Over There - New show on FX and my rant on those who reviewed the show prior to airing

7/28/2005 | Former Military Chick - Chele

[Former Military Chick]

I am very skeptical of shows that portray the military, from way back with the series Call to Glory, Tour of Duty, M*A*S*H China Beach, JAG and my personal favorite Band of Brothers. I always look at the shows through the eyes of a person who has been around the military. When I was younger I did not take much action, but, now when I see something portrayed as fact and instead is fiction I voice my concerns.

I have always felt of my republican party as those with independent minds. That we have the same core beliefs but that we do not follow other's blindly, but more often I notice that not to happen.

There were folks who saw this show, and decided to put a bad note in folks minds. Those who already detest Hollywood, various actors or the like use their bully pulpit to sway the thoughts of those WHO HAVE NOT HAD THE CHANCE TO SEE THE SHOW AND MAKE THEIR OWN DECISIONS TO DECIDE IF IN FACT IT SHOULD NOT BE WATCHED. Then to take action if it is a bad show buy avoiding the show, boycotting the products during the show, actions that should be taken based on one's personal assessment of the show.

So, just to put myself on the line here folks, I was a wife of a soldier during the first Gulf war, it was hell. Ft Campbell, a wonderful town became a ghost town. Wives while most are very loving and do not cheat, some cannot help themselves but many honored their loved ones. Some who squander the pay of their beloved and just destroying the life of the soldier once they return. As folks returned during the first war, the suicide rate was staggering with returning GIs, those that could not cope, those that found their spouse with another and those who just shot themselves. WAR IS HELL. None of that get's published nationally.

I had shared many of my beloved's (Dave) letter's and he never HID anything of the dirt, the heat, the frustration, lack of showers, having a beer or the fatigue. The amazing Iraqi children, the loss of the driver/medic returning to camp, being hit with a bullet and killing him. That the few moments to have the chance to get mail were the highlight of the day. BTW, Ft Sill was no different from the first Gulf War. Same issues with spouses and finances.

I know service member's who DID not want to go to Iraq. You all know my thoughts on the subject from previous threads so I will leave it at that, not all in the military are pro war but some choose to handle their thoughts much better than others.

War is graphic, I imagine many Freeper's can attest to that and I can only repeat from my first hand friends.

Now I am not a big wig writer, whom has a following like all the folks that wrote about a show before it was shown nationally so I suppose you can discount my thoughts but come on, I am as close as one can get to a first hand account and frankly it was well written and has potential. I have to wonder, would my thoughts only matter if it were in a nationally syndicated paper/online publication? Even so I would not offer until after said reader's can watch it themselves so they can make an informed decision.

I cannot say how future episodes will fair but will certainly let them know if I have issues of how they portray the war. Frankly as I have said, I am not sure folks want to watch show about the war while we are at war.

So, skip the thread, ask me anything but please know in the end, if this can remind American's that we have wonderful men and women serving in places like Iraq and Afghanistan, than I pretty much say OORAH and ask that you send care packages to the troops.

Jumping off my rant.

Dave (No Longer Free State) was unable to watch it, the hotel he was at did not have that network, so he will watch it with me when he returns from this trip and can equally off his observations for discussion.

[OldSgt.]

Hello there,
I'll probably not watch it as I've no interest, but I feel no show will ever depict the fact of what it's like, in a real War. And I must say, gladly so.

If a person was able through film, TV or even a book, to have another person really feel what experiencing a war is like, without really being in one. Why would anyone wish that upon another person.

The saying, " War is Hell". came about for a reason.
Those who "know", know what is depicted is not representative of the facts. Those who don't, enjoy the show if you do and be glad you don't know the deference.

[McGavin999]

I watched it, I didn't have a problem with what was shown, only that what was shown was totally empty. There was no part of that show that indicated that anyone knew what we were doing there or why. The violence as a bit graphic (the AIF who had the top of his body blown off but the legs kept going) but I can handle that part.

What I didn't like was the guy who called himself and his fellow soldiers monsters, to me that was a little over the top, but it would have been acceptable if he would have figured out before the end of the show that the only monsters around are the terrorists.

[Skinn_dogg]

I watched it. This show has one purpose. It’s to lower the morale of the American people. Especially the American soldier.

[WestVirginiaRebel]

As far as JAG goes, it was also one of my favorite shows during the Clinton Error. It was produced by Donald P. Bellasario (Magnum P.I., Quantum Leap) so it was definitely not the kind of PC, left-wing series that we saw so much of during the Clintoon Error.

I managed to catch the ending of Wednesday's episode. It looked like the "Vietnam in the Desert" mentality to me.

[KC_for_Freedom]

The beer may just be a symbol for something they want but can't get. (I realize that alcohol is taboo in Islamic countries but I thought I read that our troops create a warmer image within the confines of our bases. So,yes, I don't know about beer. But the risk and exposure of our convoys is well known.

I agree with you about the difficulty of producing a war series, (and producers could bias it both ways). I will watch some more episodes, but I will not watch any show that demeans our guys over there or our political motivation over here. Shows like the "highly fictional" JAG were good because they dramatized events that we were reading about. If this show wants to take on that task, knowing that their audience have friends, relatives, and countrymen over there, they had better bend over backwards to be fair. If they also want to show the risks, environment, and political conditions that lead to the decisions that are being made, maybe this will turn up the heat on our leaders to wage this war in the only way wars should be waged... to win and win with the least injury to our side as possible.

