After reviewing some fan comments I might have to back off my criticism that last night's episode was a little slow. It was less "action-packed" than the season's been so far, but there was some good character development, especially between Jack and his family. I think one of the problems I had is that with so many main characters having died over the past couple of seasons, the only characters I really know and care about are Jack and Chloe, and there wasn't much of them in the episode last night. Also, there hasn't been nearly enough Chloe at all this season period.
Last nights episode was also a bit of a slap in the face to the criticism that 24 portrays Muslims negatively. While they have in the past, even this season with the Ahmed and Fayed storyline, last night's episode was a little different. While in a detainment camp, Walid was convinced by the FBI to spy on a group of people they believed knew about the nuclear bomb plot. Walid keeps his cover and steals a cell phone from one of the seemingly more sketchy characters, because Walid was apparently a stellar pick-pocket before entering the business world. We learn that the only thing the suspect has been doing on his cell phone is accessing Web sites to learn about the days events. None of the people they suspected to be terrorists actually are. The FBI and Walid turn out to be the judgmental bad guys in this case for suspecting innocent Americans, who are just angry that their civil liberties are being taken away.
Also as of right now, Nadia is an honest agent who is being jerked-around by racial stereotyping. So far, Nadia is a like able character that we realize is being treated unfairly and irrationally.
One of the things I have to applaud 24 for this season is creating a lot of debate about these concentration camps and civil liberties and when it's acceptable to let a couple slide during a crisis. In the past, it has been assumed that everyone will just suspend rights for a while until the newest terrorist plot is averted. But this crisis has been going on for weeks and is going to continue, how permanent should these changes be? Many of the characters realize that giving up civil liberties and privacy, if even for a short amount of time, will lead the country in a horrible direction. These are questions and issues that are relevant in American society now against the "war on terrorism."
I really like the fact that Jack's brother and father are on the show now. This will give us clues as to how Jack grew up, and might shed more light onto why he is the way he is. It's also interesting to me that it doesn't seem like Graem is afraid of his brother. He knows his brother is dangerous, but he seems more annoyed with him than scared. I can't wait to find out what led the two into such different lives and beliefs. I wish we could see if Jack's mother was approximately 3 feet tall, because then I would understand why Jack's dad can be a giant and Jack still be practically the same height as me; but I'm not really expecting that.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
I guess we can call tonight's episode the lull in an otherwise stellar start to the season.
Jack finds out from Graem that someone employed by their father's family had a shady past and helped supply the terrorists with the suitcase nukes. Jack makes Graem go to his office, which is where Graem says their father went. Jack then apparently spends the next 35 minutes going there, because the next time we see him he's arriving at the office.
Meanwhile, Karen Hayes and Tom Lennox get in a monstrous fight. In case I haven't talked about him previously, Lennox is this whiny weasel guy who hates liberty and set up "detention facilities" all over the city. He wants to take more extreme measures in detaining people and getting information. Karen goes all Thomas Jefferson on him telling him that he's going too far and infringing on every one's civil liberties. She also somehow makes "bleeding-heart liberal" sound like it's synonymous with "terrorism," but I guess I can overlook that because her overall message was good.
HOWEVER. Lennox is tired of Karen getting in his way, so he does some shady investigating and gets evidence against her and Bill Buchanan saying that they had Fayed in custody and let him go. He claims that Bill is incompetent and that Karen was covering for his mistakes. Karen, pretty strongly it seemed to me, defended herself against these charges, but then resigned anyway! I couldn't believe this. What happened to the whole speech before about not letting Lennox get to you Karen? This disappointed me, but she'll now be transferred back to CTU to work there. I'm guessing the writers like it better when married couples work in close quarters (the new Tony and Michelle?), but I think they should have had Karen stand up to Lennox, like she's been successfully doing all season. But it did give her the opportunity to give the president a very good and much needed pep talk.
Back at CTU, racial profiling is at it's all-time finest. Nadia Yassir, who I believe is the second in command under Bill, learns that anyone with a Middle Eastern background has to go through extra security measures. This slows her work down and makes her plenty mad, but she only asks that Bill takes it up with someone at a later point. This I respect for a couple of reasons. As of now, no one really knows what to think of Nadia, but I like how she doesn't make a huge deal out of this. She's obviously upset, as she should be, but if she reacted like Sandra Palmer's been acting all day, no one would care. As of right now, she is a loyal American and I hope hope hope that she stays that way so she can be the first positive Middle Eastern character on the show. Oh, and she's gorgeous in a makes-me-kind-of-want-to-hate-her way.
Back to Jack. They arrive at the office and quickly after entering, Jack hears that someone else is in the building. Jack is attacked by one guy, who he quickly takes out, only to get knocked out by another shady character. Jack is held at gunpoint when his father comes in and saves him. There's a not so nice family reunion, where we realize that Graem is probably the baddest bad guy in the shows history. Apparently he's been monitoring everything going on in the company and is probably involved in helping to set the nukes off. He also makes fun of Jack's wife for being dead, before telling his thugs to hold Jack and his dad at gunpoint and load them in a van. Graem tells the thugs not to contact him again until their job is done, which is apparently killing Jack and Poppa Bauer.
