I will admit, in the eyes of the television industry, I am but scant insignificance. I don’t watch much TV at all, instead preferring the internet or online video games for my “zone out” entertainment. I watch Boise State Football, and a little other college and professional football as well. But I do not watch any shows regularly (or really at all), with the exception of one noticeable standout: ‘24′.
At least I did until this season.
I have opined many times on this blog, joining a wide variety of other people who have quit buying and subscribing to their local newspaper for the sense of political, social and religious bias found in news editorial content. Certainly, the cable television explosion has done the same for the television industry, as former cable giants (CNN) have taken a back seat to news sources more in-tune with their readers’ political mindset (Fauxnews).
Quite simply, people do not need to put up with having their political, religious or social beliefs insulted anymore.
Should this season of ‘24′ be a precursor of things to come, count me out.
Like most loyal ‘24′ fans, I was bothered by the season-long cancellation of last year’s show. I understood the writers strike- It was not just this show that was being affected. It was annoying, but I considered it as a “patience is a virtue” moment and otherwise went about looking forward to when the show would return to the air.
Hindsight is 20-20. Looking back, at what should have been seen as a red-flag to the show’s politically conservative audience, Fox announced that ‘24′ would be one of the first shows on the Fox Network to ”reduce it’s carbon footprint”. Again, annoying, but the show’s entertainment value offset any pet-project that Fox would have the show undertake.
Yet another couple of months later Fox announced that Jeanine Garofalo would be joining the cast. Warning lights started flashing and a mild digestive unease took hold, but again, the show has great entertainment value. Provided these additions didn’t affect the core worldview the show presented, it would still maintain a high-quality entertainment value. After all, Jeanine could be scripted in for a villain, right?
Wrong. Thus far into the season Jeanine’s character plays essentially the FBI replacement for Chloe O’Brian in the disbanded CTU unit. And I will admit, I cannot recall any quip that her character has made that stands out. But still, she seems so out of place on the show.
The dagger always needs to be twisted a little deeper. The producers would not be content with just adding one of the most profoundly liberal actors in Hollywood to a show aimed at conservatives. No, we also need to have Kieffer Sutherland give near-weekly “Go Green” infomercials just to make sure we fully alienate the show from its target audience. Real brilliant move jackasses.
And I will admit, had the producers of ‘24′ stopped there, I would have been quiet about my opposition to the show’s new direction. But that was until we finally got around to watching this week’s episode on Hulu last night.
For those of you who haven’t watched ‘24′ thus far this season, here is really all you need to know- terrorists have a bio-chemical weapon. Jack is infected with said bio-chemical weapon. And just to make it abundantly clear that they want to slap their conservative viewers in the face, they had the doctor assisting Jack on this week’s episode recommend a treatment that was discovered from stem-cell testing.
Ok, you know what Fox, I’m sick of this. I’m pissed off now. You just couldn’t keep your agenda out of the one show that most conservatives had left to enjoy could you? You just couldn’t let the one show that still didn’t try to press the liberal agenda remain true to its core values, could you? You just had to stab your viewers in the back, again.
Fine. I will probably continue to watch this season, but only because I am already emotionally engaged in the story and outcome. But what I cannot promise is that I will be back next year when ‘24′ returns.
I am angry that the liberal agenda has taken over everything- Washington, business, the economy… now even simple pleasures like ‘24′ need to tow the liberal line. Well, fine. Just don’t expect me to express a continued interest in the show if this is the direction you want to take it. This conservative has had enough force-fed agenda driven politics.