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Today Show goes black on Tim Robbins
The music swelled under Robbins... Mid-sentence
answering a question that had been asked just 10 seconds
earlier... "We have a terrible track record" said
Robbins, clearly not able to hear that music was coming
up to literally 'play him off the stage'.
(The site itself is worth perusing. Politically with us!)
answering a question that had been asked just 10 seconds
earlier... "We have a terrible track record" said
Robbins, clearly not able to hear that music was coming
up to literally 'play him off the stage'.
(The site itself is worth perusing. Politically with us!)
Today Show Goes Dark on Tim Robbins
Rock and Rap Confidential
4/18/2003 11:06:32 AM Pacific Daylight Time
Steve Rosenbaum, NYC television producer.
At 8:15 Monday Morning Today Show host Mat Lauer
introduced the controversy that has been kicked up by
the cancellation of the 15th anniversary of Bull Durham
at the Baseball Hall of Fame.
In a letter made public on Wednesday - Dale Petroskey,
the President of the Hall suggested that his venue was
not the appropriate venue for a highly charged political
expression.
Lauer then introduced Tim Robbins, who along with his
wife Susan Sarandon, had had their initiations revoked.
Lauer quizzed Robbins on free speech, and pointedly
asked Robbins if he had planned to use the Hall of Fame
event as a platform for a political statement. Robbins
said 'of course not.'
The discussion went back in forth for a few minutes,
with Lauer being neither accommodating nor
confrontational. And Robbins' responses were equally
measured. But Robbins did end up saying things that have
hardly been heard before since the war began. "The
message is if you speak out against this administration
you can and will be punished" Robbins explained.
"We're sending out messages on an almost daily basis
that they have no right to protest against this
President" said Robbins. To which Lauer responded with a
question about the Dixie Chicks and their controversial
comments against the President. Robbins responded -
pointing to the fact that the protest and banning of the
Dixie Chicks was by Clear Channel Radio and it's
connection with the Bush Administration. This
conversation was unheard of in the current environment.
Robins was talking serious politics on a morning chat
show - and clearly hackles went up. By 8:24 Robins was
explaining "We're fighting for freedom for the Iraqi
people right now so that they can have freedom of
speech, yet we're telling our own citizens they have to
be quiet"
Lauer could have called it quits there -but he went on
"When you see pictures of Iraqi's dancing and
celebrating -does it change your mind?" "No" Said
Robbins - "I'm ecstatic that they feel this freedom, I
hope we have the resolve to get in there and make it
work."
It was at this point that something happened that has
perhaps never happened before in the history of morning
television.
The music swelled under Robbins... Mid-sentence
answering a question that had been asked just 10 seconds
earlier... "We have a terrible track record" said
Robbins, clearly not able to hear that music was coming
up to literally 'play him off the stage'.
The camera cut to a wide shot. Lauer was leaning in and
very much in conversation. Either Lauer was ignoring
what must have been the deluge of invectives in his
earpiece, or he just determined that he wasn't finished
with this line of questioning.
But the music ended. The bumper music ended and the
studio was in the two shot as Robbins said..."It's for
some reason not in our best interest to keep it going
and pursue it to the next level." Lauer nodded, and the
camera faded to black as Robbins - mid sentence - had
his microphone turned down.
A conversation about free speech. An anchor asking
reasonable questions. A guest responding in equally
reasonable tones. No attempt to close out the discussion
- to say "Well thank you Tim". This was not a
filibuster. Robbins was not hogging the spotlight.
Someone in the control room simply decided that it was
time to pull the plug. And without grace or ceremony, or
even the face saving of letting Lauer say "We're out of
time" as morning shows do on so many occasions.
A conversation about free speech and free expression was
cut off mid sentence as the network went to black.
Television history was made, as million of Americans got
to watch in real time just how powerful and inescapable
censorship can be. Robbins wasn't revealing troop
locations, or giving aid and comfort to the enemy.
Remember the war has been won - by all accounts. He was
discussing freedom, free speech, and why his appearance
has been canceled at the Baseball Hall of Fame. NBC
should invite him back and let him finish his thought -
or admit at least who was on the phone to master control
demanding that they pull the plug.
Rock and Rap Confidential
4/18/2003 11:06:32 AM Pacific Daylight Time
Steve Rosenbaum, NYC television producer.
At 8:15 Monday Morning Today Show host Mat Lauer
introduced the controversy that has been kicked up by
the cancellation of the 15th anniversary of Bull Durham
at the Baseball Hall of Fame.
In a letter made public on Wednesday - Dale Petroskey,
the President of the Hall suggested that his venue was
not the appropriate venue for a highly charged political
expression.
Lauer then introduced Tim Robbins, who along with his
wife Susan Sarandon, had had their initiations revoked.
Lauer quizzed Robbins on free speech, and pointedly
asked Robbins if he had planned to use the Hall of Fame
event as a platform for a political statement. Robbins
said 'of course not.'