While this episode was a little bit sub-par, it eluded to a lot of things that we will eventually learn about the Bauer family, which is something to look forward to.
Jack finds out from Graem that someone employed by their father's family had a shady past and helped supply the terrorists with the suitcase nukes. Jack makes Graem go to his office, which is where Graem says their father went. Jack then apparently spends the next 35 minutes going there, because the next time we see him he's arriving at the office.
Meanwhile, Karen Hayes and Tom Lennox get in a monstrous fight. In case I haven't talked about him previously, Lennox is this whiny weasel guy who hates liberty and set up "detention facilities" all over the city. He wants to take more extreme measures in detaining people and getting information. Karen goes all Thomas Jefferson on him telling him that he's going too far and infringing on every one's civil liberties. She also somehow makes "bleeding-heart liberal" sound like it's synonymous with "terrorism," but I guess I can overlook that because her overall message was good.
HOWEVER. Lennox is tired of Karen getting in his way, so he does some shady investigating and gets evidence against her and Bill Buchanan saying that they had Fayed in custody and let him go. He claims that Bill is incompetent and that Karen was covering for his mistakes. Karen, pretty strongly it seemed to me, defended herself against these charges, but then resigned anyway! I couldn't believe this. What happened to the whole speech before about not letting Lennox get to you Karen? This disappointed me, but she'll now be transferred back to CTU to work there. I'm guessing the writers like it better when married couples work in close quarters (the new Tony and Michelle?), but I think they should have had Karen stand up to Lennox, like she's been successfully doing all season. But it did give her the opportunity to give the president a very good and much needed pep talk.
Back at CTU, racial profiling is at it's all-time finest. Nadia Yassir, who I believe is the second in command under Bill, learns that anyone with a Middle Eastern background has to go through extra security measures. This slows her work down and makes her plenty mad, but she only asks that Bill takes it up with someone at a later point. This I respect for a couple of reasons. As of now, no one really knows what to think of Nadia, but I like how she doesn't make a huge deal out of this. She's obviously upset, as she should be, but if she reacted like Sandra Palmer's been acting all day, no one would care. As of right now, she is a loyal American and I hope hope hope that she stays that way so she can be the first positive Middle Eastern character on the show. Oh, and she's gorgeous in a makes-me-kind-of-want-to-hate-her way.
Back to Jack. They arrive at the office and quickly after entering, Jack hears that someone else is in the building. Jack is attacked by one guy, who he quickly takes out, only to get knocked out by another shady character. Jack is held at gunpoint when his father comes in and saves him. There's a not so nice family reunion, where we realize that Graem is probably the baddest bad guy in the shows history. Apparently he's been monitoring everything going on in the company and is probably involved in helping to set the nukes off. He also makes fun of Jack's wife for being dead, before telling his thugs to hold Jack and his dad at gunpoint and load them in a van. Graem tells the thugs not to contact him again until their job is done, which is apparently killing Jack and Poppa Bauer.
While this episode was a little bit sub-par, it eluded to a lot of things that we will eventually learn about the Bauer family, which is something to look forward to.
Monday, January 29, 2007
some 24 comic relief
While I anxiously await for a new episode of 24 tonight, I came across this fantastic list, which was posted on this Web site. The comments are hilarious, and this guy did a ton of work, which needs to be appreciated. These might not make sense to someone who doesn't watch the show religiously, but I laughed out loud multiple times, so I had to share.
My favorite quote from this Web site has got to be:
My favorite quote from this Web site has got to be:
I spent a long time trying to figure out why Debbie went out with a guy like Behrooz. She was cute and nice. He was a goofy kid with a bad haircut who was kind of on the fence about whether he wanted to explode the entire world into nuclear dust. Once you hear her ringtone, though, it's clear. Listen to that song. It's such a ridiculously weird song to choose as one of your favorites. I can't even place it in enough context to make a joke about it. It seems to be tuned to the exact frequency required to completely negate the effect of the dramatic ambient music playing over it. Well, whatever, it all makes sense now. Behrooz got a chance with Debbie because Debbie was lame as hell.
why awards are dumb
I am currently looking at the list of winners for this years SAG awards, that were just held. 24 was nominated for "Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series" and Kiefer Sutherland was nominated for "Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series" and lost in both categories. 24 lost to ::cringe:: Grey's Anatomy. I think I've given this show a fair shake and I cannot understand it's appeal AT ALL. But apparently I'm the only one.
Kiefer Sutherland lost to Hugh Laurie from House. I've never seen that show so I guess I can't really make a fair assessment.
You can get to the list of winners from the main categories in the other link, but I was happy to see Little Miss Sunshine win for "Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture." That was one of my favorite movies of the year.
One final note. Is Leonardo DiCaprio never supposed to win an award ever? He didn't win in either category he was nominated for, and he lost to Eddie Murphy in Dreamgirls. I haven't seen this movie, but I find it really hard to believe that Eddie Murphy out-acted DiCaprio's performance in The Departed. DiCaprio was unbelievable in that movie and he better win at least one award for it or I will be quite angry.
Kiefer Sutherland lost to Hugh Laurie from House. I've never seen that show so I guess I can't really make a fair assessment.
