(Update — C&L has the amusing Iger tapdance. Funny ha-ha.)
The pushback against the ABC 9/11 fraud-u-drama started in the blogs, but it’s nice to see it didn’t end there. Emboldened no doubt by Big Dog’s actions, former 9/11 commission member Jamie Gorelick gives Robert Iger a bit of stick:
Dear Mr. Iger:
I have not had the benefit of seeing "The Path to 9/11," though I have seen clips on the television news shows reflecting key scenes, and I have talked with some who have seen the first part of the series.
I have no problem with your creating a fictionalized account of the events leading up to 9/11. I do have a problem if you make claims that the program is based upon the findings of the 9/11 Commission Report when the actors, scenes and statements in the series are not found in — and, indeed, are contradicted by — our findings.
This concern applies whether the mischaracterization apply to a Republican Administration or a Democratic one. It is critically important to the safety of our nation that our citizens, and particularly our school children, understand what actually happened and why — so that we can proceed from a common understanding of what went wrong and act with unity to make our country safer. I hope that you will correct the record before the series airs.
Jamie S.Gorelick
As a side note — if Iger didn’t want people offering up criticism of the series before it was at the final cut stage, why did he blast copies to right wing bloggers? Is it because he knew they’re such a bunch of trained monkeys they’d never speak out against the official Bush Whitewash of History Canon?
Authoritarian cultists really do make the best critics.
(graphic by Tom Tomorrow)
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fitz?
For the record, I long ago promised never again to go to Disneyland, it’s a combination of things… 1) their death-like grip on US Copyright law that keeps important works from going into the public domain (all the keep a lock on the mouse-in-chief). 2) the last time I was there was for a grad-nite party in the late 90s. Seeing DL turn into a teenage wasteland with alcohol and drugs, decorated like a big rave… I never want to see it “normal” again!
I spend a week every year in a hotel right across the street (for a trade show), but haven’t once even considered heading over.
This whole 9/11 GOPumentary thing just seals the deal even tighter.
Mickey sucks!
Go Fitz!
FITZ!! — aw shoot — too slow….
M I C … see you in hell!
K E Y … why, because we suck!
M O U S E
Movie should open with Rummy, Dick, and Regean arming Saddam and Osama. Lets face it that is esentially where the story starts.
I am so sure they are going to review the military plan Clinton gave Bush to respond to the USS Cole attack, and the fact that he was photo op’ing and clearing brush when he got the PDB “bin Laden determined to attack”.
Oh, and perhaps it can end when he decides not to “smoke” bin Landen out of his cave and go bomb the weakest of our enemies in Iraq.
And, this just in from Americablog: Harry Reid is calling for ABC to pull the plug. The hits just keep on coming!
Since they have blasted all of these review copies, it seems to me that they have met the legal requirements of publicizing the slanders. Given that, will someone file a lawsuit tomorrow?
So when do we get to see the set of talking points that Preacher Rove sent out to his minions on how to USE this piece of slander?
Maybe they can end with Bush and Guliani pressuring agencies to clear Ground Zero and the area as safe to breath so the hero’s that responded are now almost all sick for the rest of their lives. And the cleanup would go quickly and cheaply…because after all what is a few thousand lives… (talk about not learning the lessons of 9/11).
ABC will not allow those featured to see the “documentary/dramatization/whatever they’re calling it today”, but they’ll send it to right-wing bloggers to talk it up?
I’ll bet they can’t even imagine the amount of time and money they will spend defending against the scores of lawsuits that will be filed.
-S
elliottg @ 6
I think the real legal action would be in the form of shareholder derivative suits. Very expensive for the Mouse to deal with, and perfectly valid for a shareholder to say “No, you can’t become a propaganda give-away machine while I own stock in your publicly traded company.”
Second paragraph attributed to Gorelick is so full of typos, I’m not sure exactly what’s being said…
It’s fixed…nevermind. Thanks.
I hear their going to run a mini-series on the accuracy of polling and Diebold voting this November as well.
Well…I think the blogosphere should keep up its pressure on Disney/ABC. I wrote Steve Jobs who is a new member of the Disney Board of Directors. I approached him on using a business/financial angle.
Here’s my note to him if anyone would care to read:
Hi Steve,
You’re on the board at Disney, right? And you aren’t
into radical rightwing extremists rewriting history
and putting it on American airwaves, are you?
Then, do you think you could do something about this
‘Path to 9/11′ propaganda that ABC is going to air
with NO COMMERCIALS?
Nevermind the lies in this ‘docudrama,’ but aren’t you
guys at Disney supposed to be a business? You
know….charging for air time so to generate profits?
ABC is throwing away $30 million in revenues over this
movie. Shareholders are not going to be happy.
FCC is getting lots of complaints about this movie as
well. Seems like a good number of American citizens
actually liked the past President, and they don’t
appreciate Mickey making up LIES about him and his
staff.
And….there’s lots of talk of boycotts of Mickey’s
resorts and movies. Seems like with the economy the
way it is, people really don’t care that much about
going to see Mickey or Goofy. People seem to be
getting angry lately, and Disney is a great place to
focus that anger….lots of people think you
overcharge. And some even think Walt was a sadist (ie
Bambi).
So, Steve, there are lots of reasons to call up Iger
and the Board and tell them that this propaganda of
‘Path to 9/11′ isn’t such a great idea.
Oh…I forgot one thing. The families who lost loved
ones on 9/11 are no longer in shock…they’re pissed,
too, just like the rest of the country. So I don’t
know if Mickey would like to face them and 12 of their
peers in a courtroom, do you?
Hope you can straighten this all out.
This is the swiftboating of the Democratic party. If we don’t make Disney pay, Dems might as well roll over and die!
*atou @ 10
And what is the legal basis for the lawsuit, pray?
EPUed last thread – is this possible?
