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The Fourth Wall
Editorial:
By Jordan Martin
- Editorial Division Editor
The current presidential
election has proven quite
revolutionary for the shape of
American politics, particularly as
cycle. There have been several key
shifts in the political landscape
that suggest change is afoot.
First, the elections have
begun earlier. This race unofficially
began far in advance of standard
procedure. Also, primaries have
been held earlier than was
accustomed, sometimes to the
detriment of the states’
representation.
This could be due to the
change many feel is instrumental
to the future of politics. After eight
years of the current administration,
there has come the opportunity for
change. Candidates vying for
office had the opportunity to make
effective use of this widespread
discontent by initiating their
campaigns at an earlier date.
Though this would seem to create
a situation in which the voters lose
interest because of constant
media-barrage, the reverse has
proven to be true. It seems that
more people are tuning in, and more
people are finding their political
voices. :
In coming elections,
media coverage will only become
more important. Candidates with
insufficient attention will find that
they will slip further into the
background, and more quickly.
A protracted election
would also result in candidates
needing more money since they
would be forced to campaign long
before having access to public
funds. Making the presidential
campaign even more money-
centric than it already is could have
serious consequences. The say of
the individual would decrease,
except in the context of individual
donations. The office of the
president, or at least the party
nomination, would become
available for purchase, veritable
political simony.
Second, the parties have
become more fragmented as
candidates find themselves awash
in a sea of early candidates. Within
the Republican Party, the
conservative factions supporting
Mitt Romney found their hopes
founded on feeble footing when
John McCain rocketed into the lead
and secured the nomination.
Despite his success, McCain still
has not garnered the trust of many
conservative Republicans. On the
Democratic side, the party is still
largely divided over Hilary Clinton
and Barack Obama, though
historically the shoe-in nominee
has been chosen by now. Though
our nation has historically
operated on a two-party system,
these divisions point to
fragmentation more akin to
European parliamentary politics.
Though the two-party
system will undoubtedly remain in
place for some time to come, within
each party rancorous infighting
will most likely increase in coming
faction are forced to canvass for
enough broad-based support
across the party to win the
nomination. The result of this is a
number of sub-parties within the
larger two-party system.
By Levi Snyder
Staff’ Writer
By now, readers are aware
that most of my entertainment time
is spent watching movies.
However, there are a few T.V. shows
that manage to pull my attention
away from the big screen. The chief
among these shows is Friday
Night Lights, an NBC drama that
is just finishing out its second
season. The show is based on a
2004 film, and it was my love for
the movie that drew me to its small
screen counter part. Friday Night
Lights chronicles the lives of
several people in Dylan, Texas.
Dylan is a town where football rules
players, fans, and coaches. To
most, the show has been seen as
nothing more than a sports movie
that has been cut down to just an
hour each week. Because of this,
the show has struggled in the
ratings during the two seasons that
it has aired. What most people
don’t know is that the show has
very little to do with football.
Friday Night Lights is a
gripping drama about small town
life. The show focuses on several
characters; the first being Eric
Taylor (played brilliantly by King
Kong’s Kyle Chandler), the coach
of the Dylan Panthers football
team. Eric is a man with a lot on his
plate. He is the coach of a state
champion football team that is
expected to repeat their previous
victory. This puts immense
pressure on Eric and affects his
other role as a husband and father.
Eric and his wife both work full time
while trying to deal with their
rebellious daughter, Julie, and their
one year old, Gracie. The couple is
not your ordinary sitcom family
who solve every thing in a half
hour. They deal with real problems
and get into real arguments. Eric is
a good husband and father, but his
stubbornness does not make him
very easy to live with. Tami Taylor
is a dedicated mother who wants
to please every one, but often falls
short. The two of them are a
genuine on screen team. The rest
of the cast is filled out by mostly
players. First, there is Matt
Sarreson, the star quarter back and
ex boy friend of Julie Taylor. Matt
is a shy kid who must balance
school and football while trying to
take care of his senile grandmother.
Next is Tim Riggins the team’s
alcoholic wide receiver. Smash
Williams, the cocky line backer, also
catches a lot of screen time as he
tries to score a division one
football scholarship. Perhaps the
most interesting of the players is
Jason Street, a former Dylan
quarter back who became a
quadriplegic. Jason serves as one
of the team’s assistant coaches,
but he wants more than anything
to find a way to walk again.
This cast of characters
presents real situations and
problems in a very unapologetic
manner. During the past two
seasons the show has dealt with
issues like rape, underage drinking,
steroid use, and divorce with a
very blunt and genuine style. The
show does not sugar coat these
issues. It presents the problems
that are out there and it does not
pull any punches when doing so.
The real reason that I am writing
this article is to respond to the
rumor that Friday Night Lights is
in danger of being canceled. To
me, this is not a surprise and I will
tell you why; today’s audiences
don’t want this kind of show.
Friday Night Lights presents real
issues and promotes real values
in a way that is both funny and
moving. But in today’s society,
this has no place on television.
Unless some one is being killed or
raped in every episode of your
show, or the number of innuendos
spoken outnumbers the clean
jokes by a large margin, it isn’t
good television. Now I am not
saying that shows like C.S.I. or
Two and a Half Men aren’t
entertaining, but they have
lowered American T.V. goers’
standards. Gratuitous violence and
sex has become the norm. I'm not
trying to sound preachy. I am all
for free expression, but to me, it
seems that most other shows are
just presenting what they know will
sell. Friday Night Lights is doing
some thing different and it is doing
it in a very compelling way. The
show will most likely get the boot
next season and I think that is truly
a shame. Apparently after all of
these years, straying away from
what people are used to still scares
them. For those of you who want
to give something different a try,
the show can be seen on NBC’s
website. Also, the first season can
be found on DVD. So if you are in
the mood to stray from the norm
and experience a great show, give
Friday Night Lights a chance.
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