You can get to the list of winners from the main categories in the other link, but I was happy to see Little Miss Sunshine win for "Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture." That was one of my favorite movies of the year.
One final note. Is Leonardo DiCaprio never supposed to win an award ever? He didn't win in either category he was nominated for, and he lost to Eddie Murphy in Dreamgirls. I haven't seen this movie, but I find it really hard to believe that Eddie Murphy out-acted DiCaprio's performance in The Departed. DiCaprio was unbelievable in that movie and he better win at least one award for it or I will be quite angry.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Shut up, stupid. -Jack Bauer
As I was cruising my favorite bargain Web site for things I won't buy, I came across this interesting new marketing development. Apparently, you can now buy all the episodes of the current season of 24 on amazon for $1.99. What does this remind me of, some fruit company...
Itunes has a "season pass" feature for 24 and a lot of other shows. If you buy the season pass, after an episode airs every week, the itunes store automatically downloads the episode onto your computer. I think you also get special features, like extra songs and previews. So while I commend amazon for trying to compete with Apple, because I suppose someone has to, I don't see the appeal of this. Buying from itunes allows you to then put the episodes on your ipod and watch them whenever and wherever you want. My understanding of the amazon option is that the episode would be restricted to your computer. Amazon has to offer something Apple isn't.
This was almost as odd to me as the discovery that the first four episodes were available for sale the same week as the premier. I can't imagine the person who needs to own this the week it comes out, especially with tivo and other tivo rip-offs and that ancient technological relic the VCR. I can see the appeal of the itunes store making single episodes available in case you miss one, but the DVDs seem odd to me. Like so many things in life, I can't decide if this is a brilliant or stupid marketing move.
I think this shows the direction that television is going in. It's my belief that the "television time slot" is slowly dying, with tivo, TV on DVD, filesharing, and Web sites that offer full episodes for free. All of these mediums are becoming increasingly more popular, especially since you don't have to watch commercials or obey someone else's schedule.
Itunes has a "season pass" feature for 24 and a lot of other shows. If you buy the season pass, after an episode airs every week, the itunes store automatically downloads the episode onto your computer. I think you also get special features, like extra songs and previews. So while I commend amazon for trying to compete with Apple, because I suppose someone has to, I don't see the appeal of this. Buying from itunes allows you to then put the episodes on your ipod and watch them whenever and wherever you want. My understanding of the amazon option is that the episode would be restricted to your computer. Amazon has to offer something Apple isn't.
This was almost as odd to me as the discovery that the first four episodes were available for sale the same week as the premier. I can't imagine the person who needs to own this the week it comes out, especially with tivo and other tivo rip-offs and that ancient technological relic the VCR. I can see the appeal of the itunes store making single episodes available in case you miss one, but the DVDs seem odd to me. Like so many things in life, I can't decide if this is a brilliant or stupid marketing move.
I think this shows the direction that television is going in. It's my belief that the "television time slot" is slowly dying, with tivo, TV on DVD, filesharing, and Web sites that offer full episodes for free. All of these mediums are becoming increasingly more popular, especially since you don't have to watch commercials or obey someone else's schedule.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
"You're hurting me now"- Graham "Trust me, I'm not"-Jack
So I went on some message boards to see how everyone was feeling about this new plot twist between Jack and his brother. The first thing I learned was that people on message boards have too much time on their hands, but then I saw that the feedback was mostly favorable.
It seems that initially a lot of people thought that it was very unbelievable that Super Terrorist Guy from season 5 would be Jack's brother, but then came around to the idea. I agree with the people who think that this will add depth to Jack's character by being able to learn more about his family life. I personally don't think it's unreasonable that Graham (or Graem) would be Jack's brother because in his mind, the treasonous acts he committed in day 5 were for the good of the country. He seems himself as a patriot, which Jack does too, only I guess Graham became disillusioned at some point. Probably because his brother is the most bada** superhero guy on earth, and who would want to live in the shadow of Jack Bauer?
Of course not everyone agrees with this and some people felt that this plot twist made no sense and had no justification. They felt the writers were not really thinking it through when adding it into the show, and are very skeptical as to whether this will work out. Others are wary but willing to be patient to see if it's a good twist that will lead to entertaining tv, or if it will just become ridiculous.
Most people think that Josh, Graham's son, looks suspiciously like Jack and Kim (Jack's daughter) but agree that that plot twist wouldn't make much sense and would be very soap opera. Jack would still have been married to his wife Terri at the time of his conception, and no one thinks that Jack would have cheated on his wife.
There was also a lot of discussion to the question of if Kim is dead. Many message boarders, somehow, remembered that it was mentioned that Kim lived in Valencia during season 4 with a boyfriend, which is where the bomb went off. Since then, she's gotten a new boyfriend and is probably no longer living there, and if she was Jack would probably be flipping out, not scaling buildings much like Spiderman. I was just amazed that people remembered this tiny detail and made that connection, even though most don't think that she's dead as of right now.
