CBS Revises the Reagans

Media Research Center ^ | October 23, 2003 | L. Brent Bozell, III

[Snardius]

She has received several awards, including the Lila Wallace-Readers Digest Foundation Writer's Award...the W. Alton Jones Foundation, AT&T, the National Endowment for the Arts,...the Pew Charitable Trust, and the McKnight Foundation.

All major contributors to NPR and PBS...(hmmm)

[The Great RJ]

I think despite any amendments, the Reagan made for TV movie will be a bomb in the ratings. A lot of people like me find these made for TV movies to be drivel regardless of subject. I also think many people will rightly sense this is a hatchet job from the very beginning and won't watch. Other people will simply find something better to watch--thank God for the History Channel.

[ChadGore]

[LADYAK]

think that i read barbara's son is gay

[Starboard]

You have to give some credit to Nixon for opening communication channels with the Soviet Union. That was a bold step at the time that established a foundation for trade and more openess with the Soviet Union. IMO this greater exposure to the West was a factor in the eventual decline of the Soviet Union.

[TrappedInLiberalHell]

There are two kinds of films about presidents. There are documentaries which usually try to dwell in factual examination; and fictional movies which have a habit of wildly making things up to satisfy the demands of making either effective entertainment, or effective propaganda.

Let's edit that for movies about conservatives:

There is one kind of film about conservative ideas or presidents. There are fictional movies which have a habit of wildly making things up to satisfy the demands of making effective propaganda.

[BJungNan]

Excellent feedback and boycott information here posted by blake6900

boycott? I don't need to sign up. I'm way ahead of you. I have not watched anythign on CBS in years.

[Reagan Man]

CBS on display --- Barbra Stiesand, James Brolin, Craig Zadan and Neal Meron --- liberalism gone wild!

God Bless Ronald Reagan.

[Guenevere]

#12..this picture of Egloff somewhat reminds me of that ditzy so-called actress, Jeaneane Garafalo..(or however you spell it!)

[Osage Orange]

You wrote:

"I think despite any amendments, the Reagan made for TV movie will be a bomb in the ratings."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

The funny thing is....If FollyWired would just make a movie about the Clinton's and tell half of the truth..it would be a smash hit. You'd have SEX, MURDER, ESPIONAGE, MISSLES, WAR, RAPE, HIGH FINANCE, INTRIQUE, SEX, BRIBES, MURDER, DRUG LORDS, CRIME, GRAND JURIES, SEX, PETS, TREASON, LESBIANS, BURNING BUILDINGS, BOMBS, SEX, & MURDER.

All the things that "sell" nowadays....

Fwiw-

[kylaka]

You miss the point. The left is still pissed about the collapse of the Soviet Union and BLAME Reagan for it.

[VirginiaRay]

The Networks are suffering the worst ratings in history so CBS gets Mr. Streisand, a has-been actor (anyone even remember Dr. Welby?) to parody Reagan in a TV movie only a bunch of leftists will watch. CBS is down the toilet and the only thing needed is a plunger to clear out the "clog." I can't think of anything I watch on CBS anyway so a boycott would be of little consequence.

Actually, I hope it airs. If it gets pulled the lefties will bray about censorship, if it makes it on the air the ratings will be so low they'll want to pretend it never happened. We all know what the Gipper accomplished and no revisionism by a bunch of Hollywood cretins is going to change his place in history.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Thanks for the ping, Cal.

The left isn't even pretending that truth matters to them anymore.

 

-- On Sunday's Reliable Sources, host Howard Kurtz played an excerpt from a panel discussion he moderated, which was held by the Kaiser Family Foundation, about how politicians are portrayed on TV entertainment programs. The panel was made up of former Clinton economic adviser Gene Sperling, Dennis Haysbert, the actor who plays the President on Fox's 24, and Lawrence O'Donnell, creator and Executive Producer of NBC's short-lived Mr. Sterling.

