Five Years Later, 9/11 Is Reduced To Just Another Edition of 'Artistic License Theater'

(The following blog post is a dramatization drawn from a variety of sources, including the New York Times, Media Matters, the Associated Press and a variety of online political blogs as well as personal opinion. As such, for dramatic and narrative purposes, the post may contain fictionalized passages, composite and representative "fact-like" phrases, improvised observations and the compression of various pieces of information so as to make them appear far more vital and chronological than they actually are. Other semi-accurate elements are interwoven to establish the illusion of authenticity, though any paragraph that smacks of genuine truth is purely unintentional.)

Hey, if it's good enough for network television, then it's good enough for me.

You've probably heard a little something about this whole controversy over ABC's "The Path to 9/11" miniseries that treats the most horrific and deadly act of war ever perpetrated on the American mainland as merely another programming playtoy with which to concoct willfully distorted, historically revisionist scenarios. I've seen it, and everything you've heard is true: it's grossly slanted toward tarring the Clinton Administration with the ultimate responsibility for 9/11 and -- while it does spread a share of the blame to the Bush Administration on whose watch it happened -- it appears somewhat more consumed with making a political statement than illuminating us about the way things really went down en route to that fateful day.

"The Path to 9/11" is fraught with factual inaccuracies, misrepresentations and outright fabrications, and that's not merely a personal opinion. The man who wrote it, Cyrus Nowrasteh, readily admits that some scenes presented as fact did not occur, and ABC itself appears to change its story, its strategy and its prefab disclaimer on a daily basis as damage control in meeting each new protest and repudiated point. On Thursday, ABC actually released a statement that read in part, "No one has seen the final version of the film because the editing process is not yet complete, so criticism of film specifics are premature and irresponsible."

Huh? Now that's kind of interesting. If this is the case, then I wonder what the network expected me to do with that "Path to 9/11" review copy it supplied me with a few weeks back. Was I not supposed to review it? Nothing on the DVD said it was incomplete or something less than critique quality. Yet somehow, if I level criticism based on viewing said screener, I'm doing something that's "irresponsible"? I've been a TV critic for the better part of 22 years, and that's a new one on me.

If the producers are still frantically tweaking scenes in reaction to the rising crescendo of controversy over the film's utter contempt for the facts, then maybe they should have taken a better look at the thing a few months ago when all involved were touting the project for its accuracy, its impeccable research, its even-handedness. "Path to 9/11" had actually been designated as worthy of being a classroom tool in helping teach history. Now, ABC is forced to scramble to diffuse a slow-building but suddenly serious crisis that probably won't be quite monumental enough to force the net to pull it as CBS did "The Reagans" a few years back. For one thing, "Path" cost a reported $40 million, and you don't pour that kind of cash down the sinkhole just because a former President (Clinton) and a cabinet member or two are demanding it.

As was the case with author James Frey, "Path to 9/11" is being busted as something of a fraud: an artfully-produced, monumentally suspenseful and thoroughly compelling five-hour movie event that can't resist the temptation to repeatedly point its finger to the left in defiance of the known evidence. Sunday's first installment is decidedly unsubtle in showing Clinton as being too wrapped up in Monica Lewinsky and his uncertain political future to pay Osama bin Laden and his terrorist minions much heed in the late 1990s. In part two, the culpability of the Bush Administration is restricted primarily to the minimizing of the terrorist threat by CIA director George Tenet -- a Clinton holdover, doncha know. So even when Bill is out of office, it's still his fault! No wonder he's pissed at ABC. And he's hardly the only one.

Remember when 9/11 happened? In the rush of hyperbole, we were all convinced it represented the one cataclysmic occurrence that was utterly sacred. It would be forevermore depicted with the proper reverence and respect or not at all. This was hallowed historical territory, after all. Well, it took a mere five years for TV to render that ideal obsolete. We always hear protestations of, "It's too soon!" Well, in that spirit, allow me to chime in that it's too soon to be tampering with this truth as we would an urban legend. Suddenly, the facts surrounding the rise of terror cells and Al Qaeda and bin Laden aren't sufficiently fascinating and wrenching on their own? We need also to make stuff up to draw bodies to the tube?

