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Network Movie Review
Major Characters
Howard Beale.Peter Finch An anchorman (TV journalist) for the UBS television network, who is fired after many years of service because of falling popularity ratings. He soon becomes an increasingly crazy national sensation after he announces he is going to kill himself on his own news show. Diana ChristensenFaye Dunaway A smart and driven TV programmer at UBS who is willing to do anything to make her shows popular, including using Howard as a modern day "prophet" (religious leader). Max Schumaker.William Holden The well respected producer of the UBS News who tries to keep the network from exploiting Howard's growing insanity.Frank HackettRobert Duvall A power-hungry executive in the UBS network who supports Diana in her goal to do anything it takes, no matter how ridiculous, to create popular TV shows that will increase the network's profit.Arthur Jensen.Ned Beatty The president of CCA, a company that has bought the UBS network, who tries to convince Howard that all of life is based on business.Edward RuddyWilliam Prince The head of the UBS news division, who tries to balance Max's fear of the news show losing its dignity and independence, and Hackett's determination to make the news division profitable. Caroline Schumaker.Cindy Grover Max's wife, who must face the fact her husband is having an affair.Laureen HobbsMarlene Warfield An intellectual black leader in the Communist Party who Diana decides to use in order to help make a weekly show about real acts of terrorism. The Great Ahmed KhanArthur Burghard The African-American leader of the "Ecumenical Liberation Army," a tiny extremist political group that is engaged in various acts of political terrorism, including bank robberies and kidnapping ("Ecumenical" is an odd name for this group, since it refers to the world wide Christian church).
Plot Summary
This film is probably the greatest movie ever made about the American media. It is the story ofHoward Beale, a giant of television journalism who is fired after many years of service becausehis TV ratings have started to fall (Ratings estimate the number of viewers that are watching a show).Alone because his wife had recently died, and depressed by the fact that he is going to lose his job,Howard announces to a national television audience that he will kill himself with a gun on his ownnews broadcast (an act, which he observes, should get "a hell of a rating"). The announcement shocks the country, but Howard instantly becomes a news sensation himself, and he soonfinds that he is allowed and even encouraged to say whatever he truly feels about the world around him,rather than just report the news. This is because Diana, whose entire life is obsessed with ratingsand audience share, realizes that Howard is able to express "the rage of the American people."Although Howard seems to be heading toward a psychological breakdown, Diana is convinced that Howard'sscreams of "bullshit" will turn UBS into a profitable network for the first time in years.Max is Howard's best friend, and is determined to save him from Diana's exploitation, as well as to savethe dignity of the news broadcast at UBS.Yet Diana sees the news as just another entertainment show, andwith the support of Hackett, turns the UBS network into a shameless but profitable business, filledwith ridiculous but sensational shows such as "The MaoTse-Tung Hour," which includes news film of"actual acts of political terrorism."A note on the historical background: The movie takes place in 1975, a time in which the United Stateswas having major economic problems, including very high inflation and unemployment, in part due to theArab oil embargo. Other major historical events from Watergate to the Vietnam War had recently occurred,and in general, with crime high and the economy bad, the country was in a very sour mood. Network does avery good job of capturing the general anxiety and spirit of those days.A note on the corporate structures found in this film: In some ways, Network is as much aboutpower struggles in corporate America as it is about the media in general. It is helpful for yourgeneral comprehension to understand the following corporate relationships that are presentedin the movie:CCA (the Communications Corporation of America) has recently bought UBS (the United BroadcastingService, which is the 4th rated and worst national network in the US). Toward the end of the film,it is revealed that CCA itself was being bought by the "Western World Funding Corporation," which isactually owned by the Saudi Arabians A note on the language used in this film: The synopsis for this movie is one of the longest thatEslnotes.com has produced, in part because the language that is used is extremely rich with historicaland cultural references that are key to understanding the development of the plot. There are also manyamazing conversations and monologues that make for great cinema, but add to comprehension problems ifyou are not a native speaker. While this film will be a great challenge to understand, it is a trueclassic, and it is worth the extra time to try and internalize as much of this guide as possible.
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Some Words and Expressions that You May not Know
Howard Beale learns his career in TV is almost finished, and thus he decides to end it all in front of his viewers.The network news anchorman on UBS TV. The most important TV journalist who reads the news on a program. Howard Beale had been.the grand old man of news, with a HUT rating of 16 and a 28 audience share.
A "rating" is the estimated number of total viewers, while the "audience share" is the percent of TV viewers watching that show.He became morose and isolated.
"Morose" is a strong word for depressed or bitter, while a person who is "isolated" is socially distant, and uninterested in being with people.The two old friends got properly pissed.
Usually "pissed" means angry, though here it means drunk.CBS/NBC/ABC These are the three real major TV networks in the United States. They were building the lower level of the George Washington bridge and we were doing a remote from there. In this case, a "remote" is a news story filmed with a portable camera."Where the hell are you?! You're supposed to be at the George Washington bridge?" Note the common use of "the hell" in Wh questions, added to show emotion such as surprise or anger.I hail a cab and say to the cabby "Take me to the middle of the George Washington bridge." "To hail a cab" is to signal a taxi with your hands. A "cabby," is, of course, a slang word for a taxi driver.He says "Don't do it buddy, you're a young man! You've got your whole life ahead of you." "Buddy" is another word for friend. Max is implying that the cabby thought he was going to commit suicide by jumping off the bridge.I'm gonna blow my brains out right on the air.
"To blow a person's brain's out" is a dramatic expression meaning to shoot them in the head with a gun. To do something "on the air" is to do it on TV or radio, in real, live time.You'd get a hell of a rating, I'd guarantee you that. Another way to say a very high rating, or a big audience. Execution of the Week. Assassinations. Mad bombers. Mafia hit men.
Automobile smashups.
An "execution" is the killing of a person, usually done by a government. "Mafia hit men" are gangsters who agree to murder people, usually in exchange for money. A "smashup" is an accident. It would put fucking Disney right off the air. Max's way of saying that an extremely violent show based on real life would get many more viewers than the "family shows" created by the Walt Disney company.Sara Jane Moore. Squeaky Fromme. Patty Hearst. OPEC. Various names in the news in 1975. Moore and Fromme were two women who tried to kill President Ford. Patty Hearst was the daughter of a rich publisher who was kidnapped by radical terrorists who later joined her kidnappers. OPEC is the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, which represents those nations which control much of the world's oil. Two, one, cue, Howard. A word that signals to an actor that it's time to start speaking.I'm going to blow my brains out right on this program a week from today, so tune in next Tuesday. "To tune in" to a TV show is to watch it. What the fuck is going on, Howard? A very crude but common way of asking a person what is happening.Howard, what the hell are you doing?! Have you flipped? If somebody "flips," they have gone crazy.Go to standby.
In this context, "standby" refers to the blank screen with a small printed message that TV stations will broadcast if they find themselves in an emergency, without anything else that they can use. As UBS tries to recover from Howard's announcement, Diana searches for "angry" shows, while Max tries to save the news division from Hackett.Lou, can't we clear out that downstairs lobby? "To clear out" a building is usually to remove the people in it. Every TV station and wire service.
News organizations, like Reuters and UPS, that sell new stories to newspapers and TV and radio stations.We had to abort the show what else could we do? "Abort" is a powerful verb which means to cancel, stop or kill, before a natural ending, and usually because of sudden trouble that develops.So far over 900 fucking phone calls complaining about the foul language! A truly great line: "Fucking" is a very vulgar and common adjective that is used to express strong emotion, and "foul language" refers to vulgar words like shit and fuck.Tell them to go fuck themselves! Note that beyond "fuck you," a person can say the same thing to people they are not directly speaking to!They're all going to lead with it. "To lead" with a story is to make it the first story on the news.We got a stockholders meeting tomorrow at which we'regoing to announce the restructuring of management plan. A "stockholders meeting" is the annual meeting where all investors (stockowners) in the company are told how it is doing. "To restructure" is a popular word in business meaning to reorganize a company.I don't want this grotesque incident to interfere with that. "Grotesque" is a powerful adjective meaning disgusting or horrible. An "incident" is a single event or interesting story.You, Max, better have some answers for some ofthose nuts who come to stockholder meetings. In this context, a funny slang word for crazy people.Mr. Beale has been under great personal and professional strain.
