CBS cancels "Reagans"

[demdave]

Breking news on The Drudge Report. No link yet.

The teaser says it will run uncut on Showtime.

[Closer]

1. What pussies folks at CBS are

[The Zanti Regent]

36. Why am I not surprised?

You can always count on the Whore Media to ALWAYS do the RIGHT thing!

[andy12]

51. Think of Franken and what Fox did to him

Might be the biggest Showtime share ever.

[dobak]

2. fuck fuck

fuckin Repugs!

[dobak]

4. sorry

I'm a bit pissed!

[NewYorkerfromMass]

8. The hold of mythology is strong

can't threaten the weak minds of the sheeple with reality.

[FlashHarry]

3. Damn liberal TV networks!

Oh, wait. Never mind...

[TSIAS]

5. Showtime

The network that brought us the ever accurate Bush/911 documentary. :eyes:

[otohara]

9. The "Blame Clinton"

movie on Showtime...ever so accurate

[otohara]

6. If They Didn't Give The GOP So Much Power

from sea to shining sea on every damn radio station & cable news channel, then this shit wouldn't happen. Does anyone think they would buckle to liberal concerns, fuck no!

How many e-mails did we send about Pigboy and Savage warning them, did they listen?

[benfranklin1776]

46. The poisonous confluence of corporate and state power.

Here we see the remnants of the once hallowed fourth estate now embodied by a thoroughly corrupted media corporation which caved cravenly to the dictates of the ruling poltical party in its quest to win favorable treatment from that party. One of the characteristics of the "Evil Empire" which "Saint Ronnie" so hated was a state run media which was the organ of the ruling political party. How ironic that his party has helped that Empire come home to roost. This sets a dangerous precedent in that it will embolden them to try it again the next time a network refuses to toe the party line.

The only language these SOB's understand is money and it is long past time for massive boycott tactics. As Dr. King pointed out the purchasing power of the individual consumer melded together exceeds that of the budgets of the majority of world nations. An awesome power which needs to be harnessed to bring these corporations to heel.

[tom_paine]

64. Bingo, ben! Sadly enough...bingo!

And the rise of the Party-Loyal Right-Wing Sub-Media and it's parasitization of the Formerly Free Press is the most frightening (and enraging) thing I have ever seen in my lifetime.

And sure, the rise of the Imperial State Run Media given Reagan's feelings towards it is pretty ironic.

1) Even if Ronnie had those feelings, he was never in charge anyway, so they were irrelevant to the Busheviks who were ALWAYS the real power in the 12 years of Bush I.

2) Irony is simply nonexistant in an Orwellian "Matrix" that Imperial Amerika is rapidly devolving towards.

[Westegg]

69. John Wilkes Booth -- The First Freeper

Yeah, CBS put up about as much resistance to the right-wing onslaught to the Reagan TV movie as a house of cards in a hail-storm.

But what's this business about J.W. Booth? Maybe I'm old and naive---I don't even know what "freeper" means. But Booth, a psychotic racist, put a bullet in the brain of a good man.

[tom_paine]

72. a Freeper is a Dittohead, a Brownshirt a denizen of the website

www.freerepublic.com

Go ahead...check it out. You likely won't be there long before you read someone (or several someones) lovingly fantasizing about the day when they can murder liberals at random freely.

No, I'm not kidding, I wish I was.

Another psychotic Freepish site

www.lucianne.com

But Booth, a psychotic racist, put a bullet in the brain of a good man.

You are correct, sir. As you've never been to Freeperville, you couldn't know, but a large contingent of Freeperville are, shall we say "unreconstructed Confederates" like John Ashcroft.

Surely you've noticed that the Party of Lincoln has become of late the Party of Jeff davis.

Hence my quip, which I stand behind 100%. I hope this helps clarify.

[Cha]

So mainstreamers don't get to see it...just people with

extra cable? That sucks! Does "cbs" stand for "chickenshitbullshit"?

