Extra Credit--Counts as TWO Blog Posts:
View one of the following films: Quiz Show (1994) OR Good Night, and Good Luck (2005). Both are available at Askwith Media Center or on reserve at the Donald Hall Collection.
Keeping in mind that both of these films offer fictionalized renderings of historical circumstances, write a minimum of 400 words explaining how either the quiz show scandals (as depicted by Quiz Show) or Edward R. Murrow’s exposé of McCarthyism (as portrayed in Good Night, and Good Luck) had political results during the 1950s and shifted ideas about the medium of television and its specific genres (quiz shows or news programs).
The quiz show scandals had a very large impact during the 1950s. The creators of certain game shows saw that their ratings were dropping lower than what they had initially hoped, so they decided to change the game shows in order to draw a bigger crowd, which it did. The people became attracted to this show because they genuinely believed that the people answering the questions actually knew the answers because of their intelligence, not because of practice. As one of the characters had said in the film, “Television is a public trust.” People back in the day did not know how the shows were actually conducted behind the scenes and were not able to be there.
ReplyDeleteTelevision back in the 1950s had its audience believing that everything that happened was true, unless it was evidentially a staged television show made purely for entertainment such as sitcoms and live anthology dramas. This thought seems similar to the internet when it was first new to the public, how everyone had conceived this idea that since it was posted on the internet, then it must be true. Though this “fact” was clearly not true, many people believed it and those who started to catch on to this trend had begun to take advantage of it. Since everyone believed that this was true, then came up the issue that was this lying to the public considered as fraud?
I’m pretty sure that everyone was wondering what was true and what was not on television after this scandal. It is interesting why some shows are called “reality tv” when in fact most-if not all- of the events on the show are staged. Over the summer I began to watch a reality tv show called Breaking Amish and I knew that not everything that happened on the show was true, in fact that most of it would be staged. However, I was still disappointed once I found out that even the basic premise of the show was not even real. The event of the Amish going into the “English” world was true, but this was not their first time. In the first season, the couple that fell in love were actually already married as well.
One final thought that this movie got me thinking about was about Ken form Jeopardy. He was on the show and won millions of dollars from it, in fact he won enough money to allow him to retire. I always believed that he won since he used to make up the questions to college quiz bowls, but maybe he was given the answers. Once the ratings started to drop because he kept winning, he did lose on purpose-which everyone already knew- and it was assumed it was because he was tired of the show and did not care anymore. He already even made it into the Guinness Book of World Records.
In the early 1950’s, the reminder of World War II was fresh in the American mindset, it had brought destruction to most of Europe, drained allied resources thin, and became the tomb to the members of many American families. It was at this time that members of the government felt the need to create a new enemy to which could be focused on by the peoples of the United States, McCarthy became a key member in this, for he focused the attention on public figures, many of which were in a business of entertainment. This was done most likely because such entertaining figures had an influence over a wide audience, the ability to influence the people was seen by McCarthy as a threat in his quest to rid the U.S. of people he either believed to be factually communist or who he wanted taken out of his way so that he may pursue whatever course of action he saw fit to his end goal.
ReplyDeleteThe film shows the clash between McCarthy, his supporters and the producers and other media moguls who would be targeted by the McCarthy trials. The clash is interesting because it represents a power struggle, between congress and media. This route takes a different approach from the articles examined in discussion in relation to, “Quiz Show” and other game shows that were exposed as fakes. It is in this scenario that we find the media industry to be the true victim whereas congress is aimed at limiting the freedoms of U.S. citizens.
George Clooney and his comradery of CBS news anchors, cameramen, directors, writers, producers and other staff are faced with having to deal with the accusations of being supporters of the communists. The following scene from Good Night and Good Luck, is the prime example of the fear and consequences to which members of news corporations and other facets of media are faced when expressing their beliefs, whether they be artistic, or holding close to a political agenda.
“Joe and Shirley are called into the editors office and are told about an upcoming layoff. The editor mentions that it is against company policy for two employees to be married and everyone knows they are married. In a happy moment, the two put their rings back on and Joe decides to quit. Bill Paley calls Fred and Ed into his office tells them that CBS lost the Alcoa sponsorship and will have to lay a lot of people off. Ed yells at Bill for his trying to censor them, but Bill responses that he showed his reservations, but had never stopped them from running a piece. Bill tells Ed that his show will be cut from 1 hour to 30 minutes, moved to Sunday afternoon, and Ed will only do five more shows. Ed and Fred walk to the elevator and say that they might as well go out with a bang in their last five shows. Fred mentions that Joe and Shirley were married and Ed seems to be the only one who didn’t know.”
The point I wish to demonstrate from this scene is the fearful concern for careers and families contained by the crew of the CBS news team when hearing the news of possible blowback by McCarthy. This fear is an entity that demonstrates the abilities of both the government and those wielding the power of media to inflict fear upon the people of the United States.
Before Edward Murrow brazenly challenged McCarthy on his news show Good Night, and Good Luck tv stations were careful to toe the line with the government in order to retain advertisers, many of whom had strong government ties. Cognizant of theses ties and of the huge risk he was taking, Murrow took a stand when no other reporter or tv station was willing to. He recognized the power of tv to influence the masses and create actual change. George Clooney’s film Good Night, and Good Luck (2005) portrays Murrow’s investigation of McCarthy by framing the entire investigation and some of its aftermath in between a dinner in Murrow’s honor as he gives a speech. In his speech Murrow acknowledges the power of tv to seduce the unwitting into a state of laziness and complacency. Laziness and complacency combined with fear that the government (i.e. McCarthy) would track you down and throw you in prison in a manner that violates your constitutional rights, persuaded people to leave the government to its devices unchecked.
ReplyDeleteIt’s interesting to notice how the relationship between the media and the government has evolved over the last century. For example, for a long time out of respect for President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the office for which he filled, the press rarely photographed him in his wheelchair and even rarer was it that they published such a photo of him for the public. In the 50’s, the media was more involved in the reporting of politics but stations and newspapers still censored themselves as to not displease advertisers who had close ties to the government.
This ties in with the stance that live tv was the better form of tv because it was more “authentic”. Murrow’s use of recorded interviews and clips from court proceedings intercut with his live reporting created a balance of well made reports along with the sincerity and authenticity of reporting the news live.
Thankfully Murrow’s report changed the tide of such unchecked power. Milo Radulovich was reinstated to the Air Force after being fired with unjust cause, and Congress finally investigated McCarthy and his unsound, unconstitutional methods. As Murrow delved deeper into McCarthy’s witch hunt, the more apparent it became to the American public that it doesn’t pay off to take things for granted. If Murrow had not reported this story, who knows how long McCarthy would have terrorized innocent people in this country.