<i>Shasta McCrackhead</i> and Other Lost TV Shows
Tim--
In an editorial on its editorial page this morning, the New York
Times editorial board editorializes about an important editorial issue;
according to Salon magazine, for about the last two years television
networks have been secretly submitting scripts to the White House's drug czar,
who awarded credit for anti-drug messages in the shows. Each dollar a network
receives in credit means one more dollar's worth of public-service time it
doesn't have to give to the government for free and can instead sell to
advertisers. Salon gave examples of several shows that added anti-drug
themes in exchange for credit. The Times , of course, is critical of the
policy, noting that it could eventually lead to government censorship and/or
"state sponsored propaganda."
Well, I've spent the morning doing some research and have uncovered
thousands of pages of evidence that reveal that the Times ' worst fears
have already come true, with the government's propaganda campaign in effect for
at least three decades, and with a far greater reach than Salon
originally reported.
To wit:
1965: One of my favorite episodes of Gilligan's Island is the one
where the castaways get superpowers after consuming irradiated vegetables. You
know what those vegetables were in the original, pre-censored draft of the
script? Methamphetamines.
1984: Everyone remembers the famous episode of Diff'rent Strokes
where Nancy Reagan teaches Arnold to "Just Say No." But few know that
government censors insisted on the removal of two lines of dialogue that they
found to be not only pro-drug but a potential embarrassment to the
administration--
WILLIS: "C'mon, Arnold, let's go snort a couple of lines of blow, just like
Vice President Bush's son!"
ARNOLD: "Whatchoo talkin' 'bout, Willis?"
1992: The producers of Full House agree to change an episode in which
little Michelle (portrayed by various Olsen twins) discovers and uses older
sister D.J.'s bong into a more benign story in which Michelle discovers and
reads D.J.'s diary.
1999: UPN's potential breakout hit, Shasta McCrackhead , is tamed into
the disastrously dull Shasta McNasty . Look where it is in the ratings
now.
And that's just what I was able to uncover since 7:30 this morning. You may
want to put your investigative reporter skills to work on this one, Tim.
