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How TV's 'Dallas' Won the Cold War

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 00:00:00 EDT

The oil-and-sex soaked TV show Dallas is back on the small screen. The unapologetically odious J.R., the unappealingly ethical Bobby and the uncontrollaby alcoholic Sue Ellen are all back, along with a new crew of young, hardbodied hotties to pull in viewers who have yet to start pulling in Social Security checks.

During its original run from 1978 to 1991, Dallas was an international cultural phenomenon with ratings higher than late-’70s interest rates. It was the most or second-most watched show in the United States for half a decade, showing up in ABBA songs and Ozzy Osbourne videos, and spinning off the megahit Knots Landing.

But Dallas’ greatest impact ultimately wasn’t in these United States but in communist Romania, where it helped topple the brutal Ceausescu regime.

Dallas was the last Western show allowed during the nightmarish 1980s because President Nicolae Ceausescu thought it showcased all that was wrong with capitalism. In fact, the show provided a luxuriant alternative to a communism that was forcing people to wait more than a decade to buy the most rattletrap communist-produced cars.

“I think we were directly or indirectly responsible for the fall of the [communism],” Larry Hagman told the Associated Press a decade ago. “They would see the wealthy Ewings and say, ‘Hey, we don’t have all this stuff.’"

After the dictator and his wife were shot on Christmas Eve 1989, the pilot episode of Dallas—with a previously censored sex scene spliced back in—was one of the first foreign shows broadcast on liberated Romanian TV.

The impact of Dallas on global worldviews reminds us that “vulgar” popular culture is every bit as important as chin-stroking political discourse in fomenting real social change.

Throwaway cultural products influence far-flung societies in ways that are impossible for anyone, even dictators, to predict or control.

That lesson is more relevant than ever in a world where movies, TV shows, and music cross borders with impunity and the free West engages the semi-free East, whether in China or Iran. If the United States is interested in spreading American values and institutions, TV shows may go a lot further than armored personnel carriers.

Like Mikhail Gorbachev, poodle haircuts, and Members Only jackets, Dallas didn’t long survive the post–Cold War world it helped create. But like an uncontainable gusher in a Texas oil field, the original series left us far richer than we ever dreamed possible.

About 2.30 minutes. Produced by Meredith Bragg. Written by Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch. For a fuller treatment of this topic, go here.

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Nick Gillespie Talks Will Smith and Taxes, Elizabeth Warren, and Obama's Birth Place on Red Eye

Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Reason.tv editor in chief Nick Gillespie appeared Fox News' Red Eye to discuss various topics, including Will Smith's disinclination to pay France's 75% income tax rate, Elizabeth Warren's supposed Cherokee heritage, and Barack Obama's publisher claiming he was born in Kenya in a promotional pamphlet. Airdate: May 18, 2012.

Approximately 40 minutes.

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Weed Wars: Medical Marijuana Hits Reality TV

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:00:00 EST

"Most of our patients and our staff were really skeptical about doing a reality TV show because they were watching Jersey Shore and The Kardashians," says Andrew DeAngelo, general manager of Oakland, California's Harborside Health Center, the largest medical marijuana dispensary in the world. Andrew and his brother, Harborside's Executive Director Steve DeAngleo, are co-stars of Weed Wars, a new show by the Discovery Channel that looks into lives of those who run Harborside, the patients that seek out their services, and the politicians looking to shut them down.

"There are a lot of stigmas about medical cannabis patients, that we don't work hard, that we're a bunch of stoners, that we are lazy, that we are really criminals or drug traffickers," explains Andrew DeAngleo. "All that is a lie that has been perpetrated by the feds and the media." By opening up their work and lives to cameras, the DeAngelo brothers hope to present a side of the medical marijuana debate that is rarely seen on American television. "This is our chance - and our patients and our staff's chance - to shine."

Reason.tv sat down with the DeAngleo brothers to discuss the show, the multi-agency crackdown on medical marijuana dispensaries and how the Obama Administration's recent reversal of policy is creating an opening for Republicans this election cycle.

