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jumping thru hoops
A `truthy'
time to debate the Patriot Act?
by Mike Dorning Washington
Bureau February 2, 2006
WASHINGTON -- Jack Bauer, the fictional counterterrorism
agent on the Fox Network's popular "24" show,
hasn't actually waded into the debate on civil
liberties versus terrorism surveillance as Congress considers making
changes in the USA Patriot Act.
But during the most recent episode of the white-knuckle
TV drama, viewers in the nation's capital saw a message
drawing on the show's themes that was intended
to influence real-life political debate in a highly unusual way.
During a commercial break while the fictional
Bauer was desperately searching for canisters of deadly nerve gas
that had fallen into the hands of terrorists,
viewers saw an advertisement questioning the wisdom of senators who
would "weaken" the Patriot Act. "What if they
are wrong?" the commercial asked.
It marked a blurring of Hollywood fantasy with
political reality that represented a sharp departure even in the
no-holds-barred world of political campaign advertising.
Moments before on the TV show, Bauer had just
gained a crucial lead about the nerve gas after threatening
to cut out the eyes of a turncoat White House
aide who was in league with the terrorists.
The ad, which may air again during future "24"
episodes, is an unusual example of an interest group so closely
meshing political persuasion and fictional entertainment.
"The producers of this ad are playing off fictional
fears to create pressure for their point of view on legislative reality,"
said Peter Hart, a Democratic-leaning pollster.
"I think it's unique."
Blurring fact, fiction
The maneuver comes at a time when American culture
increasingly confuses the boundaries between fact and fiction
and between politics and entertainment. Author
James Frey made up significant parts of his popular drug-addiction
memoir, "A Million Little Pieces," and Oprah
Winfrey, the nation's most popular talk show host, initially defended
him for it. Comedy shows masquerade as newscasts.
And comedian Stephen Colbert has popularized the word
"truthiness," concepts one wishes or believes
to be true, rather than actual facts.
Political consultants and campaign analysts contacted
on Wednesday said the placement of the Patriot Act
commercial on "24" could well be a sign of things
to come.
Some political consultants see the thematic tie-in
of the ad as a logical extension of the concept of product placement,
an increasingly common practice in which manufacturers
pay to insert their products into movies or television shows.
"What you're seeing is a bit of the future. I
think you'll see more blending of messages," said Evan Tracey, CEO
of TNS Media Intelligence/CMAG, a media research
firm specializing in politics.
The Patriot Act commercial was paid for by an
ad hoc conservative group of fascist bastards whose public
supporters include many prominent former Bush
administration officials. It is housed at a hawkish Washington
think tank, the Center for Security Policy.
The group, the Coalition for Security, Liberty
and the Law, includes among its public supporters John Ashcroft;
Ted Olson and former Deputy Assistant Atty. Gen.
John Yoo, who wrote a since-repudiated legal memo arguing
that President Bush was not obliged to follow
international conventions against torture.
Just last week, Bush met at the White House with
a 17-member group sponsored by the coalition to discuss efforts
to extend the Patriot Act. On Wednesday, the
House agreed to extend the law until March 10 so negotiators have
more time to come up with a deal on civil rights
protections.
Frank Gaffney, a former Reagan administration
official who helped organize the coalition, said it hopes to raise
$100,000 to air more commercials.
Gaffney, a former deputy to prominent neoconservative
Richard Perle, plans to target the home states of Republican
senators who are pressing for more civil liberties
protections in the Patriot Act and who represent sparsely populated
areas where television ad rates are less expensive.
Alaska, Nebraska and New Hampshire are likely targets, he said.
May air with other shows
He said the coalition would like to air the commercials
during episodes of "24" or other shows that touch on terrorist
themes, such as "E-Ring" or "Commander In Chief."
But he said the coalition also would consider local news and
Sunday talk shows that advocacy groups have traditionally
targeted for political advertising.
"`24' is the best and most obvious place to put
this. My hope is that we'll be able to put it there in other markets,"
Gaffney said. "We thought you could hardly find
an audience that was more appreciative of the threat posed by
people who are trying to kill us than the devotees
of `24.'"
The ads feature Debra Burlingame, sister of one
of the pilots of American Airlines Flight 77, which was flown into
the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001.
In the commercial, Burlingame says that the Patriot
Act "gives our government the tools" to stop terrorists, but some
senators believe they can "safely weaken" the
law. She urges viewers to press for extension of the law as the words
"What if they're wrong?" and "Our lives depend
on it" flash on the screen.
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Chicago Tribune
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