The Real "Over There" (Warning: Graphic Content)-UPDATE

This week, I found a very flashy promotional DVD insert in my Time Magazine. It was for a new show on FX called "Over There." "Over There" attempts to tell the story of an Army squad stationed in Iraq. A few people have asked me if I think the show is going to be realistic. Not likely. Probably about as likely as Jenna Bush being drafted.

"Over There" will not show the carnage and the real horrors of war. That is not made-for-TV. It might not even show troops needing equipment, and the problems with the Veteran's Administration for those that make it home.

And I doubt that FX and Steven Bochco are going to send a percentage of their profits a soldiers' charity.

I think it's a sad statement about our country, but this series may move attention back to OIF more than any recent news piece could.

The real "Over There" is not something you want to watch while sitting in your La-Z-Boy sipping a lemonade. The real thing isn't flashy. And it sure isn't suitable for TV. It involves scenes that look like this very graphic video from Iraq. This clip shows what happens when the human body has intimate contact with a 5.56 round.

I doubt there will be a scene like this in an upcoming episode of "Over There."

Sponsors like Budweiser, Dell and Doritos won't have the stomach for THAT much reality.

It is tough to handle. It doesn't make you feel warm and fuzzy. And viewers might want to change the channel.

Just like they do with the real war.

(UPDATE) An earlier version of this blog featured a video link that was crap. We were told the clip was from a sniper in Afghanistan. It obviously was not. Our office was duped. We will do better research next time. My apologies to all. This is not the first time I have been put in a bad spot because of bad intel. Thanks to all for keeping me in check. Unlike our President, I will admit my mistakes.

The overall point of the blog remains the same--a realistic understanding of the Iraq war is hard to come by--and definitely not for the weak of heart.