About 8.20 minutes. Produced and edited by Meredith Bragg. Interview and camera by Anthony Fisher.

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Mike Riggs Talks Budgeting Gimmicks, Waterboarding and Crotchless Panties on Alyona's Happy Hour

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST

Reason Associate Editor Mike Riggs joined the Alyona Show's Happy Hour to discuss controversial crotchless panties, the supercommittee's budget modifications, or lack thereof, and why public perception of waterboarding might be misconstrued. Airdate: November 15, 2011.

6.45 minutes.

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Kurt Loder on Film: The Good, the Bad, & the Godawful

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 07:01:00 EST

"As Keith Richards says, 90 percent of everything is crap."

Kurt Loder, who reviews movies for Reason.com and Creators Syndicate, quotes the legendary Rolling Stones guitarist to explain why most of the reviews in his new book, The Good, The Bad and The God-Awful: 21st-Century Movie Reviews are negative. Loder says he loves movies, but because of the constant demand for new product, the bad movies will inevitably outnumber the good ones.

In this interview with Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie, Loder offers up a few examples of some recent underrated cinematic gems, some god-awful big-budget fiascos, and tells why he devoted an entire chapter to the enigma that is Nicolas Cage's movie career.

Runs about 4.19 minutes.

Shot by Meredith Bragg, Jim Epstein and Anthony L. Fisher. Edited by Anthony L. Fisher.

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Former MTV VJ and Radio Host Kennedy on Medical Marijuana, The Politics of Alt Rock, and How She Went From Conservative to Libertarian

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 13:00:00 EDT

"Social conservatism was really bringing me down," says former MTV VJ and current host of Music in the Morning on 98.7 FM Kennedy. "And I realized, as time went on, that I wasn't a Bush conservative. I was really a libertarian."

Kennedy sat down with Reason.tv's Tim Cavanaugh to discuss efforts by the ATF to prevent gun vendors from selling firearms to medical marijuana users, the strain of right-wing political thinking running throughout alt-rock and punk of the '80s and '90s, what it's like working in Hollywood when you're not a liberal, and her political evolution from conservative to libertarian.

Interview by Tim Cavanaugh. Shot by Zach Weissmueller, Tracy Oppenheimer, and Sharif Matar. Edited by Weissmueller.

About 10 minutes long. Go to Reason.tv for downloadable versions of our videos and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel for automatic notification when new material goes live online.

Ken Burns on PBS Funding, Being a "Yellow-Dog Democrat," and Missing Walter Cronkite

Sun, 02 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EDT

"In a perfect world," says legendary filmmaker Ken Burns, "we'd want government support [for the arts] and a lot more of it."

Burns' new PBS documentary, Prohibition, was made with his longtime collaborator Lynn Novick and explores the causes, failures, and legacy of the nation's "Noble Experiment" in banning alcohol in the early 20th century. His previous works on topics such as the Civil War, baseball, and jazz were critical and commercial successes, helping to revitalize the documentary form and start rich conversations about race, history, and politics.

The Prohibition documentary will likely do the same. "There were all these factions, left and right, black and white, that were for [banning alcohol].... It [is] too easy to dismiss it as purely a retrograde, conservative attempt back to some good old days that never existed. It was a much more complicated dynamic." Indeed, the documentary stresses the role of Progressive legislators in pushing the 18th Amendment.

"The telling of history need not be Castor Oil, the dry recitation of dates, facts, and events" says Burns, who rejects doctrinaire activism in his art despite calling himself a "Democrat for life."

Burns says the proliferation of cheap production and distribution technologies for creative expression is a cause for optimisim but worries about audience fragmentation. "When I grew up, there were four or five channels and people basically shared a common canon of knowledge....Now people can seek their own self-satisfying sources of knowledge [which] is hugely dangerous."