"Strain" is another word for pressure, or perhaps a state of tension.I've had it up to here with your cruddy division and its annual 33 million deficit.
If someone says that "they've had it up to here," this means they are sick or tired of it. "Cruddy" is a nice little word meaning bad, or of poor quality. A "deficit" is an important business word that refers to the amount of money owed beyond what is available.We've got a limo at the freight exit. A "limo" is short for limousine. "Freight" is any type of product that is delivered by truck or train, such as furniture or office equipment. You're late for your screening, Max. "To screen" a film or movie is to show it, often for a special audience.You'll like the footage better than the stuff I showed you last time. "Footage" refers to unedited news and video film.Goddamn it! A somewhat crude but very common way to express anger.The consolidation of the revolutionary and radical movements.
A "consolidation" is the combining of two or more things. "Radical movements" are political groups that struggle for a particular cause that is seen as too extreme by the majority of people.We're going to see something really sensational.
An important word meaning amazing, extremely exciting or great.The Flagstaff Bank of Arizona was ripped off last week by a terrorist group called the Ecumenical Liberation Army. "To rip off" a bank is a colloquial way of saying to rob it. There's a hell of a lot of liberation armies in therevolutionary underground.
.and a lot of kidnapped heiresses.
"The revolutionary underground" is a general phrase referring to those radical political groups who fear being eliminated by the government. An "heiress" is the daughter of a rich person, and in this case refers to Patty Hearst. Listen Max, I'd like another shot.
One say of saying another chance or opportunity.I'd like to make some brief farewell statement. A speech that is "brief" is short and direct, and "farewell" is a formal word for goodbye.I have some standing in the industry I don't want to go out like a clown. To have "standing" in an industry is to have a good reputation based on many years of work. It will be simple and dignified.
You can check the copy.
If something is dignified, it is done with maturity, grace and dignity. In this case, "to check the copy" is to verify words in print. Ok, no booze today, Howard. "Booze" is a common slang word for liquor.Most of it's tedious stuff of Laureen Hobbs and two fatigue jackets muttering mutilated Marxism. Tedious is a useful word meaning boring, with too much detail. The rest of the sentence is colorful, but unimportant Fatigue jackets are green army jackets, popular with radical revolutionaries. To mutter is to speak in an angry and low voice that is hard to hear, and a philosophy (or animal) that is mutilated has been torn apart.Authentic stuff shot while the robbery was going on! If film is authentic, it is true or genuine, and not staged or acted. Note that stuff can be physical things, or as here, general acts. I think we can get a hell of a movie of the week out of it and maybe even a series! This is Diana's way of thinking how a bank robbery can be turned into entertainment. A movie of the week was a different film that was shown on network television at the same time every week. A TV series is a program that is regularly shown, usually once a week. Maybe they'll take pictures of themselves hijacking747s, bombing bridges, assassinating ambassadors. To hijack a plane is to force it to fly to a different location then it was going to. To assassinate a person is to shoot them to death, but note the victim must be a politician, ambassador or other important person who is being killed for political reasons. A series about a bunch of bank-robbing guerrillas.
Members of a military force that uses support in the general population to fight against a stronger, state supported army. What are we going to call it? The Mao Tsetung hour? A reference to the Chinese communist leader, who was considered a great revolutionary by many American radicals in the 1960s and 70s. Strike force. Task force. SWAT. These are special units in the police and military that deal with various crisis situations, such as kidnappings and other terrorist acts.In a nutshell, it said the American people are turning sullen.
In a nutshell is an excellent expression meaning in brief, or in very few words. If somebody is sullen, they are sad and cheerless.They've been clobbered on all sides by Vietnam, Watergate, inflation. To clobber a person is to hit them forcefully. They've turned off, shot up, fucked themselves limp and nothing helps. A typical Diana line! To turn off in this context means to turn off both the TV and society in general, or to try and escape from society's problems. To shoot up is a dramatic phrasal verb meaning to take drugs such as heroin, with needles. Limp is another word for flaccid or soft, and thus if a man fucks himself limp, he has so much sex that he can no longer stay hard.The American people want somebody to articulate their rage for them. To articulate something is to express it well, and rage is a powerful word for strong and violent anger.I don't want conventional programming.
I want counter-culture, I want anti-establishment.
Conventional programming would be traditional or typical TV programs, such as police shows. The counter-culture refers to people outside the mainstream of society, such as the hippies of the 1960s.If a person is anti-establishment, they are against the major corporate and political powers that run the society. This network is an industry joke.
A way of saying that other TV networks don't take UBS seriously because it has such bad shows and is watched by so few people. Next time I send an audience research report around, you all better read it or I'll sack the fucking lot of you. To sack a person is to fire them, and the lot is the entire group.At the time CCA took control, the UBS TV network was floundering, with less than 7% of national TV revenues. To flounder is to move with great difficulty, or to try and regain balance.I am submitting to the board of directors a plan for the coordination of the main profit centers. To submit is to officially give over or distribute. For any company, the board of directors are the officials that meet every few months to decide on general company direction. To coordinate is to organize or set up. News divisions are expected to lose money, but to our philosophy, this is a wanton fiscal affront to be resolutely resisted. Hackett's way of announcing the news division will have to make money in the future. A wanton affront is a shocking and offensive act or statement, and fiscal is another word for financial.Why was I led up to that podium and publicly humiliated in front of the stockholders? A podium is the high part of a floor from which people can speak to an audience. To humiliate a person is to completely embarrass them, and stockholders are people who own stock in a company. Howard announces to his viewers that life is filled with bullshit, as Max continues to fight Hackett for the independence of the news division.I announced that I was going to commit public suicide Admittedly, an act of public madness.
A key word in this movie, meaning total insanity or craziness.I just ran out of bullshit.
Another key word in this film, and a critical concept in life. A crude but very common word for lies, nonsense, or anything said that is completely ridiculous.Ok, cut him off! — Leave him on! If this is how he wants to go out Here, to cut off someone is to stop broadcasting them over the air. We don't know why were going through this pointless pain and decay If something is pointless, there is no reason for it. Decay is a useful word referring to the physical process of rotting or decomposing.If there is anybody out there who can look around this demented slaughterhouse of a world we live in Demented is a good word for morally sick or depraved. A slaughterhouse is where animals are killed and cut into meat.and tell me that man is a noble creature,that man is full of bullshit! Noble is another word for honorable. A creature is a living being.This is going out to 67 affiliates.
Affiliates are the local TV stations around the country that form part of the national TV network.I was married for 33 years of shrill, shrieking fraud! Shrill and shrieking sounds are both high and disagreeable, like a cat screaming in pain. In this case, fraud is a big lie, and perhaps Howard's way of saying he and his wife never loved each other.You were primarily responsible for this colosally stupid prank.
Colossal means extremely big, but it's rarely used as an adverb, as it is here. A prank is a playful but foolish joke or trick, often done by kids.It was unconscionable.
A powerful word meaning extreme, excessive, or perhaps immoral.You and I go back 20 years, Ed. Two people who go back 20 years have known each other that long.I took this job with your personal assurance that you'd back my autonomy against any encroachment.
A personal assurance is a guarantee or promise. Autonomy is an educated word for independence, and encroachment is another word for interference.Hackett is nothing but a hatchet man for CCA. A hatchet is a small ax or chopping knife, and a hatchet man is the person in a company that does all the dirty work, such as firing people.I too thoughtthat the reorganization of the news divisionwould not be executed.
.until everyone had been consulted and satisfied. If a plan is executed it is actually carried out and completed. To consult with a person is to discuss something with them.You sulked off like a child and engaged thisnetwork in a shocking and disgraceful episode.
To sulk is to be angry, often at something that isn't that important, and thus to sulk off is to leave like an angry and silly child. To engage a company in something is to get it involved, and a disgraceful episode is a shameful or humiliating incident or event. Your position is no longer tenable, regardless of how management is restructured. If a person's position is no longer tenable, they will not be able to keep it, and in fact, this is Ruddy's way of telling Max that he is fired.We will coordinate our statementsto the least detriment of everyone. To coordinate statements is to organize them so that they work or fit together well. Detriment is another word for harm or damage.I've been sitting behind that desk.the dispassionate pundit reporting withseeming detachment.
the daily parade of lunacies that constitute the news. A dispassionate person is neutral or unemotional, and a pundit is an informed or educated observer. To do something with detachment is to do it without emotion. A lunacy is something that is crazy and to constitute the news is to make up the parts of it. Knock it off, Arthur! Knock it off is a great expression that simply means stop it!Have the overnight ratings come in? The scores that tell TV programmers how many people were estimated to have watched their shows the previous day.It is irresistibly titled The New Lawyers. If something is irresistible, it is too cute or adorable to resist.The running characters are a crusty but benign ex-Supreme Court Justice.
