Aaron Sorkin: Ron Paul is a "Batsy Old Crank"

[dillo]

I watched the newsroom for 1 episode and realized it was liberal propaganda garbage. Some of my friends love it, but I just can't watch that shit.

 

[BuddyRey]

You guys are still watching TV?????

Da fuq?!

 

[SouthBeachPrimal]

You might not like the words spoken in that clip, but if this show is supposed to be an accurate reflection of the Mainstream Media (I don't watch the show but I assume from the title and the context of this clip that it is) then I don't see how you can complain. The smug, arrogant, condescending attitudes. The group think. The imperative to label anyone who deviates even slightly from the establishment approved ideas as "crazy". That scene right there succinctly summarizes everything I despise about the Mainstream Media, but don't blame Sorkin for writing them the way they really are.

 

[twomp]

"Time makes more converts than reason."

-- Thomas Paine

 

[AuH20]

You might not like the words spoken in that clip, but if this show is supposed to be an accurate reflection of the Mainstream Media (I don't watch the show but I assume from the title and the context of this clip that it is) then I don't see how you can complain. The smug, arrogant, condescending attitudes. The group think. The imperative to label anyone who deviates even slightly from the establishment approved ideas as "crazy". That scene right there succinctly summarizes everything I despise about the Mainstream Media, but don't blame Sorkin for writing them the way they really are.

Well, Sorkin still laments that the public is not mesmerized by the words of such national news celebrities as Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite. This show is basically him lashing out against the rapid information dispersal which has made "governing" almost near impossible. The genie has been released from the bottle and the statist hacks are not so pleased.

 

[NewRightLibertarian]

You might not like the words spoken in that clip, but if this show is supposed to be an accurate reflection of the Mainstream Media (I don't watch the show but I assume from the title and the context of this clip that it is) then I don't see how you can complain. The smug, arrogant, condescending attitudes. The group think. The imperative to label anyone who deviates even slightly from the establishment approved ideas as "crazy". That scene right there succinctly summarizes everything I despise about the Mainstream Media, but don't blame Sorkin for writing them the way they really are.

They're not bashing Ron Paul as a clever dig at the mainstream media. They're bashing him because the show is written by left-wingers like every other piece of drivel that comes out of Hollywood

Well, Sorkin still laments that the public is not mesmerized by the words of such national news celebrities as Edward R. Murrow and Walter Kronkite. This show is basically him lashing out against the rapid information dispersal which has made "governing" almost near impossible. The genie has been released from the bottle and the statist hacks are not so pleased.

exactly, Sorkin wants to get us back to the 'good ol' days' where a newsreader spoonfed nonsense into the mouths of the public, and they had virtually no other alternative to get information from. Thankfully, those days are over and no amount of slick propaganda will make them come back again.

 

[XTreat]

I think the show is entertaining and I just torrent it so I don't have to feel like I am putting money in any assholes coffer.

I was pretty disgusted though obviously.

 

[heavenlyboy34]

You guys are still watching TV?????

Da fuq?!

Yeah, srsly! Da fuq? Y'all should've ditched yer TVs like yours truly years ago. Not only is it lame, they will soon be used as Orwellian spy cams ala 1984, I assure you.

 

[CPUd]

They're not bashing Ron Paul as a clever dig at the mainstream media. They're bashing him because the show is written by left-wingers like every other piece of drivel that comes out of Hollywood



exactly, Sorkin wants to get us back to the 'good ol' days' where a newsreader spoonfed nonsense into the mouths of the public, and they had virtually no other alternative to get information from. Thankfully, those days are over and no amount of slick propaganda will make them come back again.

Isn't the mainstream media also run by left-wingers?

 

[NewRightLibertarian]

Isn't the mainstream media also run by left-wingers?

certainly, 'Newsroom' is pissed that they're losing their grips upon the minds of the American public. That's why they got a foreigner showing that stupid young lady how stupid she is for supporting liberty on their show.

 

[AuH20]

Isn't the mainstream media also run by left-wingers?

Yes, look at the principal executives at the Major Networks (CBS/Viacom, NBC, ABC, Fox). All progressives.

 

[Cabal]

The character who said that line is a very liberal type of character who has been advocating OWS, and trying to convince his producers to cover it as one of his main character story arcs (but the anchor/and EP rag pretty hard on OWS), so it's really not all that shocking that he doesn't have high opinions of Ron Paul.

