Do Not Support Fox's 24 - Jack Bower

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OK- I saw in another thread that was 3 pages long that people supported the show 24. I think this is a vital mistake. I am a catholic christian republican and used to love 24 also but after the season premier this season I decided to stop watching. There are several reasons but mainly that like it or not, television entertainment plays an important role in political socialization.

As learned in any High School Government course, the entertainment industry, especially telivision but also including including media/news, TV programs, Movies, Novels, etc., all play an important role in political views.

For example, the McGraw-Hills High School Government Book, “United States Government: Democracy In Action”, has this to say on the issue:
Television, radio, newspapers, magazines, recordings, movies, and books – the mass media – play an important role in political socialization. The media, especially television, provide political information and images that can directly influence political attitudes … Movies, recordings, novels and television entertainment effect opinions … the way different groups of such as women, African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics, or immagrants can help discredit stereotypes—or create them
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This view is not even slightly controversial in political science, and anyone who would argue that “24”, probably the most anticipated and popular TV program watched by 10’s of millions every week, is an exception to this rule is either uninformed or has an agenda.

Bill O’Reilly, for example, works for FOX, the same company that broadcasts 24. After the Vice President of the United States and the Secretary of Defense stated that 24 was their favorite show, Bill had did a broadcast where he stated that 24 was just entertainment and had no effect on peoples political or social views. This was in response to muslim complaints against the show.

Now Bill is a smart guy and should know that TV entertainment has an impact on peoples opinions.

Here is what happened in the season premier that i thought was just deplorable:
  1. A innocent muslim is arrested by the FBI for with no charges.
  2. The man’s son is left home alone and neighbors kick in the door and threaten to kill the kid because he must be a terrorist.
  3. Another neighbor saves the muslim kids life by intervening.
  4. Turns out that the muslim kid is actually a terrorist and responsible for the part that made the nuke explode- This has many implications. The neighbors were right. If they killed him in the beginning no nuke explosion.
  5. Innocent man and sister of the president were arrested. Sister gets released muslim man imprisoned. Innocent muslim ends up uncovering a muslim plot while imprisoned
  6. Thousands of muslims imprisoned on no charges.
  7. Prisoners are represented as being terrorists knowing about nuclear weapons.
  8. Torture is a constant theme that yeilds results. Jack is a flat out torturer. He yields, “lost his touch”, and doesnt torture someone in the season premier. This was the wrong move as torture (stabbing the guy in the knee with a knife) was eventually used to make the muslim talk and reveal where the nuke was. Valuable time was lost. In that lost time the nuke could have been possibly stopped.
This theme goes on and on. People have said that this doesnt mean anything. Its just a show. Well TV can be used as propaganda without a doubt. It has been said that 24 has had non-muslim villains. That is irrelevent. In other seasons a whole race/religion was not rounded up and imprisoned with no charges.

People who say that this is entertainment and doesnt affect people in reality are just wrong.

For example, in January, the Detroit News has reported that muslim hate crimes have spiked in the detroit area and mosques and businesses owned by muslims have been vandalized at an increased rate. (link)

The Seattle times had this to say: (Link)
The nuclear bomb that exploded during a recent episode of Fox’s “24” did not raise new questions about whether Islam and Muslims pose a threat to America … the blast just reinforced and amplified the existing questions that many Americans have been asking since 9/11.
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Lets put this into context for a second. Lets say that African Americans were imprisoned en masse in an episode of 24 because of a dozen black extremists were committing terrorist acts. Do you think this would be exceptable? No it wouldnt.

24 loses my interest and disgusts me now. I am a Catholic and the fact that other catholics are defending this show makes me sick.

Thanks.
 
You are most certainly entitled to your opinion and can choose not to watch the show just as I can’t stand the show House and choose not to watch it. However, I like the show 24,will watch it, and will support it. I respect your decision not to support it. However, just as I think everyone should be able to enjoy the show House if they choose to, even if I personally can’t stand it, you should repsect anyone’s opinion that it is perfectly fine to enjoy the show 24.
 