Despite the immense popular appeal of his work, Burns is no fan of "the market" when it comes to making films. While Bank of America is one of the major funders of his current documentary, he says that in a non-public-television setting the company would have likely exerted editorial pressure on his product. Corporate money and commerical outlets even on niche cable channels come with too many strings and compromises attached, says Burns. He notes that highly praised documentarians such as Errol Morris "work a great deal of time doing commerical work on the side, which I don't have the time or the luxury or the talent to do."

This wide-ranging and sometimes-heated conversation is about 22 minutes long and was filmed by Jim Epstein, Anthony Fisher, and Meredith Bragg, who also edited the piece. Watch a discussion with Gillespie and Burns specifically about Prohibition here

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Prohibition Vogue: Why We're Still Talking About "The Noble Experiment"

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 09:00:00 EDT

Alcohol prohibition may have been repealed in 1933, but Americans have rarely been more intoxicated with the "noble experiment" than they are today.

Between "Last Call ," Daniel Okrent's best-selling 2010 book, leading clothing designers taking inspiration from jazz age fashion, a new prime-time documentary by Ken Burns, and the new, second season of HBOs critically acclaimed Boardwalk Empire, it's impossible to ignore the new interest in Prohibition. With a fixation on "classic cocktails" and faux-speakeasies, even drinking culture itself seems to be bellying up to the bar.

What's fueling this fascination and where will it end? Reason.tv talks with filmmaker Burns, author Okrent, and drug policy activist Aaron Houston of Students for Sensible Policy , who argues that "Culture and art right now are reflective of a general sentiment in this society that the war on drugs has not worked."

And that change is in air. Marijuana legalization initiatives will be on the ballot in at least two states in 2012, Reps. Ron Paul (R-Texas) and Barney Frank (D-Mass.) have introduced legislation to let states decide pot's legal status, and record high levels of Americans are in favor of legalization. As Okrent tells Reason.tv, the need for excise tax revenue during the Great Depression helped make repeal of alcohol prohibition not just possible but desirable. Coupled with a sense of exhaustion at a drug war that has done little to prevent drug use, the dire financial straits of government at all levels may just spell the demise of contemporary prohibition.

Approx. 5 minutes. Written and produced by Meredith Bragg and Nick Gillespie, who also narrates. Additional camera work by Jim Epstein and Anthony Fisher.

For more Reason.tv on drugs and alcohol, go here .

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PBS Travel Guru Rick Steves: Smoking Pot is "My Civil Liberty"

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

"I'm a hardworking, tax-paying, kid-raising, church-going citizen of this country," say author and PBS travel host Rick Steves, "and if I work hard all day long and want to go home and relax with a joint, that is my civil liberty."

Reason.tv caught up with Steves at Seattle Hempfest in August, where he spoke with Nick Gillespie about marijuana laws and whether his outspoken defense of legalization has effected his books sales, tour bookings, and television career.

Seattle Hempfest is an annual event that started in 1991 as a protest against the prohibition of marijuana, the commercial cultivation of non-psychoactive hemp for a variety of uses, and related issues. For 20 years, tens of thousands of people gather each summer to listen to speakers and bands and to show their support for legalizing pot and hemp products.

About 4.15 minutes. Shot by Alex Manning and edited by Meredith Bragg.

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Kathrine Mangu-Ward Discusses the Economy and Offshore Drilling on Freedom Watch

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Senior Editor Katherine Mangu-Ward appeared on Freedom Watch to discuss the recent standoff between Exxon and the Department of the Interior over offhsore drilling as well as America's response to the European economic crisis. Airdate: July 18, 2011.

Approximately 7.13 minutes.

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MSNBC vs Sarah Palin vs The Flag vs Sanctimonious B.S.

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 09:00:00 EDT

MSNBC is taking a hard line against Sarah Palin for using the American flag to move merchandise and line her pockets. The "Lean Forward" network claims that Palin's use of the flag in various circumstances "runs afoul" of the federal codes discouraging such displays for commercial and advertising purposes. "She drapes herself in the Stars and Stripes and makes millions of dollars in the process," charges Martin Bashir.

