TV execs admit pushing liberal agenda

[Shooshmoo]

Still think it's bullshit?

Yes -- moreso.

 

[PhDeac]

Question for board conservatives. What type of scripted TV shows to you want to see that you're not getting from the liberal TV execs?

 

[PhDeac]

Dirk, please tell me you watched Parks & Rec tonight. Can't think of a better episode for a staunch conservative to watch.

 

[myDeaconmyhand]

Not at all. if the PUBLIC didn't like what the "liberal agenda" the industry put forth, they would vote with their ratings.

What this also shows is that conservatives are pussies. They don't want to invest their money is a business where you have a better chance of losing than making money.

It's the golden rule baby. He who has the gold makes the rules.

Put up some money and pick your properties.

You're implying that a liberal agenda on television is caused by previous good ratings of liberal shows, when that causality isn't supported by the article; It's simply correlated to the political leanings of the industry, and that's all. Most television, good or bad, failing or not, has a liberal agenda, because the majority of TV execs have a liberal agenda. I don't think that the political leanings of scripted television are strong enough or obvious enough to have much effect on ratings, one way or another.

 

[PhDeac]

The people who own the networks and production companies probably aren't as liberal as the TV execs.

 

[RJKarl]

You're implying that a liberal agenda on television is caused by previous good ratings of liberal shows, when that causality isn't supported by the article; It's simply correlated to the political leanings of the industry, and that's all. Most television, good or bad, failing or not, has a liberal agenda, because the majority of TV execs have a liberal agenda. I don't think that the political leanings of scripted television are strong enough or obvious enough to have much effect on ratings, one way or another.

The article is total BS. It talks about a show (M*A*S*H) that was taken from an anti-war movie and has been off the air for decades. Regarding Friends it talks about ONE show out of close to 200 shows.

If you look at the top rated shows today you have things like NCIS and all the CSIs as well as Blue Bloods, Hawaii Five-0 and other Top 25 shows that are clearly conservative in their leanings.

Sitcoms about people in the teens to twenties by necesssity are going to be
"liberal leaning", because that's what people of that age group are.

If you think politics trumps money in Hollyweird you are delusional.

 

[myDeaconmyhand]

The article is total BS. It talks about a show (M*A*S*H) that was taken from an anti-war movie and has been off the air for decades. Regarding Friends it talks about ONE show out of close to 200 shows.

If you look at the top rated shows today you have things like NCIS and all the CSIs as well as Blue Bloods, Hawaii Five-0 and other Top 25 shows that are clearly conservative in their leanings.

Sitcoms about people in the teens to twenties by necesssity are going to be
"liberal leaning", because that's what people of that age group are.

If you think politics trumps money in Hollyweird you are delusional.

I don't think that the political leanings of scripted television are strong enough or obvious enough to have much effect on ratings, one way or another.

 

[RJKarl]

I don't think that the political leanings of scripted television are strong enough or obvious enough to have much effect on ratings, one way or another.

But the premise of liberals running the media IS that it does exactly that.

 

[myDeaconmyhand]

But the premise of liberals running the media IS that it does exactly that.

No, the premise of liberals running the media is that liberals run the media. If conservatives run Wall Street, is it because they are conservatives? I would propose that most jobs involving art and creativity are mostly done by politically and socially liberal people.

 

[RJKarl]

No, the premise of liberals running the media is that liberals run the media. If conservatives run Wall Street, is it because they are conservatives?

Liberals DON'T run the media. Multi-national corporations run the media.

There is ONE significant studio that is truly run by liberals-Dreamworks. That's becasue Speilberg, Katzenberg, Geffen and Allen put up their OWN money to get it started.

 

[myDeaconmyhand]

Liberals DON'T run the media. Multi-national corporations run the media.

There is ONE significant studio that is truly run by liberals-Dreamworks. That's becasue Speilberg, Katzenberg, Geffen and Allen put up their OWN money to get it started.

Yes, the people who own the companies probably aren't overwhelmingly liberal. The people with creative control over what goes on television, such as writing, acting, and directing are overwhelmingly liberal.

 

[ArlingtonDeac]

Yes, the people who own the companies probably aren't overwhelmingly liberal. The people with creative control over what goes on television, such as writing, acting, and directing are overwhelmingly liberal.

Not overwhelmingly, but your last few posts are pretty fair. Most of the creative directors are personally liberal, and that's usually because those type of jobs appeal to liberal personalities more than conservative ones. That said, liberal execs don't hunt for only liberal shows, they hunt for highly rated shows, politics notwithstanding. Highly interesting conservative premises are just harder to find. Idealism tends to track closer with liberalism, and idealism is one of the constant themes of television.

