Raw, but c*nsored blabbing and blogging of a young journalista
and local news producer in Southern New England.
email topstorylive % at # gmail + dot = com

Friday, October 07, 2005

Open the window! Is anybody yelling?*

Washington Post.com:Clooney Breaks His Own Big Story, A Live 'Network'

*"I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!"

It's a quote now oft-played during The Matt Allen Nation on WPRO. But does anybody know what it's from, the context? The entire speech from Peter Finch? Perhaps not.

Or perhaps these days everybody who's come within smelling distance of a modern media class or even anything along the lines of Social Studies, Public Affairs, History and the like have "Network" as required reading. Hmm?

Why a live "Network"? Just raise the stakes for the production, showboat it?

Granted, I just saw (a week late) the live season premiere (the East Coast version) of "Will and Grace." (Blessedly there was even an on-air goof: Audio killed the live studio mics but didn't track the videotape of the show-closing vanity cards and tease announcer.) And that could have been easily done without the live element.

The other thing, that even Clooney noticed, is that "Network" seems to have "come true," from the media/corporate conglomerates ruling the world to the competitiveness of ratings... and yet, I haven't seen a parallel drawn between Howard Beale and the characters of "Series 7: The Contenders," the ultimate reality TV show "prescient" movie, where instead of being voted off, you get KILLED with real guns.

Or maybe someone will make "The Truman Show" come true.

Labels: Originally published

... Scribbled by Bill T ... 10/07/2005 12:30:00 AM ... Email this entry ...
...
..........