24's Kiefer Sutherland Insists On Distinction Between Television And Reality

Kiefer Sutherland, star of terrorporn fantasia 24, was recently interviewed by the London Guardian, and asked to account for the show's depictions of torture in terms of the effects they've had on national security policy. To his credit, Sutherland gamely attempts to assert that there's some sort of distinction to be made between fiction and reality:

"First off, I'm just going to tell you outright, the problem is not 24. To try and correlate from what's happening on a television show to what the military is doing in the real world, I think that's ridiculous." Does he mean he doesn't believe the reports of 24's influence? "Well I haven't read all those reports. But if that's actually happening, then the problem that you have in the US military is massive. If your ethics in the military, in your training, is going to be counterminded by a one-hour weekly television show we've got a really big problem." His growl grows heavy with contempt. "If you can't tell the difference between reality and what's happening on a made-up TV show, and you're correlating that back to how to do your job in the real world, that's a big, big problem."

Yes. This is an epochal breakthrough in elementary existentialism. Or maybe not, considering how much Sutherland has invested in the "reality" of his character:

"Jack Bauer," he asserts, "is to me an apolitical character." Really? "Well, can you tell me if Jack Bauer is a Democrat or a Republican?" I would say he's clearly a Republican. "Absolutely not!" Sutherland flashes back triumphantly. "Not a chance." Why not? "Because I'm not a Republican, and I created the character."

Ultimately, the whole exchange leaves Sutherland's interlocutor mightily confused ("...I wonder if I'd half forgotten myself that Sutherland isn't a Pentagon official, or a politician, but an actor."), neatly presaging the psychotic break that Sutherland's assertions are sure to inspire in the torture fans of the wingnutosphere. So, on balance, upside.

Comments

[greenrotgut]

Keifer is surprised many people assume Jack Bauer is conservative, because he has not caught on to what the typical liberal male really is like these days.

[somsoc]

I don't watch because of the pro-torture slant it paints. It is that simple. People are too easily swayed, they see it on TV and believe someone has researched it and this is reality, doesn't matter what the real facts are. People believed the law as explained by Starsky & Hutch was accurate and that hundreds of criminals got off all of the time over botched Miranda warnings or other legal "technicalities" that was and is BS, but that is a common urban myth perpetrated by TV for the most part.

[Octong777]

I watched the show until he said new-cue-ler three times in one episode and that was it for me.

[HoldenLitgo]

Whether one likes the show or not is immaterial. The man is simply coming to the defense of his work when it is maligned by mouth-breathing m orons - critics, professional or otherwise - by firmly stating that, regardless of what network it's on or what the politics are of one of the show's creators, it is not right-wing propaganda promoting torture. He's stating the obvious - as ridiculous as it is that he must - by reminding us it is only a tv show and our reaction to it should be tempered by that fact.

Sutherland's main point is that - regardless of what extremists on either side of the aisle say - 24 is not agitprop. And to those with an objective eye, he's right.

Disclaimers are not necessary before any fictional television show stating that it is "fiction" - unless you're Tipper Gore and can't parent without them - and anyone with half a brain gets this.

[WonderingImriel]

The question was asked because there are politicians using questions based on "24" scenarios as serious ways of approaching candidates for cabinet posts.

This isn't just about the show being maligned, its also about the show being worshiped by mouth breathing morons from the other side too.

[jdenham]

Kiefer, Republicans think your show is real. They even used your testimony before the FAKE Senate Intelligence Committee as proof that torture works. Unfortunately your tactics for getting information are horrendous and feeds the mentality that only our kind of people are human beings and torture is alright as long as they are suspected terrorist . The truth is there is no ticking time bomb, and the person we are torturing is a 16 year old boy that looked at the Tribal leaders daughter wrong and was worth 25,000 dollars in bounty.

Of course, we understand that your show is fiction, but it appears that about 28 percent of this country thinks it is real.

[HoldenLitgo]

Almost that same 28 percent of this country thought Bush was a real president. There is no rationalizing with the insane.

