# New CBS Ronald Reagan movie appears wildly biased - What does CBS gain with this? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 21, 2003, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-cbs-ronald-reagan-movie-appears-wildly-biased-what-does-cbs-gain-with-this/208646 "2003-10-21T05:38:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-cbs-ronald-reagan-movie-appears-wildly-biased-what-does-cbs-gain-with-this/208646/1 "2003-10-21T05:38:22Z")
New CBS movie portrays Reagan as judgemental buffoon and the creators freely admit the liberal slant of the project. What the hell is CBS thinking giving this blatant character assassination piece the green light? [CONTROVERSY SWIRLS AROUND CBS REAGAN FILM; SCRIPT REVEALED](http://www.drudgereport.com/flash6.htm) > [@](#): > > Mon Oct 20 2003 20:30:29 ET > > In the upcoming CBS telefilm on President Ronald Reagan producer fail to mention the economic recovery or the creation of wealth during his administration, nor does it show him delivering the nation from the malaise of the Jimmy Carter years. > > The film depicts Nancy Reagan as a pill-popping control addict, who set the president’s schedule based on her astrologer’s advice and who had significant influence over White House personnel and policy decisions. > > MORE > > The NEW YORK TIMES has obtained a final script for THE REAGANS, according to newsroom sources. > > TIMES reporter Jim Rutenberg does it again, and is planning a Tuesday splash. > > “This was very important for me, to document everything and give a very fair point of view,” says Leslie Moonves, the CBS chairman and a top Democrat supporter [he sat next to Hillary Clinton during her husband’s re-nominating convention]. > > MORE > > The film is set to air during next month’s Sweeps. It stresses Reagan’s moments of forgetfulness, his supposed opinions on AIDS and gays, his laissez-faire handling of his staff members. The scenes often carry a disapproving tone. > > During a scene in which his wife pleads with him to help people battling AIDS, Reagan says resolutely, “They that live in sin shall die in sin” and refuses to discuss the issue further. > > The film’s producers, Zadan and Meron, acknowledge their liberal politics, as do the stars of the television movie, James Brolin and Judy Davis. But Meron tells the TIMES: “This is not a vendetta, this is not revenge. It is about telling a good story in our honest sort of way. We all believe it’s a story that should be told.” ---
**Author:** ![RTA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@RTA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTA)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-cbs-ronald-reagan-movie-appears-wildly-biased-what-does-cbs-gain-with-this/208646/2 "2003-10-21T12:37:31Z")
For every critical piece about Reagan, there’s three movements to get him up on Rushmore or name something after him in every last stinkin’ county in the US. Fair and balanced. For me, nothing could be more scandalous than watching actual documentary footage of an old man who is so blatantly mentally decrepit, haggling with the Queen of England over whether the coffee is decaf or not, as we see in the film _Elizabeth R._ Scary. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-cbs-ronald-reagan-movie-appears-wildly-biased-what-does-cbs-gain-with-this/208646/3 "2003-10-21T13:15:38Z")
Obviously, the one and only thing any TV network has to gain by doing _anything_ is ratings. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-cbs-ronald-reagan-movie-appears-wildly-biased-what-does-cbs-gain-with-this/208646/4 "2003-10-21T14:00:55Z")
One must ask if Drudge has anything to gain by creating contoversy about this film. The objections seem over-blown. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-cbs-ronald-reagan-movie-appears-wildly-biased-what-does-cbs-gain-with-this/208646/5 "2003-10-21T14:32:11Z")
If it wasn’t produced by the CBS News Division, then shut up. ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-cbs-ronald-reagan-movie-appears-wildly-biased-what-does-cbs-gain-with-this/208646/6 "2003-10-21T14:38:59Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by astro \* **What the hell is CBS thinking giving this blatant character assassination piece the green light?** That maybe not everyone agrees that Reagan was the greatest president ever and a story could be told from the other side? How would you react to a soft-core sleaze story about Bill Clinton? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-cbs-ronald-reagan-movie-appears-wildly-biased-what-does-cbs-gain-with-this/208646/7 "2003-10-21T14:42:56Z")
Drudge would have chastised the kid in the story that pointed out that the emperor had no clothes, which is exactly what CBS is doing. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-cbs-ronald-reagan-movie-appears-wildly-biased-what-does-cbs-gain-with-this/208646/8 "2003-10-21T16:32:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ElwoodCuse \* > \*\*How would you react to a soft-core sleaze story about Bill Clinton? \*\* I think the media and Hollywood would scream bloody murder. Since Reagan is unable to defend himself, I think it is pretty poor form. If the producers are so sure of their opinion, why are they afraid to show the good along with the bad? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-cbs-ronald-reagan-movie-appears-wildly-biased-what-does-cbs-gain-with-this/208646/9 "2003-10-21T16:48:38Z")
Same as always–they sell more soap. Or used cars. Or whatever gets advertised. They have no real commitment to truth. ---
**Author:** ![lachesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@lachesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lachesis)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-cbs-ronald-reagan-movie-appears-wildly-biased-what-does-cbs-gain-with-this/208646/10 "2003-10-21T16:59:49Z")
hear, hear, **RTA**! bravo! the near-deification of Reagan by the Republicans is pretty annoying. if i see one more building, airport or whathaveyou renamed for him, i may just scream. hell, they’re giving him more splash than LINCOLN, for Og’s sake! so i’m all in favor of something that reminds the Great Unwashed Masses that the guy **did** have a few warts on him, after all. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-cbs-ronald-reagan-movie-appears-wildly-biased-what-does-cbs-gain-with-this/208646/11 "2003-10-21T17:07:16Z")