Crusty is a good word for a person who is often in a bad mood, while benign means harmless. A Justice is a judge on the US Supreme Court, which is the highest court in the country. The local district attorney, who is brilliant and sometimes cuts corners.
A district attorney is the lawyer who prosecutes accused criminals for the state. Brilliant is extremely intelligent. A person who cuts corners will sometimes break the law or cheat, if they think that they will not get caught and the act is not too serious. Lady cops. Female police officers.A crusty but benign police lieutenant, who is always getting heat from the police commissioner.
A lieutenant is a middle ranking member of the police (or military). To get heat from a person is to get a lot of pressure from them, and the police commissioner is the person in charge of the police force.The Arabs have decided to jack up the price of oil another 20%. To jack up prices is to raise them.New York City is still facing default.
Default is the official act of declaring bankruptcy, or the inability to pay money that is owed. Diana realizes that Howard can change everything for UBS, and what the American people need is a person to express their rage.I think we've lucked in to something. To luck in to something is to find yourself in a great situation without ever having tried.Are you suggesting we put that lunatic back on the air, yelling bullshit? A truly great word for a crazy or insane person.You're not going to get something like this dumped in your lap for the rest of your days, so you can't piss it away.
If an opportunity is dumped in your lap, it is given to you just by chance (a person's lap is the section of leg above their knees, when they are sitting down). To piss away an opportunity is to waste it. I can turn that show into the biggest smash on television. In this context, a smash is a popular show, or huge success.I see Howard Beale as a latter day prophet.
a magnificent messianic figure inveighing against the hypocrisies of our time. One of Diana's truly great and ridiculous statements A prophet is a man who claims to be speaking directly for God, and a latter day prophet is simply one who makes such claims in modern times. Magnificent is a powerful word meaning truly wonderful or great, and a messianic figure is a messiah, or great religious leader.To inveigh is an educated word meaning to speak against, and hypocrisy is an important word describing the situation when people (especially politicians) say they believe something, but in fact act in ways that show they do not. It will just go through the roof.
In this context, to become extremely popular.Do you want to figure out the revenues of a strip show that sells for 100,000 bucks per minute?! To figure out a problem is to solve it. Revenues is a business word for income. A strip show is a nightclub show in which women take off their clothes. Bucks is very common slang for dollars.Frank, it's being handed to us on a plate. Let's not blow it.
To blow it is a great expression meaning to waste an opportunity, or more generally, to do something poorly.We don't want to lose momentum.
An important word that means the force or general direction that something is headed in.I'm going to be eyeball to eyeball with Mr. Ruddy on this. Hackett's way of saying that he will be fighting Ruddy with all the power he has from his influence in the corporation.I'm the one whose ass is going on the line. A crude and slang way of saying that he is the one risking his job.Top brass of a bankrupt television network. The top brass of a company are its highest executive officers. If a company is bankrupt, it doesn't have enough money to pay its debts. A pornographic network news show? The FCC would kill us. Pornographic is an adjective that means lewd or obscene, though it usually refers to sex. The FCC is the Federal Communications Commission, the governmental agency that looks after TV networks.The FCC can't do anything except rap our knuckles.
Hackett's way of saying that the FCC doesn't have the power to actually stop the show. Literally, to hit their fingers, but never used.I don't want to think about the litigious possibilities. An adjective that refers to law suits.The affiliates will kiss your ass if you hand them a hit show. Hackett's crude way of saying the affiliates will be grateful, as long as the show is popular and makes money. This violates every canon of respectable broadcasting. To violate a law is to break it, and a canon is an old word for an established law or behavior that has been accepted for a very long time.We're a whorehouse network. A whorehouse is a house of prostitution, or brothel.That's very commendable, Nelson. A rarely used but nice word for honorable or deserving or praise.Your indignation has been duly recorded.
Indignation is angry disapproval, and if something has been duly recorded. it has been officially noticed or recognized.I think we ought to give it a shot.
To give it a shot is to try and do something difficult or dangerous. I might teachwhatever the hell one does when one approaches the autumn of one's years.
Max's poetic way of saying when one gets old.They want Howard to go on, spontaneously letting out his anger. To do something spontaneously is to do it without planning ahead of time, or without thinking or reflection.Are you kidding?— I'm not kidding! To kid is to joke around, or not be serious.I said if you think I'll go along with this bastardization of the news, you can have my resignation along with Max Schumaker's. The bastardization of something is the degrading or lowering of it. A resignation is the formal act of quitting or withdrawing from a job.Do you want to be an angry prophet denouncing the hypocrisies of our times? To denounce something is to speak out against it.Yes, then grab it! To grab something is to physically seize or hold it, though here it simply means to take advantage of the situation.There is some kind of corporate maneuvering going on. In this case, a good expression referring to the struggle for power within the company, and between the divisions of the company.Hackett is clearly forcing a confrontation.
A confrontation is a fight, battle or struggle.I suspect that CCA will be upset at Hackett's presumptuousness.
If someone is presumptuous, they arrogantly assume that they can do or say things that they really should not.The initial response to the new Howard Beale show was not auspicatory.
This word is never used, though auspicious means positive, in the sense that it suggests good things will happen in the future.Monday's rating dropped a point, clearly suggesting that the novelty was wearing off.
The novelty of something is the interest it generates simply because it is new and different. If it wears off, it begins to get weaker. Diana sets out to seduce Max, but she can't convince him to let Howard be America's new and angry modern day prophet.Did you know that there are a number of psychicsthat are working as licensed brokers on Wall Street? A psychic is a person who claims that they can predict the future. A Wall Street broker buys and sells stocks in various companies.Some counsel their clients by use of tarot cards.
To counsel a person is to advise them. Tarot cards are special playing cards supposedly used by psychics to predict a person's future.They're all pretty successful.even in a bear market and selling short.
A bear market is one in which the stock market goes down, and is the opposite of a bull market. To sell short means to invest in a way that you make money if the company stock goes down.If her tips were any good, she could wreck the market. A tip is a small piece of helpful information. To wreck something is to completely destroy it. She said she was occasionally prescient.
A person who is prescient can predict the future.I just had a fleeting vision of you sitting in an office with a craggy middle aged man, with whom you are or will be emotionally involved. A fleeting vision is a visual image that lasts only a few seconds. A person who is craggy is often upset and in a bad or sour mood.This one operates on parapsychology.
The use of such things as mind reading, fortune telling and other powers that can't be explained by known scientific laws.She has trance-like episodes and feels things in her energy field. This is a typical nonsense statement that people associate with mind readers and fortune tellers. A trance-like episode is a period of time when a person is so focused that it's almost as if they are asleep with their eyes open. A trance is a condition of extreme concentration.Sibyl the Soothsayer. Diana's discovery, who she wants to put on the Howard Beale show. A soothsayer is a person who claims to be able to predict the future.Give her two minutes on Friday, which is suggestively occult The occult is the world of the supernatural, such as ghosts.Beale is too crotchety.
He's being irascible.
Crotchedy and irascible are both fairly rare words for a person who is in a bad mood or easily irritated.We want a prophet, not a curmudgeon.
A curmudgeon is another rare word for an irritable or bitter person.He should do more apocalyptic doom.
Apocalyptic doom is an expression from the bible that refers to the end of the world, when all will die in huge fires.I could make your Beale show the highest rated show in television if you'd let me have a crack at it.
To have or take a crack at something is to try and do it, especially if it is difficult.TV is show biz, and even the news has to have a little showmanship.
Show biz is a common expression for the entertainment business, and showmanship is the art of entertaining an audience.It's straight tabloid.
In this case, straight means pure or completely, and a tabloid is a newspaper that specializes in covering famous people.If you're going to hustle, at least do it right. To hustle is to work quickly, seriously and often long hours.I don't like hassles.
