Swompdonkey

Idiots at Guardian Annoy Kiefer Sutherland, Somehow Escape with life and limbs intact

I mean, seriously?

But if, I ask, 24's influence were demonstrably proven, would he then feel any obligation for the show to modify its depiction of torture?

"No," he says flatly. "24 and 20th Century Fox and Sky TV are not responsible for training the US military. It is not our job to do. To me this is almost as absurd as saying The Sopranos supports the mafia and by virtue of that HBO supports the mafia. Or that, you know, Sex and the City is just saying 'everybody should sleep together now'." He looks increasingly exasperated. "I have never seen anyone - and I really do not believe this - I have not seen an average citizen in the US or anywhere else who has watched an hour of 24 and after watching was struck by this uncontrollable urge to go out and torture someone. It's ludicrous.

"So when I put it like that, do you understand?"

Actually, when he puts it like that, I think he's being a little disingenuous. Sutherland is too intelligent not to know that television's influence can be more subtle than that. 24's creator, Joel Surnow, who has described himself as a "rightwing nut job", has certainly given the impression of being not unhappy if 24 impacts on public opinion, saying: "America wants the war on terror fought by Jack Bauer. He's a patriot." The Fox executive who bought the show has said candidly, "There's definitely a political attitude on the show, which is that extreme measures are sometimes necessary for the greater good. Joel's politics suffuse the whole show." The essential message of 24 is not just that torture can be morally justifiable, but, more importantly, that it works. And in the absence of other more accurate sources of information in American popular culture, it's hardly surprising if the viewing public believes it.

Sutherland repeatedly invokes the phrase "in the context of a television programme", and stresses, "this is a drama", but there are moments when exactly who is confusing TV and reality is unclear.

Thank goodness we have those condescending dickheads at the Guardian, benevolently pointing out instances when the hopelessly unworldly and easily duped American public may become confused between TV and reality. Lord knows how the rest of the world could have stood by and let these yokels possibly not elect Barack Obama! Someone should have struck a committee at the UN or something.

But did I interpret that last bit correctly? Is the Guardian actually insinuating that Sutherland is confusing TV and reality? Would that it were so! Had Sutherland "momentarily confused himself" into thinking he was Jack Bauer, he might have been a little less "Tommy Douglas" with the interviewer. I would have loved to have seen a few expletives (or TV-friendly dammits at least )thrown into the mix.

Maybe next week, the intrepid Guardian journalists can go after Bruno, and hold him to account for his part in the stereotyping of Gay Austrian TV personalities!