Posted on 02/01/2006 3:20:43 PM PST by silent_jonny
I asked earlier in the program, Did you people see 24 last night? and Ive gotten I bet seven emails now from people that said theyre fed up and theyre never watching it again. And I have got to slap you people back to reality!
One of the moles in this season is this goofy Richard Nixon look-a-likes chief of staff, guy named Walt Cummings. Well some canisters of nerve gas were stolen from the Ontario airport in a previous episode and it turns out that these canisters of nerve gas were engineered to be stolen by Walt Cummings and then given to terroriststhese are terrorists from a breakaway republic somewhere in Asia (we all know its Russia, Chechens and so forth). And the plan, according to Walt Cummings, is to get the terrorists to take these canisters of nerve gas back their home country so that then the administrations can prove that there were weapons of mass destruction there.
Now people who watched the episode last night think this is the writers of 24 insulting the Bush administration. And chiding the Bush administration for the fact that there arent any WMD in Iraq
What am I going to do with you people?
Number one: ITS A TELEVISION SHOW!
Number two: The Bush administration, if it were going to plant WMD wouldve already done it. Theres no correlation here. But more than that, that episode of 24 last nightand Ive watched every one of these episodes from Season 1, episode 1that episode last night had more plot turns and twists than any single episode I remember. The outing of a mole has occurred sooner this season than at anytime I remember in any of the previous seasonswith the mole getting caught!
But I would caution all of you, this storyline, this WMD, this nerve gas, this supposedly having a mole who is the chief of staff to the presidentwho knows if this is the ultimate truth of this program? There are still 18 episodes left between now and the end of May and if the rest of them are like last night, we dont know 10% of where this is going or heading. And I would reign it in, folks
Maybe some of you people are watching 24 because you think that its purpose is to establish the political objectives and foreign policy objectives of the administration and its not! The purpose of the program is the same as I have on this program: to attract the largest audience possible and hold it so you can charge confiscatory advertising rates to advertisers. Thats the purpose of the program. And the writers are trying to break new ground and theyre trying to make sure that the program doesnt get stale. I think theyve set a new standard! They are nowhere near getting staleits the exact opposite.
But Ive seen a lot of people on blog sites say The hell with 24 . Now theyre getting mad at Bush to hell with that. Im not watching it anymore.
Heres a sample email:
A friend stated that he didnt want to watch 24 anymore because he felt last nights episode was a message about the current Bush White House. He feels the show is delivering a message about there being no weapons of mass destruction and there was a plot within the White House to convince the public that the problem actually does exist when it doesnt. I disagree. Whats your take on it?
Well Im giving you my take on it. You cant compare this current president on 24 to George W. Bush in any way. This guy is the biggest looney-tune wimp that weve ever had as a president if he were in there for real.
And heres another thing. Ive had a couple people also say to me: What is it with these love scenes??? I cant believe it! Jack Bauer is in the midst of saving the country from nerve gas and all of a sudden hes gotta have negotiations with two women about whether or not he still loves them. Now I will admit I watched that and I was like come on! Get this over with! I understand why its there, but lets move on. Jack Bauers not gonna sit around and do thisthe real Jack. But thats another part of the brilliance of the people that do this show, folks! They have to attract an audience. Its the FOX Network! 18 to 34 is a demo that they prize
And I dont wanna sound sexist, but the way you keep women watching a program like thisyou think women care about bombs and blood and guts all over? No! Youve gotta put a love story in there, and then a competing love interestyou gotta put that tension and drama. They dont overdo it, they get in, get it and get out. But its something for everybody who watches the show to glom onto. And I have some female friends that watch the show, and I got emails from them last night: You know what my favorite part of the show was? Taking Walt Cummings down and when Jack told her he never stopped loving her. That proves my point!
And of course the idea that a woman would not interrupt you while youre trying to save the country? [mimics Audreys voice] Uh, Jack, before you go disarm the nerve gas, do you still love me? Perfectly realistic! Of course it would happen! [mimics Audrey again] We have to talk. I only want five minutes. Can you help me? Whateverthis would happen! These guys are brilliant that are doing this show. They know what everyone watching wants out of it.
You people need to back off on this. If you stop watching this youre going to miss some of the finest writing and production. This is amazing what these people do in a one hour episodein forty-two minutesit is amazing what they do!
You could watch the whole Dirty Harry seriesall those five or six moviesand everything that happens in five or six Dirty Harry movies happens in one episode of this program.
NOW CHILL OUT, FOLKS!
Its a television show!
The idea that there is any association to reality here I mean, we would love it in certain cases if it were a reflection of reality. Unfortunately well never know. We dont know if theres a Jack Bauer in the CIAwe hope theres a thousand of em! And we hope there are a thousand Jack Bauers telling bad guys: Youre gonna tell me what I want to know or Im gonna carve your left eye out first. And if you dont tell me what I wanna know, Im gonna carve your right eye out. And then you put the blade of the knife
Now with Ted Kennedy [mimics The Swimmers voice] Oh you cant do that. Thats threatening torture. Thats inhumane. Or what have you. We hope those things are going on out there.
But the idea that this administration is going to plant WMD somewhere to prove that they existed ? I just marvel at it, folks. Im sorry, but I do.
Link to audio:
http://mfile.akamai.com/5020/wma/rushlimb.download.akamai.com/5020/clips/06/01/013106_9_24.asx
Previous Rush/24 threads:
Rush Visits Set Of 24 ("Folks, it was a huge shock ... I had so much fun.") (4-19-05)
Rush Talks 24 (Chloe "was fabulous!", compares 24's wimpy president to John Kerry) (4-27-05)
Ping! Sorry it's a day late :)
Not just the voice of the Right, the voice of Common Sense.. but I repeat myself.
I wonder if Rush ever criticizes, say, Brokeback Mountain.
You seem to take 24 a lot more seriously than the rest of us, dirtboy. I quote Rush: IT'S A TELEVISION SHOW!
The President's wife, (wonderful Jean Smart), looks as if she plans get even with wimpy President whatshisname. Let's hope so.
I watched it and thought it was awsome jack is a kickass portrayal of an American Patriot IMHO
I watched the show Monday night like I do every week, and it never occurred to me that it was in any way trying to associate the plot with Bush or his administration. I guess the people who did must believe everything they see on TV. Jeesh!
I think she will too. Maybe she's not as crazy as she first seemed :)
Well, then, Brokeback Mountain is just a movie. Guess we shouldn't criticize it because it made some decent per-screen money.
Yeah, he calls it "Humpback Mountain" and I know he does it on purpose.
Actually, I thought the "24" president acted like I think John Kerry would act. I didn't take this ep to be a slam at this admin, not at all.
But it's just a movie! And it made some good per-screen money! We shouldn't be criticizing it's content if we follow Rush's rules here!
I agree, it's ridiculous. Some people seem to think 24 is supposed to be a documentary.
Guess we shouldn't critically evaluate ANY entertainment, then.
FLOTUS HOT ALERT!
Why do you keep bringing "Brokeback Mountain" into this?
Ohhhh, the look on her face when she realized her husband president had signed off on sending her to the nuthouse...ohhhh, you could see the deep freeze in her eyes.
Well, let's just say, I'm 100% sure there will be HELL to pay by president 'wimpy'.
this would provide (fabricated) proof there are WMD in asia and the president could sanction a war based on the false evidence - and it all leads back to US oil interests. (This sounds so familiar......)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.