I got this:
and relied with this:
Keep up the pressure folks.
I have a bumper sticker suggestion:
“Support the Truth: Boycott Disney/ABC”
By the way- it’s a really STUPID time for any of the networks to annoy EITHER political party- networks are expecting a big election year cash infusion- dems can chose to spend it with ABC affiliates- or CBS- or? Dumb baby dumb!
[EPU’d from previous thread, with some added blather]
Rayne @ 11:50 am (#150) – You are correct. I did a Google search of the BBC site yesterday and found the listings. Go to this article at Taylor’s site to find the search string URL – I can’t embed it in the comments here:
http://www.taylormarsh.com/arc…..p?id=24477
The first part appeared on Sept. 5, and the second part will be shown on Sept. 11.
Added blather:
If Iger didn’t want criticism, he shouldn’t have shown this in another english-speaking country almost a week before it was to be shown here. Helen, the woman who alerted us to this fact yesterday, wrote a review of the first part confirming that at least part of what people have been complaining about was in the version she saw.
atou:
This is the key point. How can they justify a non-commercial piece running in prime-time to their investors? I’d like to know whose $40 million dollars this really is. This is no ordinary crockumentary. Plenty of false history gets played out on TV but I can never recall a time that it aired without overt sponsorship.
This is a piece of propaganda, bought and paid for, a campaign commercial masquerading as a legitimate television special.
ABC can call us partisan as much as they want, but from my point of view they’d have a better chance of push-back if this was not NON-COMMERCIAL. This, even more than content, is the CRUCIAL point.
Text of BigDog’s lawyer’s letter at
http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/el…..c_obtained
I was tickled to read the word “egregious” in the final paragraph.
FYI – my congressman’s office (Pascrell) just confirmed on the phone that he will be participating in a press conference at around 4:15 EST to call on ABC and Scholastic to keep the crock-u-drama out of the schools.
CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAWS.
WHO IS LYING?
ABC put out their statement and it said NO ONE has seen this made for TV dreck ooops i mean movie and yet right on ABC’s own (highly edited blog) are comments from people ABC chose to post comments from who say they HAVE seen this dreck ooops i mean movie
|
so WHO is lying here? the people ABC chose to put on their blog or ABC
or both????
Dear Mr Jobs,
If Disney and ABC insist on airing this controversial 2 part mini series, I would be concerned that with the following lawsuits, Mickey might soon be running around like Donald.
After getting the pants sued off of him,I would have no desire to observe Mickey’s little mouse balls.
Think of the children, do the right thing.
Thanks,
Busted.
Alex @
17
Kyle: got the same thing yesterday–here is my response.
From another Blog, I wish I’d written it:
“An underlying message in this debacle is that it is suicidal to trust any Republican anywhere. Thomas Kean, the Republican former governor of NJ and a member of the bipartisan 9/11 Commission was a consultant on this mockumentary and had consultations with the scriptwriters. In Kean’s own words he has felt that conversations depicted in the film could have gone “several other ways”, but that he was OK with the final product.
We are facing a war on two fronts. We have to confront external forces of Islamic Fundamentalists who want to destroy our culture and internal enemies who are attacking the Constitution and using their fellow travelers, moderate Republicans and the MSM to do it.”
to steve jobs at apple (based on a form letter to iger from think progress):
Dear Mr. Jobs:
I am a longtime Apple customer and have come to
identify with Apple as a creative, progressive
company.
It has come to my attention that ABC plans to air a two-part mini-series called “The Path to 9/11″ on September 10 and September 11. Accounts of advance screenings indicate that this program places primary responsibility for the attacks of 9/11 on the Clinton administration while whitewashing the failures of the Bush administration. This assertion is not supported
by the 9/11 Commission Report upon which the programis purportedly based. This partisan misrepresentation of history is not surprising given that the movie waswritten by Cyrus Nowrasteh, a rightwing conservative.
It is morally corrupt for ABC to play politics with the facts of 9/11 by providing a national platform to present a distorted, revisionist view of history, particularly as the broadcast deliberately coincides with the midterm elections. The events that led to
9/11 are important topics for discussion and debate. But it’s a debate that must be conducted with honesty and integrity.
As you are a major shareholder of Disney, I kindly ask that you exert your influence to cause ABC to either correct the many inaccuracies contained in the program -or to not air it at all.
With kind regards,
whenwego @
15
Christy or Jane, could you please make a sticky post on the site with all of the contact info from the previous posts for keeping the pressure on ABC and others involved with the propagandery? Or include a link back to the post?
Dammit! I was really looking forward to Disney world in Jan. Oh, well.
BTW, ESPN is owned by Disney too. Much as I hate to say it, no more espn for me. :(
In my view, most TV programming is craptastic anyway and yeah, I would write and call and complain about the lying content but wouldn’t necessary expect them to pull the thing, IF IT WAS SPONSORED throught the usual commercial channels.
ABC and Disney have jumped the shark. I’d like to hear how they justify this.
“Bin Laden ‘9/11 video’ broadcast
Al-Jazeera did not say how it obtained the tape
Arabic TV channel Al-Jazeera has broadcast what it says is unseen footage of Osama Bin Laden meeting some of the 9/11 hijackers.”……..
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5325590.stm
Just de-lurking to say thanks for the “Spotlight” feature. Very nice tool, and I used it yesterday to send to the ABC folks on the list.
This whole debacle is truly beyond the pale. Screw the Mouse, and screw this POS pack of lies masquerading as a “docu-drama”.
Peter Jennings must be rolling in his grave.
Bustednuckles @ 25
707
After getting no response to my local station’s online form, I called them. They have someone taking names and numbers to be called back. I damn well better hear from them by the end of the day.
