"West Wing" Creator Aaron Sorkin Quickly Rues 'Crack' TV Metaphor

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT/AP: Sorkin Quickly Rues 'Crack' TV Metaphor
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: July 22, 2006

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) -- Aaron Sorkin, the acclaimed wordsmith behind ''The West Wing'' and the upcoming ''Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,'' was left wishing Friday he could reclaim one public remark.

''I do think television is a terribly influential part of this country and when things that are very mean-spirited and voyeuristic go on TV, I think it's bad crack in the schoolyard,'' Sorkin told a meeting of the Television Critics Association.

He paused briefly, then asked: ''Why did I use that word?''

In 2001, Sorkin was arrested at a Southern California airport and charged with possession of cocaine, mushrooms and marijuana. He entered a drug treatment program after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor and two felony counts.

Later in the news conference, a rueful Sorkin jokingly said he would pay $100 to avoid seeing his comment in the media. There were as many as 200 reporters in the room....

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/arts/AP-TV-Sorkins-Slip.html

[napi21]

1. OK, so he should have phrased it differently, but I can't get too

excited about stuff like that. Of course, I also this the issue of "bad words" on the airwaves" is completely overblown too!

What I want to know is what are mushrooms? In the statement about his arrest it said cocaine, mushrooms and marijuana. Does it mean something else besides the ones I'm familiar with? If not, WHY would it be illegal to have them?

[DeepModem Mom]

2. He's talking hallucinogenic mushrooms. And I posted...

this article mainly because there are so many fans of the late "West Wing" here at DU.

:)

[Toots]

3. Some mushrooms are known for their psychedelic features.

Those mushrooms are usually illegal

[napi21]

4. Thanks. I just looked it up on google. I never heard of that kind

before! Interesting info to have, but not something I would ever want to dabble with. I'll stick to beer, thanks.