Kiefer Sutherland is headed to West Point to explain to rabid “24” fans among the cadets that torture isn’t OK in real life.
While I remain deeply skeptical – putting aside for a second the moral and legal arguments – of claims that torture is never the most effective way to get information, there’s no question from what I’ve seen (bear in mind I’ve only started watching the show this season) that 24 way overstates the practical case for torture – Jack Bauer basically never gets any useful information until he starts abusing people, and always gets more (and it’s always accurate) when he turns the screws on them. I have no problem with that as a theatrical convention, but the real world is a lot messier.
4 thoughts on “I’m Not A Torturer But I Play One On TV”
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What I find amazing is the people that are crying about the torture scenes in 24 are the same ones that let their kids go see Saw III at the movies.
Irish, for reasons I will never understand, lots of people have gone to see those Saw movies. It has nothing to do with politics, and everything to do with the love of bad taste.
I agree that it has noting to do with politics, my point is that if you want to complain about violance on TV, but turn around and send your child to that kind of movie you don’t really have the right to complain.
I personally don’t see the point of that kind of movie. I don’t watch them and don’t allow my children to either.
I think people complain about the torture in ’24’ because they see it as advocating real-world use of torture. Most people don’t view ‘Saw’ as having significant public-policy influence. 🙂