Uncomfortable TV

[Thomas N. Dennis]

----------
> From: Hartwin Alfred Gebhardt
> To: pynchon-l at waste.org
> Subject: Re: Uncomfortable TV
> Date: Thursday, July 04, 1996 1:37 PM
> 
> Scott Gardner writes:
> 
> > It's funny that 15 years later Dan Quayle was "forced off the air" for
> > chastening Murphy Brown's uncomfortable political themes (and so was
his
> > boss, eventually, for other reasons--or perhaps for the same reasons).
 The
> > Tube has come into its own, apparently.
> 
> Its own what? Not the old Democrat (fascists) vs Republican (fascists) 
> again? Ok ok - serious question for any USians who can tear themselves 
> away from their 4th o' July tax revolt turkeys. I have always advocated 
> teaching (or just reading) US literature (well, some) as an antidote to
US TV. 
> IS there a marked improvement in US TV since cable, as davemarc recently

> (may have) suggested? Or is Murphy Brown (and shows like The Simpsons) 
> as 'uncomfortable' as it gets? 
> 
> hg
> (PS. I actually like both shows... for what that's worth).
> hag at iafrica.com
> 
Hag,
You may be on to something. If TV could get as "uncomfortable" as a
Pynchon novel, we might get somewhere in this benighted land. We are not,
however, a people fond of displeasure...

Neil
PS Simpsons is about all I can stand, myself.