Ok, everyone knows my distaste for the Bush/Cheney team, and being a citizen I have every right to voice that disdain as often and as loudly as I choose.

BUT, who the fuck are these Brits that have made a TV docudrama that starts off with the assassination of President Bush and plans to air it on the anniversary of the eve of the attacks on American soil?????? This tasteless crap has always been left off the table internationally out of respect for the national cultures and basic morality, but now apparently it has been deemed acceptable because our President has made himself so unpopular. You know damn well if an American television production depicted even an attempt on the lives of the the Queen and royal family that the Brits would be up in arms.

This is a really tacky, classless, insulting, and yes even alienating piece of television bullshit. Much as I would like to be able to stand face to face with Bush and tell him my views on his incompetence and blunders, I would not for a moment find myself agreeable to such programming in my own country, let alone a foreign one.

My first question is, is it a parody? Is it a suggestion for what they think should be done? Is it tongue in cheek? Before I get too up in arms, I'd like to know the situation better. Heck, on 24, we've had a couple Presidents killed. It happens in movie all the time. It's not Bush per se, but it IS the office of President. You have a link with more details?

My first question is, is it a parody? Is it a suggestion for what they think should be done? Is it tongue in cheek? Before I get too up in arms, I'd like to know the situation better. Heck, on 24, we've had a couple Presidents killed. It happens in movie all the time. It's not Bush per se, but it IS the office of President. You have a link with more details?

As I mentioned in my post, it is a docudrama, which is not parody or satire. I do not have a link, as I was watching the report on the news, which had some stills from the production.

And yes, there have been many movies and television programs that have had heads of state die, but NONE have had an attack on an actual factual sitting leader as part of the program.

Would be better if they made Broakback Iraqi Freedom with Bush and Tony Blaire getting it on.

You know damn well if an American television production depicted even an attempt on the lives of the the Queen and royal family that the Brits would be up in arms.When I read this I immediately thought "Patriot Games". :)

Jack Ryan < Jack Bauer

Guessing Byte would'nt like my movie idea that starts out with the three wise men(time travelers) blowing baby jesus away in the manger?

Guessing Byte would'nt like my movie idea that starts out with the three wise men(time travelers) blowing baby jesus away in the manger?

They would be too late, organized religion was already in place.......

Is it the assassination that bothers you, or merely the date of broadcast? Presidential hits aren't exactly uncommon in film and TV.

Is it the assassination that bothers you, or merely the date of broadcast? Presidential hits aren't exactly uncommon in film and TV.

People just don't understand this for some reason....

There has never been an assassination depicted in film or television of a sitting world leader! There have been all kinds of movies depicting fictional leaders being killed, or former leaders, but NOT a sitting present day leader, most likely because the knowledge of the potential repercussions kept it from being done.

And yes, the timing of the proposed televising is also an additional slap in the face of the American people. If an American crew did a TV project showing the assassination of the Queen and aired it on the anniversary of the train bombings in London, or the same with the Spanish leader and timed it for the anniversary of the Madrid train bombings, does anyone honestly think there would not be outrage from all corners other than the islamic fruitcakes? Take it to any major country and tie it to a national tragedy.......it would be unaceptable.

It has not been done, and should not have been done now.

You know damn well if an American television production depicted even an attempt on the lives of the the Queen and royal family that the Brits would be up in arms.
I don't remember an uproar over the The Naked Gun...
Admittedly it's not exactly a movie meant to be taken seriously. :P
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095705/
Plot Outline: Incompetent cop Frank Drebbin has to foil an attempt to assasinate Queen Elizabeth II.

attempt to assasinate Queen Elizabeth II.
Attempt being the key word there... same for the Patriot Games book / movie. They were both attempts on the royal family but the American saved the day in each.

It took me a minute to figure out why Byl is so outraged. Afterall, this is just the continued manifestation of vitriolic hatred of the most hated and despised man in the world. But it's not about Bush, it's about the office of the President on 9/11.

/shrug It's disguised as someone's art and no more offensive to me than someone making a statue of Jesus stand in a bowl of shit. Let the world see it.

Let the world see it.

And be inspired to assasinate our President?
As incompetent as he may appear, he's still our President. We can knock on him, bur any other countries that do so better beware.
Imagine the reaction if he were killed while in office?
You think Americans are mad now? You think the Middle East wouldn't be a smoking crater?
Think again....
Woe be to the nation that faces the American People, unified.

And be inspired to assasinate our President?

That's a slippery slope... ...and this movie is just a falling pebble in an already existing avalanche of hate.

As I said and should be obvious, this president is already the most hated man on the planet.

A real work of art would do something controversial, like shine the president in a good light for a change.

I don't see the issue here other than it is disrespectful to have made such a movie showing Bush being assasinated. The movie could have been done using a fictional president and perhaps even a fictional situation. However, we should not forget that there was a movie made by HBO and shown on HBO depicting a dirty bomb being set off by terrorists in London. Both situations are plausible and it could be said for both that it "gives" ideas to terrorists or the "nut jobs" looking to associate their names with a catastrophe.