A good word for problems or obstacles that get in the way of progress. I wouldn't rule that out entirely. To rule out something is to eliminate it as a possibility.It was a fluke It didn't work. A fluke is a good word for an event that happened once by luck, but is not likely to happen again.Tomorrow, Howard goes back to the old format and all of this gutter depravity comes to an end. In TV news, a format refers to the general organization or content of the show. A gutter is the part of the street on the edge where many people throw garbage, and depravity is a good word meaning immorality and general social decay.You hung around here just to pitch a loony show biz idea. To hang around is to wait or stay in a particular place. To pitch an idea to someone is to try and convince them that it has great promise or potential. Loony is a good word for crazy or ridiculous.What's your scam in this? A scam is a trick or way of manipulating or cheating people, though here Max uses it to mean just an interest or goal.My little visit was a gesture made out of your stature in this industry. A gesture is an act taken to show one's true feelings. Stature is a good word meaning reputation or esteem, usually used in a positive sense, and achieved from many years of hard work.I was in the audience, and I had a terrible school girl crush on you To have a crush on someone is to secretly like them very much.Son of a bitch I got a feeling I'm being made. Max's way of saying he feels he's being sexually used by Diana.I don't do anything on my first date. The type of thing an innocent girl would say to a boy when they go out for the first time, so that they boy would not try to do anything sexual.I had six years of analysis and pretended to be sane.
In this context, analysis is psychological counseling, and sane means emotionally stable, or the opposite of insane or crazy.My husband ran off with his boyfriend and I had an affair with my analyst, who told me I was the worst lay he ever had. To get laid is crude but common slang, meaning to have sex, and thus to be a bad lay is to be bad at having sex! I apparently have a masculine temperament, I arouse quickly, consummateprematurely, and can't wait to get my clothes on and get out of that bedroom. A classic line from Diana Temperament is one's way of acting or thinking, and in this context, to arouse is to get sexually excited, while to consummate is to climax or have an orgasm. I seem to be inept at everything except my work. Inept is a useful word meaning incompetent, unable or bad.Middle aged man reaffirming his middle aged manhood and a terrified young womanwith a father complex.
What sort of script can we make out of this? A father complex is a psychological term for a girl who is obsessed with her father. A script is the written story for a movie, and a key word in this film, since Diana is obsessed with possible TV scripts.What about your loves, lusts and allegiances? Lusts are sexual attractions, and allegiances are people a person is loyal to. Note that these words are usually not used as plural nouns. Max and Hackett fight over the future of the news division, and soon Howard tells America that they must become angry.I'm killing this whole screwball angry prophet thing. Another word for silly, foolish or completely ridiculous.He's sharpand he had everybody cracking up at the meeting. If someone is sharp, they are thinking logically and clearly. To crack up is a good phrasal verb meaning to laugh out loud (though it can also mean to go crazy or have a nervous breakdown). Last night I was awakened from a fitful sleep by a shrill, sibilant faceless voice. A fitful sleep is restless or uneasy. A shrill voice is high, sharp and unpleasant. A sibilant voice has a hissing sound, like a snake.I said, what is this, the burning bush? For God's sake, I'm not Moses, andthe voice said to me And I'm not God, what does that have to do with it? The Burning Bush is a story in the Bible in which Moses speaks to God, whose voice comes out of the bush.Because you're on television, dummy.
A gentle insult word for someone who is not too smart.For pete's sake, I'm not asking you to walk.preaching the Armageddon.
For pete's sake is a common way to start a sentence when you want to show irritation or impatience. The Armageddon is the story in the bible in which the forces of good and evil fight as the world ends.I think you're having a breakdown and require treatment. Short for a psychological breakdown, in which people lose control of their emotional stability.I feel vivid and flashing, as if I've been plugged into some great electromagnetic field. Both words mean vibrant and filled with energy. The great electromagnetic field could be nature, or the entire universe. I've never felt more orderly in my life It's a shattering and beautiful sensation. In this case, orderly means calm and organized. If something is shattering, it is explosive or violent, though here, Howard means it in a very positive way.It is the exalted flow of the space-time continuum, save it is spaceless and timeless. The words of a crazy person, or perhaps someone on illegal drugs. Exalted means worthy of great praise, and a flow is simply the movement of liquid, such as a stream. The space-time continuum is a concept made famous by Einstein, in which space and time intersect. I feel on the verge of some great ultimate truth. To be on the verge of something is to be extremely close to it (though usually one is on the verge of doing something).The son of a bitch is a hit.
The response is sensational. Son of a bitch is a crude but common term for a mean or unpleasant man, though it is often used, as here, to refer to people in general. If a person is a hit, they have become very popular with the public.That crazy son of a bitch Beale has caught on! If a person catches on with the public, they become very popular.All you grave robbers think about is that he is a hit. A grave robber is a person who steals bodies from a cemetery, or more generally, any immoral person willing to exploit others. Howard Beale obviously fills a void.
A void is an empty space, and here, it refers to spiritual emptiness.It looks like he may go over bigger than Mary Tyler Moore! To go over bigger than somebody else is to become more popular than they are (Mary Tyler Moore was a much loved TV star of the 70s).If you want me out of here, you'll have to drag me out kicking and screaming. To drag somebody is to pull them, usually on the ground.You think they'll quit their jobs for you? Not in this recession.
A recession is an economic down turn in which many people lose their jobs. The mid 1970s was a period of a deep recession.It's a big, fat big-titted hit. Ridiculous but colorful words. Tits are crude slang for female breasts. I'll be announcing projected earnings for thisnetwork for the first time in 5 years. Projected earnings is one way of saying predicted profits. Mr. Jenson will be sitting there in his chair, rocking back and forth, and he'll say That's very good, Frank, keep it up.
Note that people rock back and forth when they sit in a rocking chair. If a person tells you to keep it up, they are telling you to keep doing what you've been doing (in this case, making the company profitable).So don't have any illusions about who is running this network. An illusion is a false or distorted view of reality.I'll put him in a hospital before I let you exploit him like a carnival freak.
A carnival freak is any strange human that people would pay to see, such as a man with two heads, or a woman with a beard.I'm going to spread this whole reeking business in every newspaper. To spread news is to make sure it is heard everywhere possible, and if something reeks, it smells horrible or rotten. I must make my witness.
— Sure thing, Mr. Beale To make witness are words from the bible in which people agree to express what they see as a great truth. Sure thing is one way of saying OK. Things are bad. The dollar buys a nickel's worth, banks are going bust.
A nickel is 5 cents, and if a bank goes bust, it goes out of business. The air is unfit to breathe. Another word for unsuitable or too polluted. Please, let me have my toaster, and my TV and my steel belted radials.
A type of tire, and for Howard, a stupid symbol of consumerism.I don't know what to do about the depression andthe inflation and the Russians and the crime in the streets. A good list of the various worries that America had in the mid 70s! I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!!!If you refuse to take something, you refuse to accept it. One of the most famous lines in the history of the movies. They're yelling in Baton Rouge! Son of a bitch, we've struck the mother lode! Note that son of a bitch can be used, as here, as just a general expression of excitement. To strike the mother lode is to find a main source of gold or other valuable mineral (Baton Rouge is in Louisiana). Stick your head out the window and keep yelling! Note the verb you use when you want to see somebody's head outside of a window. In the Nielson ratings, the Howard Beale show was listed as the 4th highest rated show of the month. The Nieslon ratings are the actual rating used to measure the popularity of TV shows. .surpassed only by the $6,000,000 Man, All in the Family and Phyllis. To be surpassed by is to be exceeded by, or outdone by. The names that follow are in fact three very popular shows from the 1970s. Diana and Laureen Hobbs prepare to bring weekly terrorism to America's viewers, as Howard continues to scream the horrible truth as he sees it.I'm Diana Christianson, a racist lackey of the imperialist ruling circles.
A lackey is a very negative word for a servant or worker who will do anything for their boss. The imperialist ruling circles is a Marxist (communist) way of describing those who control powerful nations.I'm Laureen Hobbs, a bad-ass commie nigger.
Bad-ass is a crude way to describe a tough or strong person. Commie is a silly slang word for a communist, and nigger is an very racist word for a black person, though some blacks will use it among themselves.When a network says they want to put the ongoing struggle of the oppressedmasses on prime time television, I have to regard this askance.