It seems that initially a lot of people thought that it was very unbelievable that Super Terrorist Guy from season 5 would be Jack's brother, but then came around to the idea. I agree with the people who think that this will add depth to Jack's character by being able to learn more about his family life. I personally don't think it's unreasonable that Graham (or Graem) would be Jack's brother because in his mind, the treasonous acts he committed in day 5 were for the good of the country. He seems himself as a patriot, which Jack does too, only I guess Graham became disillusioned at some point. Probably because his brother is the most bada** superhero guy on earth, and who would want to live in the shadow of Jack Bauer?
Of course not everyone agrees with this and some people felt that this plot twist made no sense and had no justification. They felt the writers were not really thinking it through when adding it into the show, and are very skeptical as to whether this will work out. Others are wary but willing to be patient to see if it's a good twist that will lead to entertaining tv, or if it will just become ridiculous.
Most people think that Josh, Graham's son, looks suspiciously like Jack and Kim (Jack's daughter) but agree that that plot twist wouldn't make much sense and would be very soap opera. Jack would still have been married to his wife Terri at the time of his conception, and no one thinks that Jack would have cheated on his wife.
There was also a lot of discussion to the question of if Kim is dead. Many message boarders, somehow, remembered that it was mentioned that Kim lived in Valencia during season 4 with a boyfriend, which is where the bomb went off. Since then, she's gotten a new boyfriend and is probably no longer living there, and if she was Jack would probably be flipping out, not scaling buildings much like Spiderman. I was just amazed that people remembered this tiny detail and made that connection, even though most don't think that she's dead as of right now.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
off-topic
Occasionally I will go off-topic and discuss things in the news that I feel need to be commented on, you know with my infinite wisdom. The first is this article that I found on msnbc.com. The headline made me laugh out loud so I thought I would share it.
I would also like to discuss Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton basically declaring that they will be running for president in 2008. While I'm not surprised by this, I'm still upset by it. I consider myself a liberal person but I do not think that the country is prepared to elect a black man or a white woman. I hope that I'm wrong but it's how I feel and I think the Democratic party will implode.
Obama is also too inexperienced for my taste. Some people say that this is a positive thing because he hasn't been "corrupted" yet, but my thinking is that he might not have been in office long enough to figure out how to get people to work together.
Hypothetically let's say that Clinton wins in 2008. Then in the past twenty years we will have had two Bushes and two Clinton's which is a little to monarchy for me.
Later I'm going to search through some message boards to see people's reaction to last night's episode (which, to reiterate, was awesome) so I will have an on-topic post soon. Jack Bauer for president. There that's kind of on topic!
I would also like to discuss Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton basically declaring that they will be running for president in 2008. While I'm not surprised by this, I'm still upset by it. I consider myself a liberal person but I do not think that the country is prepared to elect a black man or a white woman. I hope that I'm wrong but it's how I feel and I think the Democratic party will implode.
Obama is also too inexperienced for my taste. Some people say that this is a positive thing because he hasn't been "corrupted" yet, but my thinking is that he might not have been in office long enough to figure out how to get people to work together.
Hypothetically let's say that Clinton wins in 2008. Then in the past twenty years we will have had two Bushes and two Clinton's which is a little to monarchy for me.
Later I'm going to search through some message boards to see people's reaction to last night's episode (which, to reiterate, was awesome) so I will have an on-topic post soon. Jack Bauer for president. There that's kind of on topic!
Monday, January 22, 2007
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
I'm so happy my homework is now to talk about the awesomeness that is 24. Tonight's episode pretty much blew me away.
The hour started by showing the aftermath of the nuclear bomb being detonated in a suburb of Los Angeles. We learn that at least 12,000 people were killed instantly. Both CTU and the White House are momentarily rendered immobile by the events and are shown watching the news of the blast. I think this was a good move, to show the characters shaken and vulnerable, because it gives them a vulnerability. President Palmer is quickly moved to the bunker with his cabinet and calls a press conference to address the nation. CTU begins looking for the other suitcase bombs with Assad's help. Assad gives Bill Buchanan the name of a man one of his former partners used to possibly get weapons. When the name is cross-checked, Morris finds out that he has had contact with Jack's father, Phillip Bauer.
Buchanan calls Jack and tells him the new information. Jack convinces Bill to try and talk to his father alone. Phillip's butler (? maybe not really clear, but how very Clue of him) in the house tells Jack that his father is away and did not bring his cell phone and is told to call Jack's brother. When Jack does this, we see that his brother is the man who was behind President Logan's shading acts in season 5, thus making him the ultimate bad guy. It quickly became clear why we never learned that this man's name was Graham Bauer through all of season 5.
Jack gets in contact with his brother and Graham tells Jack that he does not know where their father is but will help him get in contact with him. Jack calls Chloe and has him find Graham's address and goes there unexpectedly. We see Graham's family and learn that Graham's wife was romantically involved with Jack before Graham. We also meet Graham's son, Josh, who looks suspiciously like Jack.
Jack asks Graham for information about there father and Graham evades Jack's questions. Jack punches him in the face (!!!) and ties him to a chair. Even before this, it is obvious that Jack and Graham have a bad past, and barely speak. It is also obvious that Jack Bauer got ALL of the looks in the family. The show ends with Jack suffocating Graham with a plastic bag to try and get him to talk.