Scholastic does make errors sometimes. When my son was in fifth grade they had a section on the elections and mentioned that if Dukakis lost he would just return to the Governor’s mansion. We live in Roswell, Ga and my son mentioned that Massachusetts doesn’t have a Governor’s mansion. Since she said that Scholastic doesn’t make errors he was wrong.
I’m sure that our informed teachers will correct the inaccuracies of the 9/11 film. Scholastic must be assuming that the teachers had time to read the 9/11 report.
So Alex, is that a response that you got today? After their big meeting this morning, this is the only response they could come up with? That is really so lame.
ABC’s claim that no one has seen it omits the handpicked wingnut contingent and the British Empire.
I’m a shareholder in Disney (not by choice — it bought a company I once worked for) and emphasized that angle in my email to them: that as a shareholder I was very troubled by the ethical and financial implications of the company’s choice to air a transparently biased and inaccurate film (and contrary to the statement on its website, there are thousands, maybe millions, who will not make the distinction between “docudrama” and “documentary,” thank you very much). Anyway, we are technically the owners of the company, so I would urge other shareholders to make their views known ASAP!
I don’t watch much t.v., but I watch Saturday college football on ABC (loved Keith Jackson). If they continue with this and it is as bad as people say, I will never watch them again. That’s how much it bothers me.
Robert Iger, CEO of Disney and ABC is a liar:
“We’re not going to set out to influence opinion in a manner that could in any way be construed as a propaganda effort backed by the administration.” http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig/sardi12.html
I just wrote to various of the advertisers on ABC as per one of the earlier blog posts. I am not sure how else to “turn up the heat” having already called and emailed Disney,
ABC and the ABC local. Someone at KOS suggested that someone start a website called DONTBUYDISNEY.COM. If they do, I would be happy to help promote it.
If Scholastic continues to promote the film then teachers should be required to read the 9/11 commission report
Hit Disney where it hurts — their brand and their wallet.
From my letter to ABC media relations:
My kids are going to be really upset about no Magic Kingdom, but I’d rather teach them about standing up for one’s principles.
Jeez, I just read that Amy Madigan is in this program. Surprises the heck out of me.
elliottg @
6
right. And doesn’t knowingly and willfully participating in a slander constitute a breach of fiduciary duty by ABC and Disney’s agents?
So that’s grounds for the shareholder lawsuit as well. Maybe that’s how Steve Jobs gets pulled into this.
ABC 9/11 Movie Slams ‘Wash Post’ for ‘Wash Times’ Report
One of the most blatant factual errors in the ABC’s miniseries next week on the 9/11 attacks — at least in a review copy viewed by E&P — is a claim that The Washington Post ruined a valuable form of surveillance of Osama bin Laden by disclosing that the U.S. was monitoring his cell phone calls. Indeed, that charge has been made — but the alleged wrongdoer was a different paper, The Washington Times
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/index.jsp
Guitar Playing Bastard @ 27
I don’t think there exist any moderates willing to identify themselves as republicans. If you really are a moderate, the republican party isn’t for you, as the current cast of characters moved the goalposts six sigmas to the right.
Of all people Charles Barkley gets it perfectly: “I was a republican, until they lost their minds.”
It will be interesting to see if any of the actors in this miniseries are lionized by the wingnuts. Considering how often the real-life opinions of artists and entertainers are discounted by those with opposing viewpoints, I am always fascinated whenever the opposition hoists some celebrity up on their own peculiar flagpole. The sad thing is, it’s usually because of some role played rather than any in consideration of the person as a citizen.
Delurking – I searched the BBC website and it looks like the first part of the series is airing again on Sunday 8pm on BBC2. You can also watch clips from both part 1 and part 2 here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctwo/pr…..=path_nine
This is my first time linking, so apologies if it doesnt work.
Controversy Over 9/11 Film Hits Press — Here’s First Full Preview of Movie
http://www.editorandpublisher……1003087654
BlueSinger @
38
BlueSinger, way to go!
It wasn’t clear to me from your comment, perhaps, you are already on top of this. Disney/ABC can’t find any sponsors for a $40,000,000 GOP infomercial/miniseries. That sounds like a $40,000,000 loss to me and suits against management for breaking their fiduciary responsibility to shareholders. Not all Disney shareholders might share your ethical insights.
OT, rwcole, nailed it above in his comment, Democrats have to boycott ABC and their affiliates, as much as possible wrt mid term media buys, if they run “The Path to 9/11.”
BTW, Jane, supremely great riff on the ABC logo and Disney.
Please keep up the fight on every front – you are all making a HUGE difference.
I’m not taking anybody to Disneyland
OT Hasn’t Keith Oberman been a BLAST of fresh air lately. Being an ex-jock (forgive me), I’ve been a loyal follower since his show debuted. But the last two weeks have been unbelievable. I think he has started to influence other MSM shows. Cudos KO!
Any Vermont or Northern NY FDLers out there?
Just called WVNY, the local ABC affiliate for Northern NY and Vermont. They are planning on showing the program.
Director of Programming is Sarah Carpenter (802.660.9333). I didn’t get to speak with her, just left a message asking for a return phone call to discuss their decision. We’ll see…
“Discovery!”
I am not a lawyer, and I don’t even play one on the blogs, but I do know that if a civil suit isn’t thrown out — and a shareholder suit here certainly seems valid — then ABC/Disney will have to endure this tedious little inconvenience called discovery, wherein the financial and influence linkages that led to the airing of this propaganda will be unearthed. In this discovery process, Disney’s goose will be cooked (or, in this case, duck).
BlueSinger @
38
and if they act in a manner contrary to your interests, you and anyone else who is a shareholder should sue them for it. The movie is full of slander, they’re going to show it anyway, based on Clinton’s respons and their statement today they can reasonably anticipate being sued as a result of the slander. If they still run it with that knowledge, that’s an intentional disregard for the shareholder’s interests.
Oh yeah…
Maybe Rush Limbaugh will have an opinion about all of this when Katie Couric has him on tonight on The freaking CBS Evening News!