You betcha. And we can only guess that when MSNBC wraps itself in the Red, White, and Blue - and it does - they're doing it for charity.

Read the backstory here.

Produced by Meredith Bragg. About 1 minute.

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Veronique de Rugy: The Facts About Social Security

Thu, 19 May 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Editor’s Note: Reason columnist and Mercatus Center economist Veronique de Rugy appears weekly on Bloomberg TV to separate economic fact from economic myth.

Myth 1: There is no crisis. Social Security will never be insolvent.

Fact 1: Under the best-case scenario, the trustees report finds that the probability of Social Security never becoming insolvent is less than 2.5 percent.

The only scenario under which the Social Security trust fund will never go insolvent is based on projections which the Treasury Department itself considers to be extremely unlikely.

The above chart plots the trustees’ projections of the future balance of the Social Security trust fund under three scenarios (expressed as a percentage of the annual cost of Social Security).

The purple line plots the trust fund balance under high-cost assumptions, the red line plots the trust fund balance under intermediate assumptions, and the blue line plots the trust fund balance under low-cost assumptions. Which of these projections is most likely to occur?

To determine the likely balance of the trust fund in the future, the Social Security trustees performed stochastic modeling, estimating the likelihood of various exhaustion dates under different assumptions. This modeling concluded that there is less than a 2.5 percent chance that the trust fund will continue to exist beyond 2048. Instead, the middle of the road estimate is that the trust fund is exhausted by 2036.

Myth 2: Social Security won’t contribute to the federal deficit for decades.

Fact 2: Starting this year the program will run a cash flow deficit which will add to the federal deficit.

In theory, Social Security benefits are self-financing with a 12.4 percent payroll tax, but that doesn’t mean the money collected will pay for benefits. This is because when Congress changed the law in 1983 so that in any given year, current taxpayers pay more in taxes than the program needs to pay out benefits, Congress also required that the program invest the difference, or surplus, into a trust fund, which can only invest money in special-issue Treasury bonds.

So what has the Treasury done with the money? Well, the federal government has spent it on its daily consumption: education, loan guarantees, wars, etc. In other words, the government has already spent the money it received in exchange for the IOUs. The most recent projections say that, beginning in 2014, the program will begin permanently paying out more in benefits than it collects in taxes. At that point, the program will start redeeming the IOUs in the trust fund and use them to pay benefits to current seniors until they run out. But remember, the money is not there anymore. So then what? In order to repay the program so it can continue to pay out benefits at the promised levels, the federal government will have to borrow more money, increase taxes to get more revenue, or print more dollars.

The only way Social Security payments to seniors won’t increase future deficits is if the federal government prints more money or taxes the American people a second time to pay back the money it owes to the trust fund. My guess is that the government will borrow more money.

Myth 3: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act fixed the funding problems related to Medicare.

Fact 3: Under the best economic assumptions, less than half of all future Medicare spending will come from dedicated sources.

Medicare is funded by two trust funds, HI (Hospital Insurance) and SMI (Supplementary Medical Insurance).

As we can see on this chart, even under the best assumptions about the success of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, over 50 percent of all Medicare spending will come from dedicated sources (premiums, tax on benefits, and payroll). By law, SMI spending comes from the general fund. Considering the growth in revenue needed for it, this means that other parts of the budget will have to be reduced or we would have to find other sources of revenue

Also, the HI program is already spending more than it collects while drawing on the assets in its trust fund. Contrary to last year’s projections, the trustees report finds that by 2024 (not 2029) the HI trust fund will be exhausted (see the purple above). At this time dedicated HI funds will be sufficient to cover 90 percent of HI costs, meaning that either taxpayers will be forced to make up the difference or the program will be underfunded by 10 percent.

