Quote:
Originally Posted by The Reaper
The Unit was some of the worst drivel I have ever seen.
Completely disconnected from reality.
TR
|
TR--
Late last year, you provided a substantial list of issues for an unscripted reality show centering around the every day lives of veterans and their families. IIRC,
The Unit, despite its many faults (from a story telling and techincal perspective), and its criticisms from BTDTs such as yourself, addressed each of those issues at least once during its four-season run.
Can any television show or film provide a
realistic account of any activity conducted at an elite level, especially ones related to the conduct of war? If such works were possible from a technical and financial perspective, how many viewers would be able to understand what they were watching?
Or should film maakers and showrunners be encouraged to make works that that manage fleeting moments of
authenticity that get viewers to reflect carefully about matters that impact members of the armed services and their families?
From my perspective, some QPs are creating a no win situation for themselves and for civilians that invest time and money to understand and to support SF. For example, on this BB, many QPs have expressed repeatedly a preference for civilians to make more of an effort to understand and to respect the sacrifices Special Forces soldiers make in the nation's defense. At the same time, many QPs express unrelenting disdain for many of those efforts, if not also contempt for audiences, because movies and shows do not fulfill expectations for realism.
IMO, there comes a point where the chorus of "You're doing it wrong / This is unrealistic and, therefore, a worthless waste of time" is going to impact adversely the motivation of civilians who have other options in what they watch. In turn, because it is ultimately about the money, producers, directors, studios, distributors, and networks will make different choices in what they bring to the market place.
My $0.02.