Discovering Sarah Palin
500 Words on Thursday | Written by Lee Schneider
This week, I discovered Sarah Palin in a strange place. She showed up as the star of a planned new reality show on The Learning Channel, a unit of Discovery Communications. The show is called “Sarah Palin’s Alaska.”
“It’s surprising that Discovery Communications, parent company of such cable television channels as Animal Planet, The Discovery Channel and TLC — and known for their stunning wildlife-focused shows — would chose to embrace such a controversial and anti-wildlife persona as Sarah Palin.”
-Rodger Schlickeisen, President, Defenders of Wildlife
That sound you hear? That would be the huge vacuum forming between Discovery and its viewers. Discovery seems to care about nature and Sarah Palin wants to drill oil everywhere and kill all animals. Exaggeration?
As Jimmy Kimmel put it, “Her baby seal risotto is really fantastic.”
She’ll be able to buy lots of baby seal steaks with the reported $1 million per episode paycheck she’ll receive. Discovery wants to put a lot of money in Palin’s pocket.
Ok, I’m going to put a little Valium in my herbal tea, try to keep the politics out of this and just look at the message Discovery is sending.
Your brand is what you stand for. What does Discovery stand for? Ratings? Even though Sarah Palin is popular with nutcases, are there really enough nutcases to merit putting her on Discovery for the ratings? I thought CNN was the only really desperate network. (Still working to keep the politics out of this, sorry.)
According to Defenders of Wildlife, Sarah Palin fought against protections for whales and polar bears. She continues to support hunters who fly in small planes to gun down wolves from the air. I wish I was present at the network meeting when somebody said, “Sarah Palin is the perfect person to tell me about animals.” As in we want unstable, trigger-happy Glenn Beck to talk to us about terrorism.
Putting a controversial person on TV is an old game. It comes about when smart programming executives sit in a conference room, drink vodka straight from the bottle and say “let’s make some noise and hope somebody pays attention.”
We expect brands to be true to themselves. From Fox we expect overheated pseudo-patriotic gumbo. From the broadcast networks we expect some Bachelors and Survivors and other diversions. Television is a numbers game steered by advertisers. Ratings – good. Breaking your brand – bad.
Breaking the brand would never happen to good old psychotic uncle Fox. Fox is never going to break its brand because we don’t expect Fox to stand for anything, except maybe scaring people. They don’t worry about facts or truth over at Fox. They just need to find the next big mouth. They just need to make some noise.
Different deal with Discovery. Discovery stands for something: Curiosity, knowledge, exploration and compassion. Go ahead, Discovery, make noise but also examine your motives. You have to, because you stand for something. We want to depend on you for that.
You can sign the Defenders of Wildlife petition against Sarah Palin’s show by clicking here.
Photo credit: auburnxc via Flickr and creative commons.
Wow. Strike a nerve, did they? Why don’t you stop being so subtle and tell us what you really think!
Lee,
Just what we need: another celebrity reality show, a platform for Madison Ave. and money and exposure for Palin.
It is a travesty that Palin would pop up on Discovery–just part of the continuing decline of our “culture.” The woman should be setting pins in a bowling alley; I remember her grilled about her running mate McCain’s policies–a blank stare and no crib notes on her palm.
Shooting wolves from a plane? That is sporting. I thought it bad enough when guys bagged elk at 200 yards with a high-power rifle and scope–then hang the heads on the walls of their lodges. Yes, that takes guts. If Palin wants to declare her “manhood” she should face down a bear with a spear, like in the good old days.
What is American culture “for?” It is for sale. Sadly, I think it is too dumbed-down to change. But I guess I shouldn’t talk; I routinely machine-gun raccoons that spill my garbage with my AK-47.
Bob
Thanks for commenting, Bob. Perceptive as always. I think there has to be a Sarah Palin these days and yes, she can even be on tv someplace. Just not on Discovery because that network has a positive mission (I think) and her’s is not a positive mission. I will try to remember not to wear a raccoon costume around your place on Halloween.
As a matter of fact I might have to offer a retraction. I’ve just learned that smart programming executives do not drink vodka straight from the bottle. When they want to make bad decisions they drink peppermint schnapps right from the bottle. Thanks for commenting.
That’s it! I’m boycotting TV. Oh yeah…I’ve been doing that for the past decade.
Sad, but I’m not surprised. Oprah got the highest rating for her show in two years by granting Palin the audience to promote her stupid book. I bet Oprah lost sleep over that decision – and in the end, money trumps ethics when it comes to television.
Wait … I’m having a vision … of a world where money doesn’t trump everything else when it comes to tv … I have the answer, it’s – oh, crap. I woke up.
I’m going to set an example for Palin. Think I’ll kill those pesky raccoons with well-aimed beer bottles (empty, of course). Though emptying them does affect the aim; why not give the poor animals a fighting chance?
But let’s give Palin some credit: she could be dropping napalm on Easter Bunnies to reduce the hare population. There’s good in everybody!
Bob
“There must be a sillier, less important network that could do a show with Palin.”
Already on the air. Guess you just don’t check Fox’s TV listings.
Lee,
Here’s another organization offering petition to drop this Jewish woman’s nightmare. Don’t know whether to laugh or cry. http://www.change.org/petitions/view/urge_discovery_communications_to_drop_sarah_palins_new_show?partner=59
Thanks, Carol. Change.org – good people. I’m glad this is getting out in several different ways.
yes, ’tis a sad day. the fact that his woman is going to have her own show on the discovery channel really does show how money influences every aspect of our lives including politics and the media. it would be nice to think the discovery channel has a backbone or a spine or better yet some integrity but i guess they see this “just won’t go away woman” as a cash cow for the network so they’ll push aside their ideals for the money. what’s next on discovery, jersey shore?
great article lee!
Thanks for taking a look. TLC has been described as a “freak show” by some – so maybe Palin fits right in? I hope Defenders of Wildlife delivers bales and bales of petitions and letters to Discovery HQ.
What happened to the first amendment; of all people – you in communications field should know better; I guess the constitution only apply’s to liberal activists according to those who reply here. We all want to live in a pristine world, some of you are over the edge.
Last time I checked the Constitution also applies to Sarah Palin, so you’re right – she has the right to a voice. I think she should be on tv – and she can even be on a Discovery network. What I was wondering about in the blog is why that specific network – Discovery – would want her, given their pro-animal programming.