All of this new information is enough to warrant a nap after watching. And that's not even close to everything that happened. I think one of the things that keeps the show great is their attention to the personal lives of the characters. We do not know a lot about Jack's past, but with the introduction of his brother, and next week father, I'm sure at least a little more will be revealed. Jack will also have to make tougher decisions now that his family is involved.
A lot happened in this episode, none of which I expected. I have to applaud the writers of 24 for writing increasingly complicated scripts in an age where viewers seem to be attracted to shows that don't involve a lot of thought and don't need to be watched every week to be understood. I'm sure that some people will say that the writers are trying to keep your attention and keep viewers guessing by doing whatever possible and that this might be too much of a stretch, but these people are foolish and wrong.
There are a couple of things that I do have a problem with this season. Karen Hayes and Bill Buchanan are supposed to be married but Bill is in Los Angeles at CTU and Karen is in D.C. with the president. I'm thinking maybe Karen is only in D.C. because of the crisis but I wish I knew more definitively what that whole deal is. I'm also not believing Wayne Palmer as the president. I guess the writers figured that everyone liked his brother so much as president that everyone would vote for him, but I am not really buying it. I think DB Woodside, who plays him, is a good actor, I just don't see the character as the president-type, especially after some questionable moral calls in season 3.
In conclusion, I no longer look forward to the weekends, I look forward to Monday's when I can watch Jack Bauer.
The hour started by showing the aftermath of the nuclear bomb being detonated in a suburb of Los Angeles. We learn that at least 12,000 people were killed instantly. Both CTU and the White House are momentarily rendered immobile by the events and are shown watching the news of the blast. I think this was a good move, to show the characters shaken and vulnerable, because it gives them a vulnerability. President Palmer is quickly moved to the bunker with his cabinet and calls a press conference to address the nation. CTU begins looking for the other suitcase bombs with Assad's help. Assad gives Bill Buchanan the name of a man one of his former partners used to possibly get weapons. When the name is cross-checked, Morris finds out that he has had contact with Jack's father, Phillip Bauer.
Buchanan calls Jack and tells him the new information. Jack convinces Bill to try and talk to his father alone. Phillip's butler (? maybe not really clear, but how very Clue of him) in the house tells Jack that his father is away and did not bring his cell phone and is told to call Jack's brother. When Jack does this, we see that his brother is the man who was behind President Logan's shading acts in season 5, thus making him the ultimate bad guy. It quickly became clear why we never learned that this man's name was Graham Bauer through all of season 5.
Jack gets in contact with his brother and Graham tells Jack that he does not know where their father is but will help him get in contact with him. Jack calls Chloe and has him find Graham's address and goes there unexpectedly. We see Graham's family and learn that Graham's wife was romantically involved with Jack before Graham. We also meet Graham's son, Josh, who looks suspiciously like Jack.
Jack asks Graham for information about there father and Graham evades Jack's questions. Jack punches him in the face (!!!) and ties him to a chair. Even before this, it is obvious that Jack and Graham have a bad past, and barely speak. It is also obvious that Jack Bauer got ALL of the looks in the family. The show ends with Jack suffocating Graham with a plastic bag to try and get him to talk.
All of this new information is enough to warrant a nap after watching. And that's not even close to everything that happened. I think one of the things that keeps the show great is their attention to the personal lives of the characters. We do not know a lot about Jack's past, but with the introduction of his brother, and next week father, I'm sure at least a little more will be revealed. Jack will also have to make tougher decisions now that his family is involved.
A lot happened in this episode, none of which I expected. I have to applaud the writers of 24 for writing increasingly complicated scripts in an age where viewers seem to be attracted to shows that don't involve a lot of thought and don't need to be watched every week to be understood. I'm sure that some people will say that the writers are trying to keep your attention and keep viewers guessing by doing whatever possible and that this might be too much of a stretch, but these people are foolish and wrong.
There are a couple of things that I do have a problem with this season. Karen Hayes and Bill Buchanan are supposed to be married but Bill is in Los Angeles at CTU and Karen is in D.C. with the president. I'm thinking maybe Karen is only in D.C. because of the crisis but I wish I knew more definitively what that whole deal is. I'm also not believing Wayne Palmer as the president. I guess the writers figured that everyone liked his brother so much as president that everyone would vote for him, but I am not really buying it. I think DB Woodside, who plays him, is a good actor, I just don't see the character as the president-type, especially after some questionable moral calls in season 3.
In conclusion, I no longer look forward to the weekends, I look forward to Monday's when I can watch Jack Bauer.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Two 24 related pieces of news recently caught my attention. The first is a radio program that devoted it's entire show to discussing 24's ultimate message and how that might effect people. The host, Tom Ashbrook, led the discussion about how many conservative politicians have tried to almost claim the show as their own, saying that it portrays real-life decision making. Guests debated if the show was overly conservative and if that was their message.
