Don Cheadle
Posted on 09/23/2013 8:37:57 AM PDT by Shout Bits
At last night's 2013 Emmy Awards, actor Don Cheadle offered a rambling salute to the power of TV. Starting with Walter Cronkite's emotional reporting of Pres. Kennedy's assignation and moving on to other touchstones of leftist history, Cheadle argued that TV is the binding force of modern society. TV tells society what to feel, how to think, and what is OK to express openly. TV is the vanguard and constitution of all that is worthwhile. Cheadle's eyes tracked the teleprompter as if in disbelief of the propaganda he was required to spew. Far from an assertion of dominance, Cheadle's speech was a desperate gasp of self-denial, for TV is actually dead as a social arbiter.
The Emmys are an industry award show designed to promote TV viewership. For decades, this meant nighttime programming on the big-three broadcast channels. Per the Ricardian theory of competitors moving toward each other, broadcast TV offered a single view of society and its history. Cheadle's speech celebrated this stultified past but did not acknowledge today's free market of ideas.
For starters, the Emmys do not even represent prime-time broadcast TV as they once did. Where there were once three contenders, there are now countless cable channels with incongruous marketing strategies. Rather than fighting for the heart of the US demographic, Emmy contenders now can slice off a profitable niche. Worse, one Emmy winner was a Netflix program that may never be broadcast. House of Cards was released at once onto the internet. There was no control over when it was to be watched, and its marketing model is contrary to broadcast TV because there are no advertisements or syndications. There are no remaining gatekeepers between creators and audiences – TV's power is a wistful memory in Cheadle's teleprompter.
Every category of TV's dominance is gone. Small players like Matt Drudge and Andrew Breitbart took down broadcast news's power to spike stories like Pres. Clinton's abuse of power to cover-up an affair or Acorn's abuse of its tax-exempt status to advance a radical-left agenda. NBC will eventually learn that it can no longer deceptively edit tape to shade the truth as anyone can now listen to the original.
In entertainment, TV is also losing its war. For every program like Glee which seeks to conflate gay issues with Democrat politics, there are more like Duck Dynasty that humanize traditionalists. Tina Fey was one of last night's winners, but her show was never a ratings success. Perhaps Ms. Fey is an example of how a self-focused program with a mean-spirited leftist agenda can kill otherwise entertaining fare – viewers no longer have to swallow her politics to get a laugh.
Most people watch the various entertainment awards programs not to root for their favorite shows, but rather to see what the stars are wearing. Titillation without substance is pornography, and that is where broadcast TV is headed. Meanwhile, the unshackled audience is free to explore without the control Mr. Cheadle pined for. His speech was really an obituary, and nobody is going to miss the control the Emmy's once represented.
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Cable/Satellite TV is eating Hollywood alive. The movies just can't compare anymore to the quality of the programming put out on the cable channels. Watch Hell on Wheels when you get a chance and you will see a show that has movie quality cinematography in every episode.
Cable/Satellite TV took the handcuffs off of what could be presented on tv and now we are in a golden age. The movie people should be very, very concerned.
Modern Family, Glee, all leftwing, homosexual self-congratulatory propaganda that NO ONE wants to watch, save those among the 47% dimwits.
People are flocking to Duck Dynasty, even neutral shows like Pawn Stars, etc. because they want good programming and are seeking to escape the leftwing dreck that heretofore has been rammed down their throats.
Look no further than the Hollywood summer of 2013 debacle for more evidence of people running away from the Obama-worshiping propaganda machine.
Been with Hell since the beginning. Starting to get some buzz.
——Italian White Trash and Soprano lover.
Not only House of Cards, but when was the last time a network TV show won the Emmy for Best Drama?
All I can remember for the last several years has been: Breaking Bad, Madmen, and The Soprano’s. Best drama actor and actress nominations are almost all from cable shows now.
The only thing on regular TV are sitcoms. Even many of those nominated now are on cable.
What is left on network TV, reality shows and lame sitcoms.
The only good sitcom on TV is Big Bang Theory. Prior to that was The Office.
