mike Malloy for sounding like all of them do on Twitter now. If anything, Malloy was restraining himself.

    • #7
    • April 28, 2020, at 5:05 AM PDT
    • 4 likes
  8. Susan Quinn Contributor

    What a sad and tragic tale, Gary. This is all news to me, and it is a travesty the way his efforts have been trashed. I put the Clarence Thomas movie on my Netflix list for when it becomes available. I hope Michael Pack finds his way out of this muck to great success.

    • #8
    • April 28, 2020, at 7:35 AM PDT
    • 4 likes
  9. MichaelKennedy Coolidge

    We saw the Clarence Thomas movie here in Tucson. It was well done.

    The Hollywood mentality can be seen in two recent movies. “Trumbo” and “Truth.”

    Both fiction disguised as truth,

    • #9
    • April 28, 2020, at 10:43 AM PDT
    • 6 likes
  10. Gary McVey Contributor
    Gary McVey Joined in the first year of Ricochet Ricochet Charter Member

    RightAngles (View Comment):

    his phony, non-existent “scandal” whose “troubling questions” are entirely specious.

    I swear if I hear one more of these people use the words “troubling” or “problematic,” I’ll scream.

    “A number of right wing bloggers claimed the sky was grey. They asserted that it would rain, despite authoritative predictions by better-informed experts. McVey, whose degree was in film, not meteorology, offered a baseless opinion backing his unqualified friends. Later, after the rain let up, he was forcefully refuted…”

    • #10
    • April 28, 2020, at 11:36 AM PDT
    • 9 likes
  11. Gary McVey Contributor
    Gary McVey Joined in the first year of Ricochet Ricochet Charter Member

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    What a sad and tragic tale, Gary. This is all news to me, and it is a travesty the way his efforts have been trashed. I put the Clarence Thomas movie on my Netflix list for when it becomes available. I hope Michael Pack finds his way out of this muck to great success.

    He’s managed to keep a great career going in the face of endless opposition. My hat’s off to Michael. 

    • #11
    • April 28, 2020, at 11:37 AM PDT
    • 5 likes
  12. Gary McVey Contributor
    Gary McVey Joined in the first year of Ricochet Ricochet Charter Member

    MichaelKennedy (View Comment):

    We saw the Clarence Thomas movie here in Tucson. It was well done.

    The Hollywood mentality can be seen in two recent movies. “Trumbo” and “Truth.”

    Both fiction disguised as truth,

    How about a movie adaptation of Dr. Michael Kennedy’s “A Brief History of Disease, Science and Medicine”? It sure seems like the topic is topical. We’ll get Selleck to play you. 

    • #12
    • April 28, 2020, at 11:40 AM PDT
    • 6 likes
  13. MISTER BITCOIN Member

    Gary McVey (View Comment):

    MichaelKennedy (View Comment):

    We saw the Clarence Thomas movie here in Tucson. It was well done.

    The Hollywood mentality can be seen in two recent movies. “Trumbo” and “Truth.”

    Both fiction disguised as truth,

    How about a movie adaptation of Dr. Michael Kennedy’s “A Brief History of Disease, Science and Medicine”? It sure seems like the topic is topical. We’ll get Selleck to play you.

    It would have to be a mini-series, too long for one movie

     

    • #13
    • April 28, 2020, at 12:04 PM PDT
    • 2 likes
  14. MISTER BITCOIN Member

    On a slightly different but related note, my brother recently watched Frontline’s ‘documentary’ on Covid 19, I forget the exact title.

    He said there was zero mention of hydroxychloroquine.

     

    • #14
    • April 28, 2020, at 12:06 PM PDT
    • 3 likes
  15. MISTER BITCOIN Member

    Gary McVey (View Comment):

    MichaelKennedy (View Comment):

    We saw the Clarence Thomas movie here in Tucson. It was well done.

    The Hollywood mentality can be seen in two recent movies. “Trumbo” and “Truth.”

    Both fiction disguised as truth,

    How about a movie adaptation of Dr. Michael Kennedy’s “A Brief History of Disease, Science and Medicine”? It sure seems like the topic is topical. We’ll get Selleck to play you.

    Clive Owen

     

    • #15
    • April 28, 2020, at 12:06 PM PDT
    • 2 likes
  16. Gary McVey Contributor
    Gary McVey Joined in the first year of Ricochet Ricochet Charter Member

    MISTER BITCOIN (View Comment):

    Gary McVey (View Comment):

    MichaelKennedy (View Comment):

    We saw the Clarence Thomas movie here in Tucson. It was well done.

    The Hollywood mentality can be seen in two recent movies. “Trumbo” and “Truth.”