[izzie]

7. Nice to have CBS that takes orders from the Right Wing,

Did sound a little tacky and the poor old men is not even dead.

[otohara]

11. They All Do

Yes Mr. GOP what ever you say -

[Khephra]

10. There's three good things about this

1 -- More people know about this show than ever and now want to see it.

2-- Showtime will repeat it over and over, allowing more people to see it.

3 -- No freeping ads.

(Looking for the bright side in all this... Censorship frequently leads to things becoming more popular than they would have been in the first place.)

[KoKo]

13. Maybe that was the plan all along? Showtime's ratings maybe were in the

tank so someone did a publicity marketing campaign just so it would backfire and they could put it on Showtime to get those who subscribe. I don't get showtime. It's extra. So, I won't see it.

I don't know.....scratching my head.

[Khephra]

15. They'll likely put it out on tape

You know some kind liberals will help other liberals see it somehow.

:evilgrin:

[Toby109]

38. That's the problem

Liberals already abhor Reagan's policies and, as an extension, the man. That's preaching to the choir. The people that need to see an unbridled version of Reagan are those that have no clue about the Reagan years.

Actually, I would prefer for Americans to have the opportunity to see Rep. Dingell's version of the Reagan legacy. But that'll be the day.

[dolo amber]

29. You don't need no stinking Showtime

When you have a computer. ;) :evilgrin:

[stevedeshazer]

50. *ding*

Nothing like being banned piques the prurient interest.

It's Drudge, though....

[jenk]

12. good news, we'll see the uncut version

.

[dobak]

17. yeah right...

That's just a marketing ploy.

The movie on Showtime will be unrecognizable from the original.

[tsipple]

14. Dumb Move for CBS

Now any interest group or political party can lean on the network to block any broadcast it doesn't like. At least, that's what I learned today.

CBS is also the network that caved when Big Tobacco tried to stop broadcast of Jeffrey Wigand's revelations on 60 Minutes.

[mbartko]

16. Keep it in perspective.

This is an entertainment show, not a rewriting of history books. Let the people who are having tantrums about this blasphemy to one of their gods have their little victory. It means nothing. Nickel and dime.

[dobak]

18. maybe...

I am sick of the right-wing wackjobs winning.

[onehandle]

Free speech dies.

That's my perspective.

[mbartko]

40. Did it?

CBS, who is in the business of selling advertising, made a strategic decision not to show a documentary. That's not a free speech issue - the documentary will still be shown via another outlet. Not as accessible, true, but that's not exactly the same as the GOP demanding that all copies of it be collected and burned. Nor is it the same thing as forcing something off of public access cable. The producers are free to make the documentary. CBS, as a corporation, is free to choose what it wants to air.

Meanwhile, all the fuss that the whiners put into getting this taken off of CBS will generate tenfold the interest that there would have been for what promises to be a mediocre-at-best documentary (James Brolin?? Is there ANYTHING good with James Brolin in it?) while at the same time gives the American people the realization that the GOP will employ strongarm tactics to intimidate networks when it doesn't like what it sees, the benefits of which are MUCH greater than any revelations about an 92-year-old man who means nothing anymore.

That's MY perspective. I don't care if the GOP runs NFL football off the air, as long as a Democrat is next in the White House.

[CounterCoulter]

98. Excellent post

Not sure I agree, but thanks for a more optimistic view.

[undergroundrailroad]

19. Well, what's next for CBS? Cancel the election coverage if a Dem Wins?

This is a shame.

[ConcernedCanuk]

20. Well, we'all got to see The Jessica Lynch Story up here, so

. . I s'pect we'll get "the RayGunz" too . . :bounce:

[TastyArmageddon]

21. Sad

I think everyone's underestimated how dedicated the right is to keep the Reagan myth alive.

[tom_paine]

65. As dedicated as Commies to keep the Lenin myth alive

Or nazis to keep the Hitler myth alive

and pure, of course.

