How the classic movie NETWORK is very much the reality

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The classic movie from 1976 - NETWORK - stars Robert DuVall (head of the fictional UBS network), Faye Dunaway (programming director) and William Holden (news department head); and of course Peter Finch (anchorman of UBS News). From doing everything for ratings, to international conglomerates buying corporations, the movie is very much a reality even 30 years later that makes people want to scream those words I'm Mad as Hell and I'm Not Gonna Take it No More.

 

Networks do everything for ratings and advertising dollars, but at what cost to content and dignity? The brass at UBS noticed how the rants of anchorman Howard Beale (Finch's character) has brought in ratings, and they wanted to make a nightly spectacle of it. FOX News makes its reporters slant their political stories to satisfy Rupert Murdoch's Republican agenda, and each reporter makes the decisions for the viewers, all networks do. Moreover, it is all opinonated bullshit, and the on-air "panelists" speak their views, not ours. It is all about making stories appealing to advertisers, so the networks can keep cashing checks from advertisers like Victoria's Secret and Chili's Restaurant. At what cost to each American's right to make their own decisions, and speak what is on their minds? At what cost to us being satisfied and informed customers?

 

Big-ass international conglometates buying American companies, like Saudi Arabian conglomerate buying an American TV Network, is as real as it gets. It is not just advertising dollars that keeps an American network afloat, it is more bucks it pours in when owned by international conglomerates. It is a money mad America at the risk of small businesses and our American Dream having a chance to thrive.

 

However, with all the hype that has been - and still is - going on, Beale has kept it real the whole time. His "Mad as Hell" speech explained how the world is getting worse by the minute, from bad economic times we are facing, to crime going up without us doing anything about it. On his studio-audience-packed show, Beale explains how television can get you nowhere in life if you believe everything it tells you. Also, Beale learned about the merger between UBS and the Saudi Arabians, and urged the audience (live studio and people watching) to send telegrams to White House, so the merger will be stopped. That is getting off our asses and doing something about problems, not just yelling "I'm Mad as Hell."

 

Corporate mergers between international conglomerates and American companies, and being the source of income, not just advertising dollars; making stories appealing to advertisers; they are all at the risk of our right to express our opinions, be informed consumers, and make our own decisions. Beale has ignored all that by stepping up, yelling and ranting about problems with the company - and problems in general - that inspires us to get off our asses and kick theirs, not just yell I'm Mad and Hell, and I'm Not Gonna Take it Anymore.

 

 

 

 

What about you? What are some things you learned from that 1976 classic? How else does the film reasonate with what is going on in today's world? How it is inspiring to you as an American?

[ProButtonPusher 230]

TLTR

[10Viewer 320]

I think this has been especially true since telecommunications deregulation in 1996. Also, TV stations no longer have a public service requirement like they did for many years. This, to me, is unacceptable since the American public owns the airwaves, not the broadcasters. I think it's long overdue for broadcasters to be reined in, at least a little.

 

I will also say that, especially with regard to cable TV, the public was sold a bill of goods that has come back to haunt us as competition has declined and cable rates have skyrocketed.

[Hometown News 11]