There are also a few things I dont understand about your concerns. For one, in case you have not noticed, the main issue in 24 is not a war, battle with terrorists, or anything of the sort, it is a struggle with corruption within the US government and the hidden agendas. Our own people are the bad guys in almost every one of the seasons including this one. Second, have you not noticed that the president is clearly against the thigns that are happening and refuses to go along with the imprisoning of the innocent Muslums and taking away the rights of Americans. The bad guys, our government have to coerce and blackmail the few good people in the government to go along with their ways. If anything, it is the government that should be upset over the issue since this show will cause fears in the American public that perhaps we really can’t trust our government and they are corrupt just like the show. The terrorists are just pawns. The key issue is almost always to get the oil or exucese to take over other parts of the world. If anything, I think this show is more of an attack on the Bush administartion and the Iraq war.

Finally, the show displays the consequences of these horrible actions. The Muslum woman who is essential to preventing the terrorist plot is hindered in her efforts since the fact that she is Muslum makes it harder for her to get access to CTU data. Someone has to log in for her so she can do her job efficiently and help prevent the attack. This slowed things down, the bomb may have been stopped if the government did not implement these unfair laws. If anything, the show explains how this is not a good thing to do and warns of the consequences and will probably continue to warn of the consequences of such laws in future episodes. I really think your concerns are not thought out enough.
 
I don’t think the TV show 24 will have a huge impact on people’s perceptions of Muslims. It certainly hasn’t changed mine.

Long before I watched 24 I already decided that the Muslim religion was founded on violence & preached violence against anyone who isn’t Muslim. Almost all terrorists are Muslims and many many Muslims danced in the streets after 9/11. THAT is what formed my opinion about Muslims - not a TV show.

Some Muslims are peaceful people - and all should be left to live in peace if they are law abiding.
 
Shoot your TV before it kills you - your imagination, and your sense of porportion…
 
24 is a good show precisely because it is thought provoking and presents the real human struggle of various ideas, concerns, agendas, and powers coming to a head. It doesn’t tend to take a side, but presents all sides.
 
I understand the show is entertaining but when you step back and objectively think about whats being represented in the show, one should see many disturbing things. You could not replace black panthers for muslims in this season. What does this tell you?

What messages are being presented. Is Jack Bower your hero? He tortures people for answers. Do you think the Abu Graib torture was justified? When is it justified?

Even if it doesnt change your opinions does that mean it doesnt change anyones? Your wrong. TV changes attitudes. This is fact not fancy.
 
Why don’t we base 24 in the Wild West while we are at it and it can be about shooting indians and taking over Mexico. I am being sarcastic and the point is that 24 is based on today’s current situation. The most realistic villain to have at this time would be a terrorist from the Middle East just like during the Cold War, the most realistic villain would be a Russian. Think of the James Bond films. They were largely similar with the bad guys being Russians and them being pawns and some wealthy white guy profiting off of terrorism a lot. Then it changed to the Koreans or Muslums still with bad white people behind it all in many movies. Why can’t you realize this simple fact? If they made up an alien race and started making them the bad guys would that make you feel better?

Oh, and why should I be punished because someone is too stupid to watch a show and find it entertaining and a work of fiction?
 
Better be careful next time you answer the door, Stove. Jack doesn’t like it when his name is misspelled…it’s BAUER.

I, for one, like “24” It shows a “behind the scenes” part of our government that probably does exist. We just don’t know it.

Kathy
 
stove said:
I understand the show is entertaining but when you step back and objectively think about whats being represented in the show, one should see many disturbing things. You could not replace black panthers for muslims in this season. What does this tell you?

What messages are being presented. Is Jack Bower your hero? He tortures people for answers. Do you think the Abu Graib torture was justified? When is it justified?

Even if it doesnt change your opinions does that mean it doesnt change anyones? Your wrong. TV changes attitudes. This is fact not fancy.
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If the show reminds people that radical Muslims pose a threat to the safety of our country - I think that’s a good thing.

Stove ~ your profile says you are Catholic, yet I did a search of your previous posts and it seems that you hold some interesting views… that the “Western World” is evil - that the Koran is scientifically correct & the Bible is wrong - that the US Government was somehow responsible for the 9/11 attacks. Hmmm… very interesting views for a “catholic.” :rolleyes:
 
Katie1723 said:
Better be careful next time you answer the door, Stove. Jack doesn’t like it when his name is misspelled…it’s BAUER.