My God what has hasppened to our beautiful nation, that it is the asswipe of Bushevik Kings?

[grytpype]

22. Oh, what fucking bullshit.

Will some friendly mole at CBS kindly put the series up on Kazaa?

[flamingyouth]

23. I have Showtime - I'll help out anyone who

might want to see it.

[DarkPhenyx]

24. Oh, joy! Won't show "The Reagans" but...

...we get to watch the "Elizabeth Smart" story.

*cussing and fuming quietly*

[Blue_Roses]

25. I would love to know Barbara Streisand's

take on this. She was on Oprah recently talking about James Brolin playing Reagan and Oprah asked her how she as a Democrat felt about her husband playing Reagan. Her response was "as long as they tell the truth, I don't mind."

[Dover]

59. Here's Barbara's homepage......there is a "truth alert" story

about the program....but no response yet to news of the cancellation by CBS.

http://www.barbrastreisand.com/

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

26. If I write a book titled "Ronald Reagan Was A Dangerously

Stupid President That Had No Regard For Constitutional Law" would someone publish it for me.

Christ, we ought to make these bastards wish they never started playing these sort of games.

[Andromeda]

76. I predict that somebody will write a book...

with that title or something similar.

There's going to be a backlash against these authoritarian miscreants the likes of which has never been seen before.

[qanda]

27. Censorship is alive and well in America

I heard someone say that the backlash about this movie is that Reagan was so beloved. I want to know what he did that was so beloved. Maybe I missed something in the 80's. It was absolutely the most criminal and corrupt administration until this regurgitated gang of thugs took over. I'm with an earlier poster who said that they are really growing weary of following politics, it's becoming too depressing. Maybe I should lay off for a little while.

[UpInArms]

39. here's a starting place for you

http://www.kcstar.com/item/pages/home.pat,local/37753ede.401,.html

excerpt:

Conservatives have lionized Reagan as the president who ended the Cold War, cut taxes and cheerfully pushed patriotism, family values and "morning in America." Now they want to enshrine him from coast to coast.

The Reagan Legacy Project hopes not only to name at least one well-known public landmark in each state after the 40th president, it also wants to immortalize him in every county on the map, from Androscoggin to Zavala; all 3,067 of them.

The group's advisory board boasts several dozen current and former Republican members of Congress, ex-Reagan aides and other luminaries in the conservative constellation.

...more...

:puke:

[jsw_81]

60. They're even building a pyramid for the bastard

Reagan Pyramid Nears Completion

[Greyskye]

100. LOL. Gotta love the Onion! (n/t)

.

[Minstrel Boy]

101. lol!

[Crunchy Frog]

78. Maybe after Ronnie dies

they can mummify his remains and place him in a giant stone mausoleum
at some strategic location in DC. Then they can have people line up
for blocks to catch a glimpse of him, and the GOP leaders can line up
on it during patriotic holidays, while watching American tanks and
missiles parade by. Just a thought.

[PartyPooper]

28. After 75 glorious years, CBS folds its tent and goes home.

I watched their 75 year special last night on TV.

For me, growing up in the 1950's was special when it came to television. There wasn't much of it...but, most of the really good programming was on CBS. So, last night was a particularly nostalgic night for me.

But, tonight, I feel so sad and disappointed that the network decided not to air "The Reagans".

And, I guess Walter Cronkite was correct (if not prophetic) when he signed off last night, "That's the way it is, Sunday November 2, 2003."

:-(

[mseltzer]

34. Cronkite

I knew Cronkite was senile, but does he really think it's October?

[PartyPooper]

41. No.

It was a 'typo'...I will edit. My allergies are giving me fits at the moment.

Thanks!

And, BTW, welcome to DU! :hi:

[mseltzer]

66. Thanks

Thanks, and good luck with your allergies.

[PartyPooper]

67. You're welcome!

I'm doing better now!

And, I hope you really enjoy DU!

:dem:

[SiobhanClancy]

49. Cronkite is FAR from senile...

he sees things a lot clearer than most people half his age.