     In an exchange brought to our attention by an e-mailer and tracked down by MRC analyst Patrick Gregory, Kurtz inquired of O'Donnell: “One thing these programs have in common, conservatives are practically invisible. President Bartlet is a Democrat. Martin Sheen, in fact, made anti-war ads before the invasion of Iraq. Mr. Sterling is a California liberal based loosely on Jerry Brown. Why aren't there any Republicans?”
     O'Donnell replied: “You will never get that TV show. [crowd laughter] You'll never, ever going to get the Republican TV show. The Writers Guild of America, my union, is at a minimum, 99 percent leftist liberal and, like me, socialist. [crowd laughter] And we don't know how to write it. We don't.”

Actor Yells at FNC, Plus Writers Guild 99% “Leftist Liberal” -5/03

    

[weegee]

Inquiring minds should also remember that CBS chief Les Moonves won’t be making any Clinton-bashing TV movies. In fact, in 1996, Bill Clinton talked Moonves into making "A Child’s Wish," a heart-tugging propaganda film dramatizing the wonders of his Family and Medical Leave Act. Clinton even made an appearance in the movie as himself. Nobody said those fictional "history" movies can’t be very political. And very dishonest.

In 2001 there was a concert given in NYC for the police and fireman who responded to the 9.11 attacks and aftermath. At this concert Hillary Clinton was soundly booed.

On all subsequent broadcasts (and on the DVD video release) the police officers' and firemen's boos were replaced with cheers. Is it any coincidence that Viacom's MTV, VH1, and SeeBS networks aired this altered concert? Is it any coincidence that Viacom's publishing company Simon and Schuester had already given Queen Hillary an $8million advance in the brief window between her days as First Lady (and elected Senator from NY) and her swearing in as Senator (where ethics violations may have come up)?

[weegee]

You'll never, ever going to get the Republican TV show. The Writers Guild of America, my union, is at a minimum, 99 percent leftist liberal and, like me, socialist. [crowd laughter] And we don't know how to write it. We don't.”

I'd say that Hollywood must be full of criminals and terrorists because Hollywood has never had any problem writing about crooks and evil bad guys. By this guy's own "admission", they only write about what they know.

I'd state it as, they only write about what they WANT to write about and, despite their cries about a communist witchhunt in the 1950s, they do inject their leftist propaganda into the stories they write. There just isn't room for them to honestly portray the other side of the argument.

[weegee]

I heard part of Alan Colmes radio show yesterday. He was claiming that Reagan was just in the right place when the Soviet Union collapsed; that President Reagan had nothing to do with it, it just happened under his watch.

There were also circular arguments that despite claims from aides and even family members about the portrayal of Ronald Reagan using the Lord's name in vain (they claim he didn't ever do that) that people really use these words and that the aide wasn't there 24 hours a day, and that besides these stories aren't ever entirely factually correct. He said that Buddy Holly fanatics would find flaws with the Buddy Holly Story (especially some of the conversations fabricated to tell the story).

Alan did not want to concede the point that this is a political smear. He's a lying liar like so many on the left.

[weegee]

boycott? I don't need to sign up. I'm way ahead of you. I have not watched anythign on CBS in years.

You could also extend your "boycott" to all things Viacom since Viacom owns SeeBS. There's MTV, M2, VH-1, Nickelodeon, TNN/Spike, TV Land, Simon and Schuester publishing, and just about every radio station that isn't Clear Channel...

[weegee]

I find it odd that this film isn't listed on IMDB yet. I looked up James Brolin and it isn't in his filmography.

Even films that are in production and preproduction get listed there.

[kylaka]

I don't know how Colmes can make that argument, when Gorbachev is on record conceeding that Reagan's defense buildup and persuit of SDI went beyond the Soviet Union's ability to keep pace financially. It doen't get much plainer than that.

[what's up]

The producers of "The Reagans" are Craig Zadan and Neal Meron...They are also openly gay activists

Very telling.