Because they were being asinine and just hating something to hate something popular and liberal leaning.
He’s not wrong. I like South Park and liked 24 but recognize that they had a negative influence on people
They didn't have a point. Saying it's a show that unrealistically portrays the Democratic and Republican parties and is idealistic is one thing, but saying it's one of the most destructive pieces of media is just flat out ridiculous. The amount of shows that do the EXACT same thing, whether it be political or even medical or police related is quite large. It got hit in this conversation because it's by Sorkin and that's it. It's definitely not a perfect show and it's clear that certain elements are embellished because of the creator and writer's intents and wants, but it's also just a show. It's a piece of fiction even if it is set in the White House.
The difference between The West Wing and other shows that portray politics idealistically is that many liberal figures are on the record as saying that The West Wing was materially influential to them. To think Morrissey singled it out just because he has a personal grudge against Sorkin is very silly.
Media influences our views. It is why authoritarian regimes push out propaganda and why the U.S. military is directly involved in big budget action films. We need to be aware of these impacts or else we risk being manipulated by them.
I’d agree that South Park did more damage than The West Wing, especially considering one is still on the air and producing more terrible memes like PC Principal.
South Park and their creators have a really bad history of equating awful abuses of power with personal annoyances. The second hand smoke episode mocks the idea of caring about the issue because Rob Reiner is fat and annoying.
The problem is never the media itself. It’s spending so much time in isolating digital echo chambers so people can take the wrong message out of art and not be publicly shamed for it. No matter what ridiculous interpretation you make of something, you can find some corner of the internet to validate you
No, it often is the media itself. There is a difference between proper interpretation and misinterpretation. The movie Wall Street was critical of capitalism and greed, but a generation of yuppies idolized Gordon Gecko. Similarly, many thought the Wolf of Wall Street was endorsing the behavior of its characters rather than criticizing it. The West Wing wanted you to think that this was a preferable way to do politics. In contrast, The Wire expects you to loathe the politicians and their dirty dealings. Media isn't created by an algorithm; it is created by writers and directors who are highly opinionated. It is very easy for most people to see the intent behind most mainstream works. They will usually tell you in an interview if it is not clear enough in the text. Analyzing and interpreting that text and subtext is what makes consuming books and movies and television shows enjoyable.
Just look at the incel alt right idiots who don’t get the point of v for vendetta fight club the matrix etc
I think the problem with stuff like Entourage and 24 and, yes, even some media I like is the media itself presenting bad ideals or communicating ideals badly