[cyclotic]

I have a serious question for you.

I try to make it a point to thank Vietnam vets when I can. I've had 2 or 3 recent incidents, including one yesterday.

I was on a service call and the guy I met with mentioned that he was a vet. I thanked him and shook his hand. He lost his composure for a short while with the thousand yard stare. I've seen this happen before.

Does offering thanks to guys like yourself bring up too many bad memories or is it worth it for you guys?

BTW, thanks.

[Thrusher]

I read the posts prior to airing and thought to myself there sure are many alpha dogs out today giving advice. LOL!

I admit I was one of those preaching against it before actually seeing it. But in my defense, I was responding to the reviews of it by U.S. soldiers who actually served in Iraq.

I said yesterday that "I refuse to watch this crap" but I ended up watching it after all. I watched it with a queasy feeling in my stomach, encouraged and entertained by some scenes, and disappointed and disgusted by others.

Before I watched it, I said I thought it was "propaganda aimed at breaking the hearts, eroding the spirits, and deluding the minds of the people back home about what is really going on 'over there'." After watching it, I think it is an over-dramatized but somewhat formulaic TV show that still might break the hearts, erode the spirits, and delude the minds of the people back home about what it is really like to be a soldier in Iraq.

My final pre-viewing comment was "The truth is, it's probably both much worse and much better over there, and no crappy TV show can capture an ounce of what it is really like."

That is the one statement I can still stand behind, except I might wait a few more episodes before confirming the "crappy" part. I may have been wrong about some things, and parts of it were definitely entertaining and seemed realistic, but it is still just a TV show...

And if I watch it again, I know it will be that with that same queasy feeling in my stomach, just waiting for Bochco to take one of those cheap shots -- at the men and women protecting his freedom to create such a show -- for which Hollywood has become so infamous.

[Modernman]

The only consideration should be whether it's positive or negative toward President Bush's effort in Iraq.

The only consideration should be whether it is a good show with well-written characters.

My first impression watching it last night is that this show has a lot of potential.

[tumblindice]

Have you seen `Baghdad Palace'? Same-same.
http://education.yahoo.com/reference/encyclopedia/entry?id=38675

[mystery-ak]

I watched it....I don't know if I'll continue to watch...I had a few problems with it, but it might just be my nit picking.... all of the nicknames drove me crazy, very unreal... ROE was wrong, the gratuitous don't call me sir, I work for a living..the Abu Garib reference. etc...small things really but they got on my nerves...they no doubt wouldn't bother anyone who is not in the military...Hubby is now a Ft Campbell training, before he left I asked him if I should tape it for him and he said, no, why would I watch, I lived it....

[PzLdr]

The Sarge had the greatest line I've heard lately [and didn't expect on TV]. "We're not here to take your oil. We're here to kick your ass!". On the other hand, I could have done without the black dope smoker [too "Platoon"].

[Thrusher]

but I feel no show will ever depict the fact of what it's like, in a real War

My grandfather was in WWII, and landed near Normandy a few days after D-Day to back up the push into France. He saw some serious combat and was awarded the Silver Star.

The day I went to see Saving Private Ryan, coincidentally my uncle had taken him to see the previous showing of it. My grandfather stumbled out of there like a man in shock. He really looked like he was in another world, and I guess he was.

He later told me that no movie could ever make me feel what it was really like to be in a war in actual combat... but of all the movies and TV shows that he had ever seen, that movie brought him back to those days in way that nothing else has ever been able to even come close.

[mystery-ak]

I might add that the Rangers at Ft Lewis wh got to preview this were very upset...

[PzLdr]

It's worth it, but after what happened back then, totally unexpected. The ifrst time it happened to me, and my neighbor said "Thank you" asfter I mentioned I'd served, I said, "For what?"

MACV, Class of 1971

[cyclotic]

Thanks,

This guy got so choked up that I thought maybe I was risking striking too deep a nerve.

Happened a few weeks ago too with my daughter's friends dad. I mentioned a book I was reading about Somolia and the black hawk incident (In the Company of Heroes) and he just looked away and said "don't go there."

Stopped that conversation real quick.

[centexan]

That said, on another thread, I said I would like to see a critique of the show by Iraq war veterans. I had one response, but I couldn't tell if it was from a combat vet.

Here's some opinions from some Fort Hood vets: http://www.kdhnews.com/texas2.html

[my_pointy_head_is_sharp]

I watched a bit of it before I finally turned it off. The sex, the pot-smoking, the vulgar language, the violence, the racism, the sexism, etc - all of it is gratuitous. That's because Bochco is involved in it. Everything he touches is over-the-top and controversial. The FCC bows down at his feet and refuses to prosecute him for the language. Can anyone tell me why? They slap an MA rating on it, and that's supposed to make it OK. This stuff belongs on HBO, or on another higher-pay-tier cable channel - not regular cable.

[Modernman]

The FCC bows down at his feet and refuses to prosecute him for the language. Can anyone tell me why?

Because FX is a cable channel. The FCC does not have any power to regulate content on cable channels.

[afnamvet]

I appreciate being thanked by folks. It really is nice to hear.

Tuy Hoa AB RVN 68-69 31st Air Wing

[my_pointy_head_is_sharp]

The FCC does not have any power to regulate content on cable channels.

I wasn't aware of that. I thought that rule only applied to public-access channels. So there's no regulation of any cable channel? I'm very surprised.