OT: Ya’ll probably saw this earlier, but just in case:
“BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (Sept. 7) – The owner of DataUSA Inc., a company that conducted political polls for the campaigns of President Bush, Sen. Joe Lieberman and other candidates, pleaded guilty to fraud for making up survey and poll results.”
Bwahahaha! Nomentum has to make up poll results. Eff Yu Joe.
Twin Planets @ 42
“Sorry kids, Disney did this to you because they lied.” Any suggestions for wholesome, non-right wing alternatives to Disney?
op99 @ 57
Yellowstone National Park?
windje @ 46
OT, perhaps, but it describes me pretty well, actually. When I saw how the new kids in the GOP class treated McCain in the South Carolina primary, my switch became cemented; I haven’t really looked back since. You can only mutter to yourself “Dude, where’s my party?” so many times before you realign yourself with reality, i.e., the Democrats. Personally, between FDL and the rest, I haven’t been so politically active — or happily so! — in years.
Sure hope I’m not alone, but I don’t think so. I’m looking forward to some oversight and investigations in the next Congress.
DairyMaid @ 55
Why is Rush Limbaugh on the CBS Evening News? Can you imagine Walter Cronkite having a parasite like him on the evening news. NOT!
Now its Fox, ABC and CBS that are propaganda central. Pretty soon the truthiest news will be on the Daily Show and Colbert Report, with Maher on a sporadic basis. I guess I’ll be watching Brian Williams as long as Bushites don’t like his body language.
The first part appeared on Sept. 5, and the second part will be shown on Sept. 11.
No, it’s showing the ABC POS on the 10th and 11th, like the US schedule. However, it is going to be a few hours ahead of the American broadcast, meaning that a very enterprising Brit with a fast PC and internet connection could have it available before US screening-time.
I’m just surprised that the screener DVD hasn’t been leaked yet.
Sara in Stockholm @
48
Thank you very much, Sara.
This concentration on factual errors in the film is short-sighted and overly submissive. Anyone who’s watched a Republican attack ad on TV knows that something can be free of actual falsehoods and still be total bullshit propaganda. We should not act as if it’s ok for ABC to show six hours of bullshit attack propaganda as long as the propaganda is technically free of factual errors.
Imagine the Republican response if ABC and Scholastic Books did a combined TV-and-schools presentation of Fahrenheit 911, which has at least been carefully fact-checked and is an award-winning documentary, not a fictionalized mocku-drama. Unless ABC/Scholastic is willing to present F911 alongside their GOP piece, they are guilty of trying to indoctrinate viewers and students with Bush crap, whether it has factual errors or not.
School districts should cancel all purchases of Scholastic Book Service materials until this problem is remedied.
Sara in Stockholm @ 12:30pm (#48)
It works fine, thanks.
“The editing process is not complete” ca. 36 hours before airtime? On a scripted show? Un-freaking-believable. That’s not how the real world works, so it would seem that the Magic Kingdom got some kind of message.
windje @ 60
It is the second installment of Couric’s new recurring segment called “freeSpeech” designed to bring civility to public discourse. Seriously.
Birdman @ 58
Great idea. Yosemite is our paradise of choice :) We just got back from a 4-day trip there. My youngest had never been, and he can’t stop talking about rangers, waterfalls, and, of course, bears.
op99 @ 57
There are many, many small independent theme parks tucked around the nation. Google is your friend, but here’s a good start.
An appealing alternative might be a theme park road trip. A carefully planned chedule would allow you to combine visits to several smaller parks with actually visiting parts of the nation you might not otherwise see.
FishGuyDave @ 59
You’re not alone. I’m a strange mix of fiscal conservative, social progressive and strong (smart) defense. Kinda think that’s what makes a moderate these days.
I don’t mean to offend here, but this may be the time for America to wake up and smell the brake shoes. Time to get re-connected to how we spend our time and our money, the choices we make. Yes, go the national parks and museums instead of Disneyland. Ask your children to study the amazing stories found in history rather than the Magic Kingdom. Buy food from places that won’t make the nation obese and force feed us Fox News all in one fell swoop. I grew up watching the Mickey Mouse clubhouse, so don’t get me wrong. Play and fantasy are very important. But these people are killing us.
Great link, Sara in Stockholm @ 48.
You can rate the clips by hovering over the big “2″ and clicking your preferred rating. (”Turgid” for me)
TeddySanFran @ 66
Limbaugh and civility in public discourse? Excuse me while I search for a barf bag.
Whoo boy howdy.
Now would be a GREAT time for an alternative sports network to pop up, in competition with ESPN.
Also wonder who the folks are sitting on Disney’s board; to whom and what do they make contributions/donations? Is there a trend among a majority of board members?
Also wonder, too, about Disney’s recent announcement of a restructuring program announced a few weeks ago, including a pared-down movie production schedule and related staffing cutbacks (in spite of a record-breaking summer in movie sales) — was restructuring in preparation for la deluge?
meta @ 70
Thanks, meta, very well put. A manifesto for our times, in my view.
Jane, I’m not a lawyer, and have never even played one on teevee, but I’ve worked in publishing since Gutenberg, and I know that Disney does NOT take kindly to people using the image of the mouse under any circumstances.
Please look into this, and please let kos and atrios and all the others know that Disney will shut you down for copyright infringement.
My understanding is that Disney’s copyright on the mouse is irrefutable and they DO sue anyone who uses it without permission.
Can’t watch the CBS evening news. Anyone who gives that idiot precious air time is just nuts. And the new show is so full of gimmicky stunts. Just read the news. I don’t need Katie Couric to tell me how many drinks Paris had.