The ongoing struggle of the oppressed masses is a Marxist way to refer to the struggle of working people to fight for communism and justice (in theory). Prime time are the hours between 8 and 10PM, when there are the most TV viewers. To regard something askance is tool look at it with great suspicion or mistrust. The Ecumenical Liberation Army is an ultra left sect creating politicalconfusion with wildcat violence and pseudo-insurrectionary acts.
Laureen's view of her radical competition Ultra means extreme, and a sect is a tiny group, often with a powerful leader. Wildcat violence is unorganized violence with no particular goal or strategy.Pseudo means false, so pseudo-insurrectionary acts are those that in Laureen's view pretend to be revolutionary, but in fact are not.The Eccumenicals are an undisciplined gang whose leader is an eccentric, to say the least.
An eccentric is a person who acts very strangely. To say the least is an excellent expression that you use when you say something that in fact could be said much more strongly. We're talking about 30-50 million people a shot, which is a bit betterthan handing out mimeographed pamphlets on ghetto street corners. In this case, 30-50 million people a shot means that many people will be watching each program. Mimeographed is an old word for xeroxed, or copied, and a pamphlet is a small booklet that is usually stapled together. A ghetto is a very poor part of a major city.I'll be in LA until Saturday, and I'd like to get it rolling.
LA is Los Angeles, America's most loved city. To get something rolling is to get it started.I'm going to make a TV star out of you, just like Archie Bunker.
You're gonna be a household word.
Archie Bunker was the main character in the TV show All in the Family, a very popular show about a conservative working class American and his family. A household word is a word or name known by most people. Celebrities like Elvis are household words.What the fuck are you talking about? Note that the fuck is a crude but common addition to wh questions, used to show emotion like anger (It's safer to ask what the hell?).Miss Mata Hari and her skeletons in the closet.
Another of Diana's personalities for the Howard Beale show. A skeleton is the bones of a human body, but skeletons in the closet refers to information that people want to keep secret because it might be considered scandalous.Another segment of vox populi.
This is a Latin term meaning popular vote.Edward George Ruddy, Chairman of the Board of UBS, died today. The Chairman of the Board heads the corporate board of a company, but is not necessarily the same as the CEO (the Chief Executive Officer), who runs the company on a daily basis.He died of a heart condition, and woe is us.
Woe is great sadness, but it is, strangely, used in grammatical constructions like the one above.What's that got to do with the price of rice? One way of saying What does that have to do with this?Because the only truth you know is what you get over this tube! The tube is a slang word that refers to television, and it is a very important word for this movie.This tube is gospel The ultimate revelation.
Gospel is a religious word that means complete truth. Ultimate revelation is Howard's way of referring to truth that comes directly from God.This tube is the most awesome, goddamn force on the whole godless world! Awesome is a popular way of saying great, amazing, fantastic, etc.Who knows what shit will be peddled for truth on this network? Note that shit can refer to anything, from junk to news stories. To peddle something is try and sell it on city streets.Television is a goddamn amusement park.
It's a circus, a carnival, a travelling troupe of acrobats.
An amusement park is a place with many rides for kids, such as Disneyland. A troupe of acrobats is a group of people who walk on ropes that are high off the ground, usually in circuses.Go to your gurus! A guru is a religious leader, often of a small group of followers.This is mass madness, you maniacs! Mass madness is insanity or craziness that is effecting lots of people at the same time. Maniac is a great word for a crazy person, or a person who is obsessed with just one thing.UBS was running at a break-even point.
In this context, a break-even point is when a business takes in just enough money to pay its expenses, but not enough to make a profit.Negative cash flow. This refers to the situation where a business is spending money faster than they are earning it (the opposite of positive cash flow).The projected rate of return on invested capital. A reference to the money that investors in a company can reasonably hope to make over a certain amount of time.If merger is accomplished, it will become the most profitable center in the entire CCA empire. In a business context, a merger is the legal combining of two or more companies (In this case, CCA and UBS). Max and Diana begin an affair, and soon Max's marriage falls apart.I bumped into Sybil the Soothsayer last week. To bump into a person is to see them just by chance.So far, all that has happened has been one many splendid night.
An expression for a wonderfully romantic and enjoyable night.His agent called and said absolute 'nix.
' — You can't win them all.
Nix is a slang word which means no. You can't win them all is a common expression that is used after a person reports that they were not a successful as they would have liked to be.The MaoTse-tung Hour is turning into a big pain in the ass.
A crude and common expression which refers to anything that has become a difficult problem, and generally one that won't go away.The FBI turned up in Hackett's office and served us with subpoenas.
To turn up is to arrive, often unexpectedly. Subpoenas are legal documents that force people to do things such as appear in a court, or turn over notes or other evidence.We're standing on the first amendment freedom of the press and the right to protect our sources.
The first amendment to the US Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of the press. Sources are those people who tell reporters valuable information, and who reporters insist have a right to remain unidentified (anonymous) because of the first amendment.They'll hit us with Conspiracy with intent to commit a crime. A conspiracy is the coming together of two or more people, usually for the purpose of committing a crime.Walter says we'll all wind up in federal prison. To wind up somewhere is to finish there. Federal prison are those prisons operated by the national government, and not any of the 50 states. Six weeks of litigation and the Mao Tse-tung hour can carry it's own time slot.
Litigation is a legal term for the act of suing in court. A time slot refers to a particular time of the day, such as 8-9 PM.What's really bugging me now is my daytime programming. If something is bugging you, it is bothering or annoying you a lot.NBC has a lock on daytime programming with their lousy game shows.
To have a lock on a particular time is to dominate it. Lousy is a great word for bad, or more specifically, of poor quality. Game shows are those TV shows in which people compete for prizes.I'm thinking of doing a homosexual soap opera.
The Dykes.
Soap operas are those TV shows that air during the day that deal with the tragic and complicated lives of common people. A dyke is a crude word for a female homosexual, or lesbian.The heart rendering saga of a womanhopelessly in love with her husband's mistress.
If a story is heart rendering, it is deeply emotional and most likely very sad or tragic. A saga is an interesting word for a long story or adventure. A man's mistress is a woman with whom he has a sexual relationship, often in exchange for financial support. I thought it would.blow over in a week. Just a menopausal infatuation.
If something blows over, it dies out or weakens. Menopause refers to that time in life when women lose their ability to have children (starting around 50). An infatuation is a sexual or emotional obsession with another person.After all the senseless pain we have inflicted on each other, I'll be damnedif I'll stand here and let you tell me you're in love with somebody else! To inflict pain on another person is to force it on them. I'll be damned if" is a curious way of saying "I will not accept"This isn't some broad that you picked up after three belts of booze.
A "broad" is a silly slang word for a woman. "To pick up" women (or men) is to meet and talk with them, often at a place like a bar, in order to later establish a romantic or sexual relationship. "Booze" is liquor, although "belts of booze" is rarely if ever used.Your last roar of passion before you settle into your emeritus years. A lion "roars," and a "roar of passion" is a poetic expression for a great explosion of sexual desire. "Emeritus" is the honorary title given to a professor at a University who has retired after teaching many years. Is that it? She gets the winter passion and I get the dotage.
A powerful line! "Dotage" is the condition of being old and weak.I won't give you up easily, Max. In this case, to "give up" a person is to let them leave in order to be with somebody else. She's television generation She learned life from Bugs Bunny.
The great cartoon rabbit (and a major influence on my own life).She's very carefully devised a number of scenarios for all of us to play. "To devise" is to plan or invent, and a "scenario" is a possible story for a movie or play. Here we are going through the obligatory Act 2—"Scorned wife throws peccant husband out" scene. "Obligatory" is another word for required. "Scorned" means filled with anger and contempt, though the more common word is scornful. "Peccant" is guilty or sinful, but this word is rarely used. She does have one script in which I kill myself. A "script" is the written form of a movie or play. An adapted television version of "Anna Karenna." "To adapt" a book into a film is to change it in any necessary way to be able to work in the new media ("Anna Karenna" is a Russian novel).You're in for some dreadful grief, Max. "Dreadful" is a powerful adjective meaning horrible or perhaps painful. "Grief" is great sadness or sorrow. Diana and her communist TV stars work out the details of their show, and Max reveals to the world the horrible truth about corporate capitalism.It received a 47 share. The network promptly committed to 15 shows with an option for 10 more. "Promptly" is another word for immediately. In this context, an "option" is a legal word for a right, but not a requirement. There were the usual contractual difficulties.