Oh, and then as if to place an exclamation point on this craven commercialization of 9/11, ABC opts to run "Path to 9/11" during the night before, and the night of, the fifth anniversary itself. But no, they counter, we're broadcasting it without commercials, as if to point up the sensitive decision not to profit from the 9/11 memory. The subtext here is a curious one: this miniseries is so spectacularly weighty that its premiere carries with it the whiff of public service. As if!

Here is one thing no one has bothered to ask: why does a network spend $40 million on a high-profile project and then not only air it outside of ratings sweeps but do so sans conventional advertising? What's in this for ABC and its parent Disney if not money? Goodwill? Well, I think we can effectively scrap that one. Where this tracks more logically is in the alleged symbiotic relationship between Disney and the current administration -- firstly with regard to the decision barring Miramax from distributing Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" back in 2004. (Miramax ultimately bought the film back and earned distribution later that same year.)

As ABC has discovered on an almost hourly basis of late, you simply can't have it both ways. You can't present an entertainment project purporting to be a doggedly straightforward dramatization of the known details when it hatches scenes and character elements from the fictitious ether seemingly on a whim during shooting. You can't belittle the priorities and impugn the integrity of two former Clinton cabinet members -- National Security Advisor Sandy Berger and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright -- and then express surprise when they call you on the carpet for making it up as you go along. ABC has had a lot of explaining to do lately because it thought it could sneak a film on the air that peddles a largely partisan perspective and market it as a sobering and balanced rendering.

And so now, less than 72 hours before the "Path to 9/11" premiere on Sunday, the network is in full flail mode to keep this from devolving into "The Path to PR Hell." The storm will no doubt be weathered in part because it took the mainstream media so long to pick up on a story that's been percolating around the blogosphere for weeks. Yet there is a lesson for ABC to learn here, and it's this: you can call a rabbit an eagle all you want, but it's still always going to be a rabbit. And it's never gonna fly, either.

Comments

[OldOldLady Of The Hills]

It is so disheartening Ray, to think that ABC/DISNEY--WHOMEVER...would use this terrible tragedy as a way to foster their political bias!!! This country is so f**ked up!!!
I think it is amazing that in their scuffling about to cover themselves they say that "no one has seen" the finished prodect...Like you said, than what is that DVD sitting in your office/home?

Is there anything any of us can do to let ABC know we are disgusted and shocked by what they are doing?

If you have any thoughts, please post them and thanks for writing about this shameful shameful 5 hour so called 'movie'...it is all crap...and dangerous crap, at that!

[Theodora]

This is just another example of network and studio revisionist 'history'... But what can you expect from a Mickey Mouse operation???

They should've back-tracked this to Bush The First's administration --who was Saddam's original target...

Are we to believe Monica Slutwinky was driving her hummer while the Trade Towers were being blown up???

If memory servces --the whole KneePad Intern incident was KEN STARR's smokescreen; not BubbaBill's...

Anything Patricia Heaton is 'starring' in is a clear indication of wasted air time. The chick got lucky on *one* show with her cloying, annoying portrayal... She should content herself with throwing her "Raymond" funny money away, cruising Albertson's aisles for markdowns.

[Cptsalesman]

I am one of thousands that will no longer watch ABC or have anything to do with any Disney product from the time they air this piece of trash. You have written one of the best reviews I have read to date, and I have read most if not all of them.
ABC/Disney will have reaped the whirlwind with this one. I hope this movement will grow to the point that it makes Katrina look like a small breeze. Maybe this will stop the over-selling of E-ticket rides since only Neocons will be buying theses Mickey Mouse rides from now on. I never thought I would be thankful for the V Chip, but if this airs Thousands, if not millions will be using the V Chip Sunday.

[Jeff]

Thanks for speaking out on this topic. Disney and ABC have both "reaped the whirlwind" and I will actively boycott their products until they make amends for this gross injustice to the American public.

[Steve]

Thanks for the review. And I hope you'll keep digging into exactly WHO has financed this. Rumor has it that a rightwing evangelical group put up some of the money, and/or helped raise the money. Details on exactly where the $40 million this thing cost would be very, very interesting.

[Paul Rosenberg]

Ouch! Truth hurts!

Thank God for the trade press, last bastion of not having your brains totally scrambled by your ego.

The thing that's got me really pissed off, though, is that it's bumping episodes of Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy.

Yeah, I know they're re-runs. So?

