V: Controlling the Message
Last night, “V” premiered on ABC. It is a remake of an early-1980s sci-fi thriller, where Lizard Aliens infiltrate our society, in order to eradicate all life! Fun~! (Sorry for the spoiler there…but if they admit it in the pilot, it’s fair game)
To get you in the mood for this post, here is the song used in the promo videos: “Uprising” by Muse:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioG2jR-obac]
OK, that will be in your head for roughly the next 13 months.
But the key moment of the show was when news anchor Scott Wolf (you know him from “Party of Five!”) is sitting down for an exclusive one-on-one interview with Anna, the leader of the alien “Visitors.”
Less than two minutes before the global broadcast, Anna sternly asks the interviewer NOT to ask her any questions that would paint her in a negative light.
The anchor wanted to be more than just a news-reader. He saw a future in which he was a respected global newsman, not unlike a Walter Cronkite or a Wolf Blitzer. And he was backed into a corner. Get the story of the lifetime, or stand-up for your morals. Yeesh.
The Visitors were able to perfectly control their message, as the intrepid reporter played along.
So my question to you is this: What would you have done? Are there any situations in which you would trade in your morals for professional gain?
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