The trustees—including Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius and the secretaries of the Treasury and Labor Departments—say “nearly all” of the improvement in the outlook of the HI trust fund is due to health-care overhaul legislation, which cut some costs, and will raise new revenue via an increased payroll tax and a new tax on investment income.

While Medicare costs over the next 75 years are projected to be 25 percent lower due to the health care law, these cost savings rest primarily on drastic reductions in the reimbursement rates for Medicare services—reductions in reimbursements that are extremely unlikely to happen in a world where politicians are subject to powerful pressures from their constituencies.

Therefore, as the trustees note, “actual future costs for Medicare are likely to exceed those shown by the current-law projections in this report.”

Contributing Editor Veronique de Rugy is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

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Mon, 04 Apr 2011 10:00:00 EDT

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Obama Gets Busted on Mythbusters!

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 14:30:00 EST

Super-fan President Barack Obama makes a guest appearance on a very special episode of Mythbusters this week.

But will he still like Jamie and Adam after they bust his first two years in office?

Check out this super-secret Reason.tv trailer for this Wednesday's show.

Approximately 45 seconds long. Written by Austin Bragg, Nick Gillespie, and Meredith Bragg. Produced by Meredith Bragg.

After the promo, click through the on-screen hyperlink for sources or go here.

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Michael Moynihan Joins Stossel to Discuss the Media's Favorite Scare Stories

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Senior Editor Michael Moynihan appeared on Stossel to discuss how the media uses exaggerated claims and scare tactics as a way to drive up ratings. Airdate: October 29, 2010.

Approximately 11.23.

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Nick Gillespie on Red Eye

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Nick Gillespie, editor in chief of Reason.tv and Reason.com, appeared on FOX News' Red Eye. Air date: Oct. 11, 2010.

Approximately 30 minutes.

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Nick Gillespie Explains Free-Market Economics on CNN's Parker Spitzer

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie appeared on the Political Party segment of CNN's newest talk show, "Parker Spitzer." The panel discussed whether or not politicians are worse now than ever before, whether it's government or markets that cause monopolies and whether or not Gillespie is a "mouthpiece for plutonomy." Air Date: Oct. 11, 2010.

Approximately 10 minutes.

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Nick Gillespie Discussess the Midterm Elections on Fox Business

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Nick Gillespie, editor in chief of Reason.tv and Reason.com, appeared on Fox Business Channel's Varney and Co. to discuss the Midterm elections and what, if anything, will change with more Republicans in congress. Air date: Oct. 12, 2010.

Approximately 5.30 minutes.

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The Case for Cameras in the U.S. Supreme Court

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 07:00:00 EDT

Cameras are everywhere today: In convenience stores, at intersections, the workplace, your computer, your cellphone, ATM machines. There's even been a camera in news anchor Katie Couric.

Yet there's one place cameras have never been allowed: The U.S. Supreme Court. Just what are Supreme Court justices hiding beneath their robes that they continue to say no to cameras in their courtroom?

For decades the White House and Congress have opened their public business to television cameras, but the judicial branch has remained staunchly against the practice. As C-SPAN's Brian Lamb tells Reason.tv, he has been rebuffed in every attempt to record and air the oral arguments phase of Supreme Court proceedings. On this, an often-divided court remains unanimous, even if their arguments remain weaker than their majority's logic in their awful Kelo decision, which legitimated eminent domain abuse.

Both Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan spoke in favor of cameras in the Supreme Court. Can a new batch of justices, more attune to the benefits of transparency, finally change things for the better?

"The Case for Cameras in The Supreme Court" is written and produced by Meredith Bragg and Nick Gillespie, who also hosts.

Approximately 3.40 minutes.

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Mad Men Season 4: A Reason.tv Preview

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT

The upcoming season of President Obama's favorite TV show will take place in '64, the year of the Civil Rights Act, Meet the Beatles!, the Stone's debut, Johnson's trouncing of Goldwater, and the Surgeon General's "revelation" that smoking causes cancer.

What will become of the men and women of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce who came of age in the staid '50s?

