What an amazing group of loyal fans!
Jericho fans seem to be like no other and I can understand why.
It’s a GREAT show!
Working on two fronts, a Nuts to Nielsen movement and a vast media and press campaign the fans are keeping Jericho alive!
And financially this is no small feat.
As a long time supporter of human rights and a member of Amnesty International, I do my best to pay attention, attend, be proactive, educate myself, and for the most part, not shut out issues that may feel too horrible to think about.
Trust me, that’s not always easy.
Two thoughts continued to rise to the top of my thought list over and over this past weekend, except, of course, when Another Thin Man was airing on TCM.
And then William Powell and Myrna Loy held the two top spots.
Ah, what a nice 2 + hours that was.
Then it was back to reality.
While the news media focuses virtually all of their attention, once again, on the typical one or two items of “hot” interest in the world, I continue to think about two specific items within their coverage.
1. Barack Obama has financially out raised and out spent Hillary Clinton by 4 to 1 according to a number of outlets.
Yet
She continues to keep pace within the voting public.
According to last week’s “Who’s Your Pick for President?” AOL straw poll, with more than 370,000 voters from all over the US, Hillary Clinton led the voting democrats at 54% to Barack Obama’s 46%.
I find it very interesting that Obama has had to out spend Clinton by 4 to 1 just to maintain his position within the overall voting public. And this doesn’t include Michigan and Florida, both states won by Hillary Clinton.
With the millions and millions and millions of dollars Barack Obama has raised and spent, he has not been able to pull far enough away from Hillary Clinton to secure the nomination.
And he recently announced that he believes Hillary Clinton will win in Pennsylvania.
Interesting.
IF Barack Obama does win the Democratic nomination, just how much money is it going to take?
Why is it costing so much money to sell his “good judgment?”
2. Watching the women of the FLDS community speak on the various news programs and watching one of the women give a tour of her home on the FLDS community ranch, one of the thoughts that kept rising to the forefront of my mind was “THIS is what it looks like when art is removed from the world.”
The arts are a means of expression.
This morning on the Today Show, Meredith Viera asked one of the FLDS women to share the reason why all of the women from the ranch look so similar (i.e., hair and dress). The woman answered by saying that it was their own [individual] choice to wear their hair up and out of their face and that their hairstyle(s) and dress did not have any specific designation.
To me, when I watch the women speak, sit, and respond, I see the absence of self expression.
My comment is not intended as a judgment on the FLDS members, but as an observation on how strongly I believe in the power of the arts.
And the absence there of.
As the silence on the violence women continue to experience during war remains just that, SILENT on the political front, a new film series looks to empower the collective voices of the women on the frontlines of these horrendous acts of war. I encourage all people to speak up for those powerless to speak for themselves. Let’s make silence on violence against women a top issue in this political year. Stand up! Speak up! Change our world!
News release from the UNFPA, UNIFEM and dev.tv:
Quick note:
If you are looking to be part of an organized campaign to save Jericho, please visit JerichoNet for information.
Through what appears to be 100% volunteer effort (which I love), these people are working hard to create a strategic plan to help Jericho find a new home.
Time is critical…please visit the site and do what you can to help in this mighty effort to make history by not only saving a great show, but in letting network executives know that you care about what is aired on television.
Above image is a fantastic postcard design created by one of the volunteers, LadyLiberty.
Continued…
As I wrote in part one of this reflection on CBS’s Jericho finale, I felt cheated with this particular episode.
Not because the cast and crew lack talent…just the opposite.
CBS’s final episode felt like an expensive, quality roast cooked at a high temperature so it would get done faster.
This type of handling results in a tough, dry and flavorless piece of meat.
A roast cooked at a low temperature for a longer period of time retains its juices, is tender, and full of flavor.
Well, that’s how I feel about the “ending” of Jericho on CBS.
I have no doubt that a number of my friends have thought it odd that I would write even one blog about a television show, much less a number of blogs, and on top of it, spend time working to keep the television show on the air.
No two ways around it, I do think Jericho is one of the best programs on TV in a long time.
But, it’s more than that.
Last week I was asked to participate in an interview to be posted on JerichoMonster. Grateful for the opportunity and honored by the request, I agreed. Thank you, JerichoMonster to you and to all who organized the first rally to save Jericho. What an incredible job you did and continue to do. More of my thoughts on this in a follow up blog.
Here is the interview (conducted 3/29/08; my answers are in blue):
1. What about Jericho appealed to you and made you such a fan?
I did not watch Jericho the first season it aired. I’m not sure why other than I think it aired opposite a show that I was already interested in or attached to. I first started watching Jericho after I heard on the news that a gargantuan amount of peanuts had been sent to CBS by fans of the show after learning of Jericho‘s cancellation. That action caught my attention. I was very impressed with the creativity, but more importantly by the commitment and determination of the fans to be heard. I wanted to know what was so good it commanded this much loyalty.
For my own sanity, stepping away this past week from the political news coverage has been refreshing. While I remain enthused and dedicated to the positive change, I believe, this election can bring our country, I am also saddened by the extent to which news writers and anchors have become manipulative in their profession. Manipulative speech is nothing new within the big network news players, but when I see it creep into local news delivery, I feel sick in my heart. Words are powerful tools in the right hands. I believe it was Walter Cronkite who used to be labeled the most trusted man in America.
Can we or would we say that about any of the news anchors now? Even those on our own small town news broadcasts?
Where has integrity in the delivery of news gone in our country?
Two special items from the CBS Jericho fansite I wanted to share:
First, this spectacular movie poster created by a Jericho fan who goes by the moniker, Rubberpoultry. He did such a terrific job I felt more people needed to see it and wanted to promote his work. The designer is offering free downloads of the poster and you will find instructions for doing so by clicking here.
Second, here is a copy of the message Brad Beyer (Stanley Richmond) just posted on the same CBS Jericho fan site. Very gracious words from a remarkably fine actor.
To all the fans of Jericho,
Thank you so much for all of your love, support and for getting us a season 2. You were the heart and soul of the show. I’ll never forget my experience playing Stanley on Jericho, it has been the highlight of my career. I’ve enjoyed meeting some of you and talking to some of you on Shaun’s show. I have never had an experience so personal with the fans, it has been amazing. Thanks again.
With love,
Brad Beyer
two chocolates 