    Both fiction disguised as truth,

    How about a movie adaptation of Dr. Michael Kennedy’s “A Brief History of Disease, Science and Medicine”? It sure seems like the topic is topical. We’ll get Selleck to play you.

    It would have to be a mini-series, too long for one movie

    See? We’ve got the movie deal ready to go! 

     

    • #16
    • April 28, 2020, at 12:24 PM PDT
    • 7 likes
  17. MISTER BITCOIN Member

    Gary McVey (View Comment):

    MISTER BITCOIN (View Comment):

    Gary McVey (View Comment):

    MichaelKennedy (View Comment):

    We saw the Clarence Thomas movie here in Tucson. It was well done.

    The Hollywood mentality can be seen in two recent movies. “Trumbo” and “Truth.”

    Both fiction disguised as truth,

    How about a movie adaptation of Dr. Michael Kennedy’s “A Brief History of Disease, Science and Medicine”? It sure seems like the topic is topical. We’ll get Selleck to play you.

    It would have to be a mini-series, too long for one movie

    See? We’ve got the movie deal ready to go!

     

    10 episode series on HBO!

     

    • #17
    • April 28, 2020, at 12:32 PM PDT
    • 3 likes
  18. Gary McVey Contributor
    Gary McVey Joined in the first year of Ricochet Ricochet Charter Member

    Percival (View Comment):

    Gary McVey: Two of them said they were excited about Air America Radio, a new initiative in liberal AM talk radio that was going on the air the next day. Maybe Air America could show PBS how broadcasting ought to be done.

    Ah, Air America: the Hindenburg of radio networks. Reminiscent of Steve Colbert’s “The Colbert Report”, except they meant that drivel and as a consequence (unlike Colbert) it was funny.

    They fired Mike Malloy for sounding like all of them do on Twitter now. If anything, Malloy was restraining himself.

    Here was my Day One response:

    “Air America Radio, a tiny new initiative in liberal AM talk radio, went on the air. Its flagship show is “The O’Franken Factor”, Al Franken’s attempted razzing of both O’Reilly and Limbaugh. For some time, the left has griped that they have no outlets; it’s like the right and movies. I was interested in being around for the first moments of a new radio network’s life. In Los Angeles, AAR is replacing the programming of a Spanish-language station at 1280, so I listened to a pair of DJs talking out the final minutes of their format. I heard the words “Air America Radio, en ingles, hasta mediadia”. At noon, there was dead air. A commercial started in the middle and then cut off. Two Beatles tunes played. Then there were three public service spots. Finally, they joined the Franken program, in progress. What a disaster”. 

    • #18
    • April 28, 2020, at 12:35 PM PDT
    • 8 likes
  19. TBA Coolidge
    TBA

    MISTER BITCOIN (View Comment):

    Gary McVey (View Comment):

    MISTER BITCOIN (View Comment):

    Gary McVey (View Comment):

    MichaelKennedy (View Comment):

    We saw the Clarence Thomas movie here in Tucson. It was well done.

    The Hollywood mentality can be seen in two recent movies. “Trumbo” and “Truth.”

    Both fiction disguised as truth,

    How about a movie adaptation of Dr. Michael Kennedy’s “A Brief History of Disease, Science and Medicine”? It sure seems like the topic is topical. We’ll get Selleck to play you.

    It would have to be a mini-series, too long for one movie

    See? We’ve got the movie deal ready to go!

     

    10 episode series on HBO!

    ~adds lesbian sex scene to increase viewership~ 

    • #19
    • April 28, 2020, at 1:15 PM PDT
    • 5 likes
  20. SkipSul Coolidge
    SkipSul Joined in the first year of Ricochet Ricochet Charter Member

    Gary McVey (View Comment):
    Its flagship show is “The O’Franken Factor”, Al Franken’s attempted razzing of both O’Reilly and Limbaugh.

    It is rather telling that AAR seemed not to realize that by latching on to O’Reilly that way, it was from its inception a necessarily parasitical entity, only able to thrive while it felt it had something to mock. While Colbert and Stewart likewise engaged in sarcastic mockery through their venues, they at least were not fixed on discrete personalities, and they were independently funny in their own right (to a point – it’s notable that Stewart has in recent years somewhat lamented his role in the coarsening of public debate). 

    There are ample lessons for would-be conservative culture creators there too, I should note. You cannot be forever against things and expect to get anywhere, nor can you survive only through scolding and mockery – you have to show people the alternative without turning into a polemicist.

    It must have been awful witnessing how that meeting blew apart over the angry demands of victim scolds, but again I would guess that the lesson there is to keep telling the truth without trying to look like you’re engaged in political balancing or apportionment.