A common expression for all lawyers that work with contracts!"Gross proceeds should consist of all funds the sub-licensee receives, and not merely the net amount remitted." Typical "lawyer talk" found in a contract, meaning that the total income is considered to be what is received, and not just what is paid. Language like this is why so many people hate lawyers! Don't fuck with my distribution costs! Laureen's way of insisting that she wants to be paid for the costs of producing and sending out her TV show. The gentle words of a true "Communist businesswoman." I'm already deficiting 25 grand a week. In this case, "to deficit" is to lose, though this word is never used as a verb (A deficit is the amount of money that is still needed to pay off expenses). A "grand" is a common slang word for $1,000 dollars. I'm paying William Morris 10% off the top.
To pay a person 10% "off the top" is to pay them as soon as money is received, before any other expenses (William Morris is a famous talent agency that represents famous actors in Hollywood).I'm giving this turkey $10,000 per segment, and another $5,000 for this fruitcake.
Two funny words that are used to describe people who one considers strange, crazy or possibly stupid.The Communist Party won't see a nickel out of this show until syndication.
In a TV context, "syndication" refers to the selling of the show to local stations across the country, in order to air old episodes that have already been shown on national television.You fucking fascist! Did you see the film we made of the San Marino jail breakout? Note that there is a long and honored tradition of communists accusing each other of being "fucking fascists." A "breakout" is an escape from a jail or prison. You can blow the seminal prison infrastructure out your ass! A funny but grammatically difficult insult. "Blow it out your ass" is a very vulgar and somewhat dated way of saying "fuck you," and generally speaking, the "it" is rarely replaced by another direct object, as Laureen does here. In this case, "the seminal prison infrastructure" refers to the political organizing of prisoners. "Seminal" is a word that means seed, or the beginning of an organization, and "infrastructure" is an important word referring to physical foundations, such as streets. I'm not knocking down my goddamn distribution charges! "To knock down" the price of something is to reduce it.Subsidiary rights. A legal term referring to legal rights that one has beyond an actual book or movie, such as the right to translate it into other languages, or produce it as a play.We all know she's brainy.
An interesting but fairly rare word for very intelligent.Before we start digging into our chateaubriand. "To dig into" food is to eat it with great hunger and enthusiasm. "Chateaubriand" is a French word for a very good piece of meat.That's our channel! Another word for a TV station.When one company wants to take over another company, they simply buy up a controlling share of the stock.
In most cases, to own a "controlling share" of stock in a company, you must own 50.1% of the stock.Somebody called the Western World Funding Corporation. It is aconsortium of banks and insurance companies who is buying CCA A "consortium" is a legal word for a combination of many businesses.They won't tell the SEC, the FCC, the Justice Department. The SEC is the Securities and Exchange Commission, and is responsible for regulating the sale of stocks. They're buying it for the Saudi Arabian Investment Corporation.
An "investment corporation" just buys other companies.Clarence, take it easy! A very common way of telling an angry person to calm down.All of those Arab petrol dollars are washed throughSwitzerland and Canada and the biggest banks in this country. "Petrol dollars" refers to the money Arab nations made by selling oil.Money that is "washed" through various banks is hard to follow back to its original source, which makes it easier to avoid various American investment laws. The Arabs have screwed us out of enough American dollars to buy General Motors, IBM, ITT, ATT, DuPont and US Steel. "To screw a person out" a lot of money is to steal it from them. General Motors and the others were, and still are, some of the biggest American corporations.I want them wading knee deep in telegrams at the White House! "To wade knee deep" in water is to walk through water (or in this case, telegrams), that is as high as your knees.I want the CCA deal stopped now! A "deal" is an important word for an official agreement.The show is an unmitigated disaster. The death knell.
If a disaster is "unmitigated," it is complete or absolute. A "death knell" is the sound that a bell makes at a funeral, in respect for the dead. Maybe we're overstating Beale's clout with the public. "To overstate" is to exaggerate. "Clout" is a good word for influence.By tomorrow morning, they'll be suffocating in telegrams. "To suffocate" is to die from an inability to breathe.The SEC could hold up this deal for 20 years if they wanted to. "To hold up" a deal is to prevent it from taking effect.A few hours ago I was Mr. Jenson's handpicked golden boy, the heir apparent.
In this context, a "handpicked golden boy" is the person that a boss feels has the most potential to rise in the company. An "heir apparent" is a person who is most likely to take the position or title of a person who retires or leaves (in this case, head of the CCA Corporation). He isn't stupid enough to withdraw the #1 show on television out of pique! "To withdraw" a show is to cancel it. "Pique" is a rare word for anger.That's the wrath of God! "Wrath" is a good word for extreme anger or rage.I'll strangle him with a sash cord.
Jesus! "To strangle" a person is to kill them by putting pressure on their throat. A "sash cord" is a decorative ribbon or rope.I already booked my flight. I got the red eye.
"To book" a flight is to reserve it. A "red eye" flight is one that flies between the East and West coast, arriving early in the morning.The final revelation is at hand I've seen the shattering vulgarizations of ultimate clarity. The nonsense words of a crazy person. Funny, but meaningless. Mr. Jenson explains to Howard the nature of the Universe, and Howard explains it to all his viewers.They tell me you're a mad man.
— Only desultorily.
In this case, a "mad man" is not angry, but crazy or insane. "Desultory" means jumping from one place to another, so the adverb here doesn't really make sense. Of course, it's being said by a crazy person. I'm as mad as a hatter.
— Who isn't? To be "mad as a hatter" means to be completely crazy. "Who isn't?" is a fun response to say to somebody who has just told you something amazing or interesting about themselves. You have meddled with the primal forcesof nature Mr. Beale, and I won't have it! "To meddle" with something is to disturb it, or interfere with it. The "primal forces of nature" is Jenson's way of talking about the most basic laws of the universe, which he thinks are the laws of business! "I won't have it" is his way of saying "I won't allow it!"It is ebb and flow, tidal gravity, it is ecological balance. "Ebb and flow" refers to the fading and rising water level at a beach. "Tidal gravity" is the force of the moon that effects the water levels that the beach has. "Ecological" is another word for environmental.There is only one holistic system of systemsone vast, interwoven, interacting, multi-variant multi-rational dominion of dollars! Jenson's colorful way of saying that the whole universe is just one giant system of constantly moving dollars. "Vast" is a good word for huge, and "interwoven" means interconnected,Marks, rubles, pounds and shekels. The currencies of Germany, Russia, England and Israel.The atomic, subatomic and galactic system of things today. "Subatomic" refers to the universe of the very tiny (atoms), and "galactic" refers to the universe of the very big (galaxies).You will atone! "To atone" is a religious word which means to do whatever is necessary to repay for a sin or crime that was done in the past.Am I getting through to you, Mr. Beale? "Do you understand me, Mr. Beale?"Youhowl about America and democracy. "To howl" is to make a loud and long cry, like a wolf or dog.We no longer live in a world of nations and ideologies.
An "ideology" is a system of political or social beliefs, such as socialism.The world is a collage of corporations inexorably determined by the bylaws of business. "Inexorable" is an educated word for something that can't be stopped. "Bylaws" are the rules that a business agrees to follow after it is created.It has been since man crawled out of the slime.
"To crawl" is to move on hands and knees, like a baby. "Slime" is the unpleasant sticky or muddy liquid that is produced by certain animals like fish or snails. No war of famine, oppression or brutality.
"Famine" is mass hunger, "oppression" is the condition of being treated cruelly and "brutality" is extreme cruelty or mistreatment.One vast and ecumenical holding company.in which all men will hold a share of stock. Note Jensen's ideal dream of the world is both capitalist (a giant holding company) and socialist (in which all men hold stock). All anxieties tranquilized, all boredom amused. "Anxieties" are great worries, and if they are "tranquilized," they have been calmed and soothed. I have chosen you, Mr. Beale, to preach this evangel.