I, for one, like “24” It shows a “behind the scenes” part of our government that probably does exist. We just don’t know it.
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Oh, puh-leeze! Tell me you are not serious!

The *only *reason to watch *24 *is because it is so bad. I hurt my disbelief on day 1 from suspending it so much! 😛

Please tell me you do not believe the real “behind the scenes” of the government is as depicted on *24 *(ie as if run by a bunch of highschoolers – *“I have the information you requested, that is vital to the nation’s security, but I’m not going to give it to you becase you slept with my boyfriend!” *:rolleyes: )

*In re: *The OP – What does it mean “to support” *24 *anyway? :ehh:

“The only reason you’re conscious right now is because Jack Bauer doesn’t want to carry you”, 😛
tee
 
I quit after the first year. I also quit “Lost” for the same reason. I did not like that I had become hooked on any TV show. I do not know what executive decided to bring back night time soap operas, but I wish they would stick to regular programing. It’s bad enough to endure a two part series and series clifhangers. I am not going to torture myself with a year long soap like 24.

I have this thing called a life.
 
I don’t really follow 24, but I don’t think there is anything wrong with watching it. I mean geese, I’ve watched it with my brother in the past. I didn’t turn anti muslim or anti anything for that matter. Neither did my brother and he’s watched every single episode.
I’ve watched every episode of Lost, so is that going to turn me against Islands?:ehh:
 
stove said:
You could not replace black panthers for muslims in this season. What does this tell you?
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That tells me that the Black Panthers have fallen on hard times over the last few decades. 24 is an equal opportunity offender - Russians, Chinese, Serbians, Mexican drug lords, wealthy businessmen. This doesn’t necessarily justify immoral actions of the show’s characters or how they are portrayed. However, it does mean people are barking up the wrong tree if they criticize it for making the terrorists Muslim from time to time.
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stove:
  1. Prisoners are represented as being terrorists knowing about nuclear weapons.
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Spoiler: Since you have been boycotting the show, you probably didn’t find out that the prisoners in question had only read about the issue on the internet, and had no direct knowledge.
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stove:
Even if it doesnt change your opinions does that mean it doesnt change anyones? Your wrong. TV changes attitudes. This is fact not fancy.
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This is true. There are some benefits to censorship, and we should certainly exercise that on a family level. Beyond that, we must decide how much of a nanny state we are willing to live with.
 
pnewton said:
I quit after the first year. I also quit “Lost” for the same reason. I did not like that I had become hooked on any TV show. I do not know what executive decided to bring back night time soap operas, but I wish they would stick to regular programing. It’s bad enough to endure a two part series and series clifhangers. I am not going to torture myself with a year long soap like 24.

I have this thing called a life.
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that’s what the dvds are for. If you can wait an entire season for it to come out then you can rent it and watch it at your own pace without comericials. It is much better that way. Unfortunately that is how I got hooked on the shows and now am watching it week to week on tv and it sucks since there are comercials.
 
It’s because of 24 that we are having a conversation of substance on this level. Enough said.
 
My goodness…we are a serious bunch aren’t we? People watch TV for all sorts of reasons. And while I don’t necessarily believe that “the behinds the scenes stuff run by a bunch of high schoolers” is indeed what our government is like, sometimes it isn’t all that far off :rolleyes: . The point I was trying to make , Tee, is that there are probably things going on in our government that we aren’t privy to or that might make us go :bigyikes:

Kathy
 
24 is a great show. Jack Bauer is a flawed but good man in a struggle against evil, who is there to see that his loved ones are secure and justice is done. To Jack Bauer, vigilante justice is not only preferable to no justice at all, it is the best kind. Evil men should get what they deserve, without legal complications.

24 satisfies the innate demand in all of us that, the law aside, evil should be punished and justice done.

As for the Muslim angle, some are depicted as violent, some not. Kind of like real life.
 
1 hour and 10 minute until 24! I will keep watching and I have no intention of stopping. Sadly, however, some of the situations that 24 poses are very much possibilities. You cant turn a blind eye and pretend extremism does not exist.
 
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