    • #20
    • April 28, 2020, at 1:16 PM PDT
    • 7 likes
  21. SkipSul Coolidge
    SkipSul Joined in the first year of Ricochet Ricochet Charter Member

    TBA (View Comment):

    MISTER BITCOIN (View Comment):

    Gary McVey (View Comment):

    MISTER BITCOIN (View Comment):

    Gary McVey (View Comment):

    MichaelKennedy (View Comment):

    We saw the Clarence Thomas movie here in Tucson. It was well done.

    The Hollywood mentality can be seen in two recent movies. “Trumbo” and “Truth.”

    Both fiction disguised as truth,

    How about a movie adaptation of Dr. Michael Kennedy’s “A Brief History of Disease, Science and Medicine”? It sure seems like the topic is topical. We’ll get Selleck to play you.

    It would have to be a mini-series, too long for one movie

    See? We’ve got the movie deal ready to go!

     

    10 episode series on HBO!

    ~adds lesbian sex scene to increase viewership~

    Audience sees who they cast for these scenes – viewership plummets.

    • #21
    • April 28, 2020, at 1:28 PM PDT
    • 6 likes
  22. TBA Coolidge
    TBA

    SkipSul (View Comment):

    TBA (View Comment):

    MISTER BITCOIN (View Comment):

    Gary McVey (View Comment):

    MISTER BITCOIN (View Comment):

    Gary McVey (View Comment):

    MichaelKennedy (View Comment):

    We saw the Clarence Thomas movie here in Tucson. It was well done.

    The Hollywood mentality can be seen in two recent movies. “Trumbo” and “Truth.”

    Both fiction disguised as truth,

    How about a movie adaptation of Dr. Michael Kennedy’s “A Brief History of Disease, Science and Medicine”? It sure seems like the topic is topical. We’ll get Selleck to play you.

    It would have to be a mini-series, too long for one movie

    See? We’ve got the movie deal ready to go!

     

    10 episode series on HBO!

    ~adds lesbian sex scene to increase viewership~

    Audience sees who they cast for these scenes – viewership plummets.

    Nonsense; overweight feminist comedians are the new porn! 

    • #22
    • April 28, 2020, at 1:30 PM PDT
    • 3 likes
  23. SkipSul Coolidge
    SkipSul Joined in the first year of Ricochet Ricochet Charter Member

    TBA (View Comment):

    SkipSul (View Comment):

    TBA (View Comment):

    MISTER BITCOIN (View Comment):

    Gary McVey (View Comment):

    MISTER BITCOIN (View Comment):

    Gary McVey (View Comment):

    MichaelKennedy (View Comment):

    We saw the Clarence Thomas movie here in Tucson. It was well done.

    The Hollywood mentality can be seen in two recent movies. “Trumbo” and “Truth.”

    Both fiction disguised as truth,

    How about a movie adaptation of Dr. Michael Kennedy’s “A Brief History of Disease, Science and Medicine”? It sure seems like the topic is topical. We’ll get Selleck to play you.

    It would have to be a mini-series, too long for one movie

    See? We’ve got the movie deal ready to go!

     

    10 episode series on HBO!

    ~adds lesbian sex scene to increase viewership~

    Audience sees who they cast for these scenes – viewership plummets.

    Nonsense; overweight feminist comedians are the new porn!

    Snuff porn is illegal.

    • #23
    • April 28, 2020, at 1:32 PM PDT
    • 4 likes
  24. MISTER BITCOIN Member

    TBA (View Comment):

    SkipSul (View Comment):

    TBA (View Comment):

    MISTER BITCOIN (View Comment):

    Gary McVey (View Comment):

    MISTER BITCOIN (View Comment):

    Gary McVey (View Comment):

    MichaelKennedy (View Comment):

    We saw the Clarence Thomas movie here in Tucson. It was well done.

    The Hollywood mentality can be seen in two recent movies. “Trumbo” and “Truth.”

    Both fiction disguised as truth,

    How about a movie adaptation of Dr. Michael Kennedy’s “A Brief History of Disease, Science and Medicine”? It sure seems like the topic is topical. We’ll get Selleck to play you.

    It would have to be a mini-series, too long for one movie

    See? We’ve got the movie deal ready to go!

     

    10 episode series on HBO!

    ~adds lesbian sex scene to increase viewership~

    Audience sees who they cast for these scenes – viewership plummets.