"To preach" is to speak of great truths, like ministers in a church. An "evangel" is an important religious or philosophical speech,though this word is rarely used. That evening Howard Beale went on the air to preach the corporate cosmology of Arthur Jenson. "Corporate" is the adjectival form of corporation. "Cosmology" is a branch of philosophy that studies the origins of the universe.It was a radiant eruption of democracy. "Radiant" is a nice adjective meaning glowing or shining. An "eruption" is an explosion.We know democracy is a dying giant, sick, decayingand politically corrupt.writhing in its final pain. "To writhe" is to twist, curl up or squirm in great pain.What is finished is the idea that this great country is dedicatedto the freedom and flourishing of every individual in it. "To flourish" is to grow strong, healthy and prosperous.It's a nation of 200,000,000 transistorized, deodorized, whiter- than-white steel belted bodies, as replaceable as piston rods. Another of Howard's attacks on consumer society. A "transistor" is an electronic part found in radios and TVs, "deodorant" is used to eliminate body smells, detergents advertise that they get clothes "whiter than white," and the best car tires are "steel belted." A "piston rod" is a part in a car engine.Is 'dehumanization' such a bad word? A powerful word that refers to the psychological or physical process of turning people into machines or other nonhuman beings.The whole world is becoming humanoid.
A disturbing word for a being that is part human and part machine.Nobody cared to hear his life was utterly valueless. A strong adverb meaning completely or totally.I'm counting on you to talk some sense into the lunatic.
"To count on" someone is to depend on them. "To talk some sense" into a person is to try and convince them to be rational or reasonable. A "lunatic" is a good slang word for a crazy person. A couple more weeks and the sponsors will be bailing out.
In this context, "sponsors" are the corporations that advertise on a TV show. If you "bail out" of a project, you decide to abandon or leave it.This is a breach of contract.
A common legal expression for the breaking of an agreement. Max separates from Diana, and soon, Diana and Frank plan the final separation between Howard and UBS I'm tired of all this hysteria about Howard Beale! "Hysteria" is a condition of wild excitement in a crowd.You're in a morbid, middle aged mood. A good adjective to describe a person obsessed with death and disease. I feel guilty and conscience stricken and those things you think sentimental.
A person who is "conscience stricken" is deeply troubled by something that they have done. "Sentimental" generally means too emotional. I'm beginning to get scared shitless.
A crude but excellent expression that means very scared or nervous.You're dealing with a man who has primal doubts, and you've got to cope with it.
A person who has "primal doubts" has basic or fundamental concerns about the meaning of life. "To cope with" something is to deal with it, or at least to learn to accept it.The Howard Beale show was down 11 points Hysteria swept the network. Note the past tense of "to sweep," here meaning to spread everywhere.He's a plague, He's small pox, He's typhoid.
Three very unpleasant and potentially deadly diseases.If we wanted hell-fire, we'd get Billy Graham. A type of Christian preaching in which the audience is warned they will burn in hell if they don't accept Jesus Christ (Billy Graham is a very famous Christian preacher).We don't want faith healers or evangelists.
"Faith healers" are those people who claim to cure sick people if they are willing to prey. An "evangelist" is a type of Christian preacher.Full fledged messiahs don't come in bundles. Anything that is "full fledged" is genuine and real. A "messiah" is a great religious leader. If something "doesn't come in bundles," this means it is rare and hard to find.Let me have another crack at Jenson. To have "a crack at" something is to get an opportunity, in this case to change Jensen's mind.I don't like the way this little script of ours is turning out.
A very common phrasal verb which means to end or finish.All you'll get from me is another couple months of intermittent sexand recriminant and ugly little scenes like the one we had last night. "Intermittent" means occasional, or happening with pauses in between. "Recriminent" is a rarely used word to describe a fight in which the two sides continue to accuse each other of bad things.I'm sorry, you're not the worst fuck I've ever had. Note that "fuck" can be used as a noun to describe the sexual skills of a partner. Very crude.You don't puff or make death-like rattles.
In this case, "to puff" is to breath out quickly and with great effort. A "rattle" is the quick shaking sound that a snake makes.You're rather serene in the sack.
"Serene" is a good word for calm or peaceful, and "in the sack" is another way to say in bed.Why does a woman always think that the most savage thing she can say to a man is to impugn his cocksmanship.
"Savage" is another way to say terribly cruel or abusive. "To impugn" is to criticize or attack, and "cocksmanship" is a funny word referring to sexual skill (since a "cock" is a penis).I gave up comparing genitals back in the school yard. The medical word for sexual organs.You're being docile as hell about this. Calm or unemotional. You're not the boozer type, so I figure a year or two before you crack up.
A "boozer type" is a person who drinks a lot. Here, "to crack up" is to have a nervous breakdown from too much psychological stress. Indifferent to suffering, insensitive to joyall of life is reduced to the common rubble of banality.
Max's poetic way of describing Diana's obsession with TV ratings. "Rubble" is the destruction that is left after a building has been destroyed, and "banality" is the condition of being uninspired and dull because it is so common and predictable.You even shatter the sensations of time andspace into split seconds and instant replays.
"Instant replays" are the replaying of events immediately after they happen, and is a very popular device used in Sports programming.Virulent madness. One way to say deadly insanity."Wayward husband comes to his senses, returns to his wifeheartless young woman left alone in her arctic desolation.
" "Wayward" is an educated word for unpredictable and stubborn. "Arctic" refers to a cold and icy climate, and "desolation" is an unhappy word for sadness and loneliness."Music up with a swell." A reference to the fact that many movies end with a sudden increase in the sound of the accompanying music, for dramatic or romantic effect.Mr. Jenson feels were too catastrophic in our thinking. In this context, "catastrophic" is another way to simply say negative, since a catastrophe is a great disaster. I argued that this was a volatile industry. "Volatile" is a good word for quickly changing, or possibly explosive.He suggested with a certain sinister silkiness that volatility in business reflected bad management. "Sinister" is a fun adjective that means evil or very threatening. In this context, "silkiness" means smoothness, though it's never really used in this way.That puts us in the shithouse.
The "shithouse" is a crude way of referring to a bathroom, or more generally, any undesirable place. This is Diana's way of saying that this puts them in a desperate situation.The teen and 18-34 categories, which are our key core markets.
Those parts of the market that are seen as the most important to the success of a company (in this case, teenagers and people aged 18-34).I think Joe ought to spell it out for us. "To spell out" a situation is to describe it in great detail.We're talking 40, 45 million loss in annual revenues.
A business expression for yearly income.You want to know the flak I'm getting from the affiliates? "Flak" is a slang word for overly strong criticism or verbal abuse.Intractable. Stubborn and inflexible.What would you fellows say to an assassination? Another word for guys. Note that in rapid speech, fellows——->fellas.In fact, it will make a hell of a kick off show for the season. The first or opening show of a new year.We're talking about a capital crime here The network can't be implicated.
A "capital crime" is one in which the criminal can be sentenced to die for their crime (such as murder).A fusillade of automatic rifle fire. A "fusillade" is the firing of many guns at the same time. The extraordinary incident occurred in full view of his millions of viewers. A useful word for amazing, remarkable or beyond what is ordinary.


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(New York) – Criminal charges brought in Thailand against a factory worker for satirical commentary on Facebook about the king's dog show the military junta's misuse of laws intended to protect the monarchy, Human Rights Watch said today.
On December 14, 2015, based on a complaint made by Thai military authorities, police filed lese majeste (insulting the monarchy) charges against Thanakorn Siripaiboon, 27, in the Bangkok Military Court. Thanakorn is accused under section 112 of the Penal Code of spreading "sarcastic" Facebook images and comments that were deemed to be mocking the king's dog, named Thong Daeng.
"The charges against Thanakorn show the Thai junta's ever tightening chokehold on free expression in the name of protecting the monarchy," said Brad Adams, Asia director. "The abuse of lese majeste law has reached the absurd with the prosecution of a factory worker for allegedly offending the monarchy by insulting the king's dog."
Thanakorn also faces separate charges of sedition under section 116 of the Penal Code for online postings alleging members of the ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) junta of involvement in corruption. If found guilty of all charges, the court could sentence Thanakorn to up to 37 years in prison.
