Preview Mode Links will not work in preview mode

Light On Light Through

You'll hear a little of this and lot of that on Light On Light Through - my reviews of great television series and movies, my interviews with authors and creative media people and their interviews of me, my media theory and political commentary, thoughts about my favorite cars and food and space travel, discussions of my music, and a few of my readings from my science fiction stories. In the first years, starting in 2006, I put up a new episode at least once a month.  More recently, it became more or less often than once a month, usually less often.  But in the Summer of 2020, I began getting more in the mood to podcast, and I began publishing a new episode much more often  -- Paul Levinson 

24 October 2021: Interview about Light On Light Through podcast

26 December 2023: Chuck Todd interviews Paul Levinson about Alternate Realities on The Chuck Toddcast  

22 December 2024: The three latest written interviews of me are here, here and here.

  1. All Episodes
  2. Keith Olbermann, Jack Bauer, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Keith Olbermann, Jack Bauer, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Jan 21, 2007

Welcome to Episode 18 of Light On Light Through - Keith Olbermann, Jack Bauer, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge ... What do these three have in common? Well, last Tuesday evening, Olbermann delivered a diatribe about 24 and Jack Bauer, as perhaps deliberate tools of the Bush administration to frighten the American people about terrorism, and thereby shore up support for its policies.  I say Olbermann misunderstands how people enjoy fiction, and recommend to him and his producers an acquaintance with Coleridge's "willing suspension of disbelief".  I also recommend Thomas Jefferson, for his confidence in human rationality and his distrust of anything that smacks of calling for censorship...

Helpful links:

  1. Olbermann's attack on 24 - don't know how long the link will be up
  2. Coleridge's Biographia Literaria - where he discusses "willing suspension of disbelief"
  3. 24 Season Premier (first 4 hours) - object of Olbermann's ire
  4. http://paullevinson.blogspot.com - more from me on this topic

Enjoy...

Paul

web: http://paullevinson.info
blogs: http://www.myspace.com/twiceuponarhyme and http://paullevinson.blogspot.com

videoclips: http://www.youtube.com/user/PLev20062006
Light On Light Through podcast: http://paullev.libsyn.com

Levinson news clips podcast: http://Levinsonnews.podshow.com

Ask Lev 2-5 min pieces of advice on writing, succeeding, and tea

words and music by Paul Levinson readings, performances,
recordings, and interviews about my music and fiction

live on radio (Sundays, 7:15am, Pacific time): www.knx1070.com

The Plot to Save Socrates - my latest novel
"challenging fun" - Entertainment Weekly
"Da Vinci-esque thriller - New York Daily News  

Show Archived Comments

Jessie
over seventeen years ago

Mr Levinson,
As someone who\\\'s seen every episode of 24 and watches Countdown every night, might I say that I don\\\'t think Olbermann talks about 24 the way he does merely as a call for blind censorship, but it\\\'s because many GoP in congress have actually quoted and brought up the show and the Bauer character in congressional speeches and hearings as justification for things like \\\"extreme interrogation\\\" (aka torture). They are using the popularity of a fictional show to manipulate the Americans who watch it. Justifying real-world torture (proven not to work in almost all cases) because it \\\"works\\\" in a fictional TV show is why Olbermann brings it up in Countdown.

Also of note is that Bush and Cheney have both said it\\\'s their favorite show I believe, so you know the show can\\\'t be trusted. heh