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

[TonyCInSaTx]

What he SHOULD have said is please, people, remember the actors are SCRIPTED to respond to torture with accurate information. In the REAL ticking time bomb situation, the victim tells you a LIE that will make you stop torturing him and waste enough time for the bomb to go off. By the time you can actually figure out is IS a lie, too late, sucker. It isn't like terrorists don't know how to craft a good lie.

What Sutherland also should have noted is that in the craft of screenwriting, writers always make damn sure the audience KNOWS the bad guy really is a very bad guy, and thus is well deserving of any punishment he gets by being tortured. He kills people or orders them killed, or is in direct collusion with guys that do. 24 is quite careful in this regard, there is always a character reveal for the bad guy before they get their due.

Since the Jack Bauer character doesn't get that information that we viewers know for certain, his one hundred percent accuracy in distinguishing good guys from bad guys is also pure fiction. The real world is simply not that certain.

[bazokbros]

Are you serious?

[cowman]

Season 2: Mary Warner gave false information while being tortured that nearly wasted tons of time and let the terrorists win.

That's just one example of torture yielding false results in the show - there are plenty of others.

[MJinCanada]

John Wayne did not win World War II!

[KillgoreTrout43]

Yeah, Lee Marvin helped.

[GonzoFactor]

And Ronald Reagan didn't.

[commentsareus]

Go to blockbuster video or the like and note how many movie depicting torture there are. I believe the media including "24" is desensitizing the public and especially youth to torture. Maybe just fashion, but I doubt it.

[fiduciaryatlarge]

OMG the right wing loonies hero is a ...... democrat?

[memphisdem]

Don't tell Bill O'.

[cowman]

Worse yet, he's Canadian. Do you think Bill O will want him deported if he finds out? Lou Dobbs might.

[MajorKong]

The very fact that we're even discussing basing our national policies on a fictional television show proves that we're living in Bizarro World.

[stevi]

Brought to us directly from Texas and the Supreme Court.

[bluejay10027]

You just broke the hearts of millions of kids. Their parents don't give reality. Where are they expected to learn it from?

[HmblDog]

The problem is that our national policies are presented and sold in the same manner as light beer and doritos.
It isn't Kiefer's fault that many Americans now view entertainment as a reality based view of the world.
If we could recruit the community of vampires to our side the global war on terror would be rocketed into the next dimension.
At any rate its absolutely imperative that we keep the robots from gaining control of the internet tubes or we're all doomed.

[kellygrrrl]

duh! Reality Shows aren't even reality.

[theMOLE]

...unless it's 'Reality" TV...

[Madmac]

I've recently had to tell a now former friend that 24 is NOT a DOCUMENTARY but is instead a Fictional SHOW with a predicted outcome.

[pjones006]

I think your friend needs help.

[AmirZadeh]

I guess that's why he's a FORMER friend...

[Suzieknowsbest]

This is reality

http://www.flickr.com/photos/coyote2012/3250715838/

[WaimeaWidow]

The conservative talking heads and Repugnicans should start imploding any day now. So many things they thought they knew to be true/facts are turning on them. I can just picture their deer-caugh­t-in-headl­ights look learn that 24 is just a television show. Oh wait, they're Repugnicans, they can't learn.

[libcrusader]

You need to tone it down...haven't you heard, Obama won the election, things will change. No need to name call, we are better than that...

[pjones006]

Why do you assume that fans of the show are republicans, I take offense to that. Quit espousing your hate, its not a pretty sight.

[CarlyS119]

I"m a liberal who has loved this show from the start... oh and "Star Trek" too. PS... I also know the Enterprise isn't real. Get a grip. Janeane Garofalo is on the show. Do you need a bigger liberal than that to disprove your point? If you do...there isn't one. You are now free to go on your deluded way.

[KEMLoyola]

"To his credit, Sutherland gamely attempts to assert that there's some sort of distinction to be made between fiction and reality:"

When I was three or four, my dad asked me if I understood the difference between fiction and reality, and I told him I did. I don't think anyone needs to "attempt to assert" that there's a difference between the two, any more than Mel Blanc needed to "gamely attempt to assert" that Bugs Bunny wasn't real.

[libcrusader]

He had to because the interviewer was trying to make a correlation between 24 and what is going on with the US military/pentagon regarding torture etc...

[HmblDog]

we must always try to remember the lessons from the Road Runner Show.
Speed and the backing of the story writers will always trump technology and dogged perseverence.

[SaltySaltillo]

If we cannot tell the difference between fantasy and reality, why didn't Star Wars make us all into a generation of anti-authoritarian revolutionaries?

[beauwulff]

Does he mind that "24" feeds the delusion among some that US intelligence services really have a grip on what al Qaeda et al are up to?

[HmblDog]

Good point.
Let's boycott TV shows until they come up with one that clearly demonstrates the irrationality of policies that "feel" good here at home while they transform diverse groups of people around the world into a unified coalition that is convinced that the United States is determined to subjugate all countries to our will.

[CarlyS119]

It's not Suherland's job to be the mind police. Is it Daniel Radcliffe's job to remind the uberCatholics that you can't actually aspirate or cast spells. Get over it.

[NCRDIBULL]

evidently by most of the comments and Jason, it is the left that is suffering from Bauerphobia and can't discern reality .....Oh and MSNBC and FOX are entertainment too

[k6007]

Your screenname is very apt...