The Thai junta has arbitrarily and aggressively used the lese majeste laws to prosecute people for any speech found objectionable, including what is considered critical of the monarchy, The junta leader, Prime Minister Gen. Prayut Chan-ocha, has made lese majeste prosecutions a top priority for his government. Since the coup in May 2014, at least 56 lese majeste cases have been brought, 43 against individuals for online commentary. In a media interview on December 9, Maj. Gen. Wicharn Jodtaeng, chief of the NCPO's Legal Office, said that commenting, sharing, or pressing "Like" on Facebook contents that the authorities consider offensive to the monarchy would be prosecuted as lese majeste.
Since September, 2015, those accused of committing lese majeste have been detained incommunicado in a prison facility at Bangkok's 11th Army Circle military base. The government has denied requests by human rights groups to visit detainees and examine detention conditions at the base even after the recent deaths there of a fortune teller, Suriyan Sucharitpolwong, and Police Maj. Prakrom Warunprapa, both charged with lese majeste.
Military courts have imposed harsher sentences for lese majeste offenses than civilian courts did prior to the coup. In August, the Bangkok Military Court sentenced Pongsak Sriboonpeng to 60 years in prison for his alleged lese majeste Facebook postings, later reduced to 30 years when he pleaded guilty. It was the longest recorded sentence for lese majeste in Thailand's history.
Neither the Thai monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, nor any member of the royal family has ever personally filed lese majeste charges. During his birthday speech in 2005, the king stated that he was not above criticism. "Actually, I must also be criticized. I am not afraid if the criticism concerns what I do wrong, because then I know. Because if you say the king cannot be criticized, it means that the king is not human," he said. "If the king can do no wrong, it is akin to looking down upon him because the king is not being treated as a human being. But the king can do wrong."
The police, public prosecutors, courts, and other state authorities appear reluctant to reject allegations of lese majeste out of concern they might be accused of disloyalty to the monarchy.
"The heavy-handed enforcement of lese majeste laws is crushing freedom of expression in Thailand," Adams said. "A serious discussion is urgently needed to amend the law and reconsider how it is enforced so that it conforms with Thailand's international human rights obligations."
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Korean teenage mobile use curbed by government
December 20, 2006 at 8:39 am James Chadwick 2 comments
James (MindShare regional team, Singapore) writes:
The world now looks to South Korea to understand the digital future. What will the world make of last week's announcement?
The new legislation will allow parents to set a limit on their kids' phone bills benchmarked at around US$40. Teenagers will have to ask for their parents permission to go over this limit.
Currently, according to government statistics, more than four million of the country's six million teenagers have their own mobile phones, and over 100,000 teenagers between 13 and 18 have monthly bills over US$108.
Asian youth expert Paul MacGregor, blogging at Ypulse, explores some implications:
…it is a fact that both Samsung and LG both keep a microscopic eye on how home market teenagers are using their new technology to plan their global strategy, therefore this new legislation could limit the influence of Korean companies on the future mobile market.
Paul raises some further interesting questions:
- Would parental control result in Korea being usurped as the place to watch for the future of mobile convergence?
- Or will the operators change their subscription models to allow teenagers the same amount of connectivity at a cheaper price?
- Or finally (and the most exciting) will the technology companies change their products to deliver the same level of breaking functionality in a way which is both attainable and cost effective?
For me, a further interesting question is always – will Pester Power simply mean the kids will get whatever they want? All the research I've personally done in this area in Asia has demonstrated that Kids are expert negotiators. They typically know exactly how to negotiate for something desirable (e.g. mobile phone usage) for something their parents want (hard work at school).
I can't see that changing. And if anything, this legislation may just make the large mobile phone bill a badge of honour – or even the perfect space for playing out teenage rebellion.
2 Comments Add your own
Kids are getting whatever they want, and this will continue to grow.
With reference to India – most urban parents in the key metropolitan cities, who have phones, have kids who use them as well. So the habit sets in when they are really young.
Indian mobile companies have already started cashing in on this. There are student plans / friend plans / sms plans which make the mobile package very cost effective for even parents to consider for their children. It's a small price to pay. Parents see the postives of giving a mobile phone as "keeping a tab" on their child.
As an aside, the growth of the BPOs – call centres – in India, a couple of years ago, saw a spurt of growth in the employment of teenagers – resulting in an extra income for them – which was all their own. One can imagine how the branded industry stepped up sales, and largely among them the mobile companies, with the segment using the fanciest gadgets of the times.
Teen jobs do liberate the age group from seeking parental consent, to a large extent. This trend is growing and parents are not averse to it.
To add to your post:
The magazine "Charged" Feb 2007 issue, states a Reuters source that this legislation in Korea comes into force, not because of "controversial content or abusive behaviour, but an attempt to prevent youth from ringing up exorbitant phone bills they cant afford to pay".
Last year a Korean youth commited suicide when he saw he had a phone bill amounting to USD 4000 !
Hence now, not only do parents get to set a limit to the time spent, but they also get to intervene in allowing kids to exceed their time limit and keep an eye on the services used.
However, Parental regimentation means little today. We need more practical solutions.
Jason Chiu, president of Cherrypicks and Chairman of Cyworld Taiwan Ltd, mentions that in Taiwan, Cyworld has created a monthly flat subscription fee, to avert worries on excesses. No longer do consumers need to worry about high bills.
Perhaps Korea will walk this path very soon.
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January 23, 2020
At a time when governments, organizations and people are still facing fiscal constraints, we need to think creatively – and collectively – about how we can drive real change and improve lives.
Submitted by: Guest Contributor
Posted: Sep 06, 2013 – 09:30 AM EST
Tags: points of light, jpmorgan chase, bill oreilly, jon stewart, donna brazile, karl rove, democrats, republicans, volunteerism, philanthropy, csr
By Michael Carren, Director, Employee Engagement and Volunteerism, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
What can make Donna Brazile dance joyously with Karl Rove and Bill O'Reilly agree with Jon Stewart?
Service to our communities and the idea that volunteerism can be a game-changer for building strong, vibrant neighborhoods. If we put aside our differences and come together, we can actually make a difference.
This is the power that One America, a new campaign led by Points of Light and JPMorgan Chase & Co., aims to harness by expanding volunteerism to more Americans across all divides and allegiances.
We want to see Republicans and Democrats serve shoulder to shoulder at local food banks and soup kitchens, Red Sox and Yankee fans join together to hoist a new wall into place for a family to have their first home, and football fans and soccer players both rush to the scene of a disaster together to help victims in crisis.
Service unites people. Regardless of our backgrounds – ethnic, religious, ideological, political, professional – when we volunteer we instantly have something in common. We build a bond of civility, respect and understanding for others in a way that might have been unthinkable before. And when we serve, we can see the power of our collective responsibility for our country in action.
If you think about it, America was built by volunteers.
They fought for – and won – our freedom, tutored and mentored our children, and inspired millions of others to become pillars in their communities through service. Today, more than 65 million Americans volunteer their time at least once a year. We want to grow that number. Imagine if we had 75 million or 100 million people volunteering to improve communities across the country. Think about the impact 100 million people could make!
We kicked off One America at the Points of Light Conference in June and held the first event in Columbus, Ohio. More than 200 volunteers – Columbus community members and Chase employees – came together to make nearly 100 vegetable seed balls for the Franklin Park Conservatory, which will be planted in 250 community gardens. The seed balls will grow to help residents in these communities access fresh vegetables and eat healthier.
Philip Pikelny from the Columbus Zoo and David Chesebrough from COSI Columbus led the service challenge and served as the tour's first pair of powerful voices calling for unity through service. The event also marked the opening day of registration for the second annual Columbus Volunteer Challenge.
Over the next 10 months, we'll bring together powerful voices in cities across America to serve together and mobilize volunteers. We're stopping in New York City next, so stay tuned!
How can you get involved?
In the coming months, we'll showcase the outcome of these volunteering events through posts on Talkback. We'll focus on measuring our impact, on telling the stories from the events, and how unlikely allies and powerful voices can indeed work together to fulfill a larger mission.
Particularly at a time when governments, organizations, and people are still facing fiscal constraints, we need to think creatively – and collectively – about how we can drive real change and improve lives.
Great challenges are best overcome when people with different ideas, skills and passions come together and collaborate. We're hopeful that through this effort, more people will volunteer, and we'll demonstrate that we are stronger together than divided.
After all, when we put our differences aside, we all want the same thing for our communities. And at the end of the day, we will stand strong – together – as One America.
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