With cable tv and cable boxes we can lock channels out. Lets use them. Here is a copy of the comment I sent to my local ABC affiliate.
smiley @ 44
EPU’d from last thread, as regards the defamation aspects:
The Nefarious Leslie @ 165
We’ve already heard publicly from some of these people; is this our preliminary list of defamees, perhaps?
Okay, am I the only one seeing all the comments after 73 in strikethrough?
Ah, that’s better.
The Nefarious Leslie @ 79
Check Raynes last comment. I see a strike through at ‘Quote this comment’.
Everyone refresh your browsers — the strikethrough issue has already been fixed.
merciless @ 75
Yeah, Disney watches out for the mouse’s copyright (and even got the copyright laws changed so they could milk it longer), but they only do it when someone’s trying to make money off the ears. On the other hand, parodies are protected free speech, especially when they are grounded in political discourse.
paging darkblack . . . darkblack to the white courtesy phone . . .
Maybe a nice shot of the mouseketeers at 1600 PA Ave . . . Rove, Dubya, Cheney, Condi, etc. all wearing their ears?
Sorry about the strike-thru code, don’t know how that appeared in my previous comment. Think it’s fixed but mods may want to double-check.
Nefarious Leslie — nifty point, there. I’m holding APPL stock, need to think about how to use this position. You might have introduced the angle for me.
That strikethrough was weird – right down to my name and email address. thought the spies were out in force ;-0
If you haven’t already, go read Brent Budowsky at Huffpo blog.
Way OT. Just saw a super ad over at myDD for a race I don’t know much about, but the ad just knocks me out. More like this, please:
http://www.mydd.com/story/2006/9/7/121052/7539
Iger was looking for free publicity from Limbaugh and the right wing noise machine. When word got out what bullshit was being presented as facts it ended up biting him in the ass.
Etaion Shrdlu @ 65
I don’t remember which shows, but I’ve heard enough stories about how scripted TV episodes sometimes aren’t ready until the time they’re supposed to be on the satellite feeds that I believe it when they say that sort of thing. (I seem to remember J. Micheal Straczynski saying that an episode or two of Babylon 5 went out that way, but don’t quote me ;)) Shows are rather routinely edited and re-edited to make them fit within their time allotment, and to remove scenes that are wrong somehow or are offensive.
What I don’t believe is that any edit at this point could substantially alter the tone of this program. They’d probably have to drop the first part altogether to do that, and maybe part of the second (still unaired) part as well.
Over at Kos they say that Disney is only down 3% so far – so keep calling the ABC affiliates, and continue contacting ABC advertisers!
Heh. Sorry about that, Richmond, can only figure that I “brushed” the [S] as I ran my mouse across to the Submit Comment button. Didn’t realize it would affect content outside the comments!
Following up on my comment about Apple stock and getting my point across to Apple’s Steve Jobs about ABC-Disney:
Heh. I think I better sell my stock soon, though, because I think it might take a hit soon.
[Umm, that’s a personal opinion, not intended for use in any investment decisions other than my own, consult a professional because I am certainly not a stock analyst or broker.]
Cujo359 says:
September 7th, 2006 at 12:57 pm
I think the last-minute edits are not usually major stuff; they’re small stuff, probably things like dialog that needs to be redone to be easier to hear (’looping’ is the technical term, I think: I Am Not In Film Work). You wouldn’t want major stuff at the last minute, and if it’s already being aired in the UK, they should’ve completed the editing!
Im so glad the link worked! (Now if I could only figure out how to quote a comment…)
To complete my delurking: Many thanks to all at fdl for inspiring me to work harder for what I believe in.
merciless @ 75
But it isn’t actually Disneys’ copyrighted figure is it – isn’t it just a fictionalized composite representation?
*g*
I think you’re right, btw, but I just have been bouncing around between the damned if they do, damned if they don’t parts on ABC’s claims to dramatization.
How do you air fictionalized accounts of the actions of a public figure and not have some misappropriation issue?
Kind of the JCS and BUsh Admin dilema -do I want to look like a liar, or stupid; liar or stupid; liar or …
ABC gets defamation or misappropriation; defamation or misappropriation; ….
Although the beauty of a “docudrama” is that you can get both.
Richmond @ 90
3 percent from when?
yahoo quotes this for today so far.
At 3:43PM ET: 29.51 Down 0.10 (0.34%)
Rayne @ 84
Sweet. We need to apply pressure from as many angles as possible.
ABC’s “full disclosure” should be flashed across each lie: “This is a complete lie and not at all what actually happened.” Otherwise how will innocent viewers (if there are any) be expected to know fact from fiction?
Couric’s show doesn’t come close to being news. She lost me a few minutes after her debut. Rush Limbaugh yet. I watched Schieffer when he wasn’t pimping for Bush but now have no news home.
Wolcott has a new post up about Poodle’s mutiny problem and Bush’s eventual naked loneliness on the world stage.
elliottg @ 6
Maybe, but I think Lindsey’s message to ABC is: “Mickey doesn’t run with scissors.”
They’re in the posture of Silent Coup when John Dean got his “wake up call” from Mike Wallace. (See the preface to CWC.) Dean’s letter read a lot like Lindsey’s. Its mixed message: Go ahead and you’re reckless in the meaning of NY Times v. Sullivan, but you won’t of course since you’re reasonable. (With a public figure falsehood isn’t enough: you need to prove reckless disregard for the truth. The letter lays the foundation.)
Since Bill is fairly tight with the Bushes I’d be especially surprised if he sued without giving ABC a chance to back down.
meta @ 70
Tucker comes out swinging in favor of the ABC ‘docudrama’ – the scholatistic materials are in fact true..
Tucker says that to say otherwise is reading off partisan ‘talking partsisan democrat shill” talking points.
P J Evans @ 1:03 pm (#92) – Yes, looping is the term they use for re-dubbing dialog. It’s not unheard of for entire scenes to disappear. I’m sorry I can’t think of examples at the moment, but often there is too much content to fit in the allotted time, and scenes will be cut. If the show is behind schedule, then that might be done the day the show is set to be fed to the affiliates.