Which would you rather watch, a West Wing show about liberal, idealist activist staffers trying to come up with new and creative ways for the government to help solve national problems, or conservative staffers enacting necessary austerity, reducing spending and cutting back on government's size. Regardless of anyone's personal political bent, it's pretty obvious which would scenario makes for better TV.

 

[RJKarl]

With rare exception these days (especially in TV) creative control is at the corproate level not at the show level.

If movies and TV shows weren't giving the public what they wanted to see, these subjects wouldn't be on TV or in the movies.

 

[ArlingtonDeac]

Disagree there. Shows get green-lighted, but the studio rarely has much input into content after that point.

 

[RJKarl]

Not according to many people who work in the industry who complain that the bosses get too much input.

Now the Chuck Lorres, Mark Burnetts and Dick Wolfs of the world can do anything they want and have no real oversight, but until you get to that level they do look over your shoulder.

 

[PhDeac]

Not overwhelmingly, but your last few posts are pretty fair. Most of the creative directors are personally liberal, and that's usually because those type of jobs appeal to liberal personalities more than conservative ones. That said, liberal execs don't hunt for only liberal shows, they hunt for highly rated shows, politics notwithstanding. Highly interesting conservative premises are just harder to find. Idealism tends to track closer with liberalism, and idealism is one of the constant themes of television.

Which would you rather watch, a West Wing show about liberal, idealist activist staffers trying to come up with new and creative ways for the government to help solve national problems, or conservative staffers enacting necessary austerity, reducing spending and cutting back on government's size. Regardless of anyone's personal political bent, it's pretty obvious which would scenario makes for better TV.

Good points. I'd argue that although it's a comedy and politics isn't the main focus, this season of Parks & Rec balanced both when it did touch on politics.

I'm still curious what shows conservative posters want to see that liberals are keeping off the air. Are you talking about crime dramas? There are plenty of those. Wholesome family shows like Little House on the Prairie or 7th Heaven? Stuff like Blue Collar Comedy Tour? Or it is just a backlash against the increase of gays and multiculturalism on TV shows?

 

[DeaconSig]

I think they hate that Chevy Chase nailed how moronic old, conservative, white men are.

 

[PhDeac]

I think they hate that Chevy Chase nailed how moronic old, conservative, white men are.

Yeah but on the same Thursday night, Ron Swanson and Jack Donaghy make conservative white look badass.

 

[ArlingtonDeac]

Not according to many people who work in the industry who complain that the bosses get too much input.

Now the Chuck Lorres, Mark Burnetts and Dick Wolfs of the world can do anything they want and have no real oversight, but until you get to that level they do look over your shoulder.

That has not been my experience, nor of the show-runners that I work with. Most of the networks don't have the time to oversee creative; they'd prefer to simply cancel one show and green-light a new project, rather than fiddle with one that isn't working. The most a studio usually gets involved with is product placement deals.

 

[Shooshmoo]

And here's an example of why conservative tv shows/movies aren't blowing up Nielson or the box office:

"Presented without comment, “The Life Zone,” a pro-life horror film about “pregnant women kidnapped from abortion clinics and forced to give birth,” starring Robert Loggia. New Jerseyites can check it out currently at the Hoboken International Film Festival."

http://www.thefrisky.com/post/246-the-life-zone-a-pro-life-horror-movie/

On June 4 at 4pm, New Jersey Republican State Senate candidate, Kenneth Del Vecchio, is doing the unthinkable for a Hollywood filmmaker: he is premiering THE LIFE ZONE, a psychological thriller about abortion—a film, which turns out to be PRO-LIFE. This certain controversial flick premieres at Hoboken International Film Festival - in Teaneck - one of the nation's largest film festivals, which Del Vecchio founded and chairs.

THE LIFE ZONE, written and produced by Del Vecchio, a veteran filmmaker of over 15 movies and best-selling author (novels and legal books), stars Academy Award and Emmy nominee Robert Loggia (Scarface, Independence Day, Big), Blanche Baker (Emmy winner; Sixteen Candles), Lindsey Haun (Broken Bridges, Shrooms, “True Blood”), Angela Little (American Pie Bandcamp, My Boss’s Daughter), Eric Etebari (The Lincoln Lawyer, An Affirmative Act, “Witchblade”), Thomas G. Waites (And Justice For All, The Thing), Nina Transfeld (The Great Fight) and Eileen Fulton (Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award; “As the World Turns”)...All will be present at the June 4 premiere.


http://www.prurgent.com/2011-05-23/pressrelease172535.htm