[PartyPooper]

58. And, he's a 'class act'! I'd like to add 'national treasure', too!

I remember Hillary telling the story (how immediately following the ML debacle) Walter called her to go sailing. He simply wanted her to 'chill and relax'. And, she did. This outing did wonders for her well-being and her soul! Walter is such a terrific human being. AND, he's a Democrat! God bless him!

:dem:

[joshdawg]

79. Just had to say---Love the cat!!!

[Mikimouse]

30. ...and the once great American experiment goes quietly

into the night, with a mighty last whimper!

[TheWebHead]

31. Drudge on Scarborough now gloating

[KennedyGuy]

32. Face it folks

The right wing is better organized then we are, they know how to make calls and send emails when they want to threaten and bully. And they know how to win, when are we going to stop letting them roll right over us again and again. The time for all this outrage was when they began their little campaign, I called CBS to register my opinion, but the only others calling at the time were the freepers. Sad to say it, but get ready for lots more of the same unless we can find some way to organize.

[LoZoccolo]

33. Now we have proof they don't like freedom of the press.

A very high-profile example at that. Basically, they'll let it sit in the constitution, on paper, but they don't like it in reality.

[Blue_Tires]

35. why the hell

wasn't there sufficient pressure to cancel that "Bush on 9-11" movie!??!?

That was closer to fiction that the reagan movie

honestly; does our side win ANY battles in this war anymore?

[IggleDoer]

84. Perhaps because we believe in free speech ...

even for garbage.

[Catherine Vincent]

37. CBS will get an email from me.

What a bunch of cowards!

[LoZoccolo]

42. They already did from me.

Just three words:

Chickens--- Broadcasting System.

[Guaranteed]

43. Yup, me too. *Link*

I used the feedback form on the CBS website. They have feedback for "movies and specials." It's here:

http://www.cbs.com/info/user_services/fb_global_form.shtml

[mac56]

91. me three

Told them I'm a loyal CBS viewer (true), and that it's impossible for me to overstate my disappointment and frustration with their decision to kowtow to right-wing pressure.

[Vis Numar]

44. "uncut on Showtime"

Even better!

[mbartko]

45. Exactly!

Not every win is a win and not every loss is a loss.

[Andromeda]

77. I like that.

Not every win is a win and not every loss is a loss.

If this is an original, congratulations! Even if it's not, congrats anyway!

[grannylib]

47. Here's the message I sent to CBS...chickenshit bastards...

What an incredible bunch of gutless wonders you are. What an incredibly dangerous precedent you have set - do you plan to clear all your future programming through the right wing Reagan worshippers?
I have already called our satellite company and asked them to permanently remove CBS from our programming package, if not from their selection of channels altogether.
How disgusting.
Does "free speech" mean anything to you?
How could you knuckle under so easily to a bunch of revisionists who obviously hate reality?
TRUTH IS WORTH MORE THAN PRIDE.
TRUTH IS WORTH MORE THAN PRIDE.
TRUTH IS WORTH MORE THAN PRIDE.
And truth will not be denied - the truth about the disastrous Reagan 'legacy' for which we are still paying the price, will live on.
Those who value truth over ideology, wishful thinking and selective memory will see to that.
CBS will never again be on in our home. Ever.
Pathetic.
Give me back my country.

[mseltzer]

52. Free Speech?

Why are you yelling about free speech? Nobody stifled anyone's right to speak freely. You may not like it, but all that happened was a business decision by CBS.

[Name removed]

54. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[mseltzer]

57. Speech

I'm from New Jersey. Free speech isn't supposed to be hindered by the government. CBS is free to show the movie.

[Democat]

71. The RNC controls all three branches of the government

If you don't think this is a free speech issue, you need to think a little more about it.

When the government threatens you, it's a free speech issue.

[Guaranteed]

68. Granny, this is CBS's speech.

They are making the choice to censor themselves. It's not a free speech issue. However, it IS an integrity issue. The media should not be censoring themselves at the behest of special interests.