My point remains that there’s just no way this can be edited without removing hours of content. That’s not going to go well unless there are already hours of content to replace it, which seems unlikely.
OT – Thank God for the Uniformed Lawyers at Pentagon
Too bad none of them get pep letters from ex-Deputy AG and OLC.
It’s almost a sad thing to watch though – military lawyers holding the last line after the civilian lawyers all turned traitor and took up arms against them.
Nefarious Leslie — ah. Got it.
Potential for damage to the Apple brand by association.
Drafting my fax to Mr. Jobs now.
I find it incredible that the people who created this trainwreck thought they could get away with it. I guess they think the same of the reality based community as they do of their base, and didn’t think we were paying attention.
I think this is an opportunity for the Democrats to stand up for the truth in 911 and Iraq, and the failures of the Bush administration to implement many of the findings.
“When you have an important point to make, don’t try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time – a tremendous whack.” Churchill
now Tucker says tnat there *were* in fact Weapons of Mass Destructuon found in Iraq, and that the the head of Media Matters should be ashamed for saying otherwise….
I’m typing too fast …. can we somehow get rid of this guy now?
re: bolton nom – The Hotline reports:
Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-RI) “has pulled the plug” on GOP efforts to confirm John Bolton, “saying he had more questions” (AP).
Mary4 @ 102
Reminds me of Alberto Mora . . . Good for Gen. Black in standing up to Duncan Hunter’s nonsense. Either we believe in the rule of law and fairness in the courtroom, or we don’t. I’m glad the general does, and wish the Gentleman from California would get a clue.
jayt @ 105
I just saw the weasel say that…..and threw my water bottle at the t.v.
thought they could get away with it
Bush lying about torture.
Pardons and cover up and Congressional bungling for Iran/Contra.
Limbaughs fake perscription and doctor shopping.
Bush lying about Iraq.
Cheney and Rice lying about aluminum tubes.
Since Israel’s already done it, cluster bombs are A-OK for civilian targets.
Bush lying about Zubaydah.
Bush lying about torture.
Bush lying about the nature of the majority of the GITMO detainees.
Cheney lying about last throes.
Military lying about civil war.
Powell lying in UN speech.
Hadley lying about Niger.
Kidnap, torture and murder.
….
Never even a handslap – how will the behavior ever modify?
Cujo359 @ 88
South Park is routinely still rendering within a couple of hours of airtime, so I’ve heard… but we’re not talking about a computer-rendered cartoon loosely based upon the topical pop culture of the day, here. There’s no excuse to still be doing edits this close to air-time.
Doesn’t Scholastic have the US publishing deal on Harry Potter and the Really Big Cash Cow? Now there’s a boycott target!
Mary4 @ 109
Perhaps with a couple dozen documents from Congressional Committees (controlled by democrats) to various Executive Branch employees that begin “You are commanded to appear before XXX committee . . .” or “You are commanded to produce the following documents . . .” or “You are commanded to produce for this committee an account of . . .”
I think they’re called subpoenas.
Cozumel @ 45
I just read through the Editor&Publisher preview. My God… It’s even worse than I imagined. Juxtaposing fictional Clinton “failures to act” with clips about the Lewinsky scandal. No “My Pet Goat” moment, just a Bush speech to the nation. No Bush on vacation ignoring the Aug. 8 PDB, but Condi reading it and looking concerned.
Perhaps someone could ask Gov. Kean to enlighten us to what events this is a “composite” of, perhaps by reference to page numbers in his commission’s report? No matter how many shades of white you mix together, you won’t get black. Mr. Kean, you are a liar.
I called Scholastic. Woman asked me to call tomorrow, as they will be registering complaints formally.
So, lets all call today AND again tomorrow.
OK – now Tucker is advocating re-beating up the TV reporter who got sucker-punched in San Diego….
Can this be the last day of Tucker?
(he wants to see the poor guy beat up again?)
kelliebrat @ 108
Just the other day, Bush admitted in a press conference that, in reference to Iraq WMDs, it “turns out there weren’t any.” I’m sure there is a YouTube or C&L on it. Tucker Carlson needs to bestill the voices in his head. The don’t even know which lies are the “current” ones.
bdu @ 110
We shouldn’t get bogged down in details like that. This is clearly another lie designed to put off the outcry until it’s too late. Read the E&P preview; if they “edited” all the false information out of this turkey, it would be a half-hour montage.
Unless they publicly commit to editing out all the factually false scenes, claiming that “no one has seen the final version” is just a smokescreen.
Let’s beat Tucker up when he goes on stage on Dancing with the Stars.
jayt @
117
What is up with Bow-Tuck? He was doing the shout-over-you-guest thing on the ABC 9/11 thing. The guest patiently waited on him and stated the truth. Carlson looked like a dink.
As usual…
bdu @ 1:18 pm (#110) – Yes, South Park is a good example. As for the “no excuse” bit, I think that as long as the show is aired on time and it’s good that’s all that matters. Hour-long dramas are done on a tight schedule that involves separate organizations that are often located in different cities. Generally, a show will have several episodes in prep or production at a given time. That they get the things out at all on a schedule seems miraculous.
In short, no excuses are necessary, and it amazes me that anyone thinks they would be.
Just posted this on Think Progress (see http://thinkprogress.org/2006/…..ey-on-film)
“To the extent there is basis for this kind of reporting????” Umm, this is a docudrama, emphasis on DRAMA. It’s a made up scene in made for TV shlock/propaganda. Of course, the people who made this POS, financed it and are chosing to air it 2 months before mid-term elections could not have anticipated that people would actually BELIEVE everything they see.
Letter being faxed to Steve Jobs right now:
Boldface mine, appearing in letter.