The discussion went back in forth for a few minutes,
with Lauer being neither accommodating nor
confrontational. And Robbins' responses were equally
measured. But Robbins did end up saying things that have
hardly been heard before since the war began. "The
message is if you speak out against this administration
you can and will be punished" Robbins explained.
"We're sending out messages on an almost daily basis
that they have no right to protest against this
President" said Robbins. To which Lauer responded with a
question about the Dixie Chicks and their controversial
comments against the President. Robbins responded -
pointing to the fact that the protest and banning of the
Dixie Chicks was by Clear Channel Radio and it's
connection with the Bush Administration. This
conversation was unheard of in the current environment.
Robins was talking serious politics on a morning chat
show - and clearly hackles went up. By 8:24 Robins was
explaining "We're fighting for freedom for the Iraqi
people right now so that they can have freedom of
speech, yet we're telling our own citizens they have to
be quiet"
Lauer could have called it quits there -but he went on
"When you see pictures of Iraqi's dancing and
celebrating -does it change your mind?" "No" Said
Robbins - "I'm ecstatic that they feel this freedom, I
hope we have the resolve to get in there and make it
work."
It was at this point that something happened that has
perhaps never happened before in the history of morning
television.
The music swelled under Robbins... Mid-sentence
answering a question that had been asked just 10 seconds
earlier... "We have a terrible track record" said
Robbins, clearly not able to hear that music was coming
up to literally 'play him off the stage'.
The camera cut to a wide shot. Lauer was leaning in and
very much in conversation. Either Lauer was ignoring
what must have been the deluge of invectives in his
earpiece, or he just determined that he wasn't finished
with this line of questioning.
But the music ended. The bumper music ended and the
studio was in the two shot as Robbins said..."It's for
some reason not in our best interest to keep it going
and pursue it to the next level." Lauer nodded, and the
camera faded to black as Robbins - mid sentence - had
his microphone turned down.
A conversation about free speech. An anchor asking
reasonable questions. A guest responding in equally
reasonable tones. No attempt to close out the discussion
- to say "Well thank you Tim". This was not a
filibuster. Robbins was not hogging the spotlight.
Someone in the control room simply decided that it was
time to pull the plug. And without grace or ceremony, or
even the face saving of letting Lauer say "We're out of
time" as morning shows do on so many occasions.
A conversation about free speech and free expression was
cut off mid sentence as the network went to black.
Television history was made, as million of Americans got
to watch in real time just how powerful and inescapable
censorship can be. Robbins wasn't revealing troop
locations, or giving aid and comfort to the enemy.
Remember the war has been won - by all accounts. He was
discussing freedom, free speech, and why his appearance
has been canceled at the Baseball Hall of Fame. NBC
should invite him back and let him finish his thought -
or admit at least who was on the phone to master control
demanding that they pull the plug.
For more information:
http://www.rockrap.com/
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i would take any event such as this as an overt message, a message that is not to be mistaken, or simply labelled as "coincidence". just as the affair with o'reilley deciding he would throw a guest off the air. just as i watched paula zahn of CNN pumping an International Red Cross worker in Baghdad for military intelligence about bomb damage and "the type of wounds" and "if the explosions came before of after the air raid sirens". these are not random events and coincidences. these are direct messages about what is acceptable political speech according to the powers that be. and unfortunatly for democracy in america, our media is becoming another one of the powers that be, another arm the american government. let me put it frankly: the news media no longer even tries to play a politically neutral role in american society. it is in the thick of it.
Please Join this effort.
JULY 4 Candlelight Vigil for the
Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights
In light of repression by the police of residents in Arab Communities;
In light of criminalization of anti-war protestors, and in light of the complicity of the corporate media with the war crimes of the Bush Administration, this response addresses these issues in a creative and non-violent, yet assertive manner.
Please participate in an intelligent and reasonable reaction to the recent increase in hostilities in the world.
WE THE PEOPLE:
Honor all detainees and their families, and require their release.
Realize a choice about whether we want to keep our Constitution must be made.
Recognize that The Homeland Security Administration, the ‘Patriot Act’ and ‘Total Information Awareness’ cannot exist in the same government with the U.S. Constitution due to the contradictions.
Are making people aware the proposed ‘Patriot II’ Security Enhancement Act would in effect be an Oral Dictatorship, and would completely overrule Constitutional authority.
See that following some current Administration policies we are giving up our Constitutional rights as citizens.
Must educate about the War Powers Act and the Balance of Powers provided in the Constitution, and their erosion leading to the current course of events.
Are making people aware the Bush ‘war resolution’ was a giving up of Congressional Authority to declare war, which is hardly a point of order since the people elect Congress.
Recognize ‘Patriot II’ is merely an expansion of the Police State that has always existed for a sizeable portion of the US and it’s territories.
Please imagine, organize and help bring to pass thousands of people gathered at various locations around the country, dressed in black, sitting on the pavement, listening to an immense ‘teach-in’ about the Constitution of the United States. Community members and prominent people alike should read and teach.
This provides a good balance between our responsibility to our domestic situation and affirming to the world there is a resistance in the U.S. to the severe corporate minority who are directing the policies of the United States government here and overseas.
