Geoff and I are having a debate about the dipiction of torture on one of his favorite shows "24". I say the show is de-sensitizing people to the use of torture by showing it as always effective in a tight situation (basically the way the president sells it). I point out that when the US tortures or detains folks on a terrorism charge, they hold them for years, long after any potential information would be useless.
Andrew Sullivan as an interesting view here.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
by showing it as always effective in a tight situation
I admit I'm only lightly following the show - it's on but I'm not usually paying attention. Is torture always affective in the 24-verse? They've had a nuclear bomb blow up a chunk of the city (but not it seems a terribly important part - people keep driving around and (seemingly) not worrying about fallout) the bad guy has gotten away (with two more nukes and instructions for turning them on) and they have NO idea that James Cromwell is a murdering bastard.
In short they seem to be having a really bad day this season.
I don't know - it might be but it's hard (for me) to see that. It's just tv, right? Or maybe the observer effect is at work.
I was tortured for 5 years and all my information was useles. Shame my employers didn't realize that whilst they paid me.
Aren't these the same people who have been saying for years that violent and sex filled tv shows DON'T influence our kids?
Post a Comment