Tricia Rose, a pop culture commentator and professor of Africana Studies at Brown University, made the best point I think when she said, "I do think that the real problem is not that the show is portending what will happen politically but that our political culture is so bereft of serious reflective engagement that we look to pop culture to engage these huge issues. Our political culture is what’s immature." She also goes on to say that the people in control of the White House are more cartoonish by portraying people as "good" or "bad." I think Rose raises some very good points in saying this. I think a lot of times people in power will not know the solution to a problem so will point to the media, entertainment or gaming industries as a scapegoat. Many times in the Iraq War, military officials have not admitted the war is going badly but that the media is only reporting the "bad news." With a show like 24 that is so popular and creative, many people on the right want to associate themselves with that. It's very sad that some of the most real debate is associated around a television show rather than from people in charge of the country.
James Poniewozik, a media critic for Time Magazine, was also on the program saying that the main goal of the show is to entertain people. While this seems like an obvious observation, we sometimes might forget that all of the things that happen on the show might simply be to keep us guessing and watching, nothing more.
I think listening to this program is worthwhile, they bring up some interesting points, especially when Ashbrook plays audio of Rush Limbaugh and Michael Chertoff lauding the show.
But I also came across this article which I would like to talk about. The headline of this article is "Muslims rip ‘24’ for renewed terror role." In seasons 4 and now 6, Muslim extremists were the terrorists plotting some kind of attacks. This article discusses how this has upset many in the Muslim community. One quote from the article is as follows:
“The overwhelming impression you get is fear and hatred for Muslims,” said Rabiah Ahmed, a spokeswoman for the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations. She said Thursday she was distressed by this season’s premiere. “After watching that show, I was afraid to go to the grocery store, because I wasn’t sure the person next to me would be able to differentiate between fiction and reality.”
While I can understand why many Muslims have a problem with they way they are portrayed on the show, I feel like this is a bit of an overreaction. I guess now would be a good time to establish that I don't think the entertainment media has a big influence on people's actions. I don't think that some child is going to go beat up someone and rob a car after playing Grand Theft Auto and I don't think that a bunch of white teenagers will go beat up someone who has darker skin than them after watching 24. I do believe that Muslims are not portrayed fairly in the American media, and the best example of this might be 24, even though there have been white, Russian, German and European terrorists on the show as well. In a post-9/11 society negative portrayals of Muslims might be more harmful than in the past, so I can see the point Ahmed was making. There's a new show airing in Canada trying to offset these negative images, that I wish was being broadcast in the U.S. It's a comedy about a Muslim family in a small town that has a wide audience already. I would be interested to see how popular this show would be if it came to the U.S.
I feel like I've gone a little off-point now though. My main point is I can see why Muslims have a problem with the roles they always have on 24, but I don't think these negative images will lead directly to some kind of backlash. Any stereotypes that people believe are true most likely come from places besides television shows. Another thing that would be worthy of noting now is that even though I love 24 probably more than is healthy, I do not agree with almost anything that happens on the show, in the ways of obtaining information. I do not believe that torture is an effective way to gather information, no matter the seriousness of the situation. I also do not agree with all of the times someone will ask Jack for a lawyer during questioning and he essentially laughs in their faces. I do not agree with some of the civil liberties that people are willing to give up or ignore on the show. I also do not believe that all terrorists are foreigners. But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy the show anyway, it's an incredibly well-done, well-acted, creative show. Which is my point, in a roundabout way, I can differentiate between television and reality, and I like to think that other Americans can too. But I could be wrong, any thoughts?
Tricia Rose, a pop culture commentator and professor of Africana Studies at Brown University, made the best point I think when she said, "I do think that the real problem is not that the show is portending what will happen politically but that our political culture is so bereft of serious reflective engagement that we look to pop culture to engage these huge issues. Our political culture is what’s immature." She also goes on to say that the people in control of the White House are more cartoonish by portraying people as "good" or "bad." I think Rose raises some very good points in saying this. I think a lot of times people in power will not know the solution to a problem so will point to the media, entertainment or gaming industries as a scapegoat. Many times in the Iraq War, military officials have not admitted the war is going badly but that the media is only reporting the "bad news." With a show like 24 that is so popular and creative, many people on the right want to associate themselves with that. It's very sad that some of the most real debate is associated around a television show rather than from people in charge of the country.
James Poniewozik, a media critic for Time Magazine, was also on the program saying that the main goal of the show is to entertain people. While this seems like an obvious observation, we sometimes might forget that all of the things that happen on the show might simply be to keep us guessing and watching, nothing more.
I think listening to this program is worthwhile, they bring up some interesting points, especially when Ashbrook plays audio of Rush Limbaugh and Michael Chertoff lauding the show.
But I also came across this article which I would like to talk about. The headline of this article is "Muslims rip ‘24’ for renewed terror role." In seasons 4 and now 6, Muslim extremists were the terrorists plotting some kind of attacks. This article discusses how this has upset many in the Muslim community. One quote from the article is as follows:
“The overwhelming impression you get is fear and hatred for Muslims,” said Rabiah Ahmed, a spokeswoman for the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations. She said Thursday she was distressed by this season’s premiere. “After watching that show, I was afraid to go to the grocery store, because I wasn’t sure the person next to me would be able to differentiate between fiction and reality.”