I wouldn't take this to heart, it means nothing and should just be ignored. If you don't like it, why give it the publicity it doesn't deserve?

Woe be to the nation that faces the American People, unified.

Yeah they better watch out...if they don't we might attack a country that has nothing to do with it.

Aye, damn the filthy Brits! And their fish and chips!Actually, catching this in the paper this morning, I didn't really understand the point. But then, I am a Brit, and so am myself unsophistititicatatdted.

Fire bad, tree pretty. About as complex as we Brits get.

Blame Canada!!!!

Aye, damn the filthy Brits! And their fish and chips!

But, but....Halo! ... I like fish and chips:o

Then you're a filthy, Brit loving, man-whore!!!

VIE BITTEN SIE DIE!!

Well, I owe the Brits an apology, somewhat.

In today's St Paul Pioneer Press, an article by Kevin Sullivan for the Washington Post "Bush 'assassination' film spurs uproar in Britain" tells me that there are still many who regard the television piece to be in exceptionally bad taste.

The depiction of a sitting head of state being shot by a sniper and dying in the arms of one of his security guards apparently upset others than just me. Stills from the docudrama were in the British papers Friday morning, and were so realisitic that many seem to have taken it as an actual event. The fact that it was an actor's body with Bush's head digitally added made for a very realistic scene, it seems.

The outrage expressed by many of the Brits over this piece of ratings grabbing trash has reaffirmed for me that there are still those who revere the position of "head of state", regardless of how much we may detest the one holding said office at any given time.

On behalf of my 60million fellow Brits, we accept your apology.
It distresses me to have thought that, for a split second, we may have misbehaved :)

Interestingly, this is now starting to get more attention, as I have seen newsprint artivcles, and am also seeing more discussion of the movie on the TV news programs.

It seems many take my position, that it is a thoughtless attempt at garnering attention and ratings, and that showing such material should be unthinkable; a sitting head of state should be shown more respect as should the people of the country he or she leads. That the piece will be aired is an indication of the strain in relations between countries. It is now apparently going to be getting American airtime as well, as the rights are being negotiated.

Though you do have one important option Byl, flip your remote control and change the channel.

Pretty much sums it up,if you dont like it dont watch it./shrug
To each his own.

Not liking the program has never been the point.

The point is that there has always been an unwritten agreement more or less to treat sitting heads of state with a certain modicum of respect, no matter how much we may or may not like them. If the U.S. were to air a program depicting the assassination of any other sitting head of state, they would be screaming for someone's head, or threatening trade agreements, and such.

That the program was developed and is set to be aired is simply an indication of the impact that this President has had on our foreign relations. And, when that program does air, and the still of the bleeding president being cradled by the secret service agent is splashed across our newspapers front pages, how many are going to see the picture before reading the accompanying text, and what impact might that have on people?

It is simply irresponsible.

The point is that there has always been an unwritten agreement more or less to treat sitting heads of state with a certain modicum of respect,

I'd like to see what you are talking about, i've seen loads of shit over the years about various Soviet leaders, Kim Jong Il, etc. Are you just up in arms because this is a sitting American leader? If so, it's very hypocritical. Yes, I'm bringing up leaders that aren't popular within this country that are lampooned or worse, but Bush is hated around much of the world too. People in other countries or even here taking drastic action against Bush in a movie is nothing surprising.

I'd like to see what you are talking about, i've seen loads of shit over the years about various Soviet leaders, Kim Jong Il, etc. Are you just up in arms because this is a sitting American leader? If so, it's very hypocritical. Yes, I'm bringing up leaders that aren't popular within this country that are lampooned or worse, but Bush is hated around much of the world too. People in other countries or even here taking drastic action against Bush in a movie is nothing surprising.

Please cite examples of a sitting leader being assassinated on camera in a film.
To my knowledge, this has never been done. If I am wrong, I will gladly acknowledge that, once I have some evidence that this has occurred before.

As has been said, if you disapprove, don't watch. I find it tasteless and won't. If the ratings suck, it will be said to be a failed experiment and prolly not repeated.

After September 11th, during that short period in which Bush had a mandate and the entire country was pissed off and ready to follow him to war, anything deemed anti-terror or against the administration was demonized. Think Bill Mahr.

As usual, Americans were oblivious to the fact that half the world doesn't like us nor did they agree with the path we were heading down. (I'm fairly certain most Americans think the entire world sides with Israel. /boggle) American exceptionalism ftw. France, as usual, was the easy target and quickly became the pharmakos in our crusades. I think Bill O'Reilly still has a boycott on French goods.

Now, what if we would have put out a documentary depicting the assassination of Jacques Chirac during this time?

Hello? McFly?

People don't like Bush. Great. I don't really like him much anymore either. The office of the President of the United States demands respect though. Why not fictionalize the assassinated? Well duh, because this shit is causing a ruckus and people will watch it simply because of all the controversy.

No sitting leader should be assassinated on film - period. The American in me would like to make distinctions between our presidents and the likes of Kim Jong Il - but for argument's sake there should be none. Not to mention its horrible politics. In a world rife with so much conflict do we really need to invite more?