The producers of AMC's hit show are touting a season packed with "surprises." We think we have a pretty good idea of what to expect.

Here's Reason.tv's guide to what Season 4 of Mad Men will get right—and wrong—about the mid-60s.

"Mad Men Season 4: A Reason.tv Preview" is written and produced by Jim Epstein and Nick Gillespie, who also hosts.

Approximately 5 minutes.

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C-SPAN Founder and CEO Brian Lamb Interview (Short Version)

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 08:00:00 EDT

In 2003 Reason named C-SPAN Founder and CEO Brian Lamb one of our 35 Heroes of Freedom for “turning a surveillance camera on the den of iniquity known as the U.S. House of Representatives.” Lamb sat down with Reason.tv editor Nick Gillespie for a wide-ranging -- and distinctively non-stoned faced -- discussion about the network, his views on politics, and a possible alternate career choice as a drummer for Merle Haggard.

Approximately 6 minutes. Produced, shot and edited by Meredith Bragg, Dan Hayes and Josh Swain. Click here to watch the full 40 minute interview.

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C-SPAN Founder and CEO Brian Lamb Full Interview

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 08:00:00 EDT

Approximately 40 minutes. Produced, shot and edited by Meredith Bragg, Dan Hayes and Joshua Swain.

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Judge Napolitano on Lies The Government Told You & His New Fox Business Show (1 of 2)

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 08:35:00 EDT

The fiercely libertarian Judge Andrew Napolitano talks with Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie about his latest book, Lies The Government Told You, and his new show on Fox Business, which debuts Saturday, June 12, at 10 A.M. ET.

Approximately 10 minutes. Shot by Dan Hayes and Meredith Bragg.

This is part 1 of 2. For the other part of the interview, go here.

Reason articles, posts, etc. by and about Napolitano here.

Judge Andrew Napolitano on Lies The Government Told You & His New Fox Business Show (2 of 2)

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 08:00:00 EDT

Approximately 10 minutes. Shot by Dan Hayes and Meredith Bragg.

This is part 2 of 2. For the other part of the interview, go here.

Reason articles, posts, etc. by and about Napolitano here.

Nick Gillespie Discusses the "Death of Decency" on CNBC's PowerLunch

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 11:30:00 EDT

Reason.tv 's Nick Gillespie appeared on CNBC's PowerLunch to discuss the "death of decency" and whether television is moving in the right direction, on June 8, 2010.

Approximately 3.25 minutes.

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Is The Tea Party Movement Racist?

Wed, 05 May 2010 14:00:00 EDT

Yesterday, the Washington Post reported that the Tea Party movement is "struggling to overcome accusations of racism," some of which has been perpetuated in its editorial pages. Yesterday's New York Times, home to the most obsessively anti-Tea Party editorial page in America, was stunned to discover that "at least 32 African-Americans are running for Congress this year as Republicans, the biggest surge since Reconstruction, according to party officials."

Previously, The Times reported that Tea Partiers are, on average, people with a high levels of education and higher than average incomes. So it would seem that they aren't, as some editorialists and pundits contend, simply a gang of subliterate militia men or, as actress Janeane Garofalo recently told MSNBC's Keith Olbermann, a subsection of the white power movement.

Wandering the recent Tax Day tea party in Washington DC with Reason.tv's Meredith Bragg, we saw some stupid signs--though none that could be considered offensive or racist. We talked to some people that claimed President Obama was both a Czarist and Bolshevik. We spoke to a former star of Saturday Night Live who has previously claimed that president might, in fact, be the anti-Christ. Or a communist. Or both. There were those who fretted that the United States were morphing into a Stalinist state. And there were countless protesters concerned that the Obama administration was spending recklessly, interested in auditing the Federal Reserve, and seething about the General Motors bailout.

So did we find that the Tea Party was motivated by race, by the fact that we now have a black president? Did it seem as if their stated concerns about health care reform and a ballooning national debt simply a smokescreen, designed to concealing a racist agenda? Here is what we found.

