Ira, as you never seen him before…
My favorite public radio program, This American Life, has signed a two-year “first look” deal with Warner Bros. Pictures. This means that Warners gets the first shot at adopting TAL stories into film.
That faint whiff of snobbery in the air says that a public radio program should not be climbing into bed with the world’s largest media conglomerate. Bollocks to that. WB isn’t dictating the content of This American’s Life’s program nor does the show (one of public radio’s most successful) need this deal to stay afloat. Plus, perhaps this means the show doesn’t need to fundraise to the extent it has which frees up grant money for other deserving parties.
Does this mean that shows ostensibly “in the public interest” will now start targetting their content towards mass market consumption? Unlikely. What Warner Bros wants from TAL is great stories. What I’ve always liked about the show is it’s dedication to non-topical narrative instead a humorless, slavish interest in “important news.” And really, who is interested in a movie about corporate accounting reform (via Travelin’ Dave)?
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6 Replies to “Ira, as you never seen him before…”
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When the Public Broadcasting Act went down back in 1967, the intention was to create nonprofit, noncommercial radio as an alternative. It’s bad enough that we’ve seen censorship effectuated at KPFA and blocs of public broadcasting given obscene amounts of commercial time. But if we open the doors to this kind of first-look deal, then I shudder to think at how “This American Life” will change. Will we see starving writers, flush with the possibility that their stories will be sold for a billfold, compromise their stories by tailoring their wares for creatively blindsided producers? Will all the real charm, that glorious gob of spit which comprises human emotion be swept under the rug courtesy of the hollow gargantuan canvas of an insufferable three-act structure that must be carefully calibrated for test screenings?
This isn’t about snobbery, Kevin. It’s about integrity. And integrity is the last thing anyone can expect out of a studio that doesn’t have the balls to release an NC-17 film and stick with a filmmaker’s vision. David Sedaris’s work would quickly transform into the kind of overwrought nonsense that such Warner Brothers future titles as “fear dot com” and “The Adventures of Pluto Nash” seem to promise.
But then what the hell do I know? I’m still bothered by the idea of living in a kickass hippie town with a baseball stadium named after a telecommunications company.
When the Public Broadcasting Act went down back in 1967, the intention was to create nonprofit, noncommercial radio as an alternative. It’s bad enough that we’ve seen censorship effectuated at KPFA and blocs of public broadcasting given obscene amounts of commercial time. But if we open the doors to this kind of first-look deal, then I shudder to think at how “This American Life” will change. Will we see starving writers, flush with the possibility that their stories will be sold for a billfold, compromise their stories by tailoring their wares for creatively blindsided producers? Will all the real charm, that glorious gob of spit which comprises human emotion be swept under the rug courtesy of the hollow gargantuan canvas of an insufferable three-act structure that must be carefully calibrated for test screenings?
This isn’t about snobbery, Kevin. It’s about integrity. And integrity is the last thing anyone can expect out of a studio that doesn’t have the balls to release an NC-17 film and stick with a filmmaker’s vision. David Sedaris’s work would quickly transform into the kind of overwrought nonsense that such Warner Brothers future titles as “fear dot com” and “The Adventures of Pluto Nash” seem to promise.
But then what the hell do I know? I’m still bothered by the idea of living in a kickass hippie town with a baseball stadium named after a telecommunications company.
Hey Ed, I’m as much against that sort of thing as you are but I trust the folks at TAL not to compromise. They haven’t failed me thus far and I’m comfortable believing they have a bit more of a backbone than to just role over and take it in the rear because someone waves a bunch of money at them. SO I’m going to wait and see.
Hey Ed, I’m as much against that sort of thing as you are but I trust the folks at TAL not to compromise. They haven’t failed me thus far and I’m comfortable believing they have a bit more of a backbone than to just role over and take it in the rear because someone waves a bunch of money at them. SO I’m going to wait and see.
I agree. We’ll just have to see what happens. I’m still bothered more and more that mediums designated as public have become tainted by private interests. Sometimes, it’s necessary to spot the potential trouble spots before it happens, just to see how susceptible the strongest heads are to avarice. After all, if a badass like Eldridge Cleaver can step off a plane and become a born again Christian, then nearly any of us can just as easily corrupt ourselves.
I agree. We’ll just have to see what happens. I’m still bothered more and more that mediums designated as public have become tainted by private interests. Sometimes, it’s necessary to spot the potential trouble spots before it happens, just to see how susceptible the strongest heads are to avarice. After all, if a badass like Eldridge Cleaver can step off a plane and become a born again Christian, then nearly any of us can just as easily corrupt ourselves.