Can we talk about HBO's "The Newsroom"?

[Type Username Here]

I know there is a thread about the actual show in the Arcadium, but I'm more interested in discussing it's criticisms of the media and the changes it attempts to advocate.

The show itself started out with some pretty bad writing and character development, and the acting seemed forced (still does at times), but I'm not really interested in discussing that.

Message wise, it is one of the most important shows on TV in a long time, especially in terms of social criticism (IMO).

What's your opinion?

 

[Double Burger With Cheese]

I love the show even with some of the aforementioned flaws. I think the tone of the show needs to be more serious to have an impact on whats really going on. For instance, I would like to see it take on the tone of a show like Law and Order ( in terms of seriousness)

I feel like the messages they are conveying are too dumb down to be anything groundbreaking. The writing is not challenging enough to the viewer, but I'm sure that was by design.

 

[feelosofer]

I love the show even with some of the aforementioned flaws. I think the tone of the show needs to be more serious to have an impact on whats really going on. For instance, I would like to see it take on the tone of a show like Law and Order ( in terms of seriousness)

I feel like the messages they are conveying are too dumb down to be anything groundbreaking. The writing is not challenging enough to the viewer, but I'm sure that was by design.

I agree with you, but I also think it's a necessity, because they are trying to be dramatic and some of the drama might be lost if they really talk about how how complex the newsroom is.

 

[Sensitive Blake Griffin]

Some episodes have been great social criticisms and others have been annoyingly ridiculous. Like the episode where Osama Bin Laden got killed, everybody was like hugging and cheering and shyt

 

[Brian O'Conner]

fukk that. I just want to dive head first into Olivia Munn's titties and motorboat them shyts.

 

[Food Mane]

I know there is a thread about the actual show in the Arcadium, but I'm more interested in discussing it's criticisms of the media and the changes it attempts to advocate.

The show itself started out with some pretty bad writing and character development, and the acting seemed forced (still does at times), but I'm not really interested in discussing that.

Message wise, it is one of the most important shows on TV in a long time, especially in terms of social criticism (IMO).

What's your opinion?

I watched an episode of the Wire before I watched last night's Newsroom and found comparing them interesting. The Wire pushes for change by presenting viewers with dystopian (for most people, maybe it's 100% realistic if you live in Baltimore or another failing, big American city) institutions and the Newsroom does it by presenting viewers with a utopian institution. Both are pretty effective ways of pointing out what's wrong with the world. I think the dystopian is more powerful, however. I feel it's easier for us to dismiss utopian ideas as overly idealistic than it is to dismiss dystopian ideas as overly cynical.

 

[ExodusNirvana]

Some episodes have been great social criticisms and others have been annoyingly ridiculous. Like the episode where Osama Bin Laden got killed, everybody was like hugging and cheering and shyt

That was'nt ridiculous. There were plenty of people in NYC who celebrated at that news.

Not showing that there were people who were indifferent to the whole thing allowed for easier storytelling within the context of the shows plotlines.

 

[Luchini]

I only watched the first episode. The first 2 minutes were amazing, that entire part of America not being the greatest nation was very well written. Couldn't get into the rest of it though

 

[Sensitive Blake Griffin]

That was'nt ridiculous. There were plenty of people in NYC who celebrated at that news.

Not showing that there were people who were indifferent to the whole thing allowed for easier storytelling within the context of the shows plotlines.

I mean you're right but still, shyt was just corny as hell to me and all of my friends felt the same way but of course, we aren't from New York, I'm sure sentiments are much much different

 

[Type Username Here]

I watched an episode of the Wire before I watched last night's Newsroom and found comparing them interesting. The Wire pushes for change by presenting viewers with dystopian (for most people, maybe it's 100% realistic if you live in Baltimore or another failing, big American city) institutions and the Newsroom does it by presenting viewers with a utopian institution. Both are pretty effective ways of pointing out what's wrong with the world. I think the dystopian is more powerful, however. I feel it's easier for us to dismiss utopian ideas as overly idealistic than it is to dismiss dystopian ideas as overly cynical.

Fantastic point. I agree to your point somewhat, but I think you underestimate the ability of some to look at that Dystopia with a sense of pride and "realness" instead of looking at it as the social criticism that it is.