On the other hand, the show has mentioned Ron Paul in the past in a more objective sort of way--talking about how he did fairly well in straw poll results, IIRC. Frankly, the mere fact that the show has even acknowledge Ron Paul's existence was rather surprising to me.

I don't doubt that Sorkin and, in all likelihood, the majority of the show's cast/crew leans some degree of left, as that is kind of typical in the entertainment industry with only a few notable exceptions. But, I wouldn't be so sensitive about what a fictional, left-biased, opinionated character says in-character, on the show. And I also wouldn't go around misquoting people from what said fictional character's line in a scene was.

The scene was brief, barebones talking points and quips, but it was basically accurate in its portrayal of the Ron Paul peeps vs. the naysayers. During the campaign season, RP supporters talked about the virtues of freedom, and shutting down departments as was a large part of his platform. The naysayers rolled their eyes at that, and then tend to always bring up the infamous newsletters and race-baiting. This was fairly common place from my recollection.

Maybe Sorkin loathes Ron Paul, maybe he doesn't. I couldn't tell you from this clip, and I don't see how one can really make that jump based on this clip either.

 

[BuddyRey]

certainly, 'Newsroom' is pissed that they're losing their grips upon the minds of the American public. That's why they got a foreigner showing that stupid young lady how stupid she is for supporting liberty on their show.

There's another reason they do that too, which is that they know ideas sound more authoritative, and are more likely to be accepted as true, when said with a BBC English accent. That's why all these American news channels are outsourcing their pundit jobs to people like Piers Morgan, because weak-minded 20-something American Hipster trendies think "accent = sophistication and intellect."

 

[presence]

Interesting "Programming"

 

[heavenlyboy34]

There's another reason they do that to, which is that they know ideas sound more authoritative, and are more likely to be accepted as true, when said with a BBC English accent. That's why all these American news channels are outsourcing their pundit jobs to people like Piers Morgan, because weak-minded 20-something American Hipster trendies think "accent = sophistication and intellect."

lolz ~dons British accent~ Very good, young man.

 

[RonPaul4Prez2012]

Where does Aaron Sorkin say that? One of the characters does, but not Sorkin.

Um, who do you think writes the characters dialogue? Hint: its not the actors.

 

[mczerone]

Um, who do you think writes the characters dialogue? Hint: its not the actors.

But even if Sorkin himself wrote the dialog, he wrote it FOR a character to say. He's trying to create a world that parallels the real MSM, and in that paradigm there are people like this. There's no evidence that he's trying to use this dialog to put forth the statement as truth. Especially since the character isn't a sober top-notch political-economist. He's a naive drunkard spouting his short-sighted opinions. To pin this statement on Sorkin as his actual belief is to assign the stated views of Wesley Mouch to Ayn Rand.

That he even put RP's name in the script is a vast improvement over 07/08, when shows like SNL would go out of their way to lampoon each GOP contender each week, but never once mentioned RP, positively or negatively.

 

[Ender]

Free market solution is to boycott movies of this guy?

Apparently there were Wikileaks reports that movies of Steven Spielbergh and those of scumbags Will Smith, Ashton Kutcher were being boycotted in mideast.

Scumbags?

 

[J_White]

who here expects a fair representation of RP's views or his supporters on the idiot box ? not me !!
but at least they could be subtle about it !

 

[angelatc]

In fairness to The Newsroom, Ron Paul was also shown as having a beautiful minority young woman as a staunch supporter. Also it was acknowledged at an earlier point in the episode (by same supporter) that Ron Paul was being underrepresented in the media during the 2012 election cycle. Further, the show has included RP's campaign alongside mentions of Santorum, Gingrich, and Romney. The show clearly could have ignored RP (as much of the mainstream media did during the cycle). Certainly it could not be reasonably construed that the writers of The Newsroom support RP, but they have treated him with at least the semblance of non-bias. Further, the character who criticizes RP in this scene is an opinionated and relatively. naive character

Full disclosure--I think The Newsroom is an excellent show and the 2nd season is far superior to the 1st. Worth watching by all means in my book.

everything i saw indicated it was liberal propaganda. I wouldn't touch it with your pole.