PT911 is a rerun wannabe.

Plus, Sandra Oh could so have stopped Osama bin Laden. With nothing but a stare. Why can't she be President?

[shirley]

I am so disgusted that this film was even made.
The tragic event of 9-11 was of such significance to every American, no television show is needed to remind us of that awful day.
And why would we need to see a DRAMA about it for heavens sake? Something about this project smells to high heaven. I will not watch it, I believe truly that ABC should NOT air it.

[ds]

You know when they lie,

their lips move

[Robert Paehlke]

My sister, my only sibling, visited the towers a week or so before September 11. I lived for many year in NYC though not recently.

I am deeply, deeply distressed by this 'turn of events'. I am as stunned as I was by the original attack. Is there nothing that is immune to the lies, propaganda, and distortions of those that own and operate the electronic media in the United States? Has the citizenry any recourse other than just refusing to watch and refusing ever to buy a Disney product ever again. That, it seems to me, is not sufficient because millions of 'low information voters' will buy what appears on their screens.

We had better start asking if America is still a viable democracy, can there be a viable democracy when the primary means of communications is in the hands of people like these and there is precious little that we can do about it.

[shirley]

forgot to mention this..

I want to commend you on this column. This was the very best commentary about the controversy re: Path to 9-11 that I have come upon amongst hundreds. Especially gratifying that you had indeed viewed the movie and thus, your opinion held much more weight.

[Aurona]

Thanks for the great review of a really bad movie. Because of your review and other remarks around the internets, I've decided to BLOCK any all channels having to do with ABC/Disney/ESPN. I have advised my satellite carrier, DISH, and ABC of my plans. When they change their mind in airing this drivel or move it to cable, I will unblock the channels. Thanks for that final push.

[Mike]

Great job Mr. Richmond. Keep following the money trail. This is clearly all about Disney's complicity with the Bush administration, and Disney using the ABC broadcast license to produce and broadcast propaganda. Let's get evidence for this and get some affiliate licenses taken away.

[Jennyjem]

Ray, you hit all the hot-points except one.

Who paid for this thing? Where did ABC/Disney get $40 million for such a risky proposition? They are showing it without commercial interruption, so who is sponsoring this? When you find out, I'd love to know.

[ChurchLady La]

What's next ... 9.11 Action Figures?

This project is a sick and twisted attempt to turn a national tragedy into a right-wing soap opera.

Thank you for your excellent, excellent article. You touch on a lot of questions that beg further scrutiny. What DOES ABC (Disney) get out of all this? They HAD to expect a major brouhaha.

Have they been promised favors from their favorite Congresscritters? Favorable legislation? Suppression of laws they DON'T want?

Sure makes a gal wonder ...

[A.Lizard]

Yes, there are things we can do other than refrain from buying Disney products or watching Disney/ABC TV programming or for those who own Tivos or digital cable boxes, turning off Disney-owned cable channels.

I believe that those of us who own stock directly in Disney should sell, those who own it indirectly should consider contacting whoever is handling their investment funds and ask them to change to other funds not investing in Disney, pension funds should be asked to divest. Not only because of Disney/ABC's conduct, but because there is reason to believe that the value of investments in Disney are likely to decline.

Those of us who like gambling should consider shorting Disney stock. Judging from what I'm seeing, the profits and stock prices for Disney likely to be. . . declining based on the people I've seen swearing NEVER to buy anything Disney again, and this is not yet reflected in the current price of Disney stock. Or wasn't the last time I checked finance.google.com .

Usual disclaimers, I am not an investment industry professional, this does not constitute financial advice, people who want financial advice should contact qualified financial professionals.

[Noisy Democrat]

Excellent review. I'm another one joining the ranks of those who will boycott ABC and Disney forever, and I know a few of my friends are joining me. As one put it, "Disneyland is fun, but not if my money is going to finance fascism." I wonder if ABC/Disney had any idea what they were getting themselves into here.

[GrandmaRo]

At least as disgraceful was their use of Scholastic (the company that publishes many of our kids' textbooks) to disseminate this docudrama as FACT.

Scholastic distributed many thousands of Study Guides to teachers, for use after their classes had viewed this "DOCUMENTARY."

Our children need to be educated, not INDOCTRINATED.

