Monday, November 06, 2006

Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip: A Great Show!

I just finished watching Episode #7 of Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip. It's really sad that the ratings of this superb show are as low as they are. Created by West Wing producer & writer, Aaron Sorkin, it's tightly written, with clever dialogue throughout.

In every episode there's a concerted effort to bridge the wide chasm that has developed between liberals and conservatives in the U.S. in the past few decades. In this past episode there was a very insightful exchange between two of the characters, Matt Albie (a devout liberal) and Harriet Hayes (a devout Christian conservative). Here's what transpired between them:

Harriet: I don't even know what the sides are in the culture wars.

Matt: Well, your side hates my side because you think we think you're stupid. And my side hates your side because we think you're stupid.

In many ways, I think this little discourse exemplifies exactly what's happening in the United States these days. And it isn't very far off here in Canada. Anyone who reads my blog on a regular basis knows which side of the fence I come down on. I wish I had the magic answer to resolve this dispute but I don't, nor does anyone else. But Sorkin and Studio 60 are certainly trying. And that's more than reason enough why more people should watch this great show.

P.S. Things are almost certainly not going to get sorted out after tomorrow's U.S. mid-term elections. Though one thing is for sure: If the Democrats win the House then Mark Steyn et co. are going to enjoy 2 years of endless great material emanating from the mouth of one Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi!

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