Alan Shore delivers a truth or five...

[k0NG0]

YouTube - Boston Legal

A passage from Boston Legal, Alan Shore is closing and delivers a stunning summary of the climate in the US concerning politics and a lethargic acceptance of policy that ought to give rise to vocal objections, as well as the whole "if you're not with us you're against us" mentality that seems to be OK these days.

Goes to show you TV can actually deliver a message with meaning, even under the guise of a completely insane show such as Boston Legal.

It's applicable for Sweden as well, since right now there's a bill to allow massive electronic surveillance by tapping all Internet traffic across the borders (even though TCP/IP knows nothing about what a "border" is). The sitting gov't thinks it's a good idea, and there is surprisingly little public anger over it. Naively, people figure it won't affect them, or they just don't care.

It's a great clip.

[traveler]

He is a great closer. Love to watch his trials (and escapades).

[Brian]

This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

[traveler]

You still might catch it on the ABC rerun website or from a download.

[traveler]

Originally Posted by k0NG0

YouTube - Boston Legal

A passage from Boston Legal, Alan Shore is closing and delivers a stunning summary of the climate in the US concerning politics and a lethargic acceptance of policy that ought to give rise to vocal objections, as well as the whole "if you're not with us you're against us" mentality that seems to be OK these days.

Goes to show you TV can actually deliver a message with meaning, even under the guise of a completely insane show such as Boston Legal.

It's applicable for Sweden as well, since right now there's a bill to allow massive electronic surveillance by tapping all Internet traffic across the borders (even though TCP/IP knows nothing about what a "border" is). The sitting gov't thinks it's a good idea, and there is surprisingly little public anger over it. Naively, people figure it won't affect them, or they just don't care.

It's a great clip.

What episode was that?

Too bad the really good governmental conspiracy TV shows were "removed" so as we can't watch them and think, "Traveler" and "Jericho". The longest lasting conspiracy/government cover-up show was X-Files.

[3 of 7]

Originally Posted by traveler

What episode was that?

Too bad the really good governmental conspiracy TV shows were "removed" so as we can't watch them and think, "Traveler" and "Jericho". The longest lasting conspiracy/government cover-up show was X-Files.

It's amazing isn't it? I read somewhere the other day (sorry, can't find the link right now) that less than 1/3 of one percent of Americans have seen "The Panama Deception" despite the fact that it won the Oscar in '92 for best documentary..

[TQ]

Boston Legal is replete with "message". So much of it that the program fails to entertain me because its politics are always in the way.
The only "message" I ever take from the show always comes from left field.

Also, how is it that Denny Crane can consistently act irresponsibly with firearms and yet is still allowed to carry them, even into the office?
The most recent show I saw had Denny shoot a rubber clown (apparently Shore's traumatized by clowns) and then he fired a round into the ceiling and into the offices upstairs.
And he's still allowed to carry a gun? That stretches credulity, doesn't it?

Oh, wait...that's another "message"!

[k0NG0]

Denny isn't so much a person as an allegory or a metaphor (or sometimes a convenient stereotype).

But yeah, it's a political outlet for David E. Kelley, there's no getting around that. And he may have left leanings, but for the most part I think he's actually concerned about the way the government works. One recent episode had Shore in front of the supreme court where that political commentary was more coherent and well put than anything else I've ever heard. (It basically boiled down to the perversity of a politicized branch of government that is designed to be apolitical, and the associated problem of appointment politics. Regardless of political leanings, it should make sense.)

[TQ]

Originally Posted by k0NG0

Denny isn't so much a person as an allegory or a metaphor (or sometimes a convenient stereotype).

Couldn't help but notice that little subtlety.

Actually, I had assumed the Swedish government had all the security awareness of a sixties flower child. (Obviously, I shouldn't make assumptions...)
I'm rather impressed with the aggressive stance of the current government, but then I'm one of those folks who had no problem with the U.S. domestic surveillance program.
The Swedish people wisely understand that this is designed to protect them and doesn't infringe too terribly on their freedoms.
After all, those privacy issues won't mean much if Stockholm is ever left with a half-life of fifty thousand years after some religious nut detonates a dirty bomb somewhere in SoFo.

