24 and the perception of counterterrorism
June 23, 2006| By Nathaniel Ward
Talk show host Rush Limbaugh moderated Friday's counter-terrorism discussion with Heritage experts and the cast of 24.
The hit television program 24 is great entertainment but remains largely fictional, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, terrorism experts and the producers and cast of the show said Friday at a Heritage Foundation panel discussion moderated by talk radio host Rush Limbaugh.
24 accurately conveys the complex decisions that counterterrorism officials have to make on a daily basis, Secretary Chertoff told a sold-out crowd at the Ronald Reagan Center in Washington. “There isn’t necessarily a magic bullet” to solve all our problems in a way we like, he explained, and the show accurately describes how officials often have to decide between a bad outcome and a worse one.
Chertoff pointed out that the show also captures the determination and diligence of those who defend the country in real life. “Nowhere in real life or fiction have we had a better team” than at the Department of Homeland Security, he said.
Nevertheless, the fictional Los Angeles Counterterrorism Unit that is the focus of 24 often includes exaggerates technical capabilities that are far beyond what real agents have. “I wish I could have rapid execution of tasks,” Chertoff said. “I wish we could have instant communications and I wish we had [computer] systems that didn’t go down.”
This exaggeration of government’s abilities to respond quickly and protect the public may not necessarily be a good thing, despite its obvious entertainment value, notes Heritage’s James Carafano. Americans now have an inflated estimation of the government’s capabilities, which he said was reflected in the outrage over the government’s handling of Hurricane Katrina. This view was echoed by David Heyman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
“It isn’t realistic,” admitted Joel Surnow, 24’s creator and a professed Hollywood conservative. The show’s appeal lies not in its realism but in its broad message, he continued: “terrorists are the bad guys, we’re the good guys.” This message was especially compelling, he added, since the show first began airing just after the terrorist attacks in 2001.
Fellow executive producer Howard Gordon agreed, saying that the show’s writers seek to “synthesize” reality, not necessarily to present it as it really is. While they do consult with counterterrorism officials on occasion, he explained that “for the most part we make it up.” Producer Robert Cochran also concurred, noting that “nothing’s too unrealistic for us.”
Limbaugh made a point to question the actors and producers about Hollywood liberals’ reactions to their roles on 24, a show that often shies away from political correctness. To the surprise of many in the audience, they recalled only a few cases of negativity. In fact, Gregory Itzin, who plays President Charles Logan on the show, joked that other actors feel “only jealousy.”
The discussion, aired live on C-SPAN (and set to re-air Friday night at 8:00 Eastern), was about more than politics and turned occasionally to less-serious topics. Carlos Bernard, who plays Tony Almeda, engaged in constant banter with Limbaugh and the other panelists, often making repeated references to his character’s presumed death in the latest season. And Mary Lynn Rajskub, who plays Chloe O’Brien on 24, brought laughs when she described her emotions during a terrorist attack scene where “all the extras were falling down dead.”
Nathaniel Ward is the Editor of MyHeritage.org—a website for members and supporters of The Heritage Foundation.
