Robbins keynote blasts broadcasters

By J. Thomas Duffy

It's in the air.

Right on the heels of Robert Reich and The Garlic giving a raspberry to the media comes the news reports of actor/writer/director Tim Robbins' keynote speech at the National Association of Broadcasters event.

Robbins kicked ass and took names!

From Variety's "Tim Robbins delivers keynote at NAB; Oscar winner takes aim at issues with wit":

Robbins peaked with what he called a three-pronged proposal that broadcasters should adopt in order to eliminate "confusing, complex issues" such as diversity of thought and opinion.

"First, erase all diversity," he said. "You only need two opinions. Second, stay focused on sex scandals. We don't want any kind of reporting outside the soundbite. I don't know about you, but show me a drunk starlet getting out of a car with no panties on, and I think the world is a better place. Third, more distraction. The economy sucks? Chaos in Iraq? It is a moral responsibility to distract."

Robbins stepped on sensitive ground when noting that "just when we were getting close to a national music playlist, along comes satellite radio that actually plays music people want to hear." NAB battled to stop the proposed XM and Sirius merger, which the Justice Dept. recently approved. Despite NAB's ongoing, bitter protests, the Federal Communications Commission is likely to approve the merger, too.

Ouch!

From Broadcasting and Cable's "NAB 2008: Tim Robbins Decries Media 'Abyss' in NAB Keynote; Actor Tears Into Government, Media in Keynote at 2008 NAB Show":

But NAB executive vice president Dennis Wharton, the spokesman for the industry group running the show, said Robbins was not given the hook.

"We found Mr. Robbins' remarks to be entertaining and thought-provoking, although we were not expecting the expletives not deleted," Wharton said. "We would obviously disagree with some of his characterizations but respect his viewpoints."

Rock That Cradle, Tim! ... Rock That Cradle! ...

Tim Robbins Website

Tim Robbins on Wikipedia

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(Cross-posted at The Garlic.)