It was – sort of. I saw an interview with 24 creator Joel Surnow once, and he's a conservative who saw 24 in part as a way to confront viewers with those kinds of questions about whether Bauer's actions would be considered acceptable in certain situations.
Not to get TOO intellectual about it – 24 was conceived as an action show with a contemporary conflict and a real-time gimmick, not as a pro-torture propaganda piece. But Jack Bauer did become a pop icon for the right.
The problem – and most independent security experts agree – is that Jack's "ticking time bomb" scenario pretty much NEVER happens in real life, and even when it does, torturing suspects rarely if ever yields useful and accurate information even if yr not in a hurry to get it. You might get a fast answer, but it doesn't mean it's a truthful or useful one.
But why let that get in the way of an exciting story? Or a Congressional bill?
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ninetydegrees
no subject
on 2008-07-10 12:22 pm (UTC)Not to get TOO intellectual about it – 24 was conceived as an action show with a contemporary conflict and a real-time gimmick, not as a pro-torture propaganda piece. But Jack Bauer did become a pop icon for the right.
The problem – and most independent security experts agree – is that Jack's "ticking time bomb" scenario pretty much NEVER happens in real life, and even when it does, torturing suspects rarely if ever yields useful and accurate information even if yr not in a hurry to get it. You might get a fast answer, but it doesn't mean it's a truthful or useful one.
But why let that get in the way of an exciting story? Or a Congressional bill?