News Briefs 01.23.2003
Reality Bites
CBS is apparently backing away from its plans to air a reality version of The Beverly Hillbillies.
Though a formal decision has not been made, the network has not yet formally okayed the project, which has drawn protests from groups representing rural communities.
CBS states that no family has been signed for the show and there’s no start date for production.
Last week the Whitesburg, Ky.-based Center for Rural Strategies launched a media campaign to protest and put a stop to the show. It spent about $75,000 on ads in several newspapers, slamming the proposed reality show.
A Resurrection
Oxford American, (modestly and usually accurately) subtitled “the southern magazine of good writing” is back. Ace readers are well acquainted with its music edition (and the accompanying sampler CD). After a one-year hiatus, some reorganization, and a new investor/publisher (apparently replacing John Grisham) the January/February edition is on stands now. Controversial photographer and Kentucky native Shelby Lee Adams has work featured in the new issue. And frequent Ace contributor Hal Crowther has an essay on Wendell Berry.
Keep Movin’
As weapons inspections in Iraq continue, MoveOn, an organization which is helping to build electronic advocacy groups, is trying to establish support for a movement to put some pressure on President Bush to stay true to his words of using war as the very last resort. MoveOn is working in conjunction with Congressman Ernie Fletcher to have citizens sign petitions to implore President Bush to let the inspectors do their job. The organization had a meeting with Fletcher about the issue on January 21. More information about the organization and further meetings can be found at www.moveon.org.
Politickin’
If you’ve ever wondered what goes on in the Kentucky Legislature, and if anything ever actually gets done, now you can see it, warts and all, in Legislature 2000: Behind the Scenes. The documentary airs Monday, January 27 at 9 on KET1. The film follows three bills through the 12-week session, capturing firsthand all the twists and turns along the way.
For the project, filmmaker Nell Cox chose one person for and one person against each bill and then, with a small digital camera, simply followed those legislators on the capitol floor, in public hearings, and during private meetings. To fill in gaps during those times when she was asked to leave “when the going got sensitive,” Cox quizzed participants to discover the gist of what happened behind closed doors.
The bills Cox followed for the making of Legislature 2000 relate to early childhood development, industrial farming, and mental health insurance parity. More information about programming is available on the KET website at www.ket.org.