I may need a lawyer after Monday-Tuesday. AAPL closing at 72.79 today.
OT: I just received a very nice thank-you card from the Joseph and Valerie Wilson Legal Support Trust.
Please consider donating to help them with their legal costs. It is a very worthy cause.
More Tucker – (to come) why Karl Rove deserves an apology from some political writers – but probably won’t get one – and
“why Cindy Sheehan fantisizes about killing President Bush”
(jayt comment below)
Is it like this every day – or am i truly witnessing the melt-down?
Over here, KO. Tucker nominated for “Worst Person in the World.”
Rayne @ 1:32 pm (#122) – Good letter. I hope they pay attention. Unfortunately, Apple’s stock price has been going up all week, so they’re not feeling any pain at the moment.five-day chart for AAPL.
I think they’re called subpoenas.
*g* Of course, every answer will be the 5th, state secrets, and privilege. The fifth can be addressed, but state secrets and privilege is going to be an interesting conflict. Interesting may not be the word I’m looking for – I’m not sure it’s been invented yet.
*********
Even with right/wrong – rule of law/ruler is law – tensions to the side, the problems are so many and so mega; with some of the biggest being cooperation and “getting it right” (not to belittle the Riceian considerations of “do you really want to have a cup of coffee until you’ve finished transforming your country into a state sponsor of evil?” – IMO, she’s a closet tea drinker anyway).
The perfect metaphor for this administration and their past, present and nodoubt future shills, is the mob that just beat the man to death on an “oops.”
And the kinds of cooperation that have been bragged upon in the past – either through witnesses in protection now or from other countries, etc. — DOJ has put a stake through their heart.
IMHO, Tucker Carlson does not believe what he is shouting.
He is trying to find a niche, and has made the mistake of trying to follow Hannity-Coulter et al.
Forgive him, for he sucks ass.
Rayne, that is a great letter.
Someone else at Think Progress said it better than I:
Comment by TripMaster Monkey — September 7, 2006 @ 4:24 pm
Gaffney sez:
“I don’t know the facts here. To the extent there is basis for this kind of reporting, I think it suggests a risk-averse attitude that was characteristic of the Clinton administration.”
See what’s going on here? It’s already starting! Like an evil oyster, the neocons start with a tiny little sand grain of a lie and cover it with layer upon layer of reference and repetition until it becomes a big ugly pearl of pseudo-truth, patently untrue but believed as truth by the majority of Americans.
This is why this shit need to be stopped right now. The neocons know that the Nazi maxcim of ‘tell a big enough lie, and repeat it often enough, and it becomes truth’ works…it’s been working since 2000. If we don’t stop them now, this will only be the beginnning, and our reality will be literally scripted by the neocons.
Again, if you haven’t reread your old copy of 1984 yet, you ought to…after all, it’s one of the neocons’ manuals.
Sally @ 1:35 pm (#125) – Over here, KO. Tucker nominated for “Worst Person in the World.”
If there were such a thing as “Stupidest Person In The World”, he could take home two trophies today.
Judd Brown says
September 7th, 2006 at 1:38 pm*
Forgive him, for he sucks ass.
You will forgive me, then, sir, if I refuse.
Speaking (kinda) of subpoenas, did Rumsfeld EVER respond to the ONE that was sent in July (or for July response – can’t remember which?)
The one that the whistleblower subcommittee wanted and Shays finally agreed to send?
I can’t find anything on it.
jayt @
134
Forgiven. Now, taunt him a second time.
merciless @
76
I’m not a lawyer either, but there are a few things that are obvious even to us simple folk.
First off, logos are protected by trademark, not by copyright, which primarily is intended to prevent others from using it to identify themselves in the market place and confuse the public into thinking that they are speaking on behalf of the trademark holder.
I don’t think there is any risk of that here.
Secondly, use of an identification in political discourse is protected–people can’t keep you from pointing out their peccadilloes by trademarking anything that might be used to identify them.
Thirdly, I doubt seriously they are going to want to engender more public outrage by miring themselves in such a battle, as it would serve to prolong their association with what looks to be rapidly turning into a millstone around their corporate necks.
–MarkusQ
*atou @ 118
Someone needs to confront him with this. “Tucker, are you calling the president a liar? He says there weren’t any, and you say he’s full of it, is that it?”
Anybody know Jon Stewart’s cell number?
–MarkusQ
Time to start digging! Where exactly did that $40 million come from? Who really financed this dreck? “Follow the money.”
Here’s Newsday’s lame review.
That attitude is based, like this electric two-part film, on the report of the independent, bipartisan 9/11 Commission led by former New Jersey governor Thomas H. Kean. Scriptwriter Cyrus Nowrasteh and director David L. Cunningham compress that study’s 568 pages, covering nearly a decade, into 4 1/2 fierce hours that portray in meticulous detail both the patient planning by the people who pulled off the hijack-murder plot and the many missed opportunities of those who might have headed off the day’s death and destruction.
….
The filmmakers’ assurance makes this miniseries play more like bang-up drama than fact-filled documentary. Yet their facts pass informative muster, and emotional validity, too.
Sounds like Diane Werts needs some edumacatin’.
Sara in Stockholm @
94
Hi Sara. There are two ways you can quote a comment. On my browser, underneath each post there is a darker line with the underlined legend “Quote This Comment” at the left margin. If you click on this legend, the comment you wish to quote will appear in the message box.
Another way you can quote a comment is to highlight that comment using your mouse, click on Edit, hit copy. Then move your mouse to the message box, hit Edit and then Paste. The message will appear in the box.
If neither of these works with your browser, you can go to Mozilla Firefox and download that browser for free. That browser also allows you access to the Edit button with which you can correct a comment after you have loaded and posted it and see an error, as long as you can catch it within the first 5 minutes.
Thanks for your link.
