Shark Bytes

Boston Legal may have a leftist agenda right now, but I don't think it's maliciously intended, or done with the "how can we push this agenda?" attitude. I think it's more about how they have a unique ability - as a law show - to bypass the "how?" part of issues, and move directly to the "why?". Many of the cases Alan Shore and co have fought in are incredibly impractical (all the Clarence court appearances, for example, where he sues for not being allowed in a women's gym, etc), but they have the opportunity to ignore that part and take the issue on a case-by-case basis, making it a purely moral issue instead. In which case, the liberal side tends to come up on top. As I think most people would expect. It ignores the "big picture" perspective, or the "practical", however - which is where the conservative viewpoint is much better supported.

Either way, I wouldn't say they jump the shark in this. Viewers should be wary enough to keep this weakness in mind when watching the show - or anything. Many aren't, I must admit - and for that, the show could be blamed. But at the same time, without being able to cut things down like they do, they wouldn't be able to get to the dramatic and amiable heart of each issue as well, and the overall point would be muddled - and it wouldn't be as entertaining. They need to take on the big issues. It's what they do best. Plus, a ton of those liberal opinions come in the context of certain characters - like Alan Shore - who make their biases quite clear. So again: grain of salt.


Also, for what it's worth, I think this show is more about being the "town crier" and criticizing the current state of affairs (whatever they may be) than simply pushing a certain viewpoint. I think Boston Legal is only being so anti-conservative lately because a conservative is in office. But I bet (and hope) that if Obama wins, and the liberals start to take things out-of-hand, Boston Legal will be right there criticizing them as well. I would freaking love to see that, actually.

I never watched JAG, but I would have been offended too.

Still, ONE episode won't ruin a show, even if it's agenda driven, or to make a point. It's when show after show beats you over the head with the same diatribe that is full of opinion and short of facts and disenting views. Not to defend JAG, but if it was one show, that's nothing. I lived with BL for a long time with the snotty little jabs here and there. Then when they didn't get their point made well enough, they went balistic and stopped making TV and started making Democratic commercials: you know, the ones that lie and misslead to get your vote, even though they aren't even close to being honest. Then they lost me.

Actually, Rod, there was such an example that did the same thing from the other side. It was JAG, which rewrote Elian Gonzalez, the Aviano air crash in Italy and a whole host of other ripped-from-the-headlines events with the approved conservative outcome. Just like Boston Legal, they ignored real aspects of the cases and just put there own blatant spin on them. Offensive. And thank you from me as well, Minky.

Thank you Minky. That honesty is refreshing. It's fine that people can disagree on politics, talk it out and respect each other. Many can't and I believe the writers of BL are that way.

to have a 'believer' like you say that should shut down the kool aide drinkers who just don't see the one-sidedness of it. As I said, if it were all Conservative, I wouldn't watch it either. It's just not entertainment anymore. It's an agenda.

I consider myself fairly liberal, and so I usually am in favor of the liberal hot-button view being supported each week. Having said that, it's getting embarrassing how often this show relies on liberal hot-button issues. (Every freakin' episode?) The show's producer has given up on giving us engaging legal dramas and is now using the air-time to espouse his own political views (which are actually similar to my own). Even if I agree with the politics, the overall effect is that this show has jumped the shark.

Many shows that strive for topicality don't hold up well over the long run. Consider MASH, which was wildly popular in its day--its absurd stereotyping of the military makes it now seem pretentious & ridiculous.

Dave. You are very reasoned. But...

"As someone posted, there are plenty of outlets for conservative view points, those who don’t like BL because it’s liberal should go watch one of those" Those are news or opinion shows. BL is an entertainment show. I can't think of ONE entertainment show with 'conservative' view points. I wouldn't watch it anyway. I don't want preaching, I want to be entertained.

"the show does present some serious content to represent the conservative view point". not at all. It doesn't fairly present the other side. I laugh at times saying 'what about xxx'. They just ignore any argument that makes sense for the other side. I can't speak for shows since the writer's strike, but before, their 'other side' was a joke and not even intelligent.

"Higher incomes probably translates to higher education, and before you play the “bias in higher education” card, please give some thought as to what it says about bias among the less well educated." I make well over $300K per year and am a CPA with a master's degree. I meet those criteria, and I have issues with THEIR bias. So I have the right to play the 'bias in higher education' card. Most of my highly educated friends think the same thing.

By the way, I am only a conservative on the fiscal side (taxes, economics, both of which Liberals don't get right). I am moderate to liberal on social issues. And BL is still one-sided and wrong. I just wish they'd stop preaching and just entertain. Their agenda driven writing ruined the show.

Sorry Dave, I still can´t agree. The dichotomies you mention are far too pat and reinforces my point that BL and other shows and their fans swim in a monoculture soup but don´t know it. I won´t adress your every point but suffice it to say that in each one you present not the real conservative position but the liberal version of it, just like the show. I believe BL is disingenuous and irresponsible in the way it presents issues. As for its higher income, more highly educated fans, well, judging from the cesspool that academia has become I no longer trust that measure to correlate with sound intellectual or moral judgement.

As for Rev. Wright, Obama would not be in the race at all if he were the same guy but white. Even Geraldine Ferraro and the founder of BET Robert Johnson said so. There is much to back them up.
Any white candidate would be OUT as soon as the story broke. You better believe they´re giving him a pass. Oh, and I forgot to include CNN in my other post.
Thanks for the exchange.

I offer my apologies to those who are just interested in discussing the show and for the long posts. I know we're getting a little far afield.