[CarlyS119]

Of course, we understand that your show is fiction, but it appears that about 28 percent of this country thinks it is real.

[CarlyS119]

Well, my other comment onl pasted. So.. you think Kiefer Sutherland is responsible or every Cro-Magnon who thinks the show is real? What about the Cro-Mags who do blame him... who's responsible for them aside from their daycare director?

[mamacat]

From the very beginning, I could not bring myself to watch this horrible show. It is the result of small minds reacting to 9/11, and its success is the result of small minds enjoying the creative efforts of other small minds.

[proudloudlib]

I watched it at first, and appreciated it for the fiction that it is. The reason I had to quit watching was it just got so intense at times. There were moments when I thought they were TRYING to give me cardiac arrest. So, in that sense, I guess they lost a viewer because it was too good.

[HoldenLitgo]

In actual fact, the show was conceived - and the pilot episode produced - before the tragic events of 9/11. Show me a genre tv show - about lawyers, doctors or police officers - that doesn't exploit the headlines and events of the day. The truth about small minds is that they put other's efforts into a smaller box than they're designed for out of the need to make the world smaller than it is.

[bowthai]

I'm not a devotee, but the show is enjoyable - in the same way James Bond, MI-5, the Bourne Trilogy, et al. are enjoyable. The horrible show I think you're referring to is the one we've been watching for the last 8 years. Now that was the result of small minds reacting to 9/11 and the millions of other small minds reacting to the creative efforts of the former.

[totalliberal]

The Republicans still base their own philosophy on "It's a Wonderful And Ozzie and Harriet, believing they were true representations of how wonderful it used to be in America. " Yes it was. For upper-middle class white men.

And by the way, Kiefer Sutherland is the grandson of Canada's most admired person, Tommy Douglas. The socialist leader who introduced government health-care to North America.

[rock2casbah]

He has been saying this repeatedly­,especiall­y a lot recently, since the rethuglians are out. He clearly is distancing himself and claims that the producer is the right wingnut that puts this all together. Then add to the fact that this is a FOX programming. Need anyone say more.?

[Ides]

Republicans say, "Jack Bauer tortures people, so we should be able to do it."

Jack Bauer says, "Are you people nuts?"

End of discussion.

[PSM42]

CWO Wright - Wat. erb. oar. ding is Tor. ture ... Period.

"It comes down to this, Mr Evans, either you are a man who condones tor. ture, or you are not. There is no middle ground, no gray area to hide in. And since you do seem to condone tor. ture, at least in the case of 'these animals,' just how far would you go? You said you were thinking about service in the Guard, as someone who has seen the worst of the human condition and the field of battle, I'd advise against it - because someday you may find yourself a jai. ler, with absolute power over a man you utterly ha. te and des. pise, a man you don't see as human, and then, Mr Evans, without firm conviction and a full understanding of what Honor truly means you may learn something about yourself, about bru. tality, about ev. il, that you'd have been better off not knowing. And then it will be far too late."

http://smallwarsjournal.com/blog/2007/10/waterboarding-is-torture-perio/

[walk0nwalls]

Maybe they should put a disclaimer before the show credits.

[dkuz09]

THIS is not a bad idea...

[remf]

24 is not a Documentary

[dkuz09]

hmmm.....probably not a bad idea...

[dkuz09]

totally wrong comment I meant to leave a reply on.....although a documentary still wouldn't be a bad idea....

[OneAngryDwarf]

Quick someone call the Freeptards and the Red Staters and let the know that 24 is "just a TV show."

Those dolts seem to think that this show represents some sort of moral compass that they can use to justify their outdated policies. TV rots your brain and obviously the right has been watching all day and night.

[reggie1298]

As neither a Republican nor a red -stater I resent your broad brush.

I hope you have no children.

[lvogt]

It would be nice if the writers didn't feed the notion that torture works with such glee.

[reggie1298]

Where is the torture in this season's episodes?

[Tankmaster]

Stop talking smack about Jack - or I'll send him over to your house!