While I can understand why many Muslims have a problem with they way they are portrayed on the show, I feel like this is a bit of an overreaction. I guess now would be a good time to establish that I don't think the entertainment media has a big influence on people's actions. I don't think that some child is going to go beat up someone and rob a car after playing Grand Theft Auto and I don't think that a bunch of white teenagers will go beat up someone who has darker skin than them after watching 24. I do believe that Muslims are not portrayed fairly in the American media, and the best example of this might be 24, even though there have been white, Russian, German and European terrorists on the show as well. In a post-9/11 society negative portrayals of Muslims might be more harmful than in the past, so I can see the point Ahmed was making. There's a new show airing in Canada trying to offset these negative images, that I wish was being broadcast in the U.S. It's a comedy about a Muslim family in a small town that has a wide audience already. I would be interested to see how popular this show would be if it came to the U.S.
I feel like I've gone a little off-point now though. My main point is I can see why Muslims have a problem with the roles they always have on 24, but I don't think these negative images will lead directly to some kind of backlash. Any stereotypes that people believe are true most likely come from places besides television shows. Another thing that would be worthy of noting now is that even though I love 24 probably more than is healthy, I do not agree with almost anything that happens on the show, in the ways of obtaining information. I do not believe that torture is an effective way to gather information, no matter the seriousness of the situation. I also do not agree with all of the times someone will ask Jack for a lawyer during questioning and he essentially laughs in their faces. I do not agree with some of the civil liberties that people are willing to give up or ignore on the show. I also do not believe that all terrorists are foreigners. But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy the show anyway, it's an incredibly well-done, well-acted, creative show. Which is my point, in a roundabout way, I can differentiate between television and reality, and I like to think that other Americans can too. But I could be wrong, any thoughts?
Thursday, January 18, 2007
first 4 episodes
Rather than doing a detailed review of all the things that happened in the first four episodes of day 6, here is a list of my gut reactions to some things I like and dislike so far.
Likes:
1. Unlike previous seasons, day 6 opened up to a country already under attack. Usually the agents are trying to stop an impending disaster rather than react to one that's already happened, and prevent future ones from occuring. Also, in some of the other seasons, the first couple of episodes basically just laid the groundwork for the rest of the day, which made them a little dry. With the nation already under attack, the action started right away, and only 4 episodes in, we have already seen a nuclear explosion and the death of a major character.
2. The introduction of Sandra Palmer, the attorney for the Islamic-American Alliance, who is also the sister of President Wayne Palmer. Sandra seems to be the only character I can recall who fights for civil liberties, even in a time of great danger. Usually on the show when it comes to obtaining information or giving someone their civil rights, civil rights always lose. She understands the slippery slope one can go down when even giving up seemingly small rights.
3. Jack Bauer himself, of course. Jack is arguably one of the darkest heroes in television history. He has killed two colleagues, gotten addicted to heroin and tortured suspects to protect the country. After literally dying twice, suffering through almost two years of torture, and losing his family and friends for his country, we can see the emotional toll it has taken on Jack. When Bill Buchanan tells Jack that the country has given him up to be sacrificied to try and stop the attacks, he tells him that dying will "be a relief." After being forced to kill a fellow agent to save a known terrorist who can lead them to the source of the attacks, Jack breaks down. It's probably the most vulnerable we've ever seen him. Jack always saves the day, but at very high costs, and seeing him on the verge of breaking down gives the character legitimacy and keeps him from seeming like a psychotic who can kill on a whim.
Dislikes:
1. Sandra Palmer. Yes, I realize I just included her in the "like" list. While I applaud what Sandra Palmer stands for, I don't know why the writers made her so unlikeable. When the FBI ask for the personnel files of the workers at the Islamic-American Alliance, she deletes them to prove a point. This character could have been a great springboard for debate on civil rights verse security, but you just end up disliking the character, and therefore not really caring about her point of view.
2. Ahmed and Wallace family sideplot. With the country being attacked continuously by suicide bombers, Los Angeles citizens are afraid to go outside and are looking for people to blame. The Wallace's are a white suburban family who see their Muslim neighbor Ahmed's father being taken away by the FBI for questioning. A group of white men threaten Ahmed, calling him a terrorist, and Ray Wallace comes to help and defend him. He invites Ahmed into his home and tries to help him locate his father. I think the writers of 24 had a great chance here to go against some of the criticism they have endured by reinforcing negative Muslim racial stereotypes by making Ahmed a victim. Instead, we learn that Ahmed is, in fact, helping the terrorists who are orchestrating the attacks. This gives validity to the white suburban thugs who threaten him and makes it seem like middle-class suburban Muslims are involved in terrorism.
3. CTU love-triangles and interoffice fighting. The Chloe-Morris-Miles tension seems forced. Every season there has been some kind of personal problem that prevents people from working together. While I do like the background and personal lives of the characters, this one seems a bit of a stretch. Yes, Chloe looks better as a brunette, but would two guys really be fighting over her? No.
I personally enjoyed the first 4 episodes, all told. There are certain things that happen every season on 24 and somehow the writers do this without making the show seem old and predictable. Kiefer Sutherland will be in super-intense mode and yell at bad guys, and I'll love it just as much as I did when he did it the last hour. The fact that every season gains new viewers and keeps old ones coming back is a true testament to the writer's creativity. I'm sure that at some point in the day Jack will find out that someone high-up in the government is a mole, someone will try to have Jack arrested and many more people will die, but I won't know who or when, and that's what keeps the show going so strong. The cast, led by Sutherland in the role he was born to play, is strong every season. While also being very entertaining, it opens up debate in both the television and political arena, which is never a bad thing. Either way, I'll be looking forward to next week to see if Jack truly "can't do this anymore."