Now then - I do seek out contradictory information on many subjects before forming opinions. Not on everything - I work for a living , but on major issues. Conventional (both liberal and conservative) opinions are often emotion-based rather than fact-driven, are over simplified, and/or are normative rather than descriptive. Liberal mischaracterize globalization, conservatives misrepresent illegal immigration. Liberals are too quick to blame corporate bad-actors and scream for regulation, conservatives are too slow to acknowledge malfeasance and resist all regulation. And both sides have distorted views on race relations, sexuality, national defense, health care, and so forth. And so on. The media (liberal and conservative) exists to attract regular audiences and thus sell ad space, not to educate or offer informed debate. The fact that there’s relatively little audience demand for actual fact and not spin is indicative of a serious failing of our education system and society in general in a country that supposedly stands for democracy and capitalism, two systems that depend upon people being able to act in keeping with informed rational self-interest. It’s a big joke.

BL is no different in one respect, it is catering to an audience and that audience is clearly liberal. As someone posted, there are plenty of outlets for conservative view points, those who don’t like BL because it’s liberal should go watch one of those. That doesn’t change the fact, however, that the show does present some serious content to represent the conservative view point as well as all the tom foolery, and offers some insight into the core of current issues to a far greater extent than most things on TV. There’s a reason BL attracts the richest audience among all broadcast TV shows (Nielsen Media Research). Higher incomes probably translates to higher education, and before you play the “bias in higher education” card, please give some thought as to what it says about bias among the less well educated.

Oh, and as for Obama getting a pass on Rev Wright – you can’t possibly be serious… how many times does a man need to say that he disagrees with somebody before the relationship can no longer be hung like an albatross around his neck?

Dave. You make good points, although Hadley is correct about not doing both sides. And I too would have NO problem if they lampooned conservatives equal (or close too) with liberals. I can laugh at satire. SNL is great at that. They roast everyone. I don't mind them making fun of anyone, because they make fun of both sides. And to pretend they don't get the liberal argument there is silly. They MAKE the points, every one a 'talking point'.

This is NOT bias Hadley. It's just fact that constant bashing of ONE side only ruins the show. That's what I cared about. I wouldn't watch a show that only bashed liberals either. I'm there to be entertained, not preached to by people with an agenda.

And 67, it's NOT subtle. They take the liberal point of view and bash you with it to make you 'laugh'. Subtle would be different. They lost subtle when it wasn't making political points.

Why is everybody so serious? Can't we all just have fun? If you tune in to a show with "Boston" in the name, and you don't already know that far left is not just the slant, but the full on direction/goal of the show, you are going to miss a hilariously subtle comedy. I look forward to settling in for an hour of just plain entertainment on this show. I have more objective sources for political views. Lighten up, folks.

Dave, after reading your long post I still stand by my opinion of the show. I don´t think you personally are brain-dead (for that I apologize) but your take on the show, that it is more balanced than we think, tells me that though you express a desire to hear both sides, you probably have never heard or considered a real conservative position. Those of us who are real conservatives are probably more familiar with and can rebut liberal arguments than the reverse. Why? NBC, CBS, ABC, BBC, CBC, PBS, NPR, NYTimes, WashPost, Gannett papers all ignore, demonize, mischaracterize not only conservative opinion but actual facts that would refute their worldview, just like Mike Nifong did in an actual case. Unless you seek it out you are not getting the whole story.

Which brings us to BL and its sister shows. They use the same false narrative as the news shows! No, BL does not treat cons and libs the same way. Its take on issues does not reflect reality, it contradicts it. There are tons of proof, citing real events, that these shows and the news/opinion biz distort truth. Remember that we were told by MSM that those Duke white boys were GUILTY, GUILTY, GUILTY repeatedly. Funny how that worked out. Obama gets a pass on Racist Rev Wright and they're already talking about McCain´s pastor. Switch races and see what happens (BTW, McCain is no conservative). And then the same things appear on BL, L&O, Cold Case, all cleaned up of those nasty facts that get in the way of that 'deeper truth' that all good liberals just know in their hearts is right.

Yes, I have been on juries, both criminal and civil. Yes it is boring. But it´s real! We´re supposed to be adults and BL treats us like children. In fact it seems written by children, as the constant 7th grade sexual innuendos and outlandish situations remind us. That by itself makes the show offensive, never mind the other stuff. No, BL is not about the real law, otherwise Nifong would have gotten away with it and three innocent men would be in jail. But hey, that's a small price to pay for revealing the ´deeper truth´.

Dave,

If they actually DID lampoon liberals in the same way they do conservatives, I'd be on your side. They don't, and you know they don't.

That said, conservatives have plenty of voices, what with talk radio, etc.

I just wish people were a little bit more honest when it came to admitting their biases...

Thanks for your comments Rod... I'll admit that most liberals give only lip service to wanting to hear both sides of the argument, but in my experience most conservatives give only lip service to there BEING two sides to an argument - legitimate ones at least. As for the somewhat simplistic version of most conservative points of view given on BL, I won't disagree, but I'd say that for the most part the liberal points of view are given similar short shrift. The show simply doesn't have time to go beyond a fairly high level presentation. And then there's the fact that the show is partly drama and partly comedy. The show points out the absurdity in both liberal and conservative view points - admittedly more frequently doing damage to the conservative view, but often presenting a pretty compelling case, if lacking in all the detail, as with last night's show. Sorry if you can't see any value in the satire, and sorry if you can't see that they lampoon liberals to a fair degree as well as conservatives.

Dave (this is a different Rod, not the one you posted to):

If you admit you like to hear both sides of the argument, I give you credit. you're not the typical liberal.

but then, why would you defend this show? It does NOT show both sides of any arguement. It shows only the liberal side. Any attempt at showing the other side is clumsy and leaves out facts and points a 5 year old could use in rebuttal. Any THINKING person, liberal or not, cannot have any repect for the this show. It shows no respect to the viewers by slanting, miss-directing and outright lying on the issues.

If you like both sides, you should hate this show.