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

[TheSojourner]

I'm a fan of 24, I'm also against torture. I know the difference between 24 and reality. I'm sure any intelligent viewer would, I'm not posting this for that reason, however. I think 24 can be an influence for the good.

This is why, Did anyone care to notice that there have been two AA men as POTUS on their show? I think that, in itself, was a remarkable achievement and very intelligent choice. I think that was pretty groundbreaking. This season we have a woman as POTUS. Perhaps these plot choices may not be incidental, but a statement on the attitudes of Sutherland et al, towards positive change..

Who knows if 24 may have been an influence for the positive, as well, now that we actually have an AA as president ? Food for thought...­?

[pjones006]

Yeah but they killed him off, so typical of Hollywood. But at least I can see him on the Unit, that is until the PC crew find out that it sets a bad example for the mentally unstable in our society.

[libcrusader]

I second that...

[SaltySaltillo]

Did anyone ever notice that the presidents in 24 are always indecisive, clueless, puppets being manipulated constantly by the bad people they surround themselves with? I always took that as some sort of subtle social commentary on the state of the Bush Presidency.

[zitlight73]

He should have informed George Bush of this fact years ago.

[BandsofBlack]

Good one.

[JonathanDS2U]

One of the mainstream perspectives on the role of theatre (used here to encompass television dramas) in people's lives is that it brings to the table/brings to the surface ideas/subjects that are bouncing around semi-suppressed in people's unconscious or thereabouts. And through this surfacing of the ideas/subjects, society is given an opportunity to develop a more mature approach. Every time theatre serves this function (not to say that theatre exists purely to be functional), there is invariably some inclination to suppress. The modern version of this kind of "participation" in culture, i.e., the idea that any subject can be suppressed if we vote/register our desire to suppress, could be one of the results of too much "reality" TV.

[MJinCanada]

As in, perhaps, Americans feel helpless in the so-called war on terror, and Bauer's successes are a panacea and/or cathartic?

[JonathanDS2U]

I think "panacea" hits the nail on the head (even though I had to use the dictionary on that one). In another genre we would be just as involved if Bauer used a magic rabbit's foot to defeat all obstacles. But when the "magic rabbit's foot" (or in this case, torture to find out where the bomb is) is scrutinized by real world measures, our unconscious senses the gap between realities.

[wildflowermaven]

Methinks Kiefer protests too much--assuaging his conscience perhaps? 24 may not have caused the policy shift, but it sure provided the masses with ready-made defenses for the policy once it started to leak out. And I question whether Sutherland "created" his character. Wasn't it created and is sustained by the writers and producers? Sutherland just breathes life into their creation. And I've heard that the creators of 24 have pretty extreme right-wing views.

[MJinCanada]

I keep thinking his mom (Shirley Douglas) must be bugging him to find a better job.

Did you know Kiefer's granddad helped create Medicare in Canada?

[CarlyS119]

Guess what... doof... his mother is an actor too and she knows it's not real. For those who don't, the Enterprise leaves the planet at noon tomorrow. Feel free to take a seat in the antimatter intermix chamber.

[TuppenceWorth]

Well, at least he has the good grace to take umbrage at being accused of being a Repugnantcan.

[publicmenace]

Every time I see Jack Bauer I can't help but remember his dad smokin' a doob in Animal House.

[Mildmannered]

You mean Animal House was not real too?

[ffakr]

24 is a good Action show but it's story lines are so outlandishly stupid that it's no surprise the most ardent fans have trouble discerning reality from fantasy.

We end up watching it, more because of my wife than me. I'm quite shocked that she still tunes in with me around. I find a couple dozen things to complain about every episode.

For those of you who don't turn in, the major idiotic story line so far has been the President's unwillingness to turn around an attack fleet from the shores of an African nation at the threat of a Terrorist who has the power to kill tens of thousands of Americans with the flick of a switch. Apparently no one on the show has yet realized that the Navy has the amazing power to turn a fleet around, then go back later.

Ironically, I missed the last season because I couldn't take it anymore. That was the kinder-gentler Jack Bauer season and the ratings flopped because he wasn't torturing someone every episode (which is every hour in 24-land).

[cowman]

So if 24 fans have trouble telling reality from fiction solely because the show is outlandish how out of touch are fans of Shrek? They must be ripe for the looney bin by your logic.

Also it's not about turning the fleet around, it's about giving in to terrorists, even temporarily, sending a signal that it's an effective way to get what you want - even if just for a little while. See? It sparks an interesting moral debate - good television does that, it makes you think. How much does American Idol make you think? If you really think the only good TV is non-fiction that's fine but don't expect The Surreal Life to spark any lively debates about policy.

Also two points of FACT: He doesn't torture someone every episode and last season's ratings were the second best of the show's then 6 seasons. Coming second out of 6 is hardly a flop.

[Grannysue]

SHHH, don't tell the Republicans, they think the show is real, just like their old boss and Cheney!

[earlygrayce1]

BREAKING NEWS.... for Bill-O

[Mildmannered]

does this mean that many of the other television shows I have watched are also not real?

[fedupwiththis]

Like what passes as news?

[k6007]

Yeah, like that..

[publicmenace]

Sadly, yes.

[Bruupo]

Except for "The Hills", yes.

[pjones006]

Only the reality shows are fake, such as the bachelor, come one people can't be that stupid.

[editpro14]

The show's absurd preoccupation with justifying torture has, for me, turned it from a fairly entertaining diversion to a right-wing screed. No suprise that Rush Limbaugh considers the show's creator to be a close friend.

[pjones006]

Friend of Rush? Not sure I can watch the show anymore after hearing that.

[teemunney]

It's also not a surprise the O'Reilly used clips from the show a couple of weeks ago to justify torture...

[CarlyS119]

Do you have an answer, perhaps even an intelligent one, for why Janeane Garofalo and Kiefer, who is partial to liberal politics are on the show? Answer might be because it's not real and they are actors.

[DavidFlores]

"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."

Tell that to Chief Justice Antonin Scalia:

http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2007/06/20/justice-scalia-hearts-jack-bauer/

[Gerald Shields]

In short, Mr. Sutherland says that 24 is entertainment, not reality and should be taken as such. If conservatives can't seem to discern between the two, then woe is them.

[cowman]

Heaven forbid they see Shrek, our Ogre-defense spending will skyrocket!

Did they send out statements of consolation for the lives lost in Independence Day?

[KarenGeorgetown]

Oh good, NOW he tells us after Republicans spent the last several years referencing the show as a justification for torture.

[ljc]

How right you are. I actually saw the hearings in Congress on torture and two republicans referred to the show when questioning. One of the witnesses actually laughed at him.

[InspiredByTruth]

First off, WE ALL KNOW its a tv show. Its the underlying themes of the show, repeated in almost every episode for 5 seasons straight, that leaves an impression in people's mind.

Who hasn't heard of the ticking clock scenario, where an attack somewhere is imminent, and the lone suspect who can expose where, when, and how, is in custody. Should they be tortured? Current public perception says "yes", even though torture is highly ineffective and infinitely more likely to produce numerous false positives that waste time and resources. Why do alot of people think someone should be tortured in time-sensitive cases? Because of shows like 24. If that was done in real life and the interrogator stooped to torture the clock would either run out or the person would die from their wounds, before any useful info was gained.