[Name removed]

83. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LoZoccolo]

74. True, this isn't official censorship enforced by a government body...

...but it is a demonstration by the right-wing of a disrespect for the larger ideas of free speech and what they're supposed to do for us. It's basically like, yes, you can have your free speech on paper, but when you try to use it we'll use intimidation to make it practically difficult for you.

On edit: By the way, there was at least one insinuation by a pundit that people should complain to the FCC to try to get CBS's license revoked as well, and you'll notice they're moving it from a broadcast station to a cable one where it's probably immune from that, so they did try to use the government somewhat to enforce this censorship.

It's like, rather than trying to let the thing go and criticize it, they had to supress it. It's not really the kind of thing you do when you value political discourse in practice. Cuz they don't.

[Democat]

81. It is the government - the RNC controls every branch of the government

Anyone who doesn't think the RNC is part of the government, when they run every branch right now is blinded.

The RNC forced this issue, they control the government - that is censorship.

[LoZoccolo]

95. Yes, we know they got a visit by the FBI...oh wait they didn't.

:eyes:

When we have control of the government, they can say that the government is un-FReeping polls.

:eyes:

[iam]

90. Censorship?

Does not have to be from the Gov't, If I have a baseball bat and threaten someone with it or else, it's censorship.
Are you saying all those lynchings by conservatives of blacks in the conservative south wasn't censorship? The Gov't didn't hang those people in the south, conservatives did, just like conservatives are censoring the truth about ronbo.

[mseltzer]

96. Huh?

That argument makes absolutely no sense at all. What do lynchings have to do with customers pressuring a business and the business caving in to them? Was CBS threatened with violence? NO. With loss of business? Yes. CBS is still able to show what they want. As a matter of fact, the government protects their ability to do so.

[iam]

104. What?

I was making a point. Conservatives pressured blacks not to get too uppity, and when they refused, conservatives caused a loss of business for blacks, the business of life! CBS CAN'T air what they want. CBS WANTED to air "The Reagans" but were forced to stop.
Gosh I love a good arguement, if only there were someone here up to the challenge.

[mseltzer]

107. WHO?

Who forced CBS to stop? They made the decision themselves. Do you have to create a conspiracy to feel better?

[demothinker]

97. Nope

>>Are you saying all those lynchings by conservatives of blacks in the conservative south wasn't censorship?

Nope. It was forced coersion, but not censorship. Censorship, by definition, has to be by the government. It's just become a catch-all term for any repression of speech by intimidation.

[iam]

103. Gee whiz gang, where do you get your info?

cen·sor·ship ( P ) Pronunciation Key (snsr-shp)
n.
1. The act, process, or practice of censoring.

Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Censorship is censorship no matter by whom it's practiced. Did blacks in the old conservative south get to say what they wanted after they were hanged? Lynchings were also coersion because blacks idn't want to be hanged.

[mseltzer]

108. Thanks

Thanks for explaining why this isn't censorship better than I did.

[Occulus]

106. As holders of a public trust,

namely, bandwidth on the airwaves (owned by the public, I might add), CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, and every other broadcast network have an obligation to tell all sides of a story and not cave to pressure from one side or the other.

Exceptions exist. In cases where the programming is blatantly false, as in the case of the Dr. Laura show (where she used 'ringers' in her audience who actually worked for the show and represented themselves as experts on the issue of the day- no matter what the issue was), it ought to be exposed as such. But to ask for a ticker every ten minutes saying it's fiction just because you don't like the portrayal of a certain political figure- well, yes, that's censorship.

[Lori Price CLG]

48. The Nazi wing of the Republicans 'got to them.'

Ronnie Ray-gun is an international terrorist, and his wife is a self-serving whack-job.

This country is becoming more like Nazi Germany every single DAY.

