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The Importance of Being Earnest

© John Lovett

A fellow with whom I correspond and has experience working with the movie industry wrote this to me the other day, "The reason the uniforms end up being wrong is because the matter is not considered important enough to get right. The current standard of accuracy is fine with everyone, especially the American television viewer. In fact, I am sure that producers and costumers of shows like the "X-Files" think they are doing an EXCELLENT job in this area. And as long as there is no one to bring the matter to their attention, there the matter will rest."

Interesting thought. If all that is true, then all we can look forward to is complete mediocrity. I guess that is why television is called "The Great Wasteland." I hope that the opposite is true and there are professionals working in the industry willing to stand up for what is correct.

Here are two examples of how things are done incorrectly and correctly in TV land.

I was watching previews of THE 60'S last night. Jerry McConnell says to his Father that he is goin' to Vietnam. Take a close look at his ribbons. For a private, he certainly has a lot of them. From the look of things he has already been to Vietnam in that one of ribbons is the Vietnam Service Ribbon. Geez, it's enough to make a strong man weep. This is the NBC site for the movie http://www.NBC.com/tvcentral/mms/fr_60s....

Soon to be on TV is a new series WEST POINT. Filmed at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, this series had the full cooperation of the military. Because of this cooperation, the uniforms, ribbons, jargon, etc. are more likely to be more or less correct. From what I have read, the military advisors, themselves graduates of the USMA, drove the producers, costumers, etc. to distraction with their attention to detail.

Of course, gentle viewer, you have to make the decision between watching something for entertainment or turning the show off when the mistakes begin to mount. If you are watching something like MCHALE'S NAVY and there are certain aspects about uniforms or weapons off kilter, sit back and enjoy the performance. If you watching something that purports to be historically accurate and then has egregious errors of uniforms, weapons, jargon, etc., exercise your right to vote and turn the d***ned thing off.

Is this gadfly working up a tempest in a teapot? Do viewers really care what they watch? Are we so mesmerized by what we watch that we have no discretion whatsoever? No, I don't think so. Yes, I think so but they are not given any more options. Yes, we certainly do have discretion. That option is called the OFF button.

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