It sounds like a fair and honest portrait to me. Reagan was a pretty lousy president and the AIDS thing is true as well. Just because it doesn’t buy into the contemporary, conservaytive mythology about Reagan doesn’t mean it’s not fair. The first paragraph of the drudge story basically betrays a slanted take on this. Reagan did not “create wealth” for anyone other than a handful of billionaires. He destroyed the economy. He _was_ a judgemental buffoon. Nancy _was_ a pill-popping, hypocritical loony. And let’s not forget that whole Iran-Contra thing. It’s about _time_ that Reagan was exposed as far as I’m concerned. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Lance_Murdoch)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-cbs-ronald-reagan-movie-appears-wildly-biased-what-does-cbs-gain-with-this/208646/12 "2003-10-21T17:26:12Z")
Are we not forgetting that The Drudge Report is a never ending love letter to the right-wing? Wait till the movie airs, THEN let the let the right wing get all indignant about it AFTER they have seen it. This film is getting the same kind of reception that the Satanic Verses got in Iran. Of course, the Ayatollah never bothered to read that book before condemning it either. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-cbs-ronald-reagan-movie-appears-wildly-biased-what-does-cbs-gain-with-this/208646/13 "2003-10-21T17:29:09Z")
First off, Diogenes: > [@](#): > > He destroyed the economy. We can argue over how much he helped or hurt the eeconomy, but Reagan very obviously did not “destroy the economy.” I don’t know what you define “destroy” as, but the economy was not any worse off in 1989 than it was in 1980. If it was destroyed then why is the USA’s economy not more like Mozambique? As to the OP… If people don’t like this portrayal, why not get some investors together and produce a movie showing the other side? Isn’t it a free country? That’s the beauty of free speech. They’re coming out with an “Alamo” movie that, from what I can tell, is almost totally whitewashed, flag-waving fiction. Want a different side of that story? Make your own movie. ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-cbs-ronald-reagan-movie-appears-wildly-biased-what-does-cbs-gain-with-this/208646/14 "2003-10-21T17:34:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RickJay \* > \*\* > That’s the beauty of free speech. They’re coming out with an “Alamo” movie that, from what I can tell, is almost totally whitewashed, flag-waving fiction. Want a different side of that story? Make your own movie. \*\* What’s so whitewashed about a group of rednecks defending their right to enslave black people? Oh, yeah… ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-cbs-ronald-reagan-movie-appears-wildly-biased-what-does-cbs-gain-with-this/208646/15 "2003-10-21T18:55:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RickJay \* > \*\* > That’s the beauty of free speech. They’re coming out with an “Alamo” movie that, from what I can tell, is almost totally whitewashed, flag-waving fiction. \*\* What, [again?](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00004ZBVE/qid=1066763105/sr=8-7/ref=sr_8_7/104-5900078-0425524?v=glance&s=dvd&n=507846). ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-cbs-ronald-reagan-movie-appears-wildly-biased-what-does-cbs-gain-with-this/208646/16 "2003-10-21T19:52:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by astro \* > What the hell is CBS thinking giving this blatant character assassination piece the green light? I dunno, what the hell was Showtime thinking when they put out that ass-kissing pro-George-W.-Bush propaganda piece, “[DC 9/11: Time of Crisis](http://www.flickfilosopher.com/flickfilos/archive/2003/dc911.shtml)”? ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-cbs-ronald-reagan-movie-appears-wildly-biased-what-does-cbs-gain-with-this/208646/17 "2003-10-21T20:57:52Z")
“In the upcoming CBS telefilm on President Ronald Reagan producer fail to mention the economic recovery” Uh, because there _wasn’t_ one. What exactly is untrue about the film? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-cbs-ronald-reagan-movie-appears-wildly-biased-what-does-cbs-gain-with-this/208646/18 "2003-10-21T21:15:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ivylass \* > I think the media and Hollywood would scream bloody murder. Funny that you would think that, since they [already made that movie](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0119942/), and nobody gave a shit. But don’t let that detract from your liberal media persecution fantasies. > [@](#): > > Since Reagan is unable to defend himself, I think it is pretty poor form. Right. Because no one should ever make a biopic about a historical figure unless that person is able to rebut the film. This is exactly why Hollywood never, ever makes movies about dead people. :rolleyes: > [@](#): > > If the producers are so sure of their opinion, why are they afraid to show the good along with the bad? \*\* Which presupposes that there’s something good to say about Ronald Reagen. ---
**Author:** ![greenphan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c37758/32.png) [@greenphan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/greenphan)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-cbs-ronald-reagan-movie-appears-wildly-biased-what-does-cbs-gain-with-this/208646/19 "2003-10-21T21:24:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ivylass \* > \*\* > Since Reagan is unable to defend himself, I think it is pretty poor form. If the producers are so sure of their opinion, why are they afraid to show the good along with the bad? \*\* Why would Reagan have a right to defend himself? The biopic is about a historically important person and is merely presenting what the producers think to be the _marketable_ truth. Many former presidents are presented in bad lights, but they can’t defend themselves; it’s up to the historians and those who rename airports to rise to the defense. As for the “fear” of showing the good along with the bad: It’s persuasive film-making. It’s no different then writing an op-ed piece selectively using documentation or planning a war on inadequate intelligence; it’s persuasive argumentation. It’s allowed. That doesn’t mean, however, that what is produced will be good or notable; it’s not good when someone gets all their information from an obviously slanted source. People \should\ get their information from all sides of the spectrum but that doesn’t mean biased opinions are inherently bad; they’re just incomplete. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2003, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-cbs-ronald-reagan-movie-appears-wildly-biased-what-does-cbs-gain-with-this/208646/20 "2003-10-21T22:18:48Z")
Is there any evidence that the movie will portray anything that isn’t _true_? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-cbs-ronald-reagan-movie-appears-wildly-biased-what-does-cbs-gain-with-this/208646.md?page=2)