Thank you very much for this review. I would also be very interested to learn who paid for this excrescence on our perception of this national tragedy.

[Stephen]

I'm sending a link to this review to both Alessandra Stanley and Matthew Gilbert, here at the Boston Globe. Gilbert basically refused to review the veracity, and we all know how ditzy Stanley's piece was. Thanks for watching, thinking, and writing about it.

[AmyVVV]

Thank you for your frank review. I, too, have already begun my boycott of ABC/Disney and I strongly encourage you to continue to "follow the money." There is more to this....I hope seriously damaging lawsuits ensue from this. This goes way over the line.

[dkmich]

OK, so who paid them and how much? Please, we Kossacks really want to know. I can tell you this much. I don't watch much network TV, and I own nothing Disney, never been there, and won't ever go. So I don't have much I can dump or boycott, but I will still do my best to find something.

[justintime]

Congress should review ABC's license to broadcast.

False propaganda about 9/11 from extreme right wing revisionist liars, presented to American citizens as true and factual, clearly violates regulations governing the use of publicly owned airwaves.

Corporate teevee is gouging our democracy.

Politicians take bribes just to pay for teevee exposure to get themselves reelected.

Corporate media should be required to budget free air time for political candidates to get their message out to American citizens - as a condition for their license to broadcast over publicly owned airwaves.

The reality is:
CORPORATE TEEVEE SUCKS!
top to bottom, 24/7.

And corporate teevee is toxic to the brain.

Three years ago we stopped watching corporate teevee cold turkey.
We’re getting more done.
We’re reading more good books.
We watch good movies - without the ads.
We hunt our news down on the internet.
Instead of having it spoon fed to us.
We’ve lengthened our attention spans.
We have a more positive outlook on life.

You can kick the habit too.

[Ellen Dunthorne]

Just when we thought the worst Disney could do was be really scummy with us, their suppliers, they have truly outdone themselves. Now they've spread outside Hollywood and are screwing the whole country. Thanks for speaking out.

[TrueBlueMajority]

Thanks for this scathing review, Ray. Finally we get to hear from someone who's actually seen this crockumentary.

For those who are wondering where the PT911 funding came from, here's a link to the Max Blumenthal article on HuffPo discussing the connections between PT911, YWAM (Youth With A Mission), TFI (The Film Institute) and Richard Mellon Scaife.

http://tinyurl.com/lvach

IMO it's a little late for ABC to keep this from devolving into the Path to PR Hell. That ship has sailed. ABC is going to be a very long time living this down. The population of Left Blogistan will never let ABC forget this. You think the wrongwing hated CBS? You ain't seen nothin' yet.

If OldOldLady of the Hills and others are looking for ways to express their disgust and shock we've got a lot of action items posted on www.dailykos.com. We still have almost 24 hours to make something happen, so keep up the pressure, everyone! Steve may get to see that Grey's Anatomy rerun after all!

[MikeB]

This is a $40 million political contribution from Disney to the Republican National Committee just before the midterm election.

What is happening is so obvious. Disney is getting all kinds of sweeheart deals from the Bush administration and this is the payola. I wish people would wake up and see that the corporate media is throroughly corrupted.

[Chris]

Pathetic hypocrites, the lot of you. Michael Moore makes up stuff out of thin air about Bush in "Farenheit 9/11" and the left cheers. Enjoy your own medicine.

[CT_and _Blue]

Chris. There is a BIG difference here. On 9/11 over 3000 US CITIZENS were killed as a result of others. Should we not honor those people by telling the truth?

I never saw Farenheit, but Bush is ONE MAN and as far as I can tell, is was not killed. If Bush was so wronged, way did he not file for libel?

[jimb]

"For those who are wondering where the PT911 funding came from, here's a link to the Max Blumenthal article on HuffPo discussing the connections between PT911, YWAM (Youth With A Mission), TFI (The Film Institute) and Richard Mellon Scaife."

Scaife? I should have known. Every massive right-wing smear job backed by huge sums of money, especially ones that go after the Clintons, turns out to be funded by Richard Mellon Scaife. That guy is lower than anything I've ever had to scrape off the bottom of my shoes.

[jimb]

Chris: "Michael Moore makes up stuff out of thin air about Bush in 'Farenheit 9/11'"

Name one thing he made up about Bush. Just one.