[TQ]

Originally Posted by k0NG0

But yeah, it's a political outlet for David E. Kelley, there's no getting around that. And he may have left leanings, but for the most part I think he's actually concerned about the way the government works. One recent episode had Shore in front of the supreme court where that political commentary was more coherent and well put than anything else I've ever heard. (It basically boiled down to the perversity of a politicized branch of government that is designed to be apolitical, and the associated problem of appointment politics. Regardless of political leanings, it should make sense.

One would think that it would apply to those with whom Mr. Kelley disagrees politically.
I recall an episode in which Shore holds out the mug shot of former Speaker of the House Tom Delay with the clear implication that Delay was guilty of the crimes of which he had been accused. At the time no trial had taken place.
Conveniently, nothing was said of the fact that the local Democrat Travis County D.A. at the time had to seat three Grand Juries before he could find one that agreed with him on the Delay case.
Imagine the vast outcry if this had been a local Republican D.A. shopping for a Grand Jury so he could bring charges against a Democrat.

[k0NG0]

I don't remember that episode and you provide no context beyond Shore showing the image so there's nothing I'm comfortable with saying on that subject.

I assume you're watching Bill "Papa Bear" O'Reilly with the same fervor when it comes to requiring the show to provide cogent counterpoints reflecting the more liberal agenda (or, y'know, the "truth"). I remember seeing clips from when when O'Reilly was all huffy over how Democrats had too much power, then Bush came along with the unpatriot act and suddenly there wasn't enough government control. All I'm saying is find a single show that's fair. Or balanced. Fox News using "fair and balanced" as their catchphrase is like AIDS renaming itself "happy fun time".

Boston Legal is a comedy show, by the way. There is no proposed journalistic content whatsoever.

[TQ]

Do you ever watch O'Reilly?
I'd assume not seeing as how he consistently puts people on who disagree with him. O'Reilly can be a blowhard but he puts counter-point opinions on his show which makes it fun to watch, though he's not exactly what I'd call conservative. But then, neither am I.

As far as Fox's use of "fair and balanced" how much Fox news have you watched? You wouldn't call MSNBC balanced by any stretch of the imagination, would you? There is no more partisan network than that of NBC/MSNBC. Lord God, Keith Olbermann's show alone is the single, most biased example of television on the air today. It's amazing that the left throws so much at Fox but they're comfortable (as they always are) when the bias is in their favor.

And while there is no journalistic content in Boston Legal there is certainly a vast amount of left-wing bias. More's the pity as there are some genuinely funny moments.

[k0NG0]

I'm not saying MSNBC or the other news channel is any less biased than Fox News. I never said that. I'm just saying Fox News calling themselves "fair and balanced" is if not a lie then a significant untruth.

What I've seen of O'Reilly is that he never lets anyone finish their argument by interrupting or similar. He's also got a track record of not correcting himself when he is plain wrong (the WWII thing I think we've touched upon previously). Which is pitiful. But that's what he's there for. Both him and Olbermann are blowhards, for sure. (Stephen Colbert the TV host is an amalgam of Papa Bear O'Reilly and a bunch of other similar blowhards. Never wrong, "interviewing" by constantly interrupting. Etc. It's spot-on, really.)

[johnrr6]

And what's really bad is that none of the SOBs mentioned on either side (left wing or right wing)....

Have ever spent a night in a trench wondering if they're gonna see the sun shine the next day.....

Defending those "beliefs".....

Me----I vote for whomever I perceive will do the LEAST in office....

Under the assumption that less is better....

I actually like Obama----but the whole Democratic platform calling for "change" absolutely scares me to death.....

Sounds to me like my taxes going up and up and up----and wasting money left and right-----and me trying to put two boys through college.....

And at least McCain is a Vet

That may not mean much to the country as a whole----but to me----it does.....

If any of the before mentioned gentlemen on TV (not the actors----the news commentators) have actually served their country honorably----apologies rendered....

I'm getting old......

[TQ]

I just watched the season finale of Boston Legal and truthfully...I thought it was brilliant.
I won't spoil anything but I will say that it elevated Denny's character from caricature and was really more about Denny and Alan's friendship - and the test this episode threw at it - than anything else.
Politically I thought it was pretty balanced writing, on the whole. Very good stuff.

By the way, the judge made the right decision.