I know that this isn’t really the SD’d usual fare, but I figure that some of the know-it-all’s in here probably love to pick the X-Files apart. I’m hoping some of you closet X-philes will be able to help me out.
I’ve noticed two distinct anti-Ice Capades comments from Mulder:
[ul][li]In the Moth Men episode, when Scully and Mulder are stuck in the woods with no food or water, sure to be killed by the invisible chamelleon-men of doom (ICMOD), S asks M if he has ever contimplated his own death. His answer? “Once. During the Ice Capades” (In my opinion, one of the funniest lines I’ve ever heard on TV).[/li][li]In the Blind Lady That Can See Through Her Murdering Father’s Eyes (BLTCATHMF’sE) episode, when Mulder figures out what’s going on, he comments that the girl (Marcy?) is lucky that her father didn’t go to the Ice Capades more often (meaning: A)that she would then have been forced to watch the Capades through his eyes, and B) that’s bad).[/ul][/li]
What I’m wondering is:
[ul][li]Who is it that hates the Ice Capades so much? Is it David Duchovny? Chris Carter? The Fox Network?[/li][li]Did The Ice Capades, Inc (or whatever) ever complain to Fox, Carter, et al?[/li][li]Are you allowed to just trash someone like this in your TV show? (It brings to mind the “K-Mart sucks” lines from Rain Man.[/ul][/li]
Comments?
No, it’s just that the Ice Capades are such an easy target. I always loved Woody Allen’s line, “If I had to live my life over again, the only thing I’d do differently is not go to the Ice Capades.”
Guy,
I agree. But the nagging questions still… well… nag at me. Can I use my TV show to just blast anyone I want? It seems like our over-litigous society would have already nailed people for this sort of “character assassination.”
BTW, I think that Grease on Ice! qualifies for one of my Top-Ten Signs of the Impending Apocolypse (T-TSOFIA).
As long as you’re not slanderous (“the Ice Capades is composed of gay Communist child molesters!”), you’re allowed to make satirical comments about public figures and institutions. The area may be a bit gray, but Free Speech usually protects you. Also, remember the old Hollywood saying, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity.”
I’m going to assume that the borderline-obnoxious tone I read into the last line of your post is just my lack of sleep.
Regarding the obviousness of the question of slander, I think I almost agree. But still, there is a difference between “saying that you dislike the Ice Capades” and doing so on a nationally-broadcasted television program.
As I pointed out in my last post, Jerry Falwell didn’t think that Larry Flynt had the right to say anything he wanted to, and that was in a publication he owned!
The Ice Capades, Inc (or whatever) could probably be justified in compaining that the anti-Capade stance Mulder takes adds nothing significant to his character or the program’s plot.
Of course, as Guy Propski pointed out:
In either case, I realize that I have sort of hijacked my own thread. Does anyone have anything to add regarding my other questions? What I am wondering is, from where does this anti-Capade venom come? Is it Duchovny, the show’s writers, producers or somewhere else?
The writers–they are the ones that come up with the lines, not Duchovny.
As to the source, well, it’s just funny. That’s enough justification for me. You don’t have to hate something to make fun of it; sometimes you make fun of it because you really like it.
I am reminded of another great line, this time from Caroline in the City: Caroline wants to introduce her ex-boyfriend, Dell to her new boyfrend. Dell responds that he hates the new boyfriend. Caroline charges, “You’ve never even met him! You can’t hate someone you’ve never met.”
Dale’s response:
“Never met Yanni… hate him!”
As a matter of fact, this show’s stars have quite a bit to do with the scripts’ creative content. As with most long-running TV programs (Taxi, Cheers, Night Court, MASH, etc.), the actors do an extensive amount of rewriting at first read, and are often involved in the earlier stages of the writing process.
It stands to reason, because by the fifth or sixth season, actors often know their characters better than the writers who created them. And, specifically on The X-Files, Carter and Duchovny have inserted quite a bit of crap that has nothing to do with plots just because they felt like it. Their use of the show as a soapbox is well-known.
The “moth men” episode is “Detour”, from Season 5, written by Frank Spotnitz, directed by Brett Dowler. The blind woman episode is “Mind’s Eye”, also from Season 5, written by Tim Minear, directed by Kim Manners.
I suppose it’s possible that Duchovny made anti-Ice Capades remark during both script reading sessions, and both writers decided that they were funny enough to add, but I doubt. Scriptwriters are notorious for resenting changes to their scripts by the talent.
I don’t mean to be flippant (even though I really don’t like the Ice Capades), but I would hate to think that we live in a country where you can’t even say you dislike something in the performing arts.
Saying you hate the Ice Capades isn’t inflammatory, it doesn’t present “a clear and present danger”, it’s not political speech, it’s not really commercial speech. It’s just entertainment.
No one has a constitutional right to be liked. I know I don’t.
If you watch “The Simpsons”, you would find many more types of entertainment referred to in derogatory ways.
