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Tim Robbins excoriates media and administration as NAB keynoter

By M&C People Apr 15, 2008, 23:48 GMT

Actorvist Tim Robbins has never been coy about his political leanings, and at the recent NAB Convention in Las Vegas, Robbins, as keynote speaker, flung it like a monkey with a profanity-laced tirade against mendacity and mediocrity in media and government. 11/27/2007 - Tim Robbins - © Janet Mayer / PR Photos

11/27/2007 - Tim Robbins - © Janet Mayer / PR PhotosBroadcasting and Cable reports that Robbins made mention he was castigated as a "traitor" for negative comments against the administrations war push, and he deliberately "pre-empted" a scripted speech on new media at the National Association of Broadcasters' annual show and launched his curse-filled humorous attack on both the state of the country and the laziness of national news media.“We are at an abyss as an industry and as a country,” Robbins said. AUDIO-LINKRobbins described that abyss using language that would not be allowed on free over-the-air radio or television.B&C noted that radio and television executives urged Robbins to “give the speech,” Robbins "bit the hand of the media."Robbins cited the homogenized radio industry and the curse of a “national playlist” before XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio shook things up, and he excoriated the news institutions for their lazy and unprofessional pursual of the truth and holding politicians accountable to it.Robbins cited the lies of the current president, George W. Bush, in the relentless coverage over the lesser sexual crimes predecessor, Bill Clinton, tried to conceal for his Monica Lewinsky moment. Robbins also had harsh words for the tabloid news creeping into normally serious newscasts, the encroaching of the bullshit news into real reporting on serious issues that affect us all. Robbins said the "pornographic obsession with celebrity culture," and divisive coverage of racial and social issues should be left behind, as should focus groups and fears about job security.“Shouldn’t broadcasters see themselves as part of a larger picture, isn’t there an obligation to honestly report on what’s going on, to pursue stories past their headlines,’’ Robbins said. “Haven’t criminal acts occurred in government? Shouldn’t there be accountability for inept policy decisions? Shouldn’t someone be fired? And you know something? I didn’t hear any of that, because I am still thinking about that starlet getting out of the car without the panties."Satellite technology provides music people actually want to hear, he noted. And “just when we were close to a national news media providing a general consensus on what the truth is,” he added, “along comes the Internets [sic] that allows its users a choice on the kind of news it watches and the YouTube. My God, we’ve got to stop them.”"Enough is enough," he said. "Now is the time to move away from our lesser selves. Now is the time to stop making money on the misfortunes of others and the prurient and salacious desires" of the public.

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I listened...Apr 16th, 2008 - 10:50:34

Good god, but he's dead on. I would love to have seen the squirming in the audience, assuming those scumbags are even still capable of shame.

tstone

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If now is the time,Apr 16th, 2008 - 20:46:57

If 'Now is the time to stop making money on the misfortunes of others and the prurient and salacious desires' of the public' than I should expect to see Tim retiring soon.

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Ted Feuerbach (Yes, my real name)Apr 16th, 2008 - 20:58:03

This was amazing! But, the sound quality was bad in parts... Can anyone post a link to a verbatim transcript? I only find hype when I Google for it.

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ParkerApr 17th, 2008 - 00:08:32

It's up to the public. If they wouldn't buy into the crap that's printed and watch and listen to the same on TV and cd's, there wouldn't be a market for it, but as long as the public is going to spend the money on these things, they will continue. So - look in the mirror!

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