We mourn the passing of our Bill of Rights and Constitution
THIS IS A NON-PARTISAN, NON-SECTARIAN EFFORT
RemembertheConstitution [at] ureach.com
JULY 4 Candlelight Vigil for the
Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights
In light of repression by the police of residents in Arab Communities;
In light of criminalization of anti-war protestors, and in light of the complicity of the corporate media with the war crimes of the Bush Administration, this response addresses these issues in a creative and non-violent, yet assertive manner.
Please participate in an intelligent and reasonable reaction to the recent increase in hostilities in the world.
WE THE PEOPLE:
Honor all detainees and their families, and require their release.
Realize a choice about whether we want to keep our Constitution must be made.
Recognize that The Homeland Security Administration, the ‘Patriot Act’ and ‘Total Information Awareness’ cannot exist in the same government with the U.S. Constitution due to the contradictions.
Are making people aware the proposed ‘Patriot II’ Security Enhancement Act would in effect be an Oral Dictatorship, and would completely overrule Constitutional authority.
See that following some current Administration policies we are giving up our Constitutional rights as citizens.
Must educate about the War Powers Act and the Balance of Powers provided in the Constitution, and their erosion leading to the current course of events.
Are making people aware the Bush ‘war resolution’ was a giving up of Congressional Authority to declare war, which is hardly a point of order since the people elect Congress.
Recognize ‘Patriot II’ is merely an expansion of the Police State that has always existed for a sizeable portion of the US and it’s territories.
Please imagine, organize and help bring to pass thousands of people gathered at various locations around the country, dressed in black, sitting on the pavement, listening to an immense ‘teach-in’ about the Constitution of the United States. Community members and prominent people alike should read and teach.
This provides a good balance between our responsibility to our domestic situation and affirming to the world there is a resistance in the U.S. to the severe corporate minority who are directing the policies of the United States government here and overseas.
We mourn the passing of our Bill of Rights and Constitution
THIS IS A NON-PARTISAN, NON-SECTARIAN EFFORT
RemembertheConstitution [at] ureach.com
CALL THE TODAY SHOW OR NBC NEWS IN NEW YORK AND TELL THEM THAT YOU WILL BE BOYCOTTING THIS MOST "UNAMERICAN" OF SHOWS! HOW DARE THEY SHUT ANYBODY DOWN FOR SPEAKING THEIR MIND! I WORKED THERE FOR SEVEN YEARS AND THEY'RE A BUNCH OF REAL SCHEMERS AND LIARS--THEY USED TO MAKE UP STORIES!!!
I don't watch any American television except PBS, Detroit.
I cannot believe that someone with intelligence such as Tim Robbins, who has a point of view to make that makes more sense than anything the current administration has ever made, would be treated in such a fashion. First the baseball Hall of Fame and now t his.
It is becoming clearer every day that the so-called democracy and freedom that the US continues to go on about means democracy and freedom as long as you follow the administration.
Tim Robbins and all the other decent hardworking folk in the US deserve MUCH BETTER.
I cannot believe that someone with intelligence such as Tim Robbins, who has a point of view to make that makes more sense than anything the current administration has ever made, would be treated in such a fashion. First the baseball Hall of Fame and now t his.
It is becoming clearer every day that the so-called democracy and freedom that the US continues to go on about means democracy and freedom as long as you follow the administration.
Tim Robbins and all the other decent hardworking folk in the US deserve MUCH BETTER.
The fear mongers are at the helm with a brilliant plan to make all Americans afraid, fearing that the world has gone mad and terrorists are everywhere.
How else can the rule of law be defied and denied to so many?
It does not take a conspiracy theorist to see that an administration intent on proving to its citizenry that the world is to be feared must first drown out free speech of those that speak out in fear of it.
How else can the rule of law be defied and denied to so many?
It does not take a conspiracy theorist to see that an administration intent on proving to its citizenry that the world is to be feared must first drown out free speech of those that speak out in fear of it.
Way to go, James. Whenever we conservatives don't have a valid argument, we can always resort to the trusty "love it or leave it." Great job!
well, don't know if this will get posted or not, as it seems my last ones never get on.... but you all seem to be confusing institutions like TV networks and radio stations and such,with the gov't. The repercussions that "hollywood" is dealing has nothing to do with the gov't. It's called the "market place". If they put something on the air that most people don't want to hear or read, they may not want to lose that many readers or listeners. Believe me, if they thought they were going to "gain" viewers and listeners by putting these people on there, they'd do it.......
They have a right to these decisions just like any other business. You may have the right to freedom of speech, but that doesn't give you the right to the air time of privately owned business (as much as you'd like to believe these places are run by the gov't).
If you don't like it, write in, call in... I'm sure if they get enough flak about it, they'll change.
They have a right to these decisions just like any other business. You may have the right to freedom of speech, but that doesn't give you the right to the air time of privately owned business (as much as you'd like to believe these places are run by the gov't).
If you don't like it, write in, call in... I'm sure if they get enough flak about it, they'll change.
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