[Another Chris]

To the previous poster named "Chris":

Michael Moore didn't hide the fact that he had an agenda. ABC/Disney did and is trying to pass off their propaganda as objective truth.

Michael Moore backed up what truth he did have with clips from real people. ABC/Disney makes up their own fictional version of events and needs actors to help portray it as fact.

I don't defend Michael Moore as being non-partisan or objective in any way; he's not. But if you honestly think for a moment that ABC/Disney has yours, or the country's, best interests at heart in airing this filth, then you've become exactly the kind of blind consumer that these corporate monsters have always wanted.

I mean seriously, what have these rich bastards EVER done for you, or any of us who aren't in their cozy little billionaire's club? Why in the heck are you continuing to defend these people when they'd just as well crap down your neck before seeing their profits and power drop by a penny? They DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOU; why do you continue to defend them as our country spins further and further down into the toilet?

Please, PLEASE wake up. For God's sake, half of the people in this country are still sound asleep, zombies in front of that infernal television set, being conditioned by anything and everything these rich greedy powerhungry bastards want them to think. And the other half of us, the ones who have woken up to our situation but are virtually silenced by the corporate media, are SCREAMING on the sidelines hoping to get you and others like you out of your slumber so that you'll see what these monsters are trying to do to you.

Don't you yet get it? We are NOT YOUR ENEMY. On the contrary, what you may not realize is that we're your last line of defense against a wolf that you've inadvertently invited into your home and who is sharpening his knife and fork as we speak.

Please, PLEASE, won't you look around and see what they've been doing to you? To all of us?

[TeresaW]

mikeB,

Please tell me what Moore made up about Bush....please???

Wake up Mike, you are a VICTIM of the right wing spin machine. You think they give a damn about you and you think that one day you too will be a millionaire and will be able to keep more of your fortune because bush gave tax cuts to people much richer than you. You are a fool. It is harder now to change class, you have LESS chance of becoming one the wealthy than in any time in our history since the turn of the last century.
You are never going to rich. You are never going to be invited in to the big boys clubs and you are never going to be part of the winning team no matter how much they pander to your stupidity for thier votes.
But don't worry, soon they will have election threat perfected and they won't even need you for that.... then you really will be kicked to the curb.

[Larry]

Chris--

Nobody is arguing for or against the concept of propaganda. The issue is that Michael Moore is not entrusted with the public airwaves. ABC, on the other hand, has a direct pipeline into American homes. Nobody was suggesting that F9/11 be taught in schools. ABC planned to use Scholastic to force their lies down the throats of American children obligated to attend public schools.

See the difference?

[Theodora]

Icing on the cake: one of the financial principals (he wasn't identified) of this septic tank MOW claimed the primary intent of the project was "...to entertain and educate..." people...

ENTERTAIN???

I fail to see the entertainment value in watching thousands of people being incinerated; hundreds more running to save their lives --and wandering Manhattan's streets in a dazed frenzy.........

As for "truths"...

Did the writers of this claptrap ponder the airlines' responsibility in this 'incident'?

On August 1, 2001 --as I was departing DFW for Kennedy airport --the **entire** American Airlines terminal was filled to overflowing with Pakistanis making a mass exodus...

On August 11, 2001 --as I was departing Kennedy Airport for my return to DFW --the United Airlines jet alongside of us was being evacuated for a 'purported' bomb threat. Those of us on the AA jet were not told about the delay --and were held 'hostage' for **three** hours while United reallocated their passengers....

Coincidence that exactly a month to the day both airlines would be pawns in the plot???

I think NOT...

Who needs 'fantasy' when reality is scarey enough???

[Cheryl]

I've blocked ABC (no cable, so no Disney, ESPN, Lifetime to block) and let them know.

[lsb]

I would call for the resignation of Stephen McPherson head of ABC but since this will be a terrible year for ABC programming he might be out by the end of this season. I predict ABC will wind up in 4th place by the end of the 2006-2007 season.

[scott]

Thanks for the tips everyone. I certainly don't want to watch anything that is so biased.

Now how about Bowling for Columbine and Farenheit 9/11. The first got an Oscar I understand and the 2nd is an important critique of the Bush administration. Can anyone here tell me about the accuracy of those pieces? After all, you all wouldn't want me to see anything that was biased, right?