Likes:
1. Unlike previous seasons, day 6 opened up to a country already under attack. Usually the agents are trying to stop an impending disaster rather than react to one that's already happened, and prevent future ones from occuring. Also, in some of the other seasons, the first couple of episodes basically just laid the groundwork for the rest of the day, which made them a little dry. With the nation already under attack, the action started right away, and only 4 episodes in, we have already seen a nuclear explosion and the death of a major character.
2. The introduction of Sandra Palmer, the attorney for the Islamic-American Alliance, who is also the sister of President Wayne Palmer. Sandra seems to be the only character I can recall who fights for civil liberties, even in a time of great danger. Usually on the show when it comes to obtaining information or giving someone their civil rights, civil rights always lose. She understands the slippery slope one can go down when even giving up seemingly small rights.
3. Jack Bauer himself, of course. Jack is arguably one of the darkest heroes in television history. He has killed two colleagues, gotten addicted to heroin and tortured suspects to protect the country. After literally dying twice, suffering through almost two years of torture, and losing his family and friends for his country, we can see the emotional toll it has taken on Jack. When Bill Buchanan tells Jack that the country has given him up to be sacrificied to try and stop the attacks, he tells him that dying will "be a relief." After being forced to kill a fellow agent to save a known terrorist who can lead them to the source of the attacks, Jack breaks down. It's probably the most vulnerable we've ever seen him. Jack always saves the day, but at very high costs, and seeing him on the verge of breaking down gives the character legitimacy and keeps him from seeming like a psychotic who can kill on a whim.
Dislikes:
1. Sandra Palmer. Yes, I realize I just included her in the "like" list. While I applaud what Sandra Palmer stands for, I don't know why the writers made her so unlikeable. When the FBI ask for the personnel files of the workers at the Islamic-American Alliance, she deletes them to prove a point. This character could have been a great springboard for debate on civil rights verse security, but you just end up disliking the character, and therefore not really caring about her point of view.
2. Ahmed and Wallace family sideplot. With the country being attacked continuously by suicide bombers, Los Angeles citizens are afraid to go outside and are looking for people to blame. The Wallace's are a white suburban family who see their Muslim neighbor Ahmed's father being taken away by the FBI for questioning. A group of white men threaten Ahmed, calling him a terrorist, and Ray Wallace comes to help and defend him. He invites Ahmed into his home and tries to help him locate his father. I think the writers of 24 had a great chance here to go against some of the criticism they have endured by reinforcing negative Muslim racial stereotypes by making Ahmed a victim. Instead, we learn that Ahmed is, in fact, helping the terrorists who are orchestrating the attacks. This gives validity to the white suburban thugs who threaten him and makes it seem like middle-class suburban Muslims are involved in terrorism.
3. CTU love-triangles and interoffice fighting. The Chloe-Morris-Miles tension seems forced. Every season there has been some kind of personal problem that prevents people from working together. While I do like the background and personal lives of the characters, this one seems a bit of a stretch. Yes, Chloe looks better as a brunette, but would two guys really be fighting over her? No.
I personally enjoyed the first 4 episodes, all told. There are certain things that happen every season on 24 and somehow the writers do this without making the show seem old and predictable. Kiefer Sutherland will be in super-intense mode and yell at bad guys, and I'll love it just as much as I did when he did it the last hour. The fact that every season gains new viewers and keeps old ones coming back is a true testament to the writer's creativity. I'm sure that at some point in the day Jack will find out that someone high-up in the government is a mole, someone will try to have Jack arrested and many more people will die, but I won't know who or when, and that's what keeps the show going so strong. The cast, led by Sutherland in the role he was born to play, is strong every season. While also being very entertaining, it opens up debate in both the television and political arena, which is never a bad thing. Either way, I'll be looking forward to next week to see if Jack truly "can't do this anymore."
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
jack is back
One of televisions biggest shows returned this week. The sixth season of 24 began as a two-night two-hour premier that left critics raving and fans craving more. Unlike previous seasons, that saw federal agent Jack Bauer and fellow agents at CTU trying to thwart a terrorist plot in the making, this season opened-up with the country already under attack. The fourth episode of the season premier, which television critics voted the best episode in the show's history, had a shocking end, that included a nuclear bomb going off outside Los Angeles.
These events set off some controversy, which is nothing new to the show. The show has always been accused of reinforcing negative racial stereotypes and advocating the use of torture to obtain information. Jack is also constantly having to make the decision to sacrifice a few lives to potentially save many. These elements of the show have made it a hot topic among politicians of both parties.
These events set off some controversy, which is nothing new to the show. The show has always been accused of reinforcing negative racial stereotypes and advocating the use of torture to obtain information. Jack is also constantly having to make the decision to sacrifice a few lives to potentially save many. These elements of the show have made it a hot topic among politicians of both parties.
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