Produced by Michael C. Moynihan and Meredith Bragg. Edited by Meredith Bragg. Approximately 2 mins.

DMV Parody Makes It on Fox News

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EDT

DMV Parody Makes It on Fox News.

Air Date: 04/01/2009

About 1 minute.

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Drew Carey and Reason.tv on The Biography Channel

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 17:00:00 EST

Thai flight attendants not necessarily sexy

ted.balaker@reason.tv (Ted Balaker) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 19:34:00 EST

Nor are they bed-hopping brawlers who tussle with co-workers at 35,000 feet.

That’s the message being delivered by members of the Thai Airways union. They’re furious about how a popular soap opera depicts their profession, and are pressuring the Thai government to can “War of Angels.”

Although a ban seems unlikely, the series’ creator has buckled somewhat. He promises there will be no more girl-on-girl fights while flight attendants are on duty or in uniform in public.

Aliens Stole My PSA Money

jsullum@reason.com (Jacob Sullum) — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:24:00 EST

Students for Sensible Drug Policy reports that the omnibus spending bill the House has approved and the Senate is considering cuts funding for the federal government's obnoxious anti-drug ads by 40 percent, allocating half of what the Bush administration requested. (Congress had to get the money for projects like the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service somewhere.) Here SSDP briefly reviews two decades of anti-drug propaganda and questions Slate writer Seth Stephenson's judgment that the latest batch of TV spots is "very possibly the most effective, and least offensive, anti-marijuana campaign ever created."

Kerry Howley on the Olsen Twins

paul.feine@reason.tv (Paul Feine) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 17:14:00 EST

reason's Kerry Howley discusses Dog the Bounty Hunter, Victoria's Secret dolls, ear wax and threesomes with the Olsen twins on the Fox News program "Red Eye."

Strike Turns Violent

ted.balaker@reason.tv (Ted Balaker) — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 14:24:00 EST

Think WGA members are too soft to go Teamster on strikebreakers?

Clever clip; thanks to Courtney.

As far as strikers go, these writers are pretty productive. Here's another video.

Hollywood economist Glen Whitman mulls the strike here and here .

Drew on Monday Night Football

paul.feine@reason.tv (Paul Feine) — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 18:00:00 EST

Drew popped into the MNF booth last night to announce to Jaws, Tirico, Kornheiser and the rest of the world that he's joined the ownership group for Seattle's Major League Soccer expansion team. Following Barcelona's example, the team's fan club will enjoy the unique privilege of voting periodically on the fate of team management.

"We're not afraid to let the fans have the power," Drew said.

(I'll bet I'm not the only frustrated sports fan who hopes this idea catches on!)

Reason.tv on E! The Daily 10

paul.feine@reason.tv (Paul Feine) — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 12:44:00 EST

You can find Reason.tv's Drew Carey Medical Marijuana video here.

Reason.tv on CNN Headline News' Showbiz Tonight

paul.feine@reason.tv (Paul Feine) — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 15:05:00 EST

You can find Reason.tv's Drew Carey Medical Marijuana video here.

Reason.tv on KNBC, Channel 4 News in LA

paul.feine@reason.tv (Paul Feine) — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 18:25:00 EST

Hey look, Drew Carey's on TV!

As many observers and fans of "The Price Is Right" have pointed out, Drew's position on medical marijuana is a bit more controversial than Bob Barker's stance on spaying and neutering pets. But is being in favor of medical marijuana really all that radical? Will Drew's reputation suffer as a result?

AOL conducted an online poll to find out. With more than 50,000 people voting, here are the results:

Does Drew Carey's position on medical marijuana alter your opinion of him?

Yes, I like him more--46%
No change--40%
Yes, I like him less--14%

Should marijuana be legal for medical uses?

Yes--86%
No--9%
I'm not sure--5%

Is it any wonder the DEA refused our request for an interview?

You can find Reason.tv's Drew Carey Medical Marijuana video here.