 

[ExodusNirvana]

I mean you're right but still, shyt was just corny as hell to me and all of my friends felt the same way but of course, we aren't from New York, I'm sure sentiments are much much different

It kinda broke down into one of three categories


1.

2.

3.

 

[kermit da hustla]

i think it's more white liberal pap that ignores the reality liberals claim to care about. i'm not interested in the show.

 

[phillycavsfan]

I know there is a thread about the actual show in the Arcadium, but I'm more interested in discussing it's criticisms of the media and the changes it attempts to advocate.

The show itself started out with some pretty bad writing and character development, and the acting seemed forced (still does at times), but I'm not really interested in discussing that.

Message wise, it is one of the most important shows on TV in a long time, especially in terms of social criticism (IMO).

What's your opinion?

I watched an episode of the Wire before I watched last night's Newsroom and found comparing them interesting. The Wire pushes for change by presenting viewers with dystopian (for most people, maybe it's 100% realistic if you live in Baltimore or another failing, big American city) institutions and the Newsroom does it by presenting viewers with a utopian institution. Both are pretty effective ways of pointing out what's wrong with the world. I think the dystopian is more powerful, however. I feel it's easier for us to dismiss utopian ideas as overly idealistic than it is to dismiss dystopian ideas as overly cynical.

The problem with this being a utopian show is that it's reporting on stories that have already been reported. It takes shortcuts where reporters had to often use trial and error. It's like creating a Picasso but tracing and coloring inside the dots of a Picasso sketch instead of drawing and painting the whole thing. By living in theory and ignoring practicality, it's completely unreasonable and unaware of the real world.

Another problem with the show is that Sorkin just doesn't understand the internet. A lot of the problems he wants to tackle; the prevalence of celebrity news, relying on unreliable sources, anonymity of internet users; aren't problems so much as they're just realities of an internet world. You can't get rid of Internet anonymity; people can easily break through ID via social media (Facebook) and you can't force people to use their social security number to ID themselves. The reporters always seem to know what sources are or aren't unreliable (It's funny that Will has been counted as reliable, even though he was high the night he had to report Osama's death) because, of course, it's a TV show and they're never gonna be wrong. And this world is big enough for news on Kim Jong-un and Kim Kardashian to coexist.

And the love triangle stuff is a bunch of bullshyt. In short, the show sucks.

 

[Family Man]

The show itself is trash.

 

[Type Username Here]

I know there is a thread about the actual show in the Arcadium, but I'm more interested in discussing it's criticisms of the media and the changes it attempts to advocate.

The show itself started out with some pretty bad writing and character development, and the acting seemed forced (still does at times), but I'm not really interested in discussing that.

Message wise, it is one of the most important shows on TV in a long time, especially in terms of social criticism (IMO).

What's your opinion?

I watched an episode of the Wire before I watched last night's Newsroom and found comparing them interesting. The Wire pushes for change by presenting viewers with dystopian (for most people, maybe it's 100% realistic if you live in Baltimore or another failing, big American city) institutions and the Newsroom does it by presenting viewers with a utopian institution. Both are pretty effective ways of pointing out what's wrong with the world. I think the dystopian is more powerful, however. I feel it's easier for us to dismiss utopian ideas as overly idealistic than it is to dismiss dystopian ideas as overly cynical.

The problem with this being a utopian show is that it's reporting on stories that have already been reported. It takes shortcuts where reporters had to often use trial and error. It's like creating a Picasso but tracing and coloring inside the dots of a Picasso sketch instead of drawing and painting the whole thing. By living in theory and ignoring practicality, it's completely unreasonable and unaware of the real world.

Another problem with the show is that Sorkin just doesn't understand the internet. A lot of the problems he wants to tackle; the prevalence of celebrity news, relying on unreliable sources, anonymity of internet users; aren't problems so much as they're just realities of an internet world. You can't get rid of Internet anonymity; people can easily break through ID via social media (Facebook) and you can't force people to use their social security number to ID themselves. The reporters always seem to know what sources are or aren't unreliable (It's funny that Will has been counted as reliable, even though he was high the night he had to report Osama's death) because, of course, it's a TV show and they're never gonna be wrong. And this world is big enough for news on Kim Jong-un and Kim Kardashian to coexist.

And the love triangle stuff is a bunch of bullshyt. In short, the show sucks.

You presented some very good points.