    Nonsense; overweight feminist comedians are the new porn!

    fake news

     

    • #24
    • April 28, 2020, at 2:33 PM PDT
    • 2 likes
  25. tigerlily Member

    Gary McVey (View Comment):

    Percival (View Comment):

    Gary McVey: Two of them said they were excited about Air America Radio, a new initiative in liberal AM talk radio that was going on the air the next day. Maybe Air America could show PBS how broadcasting ought to be done.

    Ah, Air America: the Hindenburg of radio networks. Reminiscent of Steve Colbert’s “The Colbert Report”, except they meant that drivel and as a consequence (unlike Colbert) it was funny.

    They fired Mike Malloy for sounding like all of them do on Twitter now. If anything, Malloy was restraining himself.

    Here was my Day One response:

    “Air America Radio, a tiny new initiative in liberal AM talk radio, went on the air. Its flagship show is “The O’Franken Factor”, Al Franken’s attempted razzing of both O’Reilly and Limbaugh. For some time, the left has griped that they have no outlets; it’s like the right and movies. I was interested in being around for the first moments of a new radio network’s life. In Los Angeles, AAR is replacing the programming of a Spanish-language station at 1280, so I listened to a pair of DJs talking out the final minutes of their format. I heard the words “Air America Radio, en ingles, hasta mediadia”. At noon, there was dead air. A commercial started in the middle and then cut off. Two Beatles tunes played. Then there were three public service spots. Finally, they joined the Franken program, in progress. What a disaster”.

    And it was all downhill from there.

    • #25
    • April 28, 2020, at 8:07 PM PDT
    • 4 likes
  26. Gary McVey Contributor
    Gary McVey Joined in the first year of Ricochet Ricochet Charter Member

    SkipSul (View Comment):

    Gary McVey (View Comment):
    Its flagship show is “The O’Franken Factor”, Al Franken’s attempted razzing of both O’Reilly and Limbaugh.

    It is rather telling that AAR seemed not to realize that by latching on to O’Reilly that way, it was from its inception a necessarily parasitical entity, only able to thrive while it felt it had something to mock. While Colbert and Stewart likewise engaged in sarcastic mockery through their venues, they at least were not fixed on discrete personalities, and they were independently funny in their own right (to a point – it’s notable that Stewart has in recent years somewhat lamented his role in the coarsening of public debate).

    There are ample lessons for would-be conservative culture creators there too, I should note. You cannot be forever against things and expect to get anywhere, nor can you survive only through scolding and mockery – you have to show people the alternative without turning into a polemicist.

    It must have been awful witnessing how that meeting blew apart over the angry demands of victim scolds, but again I would guess that the lesson there is to keep telling the truth without trying to look like you’re engaged in political balancing or apportionment.

    I think you’re right on both counts. Franken had been a TV comedian for something like 25 years at that point, but radio is different. What Rush Limbaugh does is damned hard to do. The others, like Stephanie Miller (daughter of Goldwater’s VP candidate, BTW) were somewhat more polished radio performers. It was always indicative that the Left so effortlessly dominates FM talk with NPR, but never got the hang of drivetime or any form of working class AM radio. 

    • #26
    • April 28, 2020, at 10:08 PM PDT
    • 9 likes
  27. Gary McVey Contributor
    Gary McVey Joined in the first year of Ricochet Ricochet Charter Member

    TBA (View Comment):

    10 episode series on HBO!

    ~adds lesbian sex scene to increase viewership~

    “Our senses are rightly captivated

    By perfect works Our Master has created!”

    –Moliere’s Tartuffe

     

    • #27
    • April 29, 2020, at 12:56 AM PDT
    • 4 likes
  28. MichaelKennedy Coolidge

    Gary McVey (View Comment):

    MichaelKennedy (View Comment):

    We saw the Clarence Thomas movie here in Tucson. It was well done.

    The Hollywood mentality can be seen in two recent movies. “Trumbo” and “Truth.”

    Both fiction disguised as truth,

    How about a movie adaptation of Dr. Michael Kennedy’s “A Brief History of Disease, Science and Medicine”? It sure seems like the topic is topical. We’ll get Selleck to play you.

    The Memoir would make a better movie but I was always going to write one that included some scandalous stories from the old days. The problem was I would have to outlive some people. They seem determined to outlive me so I guess that is off. One good friend called me recently. He is probably ten years older than I am (82) and was fishing in New Zealand when the WuHan flu hit. He flew home but got a bad cold after getting home. He is over it but getting the antibody test next week as he thinks it was the WuFlu. The guy is 92 and has had half his joints replaced because he still spends hours a day in his home gym. When I was a resident, 50 years ago, he was staff and used to run the 18 floors of stairs at County to work out.

    • #28
    • April 29, 2020, at 7:23 AM PDT
    • 6 likes