"Disney’s decision to bring Kimmel back likely had more to do with the thousands of people who canceled their Disney+ subscriptions than with the corporation’s commitment to the First Amendment."
Methinks "likely" is an understatement.
Now, America, let's do CBS/Paramount for sacking Colbert. Delayed censorship merits an undelayed reaction.
Thank you for all of that information. Some of it was new to me.
I would add, regarding the US, the cancellation of The Smothers Brothers. The government took no overt action in this, but the first nail was in the coffin when they had Pete Seeger on, singing "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy," and it was taken as a slam against LBJ (a Democrat, remember). There were other things, but as a fan, I remember that as being the beginning of the end. We should all remember the old saw (because sometimes, trite is also true): Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
The British magazine The Economist writes on this subject as well. Among their examples are two Russian circus clowns.
"The story of Bim-Bom, a circus-clown duo, is an ominous parable. Performing in Moscow in 1918, they made jokes about the Bolsheviks that the secret policemen in attendance disliked. The goons rushed the stage to arrest them. Thinking the chase was part of the act, the crowd hooted with laughter."
The problem remains that Sinclair and NextStar can act as their own censors in order to curry favor with the government who 'strongly' suggest they act in a particular way. This didn't do anything to change the equation - the President can still sue networks and extort funds; the FCC can hold up business activities in return for censoring shows.
I would dearly love to see a US version of the former British series "Spitting Image". (From the 1980s, but still available on their YouTube channel.)
After all, so many members of the Trump administration are puppets and caricatures already.
"Disney’s decision to bring Kimmel back likely had more to do with the thousands of people who canceled their Disney+ subscriptions than with the corporation’s commitment to the First Amendment."
Methinks "likely" is an understatement.
Now, America, let's do CBS/Paramount for sacking Colbert. Delayed censorship merits an undelayed reaction.
Thank you for all of that information. Some of it was new to me.
I would add, regarding the US, the cancellation of The Smothers Brothers. The government took no overt action in this, but the first nail was in the coffin when they had Pete Seeger on, singing "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy," and it was taken as a slam against LBJ (a Democrat, remember). There were other things, but as a fan, I remember that as being the beginning of the end. We should all remember the old saw (because sometimes, trite is also true): Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
The British magazine The Economist writes on this subject as well. Among their examples are two Russian circus clowns.
"The story of Bim-Bom, a circus-clown duo, is an ominous parable. Performing in Moscow in 1918, they made jokes about the Bolsheviks that the secret policemen in attendance disliked. The goons rushed the stage to arrest them. Thinking the chase was part of the act, the crowd hooted with laughter."
I cannot watch Kimmel tonight, it is blocked out by sinclair in the DMV
Sinclair is not blocking out Kimmel. They are blocking out democracy.
The problem remains that Sinclair and NextStar can act as their own censors in order to curry favor with the government who 'strongly' suggest they act in a particular way. This didn't do anything to change the equation - the President can still sue networks and extort funds; the FCC can hold up business activities in return for censoring shows.