Mary4 @ 128
Ahem. As a proudly uncloseted tea drinker, I deeply resent any implication that this is a trait shared by Ms. Rice.
Update from Josh Marshall:
Where do we go from here? How about a new thread?
Not only should we boycott advertisers for this propaganda we need to boyott ANY movie from here on out starring Harvey Keitel. Based on the scenes I have seen so far, there is no way for Keitel to claim that he was unaware of the willful inaccuracies of this propaganda piece, and that it was all done in the editing room. THe dialog he speaks make it crystal clear what this movie is about, and he didn’t quit and I’m sure he cashed the paycheck. Therefore he is a WILLING PARTICIPANT in the propaganda piece. I have been a longtime admirer of his since I saw ‘Mean Streets’ and ‘Taxi Driver’, however this is too much. I will no longer pay to see anything he is in from here on out. I have yet to see any scenes w/ Amy Madigan, so I will withold any judgement as far as she is concerned.
The copyright extension act can be amended and Mickey gets dropped in the public domain. Let Disney know this and they might not want to play politics anymore.
I must share with you – I wrote the following to Scholastic:
To Whom it May Concern:
I am stunned that a company that I thought was interested in education would use the tragedy of 9/11 for political purposes.
I have six grandchildren – five of whom are in three different schools (one is a preschooler) – and if this travesty is not stopped, I will make every effort to publicize your company’s part in it.
Sincerely,
Shirley T—–
and within an hour, I received this reply:
Immediate Release
SCHOLASTIC REPLACES “THE PATH TO 9/11″ CLASSROOM GUIDE WITH NEW DISCUSSION MATERIALS FOCUSING ON CRITICAL THINKING AND MEDIA LITERACY SKILLS
September 7, 2006 – New York, NY — Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, today announced that it is removing from its website the materials originally created for classroom use in conjunction with the ABC Television Network docudrama, “The Path to 9/1l,” scheduled to air on the ABC Television Network on September 10 and 11, 2006. A new classroom discussion guide for high school students is being created and will focus more specifically on media literacy, critical thinking, and historical background.
“After a thorough review of the original guide that we offered online to about 25,000 high school teachers, we determined that the materials did not meet our high standards for dealing with controversial issues,” said Dick Robinson, Chairman, President and CEO of Scholastic. “At the same time, we believe that developing critical thinking and media literacy skills is crucial for students in today’s society in order to participate fully in our democracy and that a program such as ‘The Path to 9/11’ provides a very ‘teachable moment’ for developing these skills at the high school level. We encourage teachers not to shy away from the controversy surrounding the program, but rather to engage their students in meaningful, in-depth discussion.”
The new guide clearly states that Scholastic had no involvement with developing the ABC docudrama, and that the company is not promoting the program, but that the program can provide a springboard to discussion about the issues leading up to 9/11, terrorism and the Middle East. The guide will focus on three issues:
Media Literacy – what is a docudrama; how does it differ from a documentary; what are the differences between factual reporting and a dramatization?
Background to 9/11 – what are some of the causes of unrest in the Middle East and other parts of the world that give rise to attacks on the U.S. and other countries?
Geography and Culture — there is a long history of conflict in the Middle East. How well do students understand each of the countries involved and what influences their behavior?
Scholastic has been providing free educational materials for use in the classroom in conjunction with television programs and films since the 1950’s. Classroom discussion guides have also been created in the past to support discussion of major events such as the Challenger and Columbia shuttle disasters, the shootings at Columbine and many others.
“As we have done with many discussion guides in the past related to major events, we encourage teachers to engage their students in these important discussions about news, media and public opinion. Understanding and evaluating media messages can be challenging for adults and young people alike and developing media literacy skills is critical for students in order for them to be well-informed participants in our democratic society,” added Robinson.
The Scholastic mission is clearly stated in its credo and editorial platform which includes the statement: “Good citizens may honestly differ on important public questions. We believe that all sides of the issues of our times should be fairly discussed – with deep respect for facts and logical thinking – in classroom magazines, books and other educational materials used in schools and homes.”
The new guide will be available on Friday, September 8 at http://www.scholastic.com/medialiteracy.
Contact: Kyle Good
212-343-4563
kgood@scholastic.com
About Scholastic
Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL) is the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books and a leader in educational technology. Scholastic creates quality educational and entertaining materials and products for use in school and at home, including children’s books, magazines, technology-based products, teacher materials, television programming, film, videos and toys. The Company distributes its products and services through a variety of channels, including proprietary school-based book clubs, school-based book fairs, and school-based and direct-to-home continuity programs; retail stores, schools, libraries and television networks; and the Company’s Internet site, http://www.scholastic.com.
duck @ 145- – i was just wondering where keitel was in all of this. does anyone know how to get in touch with his agent?
Kudos to Tom Tomorrow. The simplest graphics are so often the best.
The Republicans have gotten so used to lying about everything they can’t stop themselves from even lying about the 9/11 tragedy…that, correct me if I’m wrong, happened while George W. Bush was asleep at the White House wheel.
And Scholastic Inc. should be totally ashamed of themselves. I will cut them some slack by assuming that they agreed to promote “The Path to 9/11″ without ever viewing it, trusting that their Republican crony pals wouldn’t film a distorted, lying, fact-challenged, purely-partisan propaganda piece.
However, if the Scholastic Inc. people knew in advance what they would be endorsing, then Scholastic Inc. should be hounded from our nation’s schools, because they can no longer be trusted with providing honest and trustworthy educational materials to our democratic nation’s children.
In fact, this incident makes me wonder what other “spin” materials that Scholastic Inc. may have been supplying as teaching aids to our public schools that also reflects a total disregard for the truth and the embracing of some type of totalitarianistic Republicanista viewpoint. And, if so, how long has Scholastic Inc. been subtly or even directly brainwashing our democratic nation’s children with their right-wing slanted crap???!!!???