Saving Saving Private Ryan
I just noticed this story about some ABC network affiliates refusing to air "Saving Private Ryan" on Veteran's Day because they fear fines from the FCC over the movie's violence and vulgarity. Unless you have the sensitivity of John Ashcroft, or work for a rival network, I honestly cannot fathom how anyone..ANYONE...can utter a peep against the airing of this movie ON VETERAN'S DAY. The TV stations are covering their asses with lines such as:
"It would clearly have been our preference to run the movie. We think it's a patriotic, artistic tribute to our fighting forces," Ray Cole, president of Citadel Communications, told AP Radio. The company owns WOI-TV in Des Moines, KCAU-TV in Sioux City and KLKN-TV in Lincoln, Neb.
Great...then act on your preference. As it is historical ignorance has run amok in this country. Now to put the nail in the coffin we're not airing a war movie on Armistice Day because it's too gruesome? Now I'm not claiming Saving Private Ryan is the mother of all war documentaries, but it's not exactly fiction either. Really what should we see on Veteran's Day? John Wayne and the Green Berets winning the day in Vietnam? Am I part of the liberal elitist institution that does not understand the values that American children should be learning? (So far these are the values that I gather Sean Hannity wants childrent to learn: No matter what you see on TV, war, especially in the Middle East, is GREAT for America; No matter what you see on TV, sex, especially gay sex, will ruin this society; Condoms = murder; KY or any other lube = attempted murder; using government to help the disadvantaged = piracy, treason, high crimes and misdemeanors; so do blowjobs; oh, and naked statues).
Call me a crazy, radical, Michael Moore worshipping liberal hippy from Berkeley, but let me sound off a few things young adults should learn this Veterans Day (if children youger than young adults are watching Saving Private Ryan during prime time, then I'll be more than happy to offer a few guiding lessons to their parents as well).
1. WAR IS UGLY.
1a. People die during war, hence part of the ugliness.
1b. People do things in war that they would never, ever do in their civilian, peaceful lives
2. It's easy to forget goals. Always have clear, reasonable objective in all your endeavours.
2a. Since it JUST SOOOO HAPPENS we're fighting a war right now, can you clearly define our objectives?
2b. Were goals and mission objectives always clear in WWII and "Saving Private Ryan?"
3. How do civilized nations react to wars? How did the U.S. react to WWI? How did it react to WWII? Was there a difference? Which course of action would you choose to do?
4. What was Captain Miller's background? Did it matter when they were fighting common enemy? Did it matter when they were fighting each other?
At the risk of beating a dead horse, I think "Saving Private Ryan" is absolutely appropriate for Veteran's Day, but especially THIS Veteran's Day.
"It would clearly have been our preference to run the movie. We think it's a patriotic, artistic tribute to our fighting forces," Ray Cole, president of Citadel Communications, told AP Radio. The company owns WOI-TV in Des Moines, KCAU-TV in Sioux City and KLKN-TV in Lincoln, Neb.
Great...then act on your preference. As it is historical ignorance has run amok in this country. Now to put the nail in the coffin we're not airing a war movie on Armistice Day because it's too gruesome? Now I'm not claiming Saving Private Ryan is the mother of all war documentaries, but it's not exactly fiction either. Really what should we see on Veteran's Day? John Wayne and the Green Berets winning the day in Vietnam? Am I part of the liberal elitist institution that does not understand the values that American children should be learning? (So far these are the values that I gather Sean Hannity wants childrent to learn: No matter what you see on TV, war, especially in the Middle East, is GREAT for America; No matter what you see on TV, sex, especially gay sex, will ruin this society; Condoms = murder; KY or any other lube = attempted murder; using government to help the disadvantaged = piracy, treason, high crimes and misdemeanors; so do blowjobs; oh, and naked statues).
Call me a crazy, radical, Michael Moore worshipping liberal hippy from Berkeley, but let me sound off a few things young adults should learn this Veterans Day (if children youger than young adults are watching Saving Private Ryan during prime time, then I'll be more than happy to offer a few guiding lessons to their parents as well).
1. WAR IS UGLY.
1a. People die during war, hence part of the ugliness.
1b. People do things in war that they would never, ever do in their civilian, peaceful lives
2. It's easy to forget goals. Always have clear, reasonable objective in all your endeavours.
2a. Since it JUST SOOOO HAPPENS we're fighting a war right now, can you clearly define our objectives?
2b. Were goals and mission objectives always clear in WWII and "Saving Private Ryan?"
3. How do civilized nations react to wars? How did the U.S. react to WWI? How did it react to WWII? Was there a difference? Which course of action would you choose to do?
4. What was Captain Miller's background? Did it matter when they were fighting common enemy? Did it matter when they were fighting each other?
At the risk of beating a dead horse, I think "Saving Private Ryan" is absolutely appropriate for Veteran's Day, but especially THIS Veteran's Day.
Labels: Rabid Conservatives, Rabid Liberals
posted by Armen Adzhemyan at 7:13 PM
1 Comments:
I, too, was surprised that some affiliates did not want to air the movie because they wanted to follow FCC guidelines. Stupid, I say. Our local ABC 7 in LA did show the movie – which I am grateful for. I agree that the movie is appropriate for this Veteran’s Day.
Btw, am I the first guy to post a comment? If so, do I get a prize? :p
ps this is SunFire. No Blogger Account, hence the "anonymous" post.
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