-Lori Price


New Tactics Discussion Group Formed.
CLG_Revolution_Tactics
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CLG_Revolution_Tactics/

[Maddy McCall]

53. Is there a link yet ANYWHERE?

I haven't found any.

[TXDemGal]

75. NY Times link

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/04/business/media/04film.html?hp

For those of you who don't have a free NYT registration, I believe typing "clipjoint" as both user name and password will work. (This is info I gleaned from another politics bb.)

[truthisfreedom]

55. i think this is good. it's proof positive of the right-wing's undue influ-

ence on freedom here in America. it's a perfect example to bring up every time they scream "liberal media." they want to silence every voice in this great country that isn't representative of their hate-filled, twisted revisionist view.

repugs don't want freedom. they just want to silence dissent, squelch the truth, and shove their irrational ideas down our throats. but guess what... when you piss people off, they vote. 8^) let them piss people off.

[bluestateguy]

56. And if we don't have Showtime?

[stickdog]

61. What a courageous programming decision. (NT)

[otohara]

62. I Actually Got A Reply From Dick Meyer at CBS

saying he appreciated my e-mail -

[maggrwaggr]

63. We should take note. This is how to be organized.

The republicans know how to be organized.

Do we?

[Democat]

73. The right wing is the media

The way they "be organized" is to have the media attack itself.

We aren't the media, they are. We can't do what they do.

This was a case of the RNC threatening CBS and the entire right wing media taking their lead from the RNC and attacking itself.

[dArKeR]

70. Drudge is a GOP Whore. He doesn't have any kind or news center or staff

so how does he get his stories?

Fed to him by the Fascist GOP Government.

So why do you even click on his site and give him attention and fame?

[whirlygigspin]

80. ratings winner

the Ray-gun freaks are making sure this becomes a big time
must see tv extravaganza-lalapalooza~!

*note to CBS, put it out on video/DVD soon, you'll sell a ton!

haha.

[truthisfreedom]

82. gutlessness is them.

Cowardly Broadcast Service.
or is that...

Censored Broadcast Service.

howzabout...

Canceled Broadcast Service.

[peacefreak]

85. Yes, this is the network with a long history of caving to pressure

Anybody see the Smothers Brothers on Sunday night? paraphrasing...
Dick: "If CBS told you to jump off a bridge, would you?"
Tommy: "Not this time!"

[Loonman]

86. Spineless bastards

Not like I was going to watch it, but what a bunch of whimps at CBS.

[Snellius]

87. What CBS really canned was themselves. & the whole industry

It's not just the political censorship. Not even the corporate domination of culture. It's the fact that the so-called "liberal" commercial broadcast media can't even allow anything remotely controversial or provocative. This doesn't seem a slap in the face to Democrats as much as to any creative artist who had any hopes of freedom of expression in show business. In the long run, this will hurt CBS and the whole of the entertainment industry more than a few angry emails incited by the Drudge Report. From now on any artist at CBS with any talent and integrity would have to sacrifice one or the other.

[dusty64]

88. Well, this seems like the

last stand for the corporate media. cbs was the last who even seemed to try and be impartial. When the rnc demanded to see and write the script I thought it was outrageous, believe it or not they got their way. There can be NO doubts now about who controls the airwaves. Things just keep looking more and more frightening around here everyday.

[Name removed]

89. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[mac56]

92. Now, come on.

Is it necessary to resort to junior-high-level misogyny?

[October]

93. Unbelievable...eom

[Zero Gravitas]

94. Theliberalmedia strikes again

:eyes:

If this was a negative movie about Clinton and it got cancelled all the freepers and their hate-radio masters would be frothing at the mouth about "political correctness run amok". But of course we'll hear not a peep fropm them about PC or freedom of expression...

[banana republican]

99. Saving Private Jessica

??????

[dArKeR]

102. Gutless at CBS - Newsweek

http://msnbc.com/news/989262.asp?0cl=c1

[regnaD kciN]

105. Would that CBS have cancelled them...

twenty-three years ago!

;-)