IIRC, that was Newton Minnow, Kennedy's FCC Chairman.
He stated what was wrong with TV was real humor and characters had been replaced with abusive humor and "put down" jokes. He didn't watch for that reason. He was completely correct, and television has gotten much worse since.
Tune into TV Land sometime and watch "The Rifleman", or "Leave it to Beaver", or "Bonanza", or "Dick VanDyke". Production values are very different, of course, but that is just the surface. Listen to what is held up as good and right. Listen to what is espoused about manhood and femininity. You will be amazed by the contrast.
Sites like Netflix and HULU are also willing to license international TV shows and subtitle them. There are great Latin American shows and Asian shows out there. I will probably check out The Voice tonight, maybe the premiere of one or two shows I watched last year, but I’m not to excited about the Fall season of American television. I am anticipating to foreign shows set to premiere mid-October, though.
Don Cheadle
Had no idea who this was...
In 2009, Cheadle performed in The People Speak, a documentary feature film that uses dramatic and musical performances of the letters, diaries, and speeches of everyday Americans, based on historian Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States.
In 2010, Cheadle assumed the role of James Rhodes in the film Iron Man 2, replacing Terrence Howard.
In 2010, Cheadle was appointed, “U.N. Environment Program Goodwill Ambassador.”
He and Prendergast published their second book, The Enough Moment: Fighting to End Africa’s Worst Human Rights Crimes, in 2010.
He also appeared in Derek Water’s “Drunk History” video as Frederick Douglass.[citation needed] As of the show’s January 8, 2012 premiere, Cheadle stars in the Showtime TV series House of Lies.
In 2013, Cheadle won the Golden Globe as Best Actor in a Comedy Series for his role in the “House of Lies”.
70, if I could add to your second paragraph. Many comedy shows are just one big string of sexual innuendos, and most of them not so subtle.
I routinely watch pilots and first episodes to find new “gems.” I remember watching about half way into the second episode of two broke girls after watching the entire pilot. I guess I was waiting for it to get better. One big sex joke after another.
Tried Two Men etc and same thing.
I like Cheadle since he played one of the sane people on Picket Fences, I think an assistant DA.
House of Lies does the sex route each episodes, but the consulting activities and asides as Cheadle breaks the fourth wall are right on target. For a different look watch some of his movies. He’s very liberal, but has acting chops for days.
I recommend Epitafios made in Argentine in the mid 200s. I think about 24 episodes which was presented by HBO Latin over three seasons or so.
Hell on Wheels = iron horse (soap) opera. A little bit of history woven into a whole lot of improbable melodrama. I wish they’d get back to building that railroad and get away from crazy preachers, noble savages, and whores with hearts of gold.
I don't think that's what author means to say. Just say'n...
I think ,the underlying tone is one of great hardship. The Indians, the route, the schemes. So the bad guy preacher hanging around will be one of next years big issues.
Most ongoing dramas have some soap opera.
Nice to see westerns like Deadwood and Hell with horse sh!t in the mud and whore’s sh!t in the tents. Anson Mount, Common and the guy playing Durant make it watchable. The interaction with Grant, while greatly contrived was interesting as a post war meeting.
gotta go do honey dos. Check back later to see which tv addicts are still around.
It was Newton Minnow.
He was on the Federal Communications Commission.
The mainstream media took care never to report on any of Kennedy's 'assignations'.
He had a new call-girl every day. That's why he died wearing a full body truss.
The Emmy’s were atrocious. I’ve been to more entertaining funerals. In fact, they spent most of the time talking about the dead or awarding the dead. Even some winners didn’t show up. It dragged on forever, had more corn than Kelloggs and there was NO entertainment value. Neil Patrick Harris has NO talent. I would have preferred a flamboyant drag queen if they were going to feature gay’s. It was drab, dull,ponderous and painful. More like torture that had to be endured before awards were given.
I only watched hoping The Big Bang Theory would win. It didn’t, the ‘gay men raise a baby’ sitcom’ did instead. Oh- and Elton John singing about Liberace. All the sequins in the world couldn’t give him Liberace’s talent.
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