ABC's 'Boston Legal' Takes Cheap Shots To The Right

By Michelle Humphrey (Bio | Archive)
January 17, 2007 - 15:02 ET

Last night ABC’s Boston Legal was packed full of political jabs. Lawyer Denny Crane (played by William Shatner) was placed on the "No Fly List" and when Alan Shore (played by James Spader) asked if Crane has called for help, his response was, "Well, I can’t get anybody. I called Tom Delay, his number’s disconnected. Foley has got his hands full, Frist said, "Don’t take it personally." I called Clarence Thomas; his office said he was indisposed." Shore then asked, "How you tried going right to the top?" Crane’s response was, "Cheney?"

Soon after, Shore described Crane to a Homeland Security official saying, "Mr. Murch... there is nobody more red, white and blue than this man here. He's for the death penalty. He's pro-life. He doesn't read newspapers. He's exercised every loophole to avoid paying taxes. He's even donated to. The Jack Abramoff ball."

During his closing argument, Shore discussed the cost of changing the technology of Homeland Security. "This can't be undoable. Expensive, maybe, but judging from recent spending patterns, we've got billions to throw around. Halliburton alone has profited over $10 billion from the war. Maybe we could get them to kick in. Why is it our government leaders only tap into the private sector for campaign contributions or to pass out contracts to cronies?"

Finally, to close up the episode Crane asked Shore, "Name a change that relates to this issue-- government technology." Shore, "I made that suggestion in court. Hire the geniuses, not the guy who's got the best lobbyist or the rich friend who will take you to his quail ranch and let you shoot him."


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Where is Oldermann's outrage

January 17, 2007 - 15:16 ET by Jimbo

Where is Oldermann's outrage at this show like his outrage for a nuke on 24???  If his logic is true, then the likes of Boston legal are unfairly twisting the minds of the citizens of this great country. 

Oh wait - they are being twisted in the direction he prefers.  I answered my own question.

Laugh

January 17, 2007 - 15:24 ET by iveseenitall

You have to laugh sometimes. Conservatives really get under liberals' skin. Something psychological there. Sad, pathetic, ignorant people, these "progressives".

NEVER,NEVER trust a liberal

Apples And Oranges

January 17, 2007 - 15:31 ET by Jimbo

What really kills me is that the examples of 24 and Boston Legal are really apples and oranges comparisons.

In the case of Boston Legal, it is an overt attempt to rip the Republican Congress and the Bush Administration.  No hiding it.  It's intentional.  It's right there for everyone to see.

The basis of calling 24 "conservative" is really the opinion of dilusional minds of Oldermann and his ilk.  Seeing something that isnt intended and isnt really there.

Sad, really.

That's a great point really.

January 17, 2007 - 16:01 ET by Smartypants

That's a great point really.  The BL content consisted of cheap shots with little basis in fact directly aimed at one political party, as if the other party does not have baggage.  "24" is merely the representation of something the left finds less than comfortable.  There were no cheap shots at either party and no one-sided debate as is common on shows like "Boston Legal".

Just think: when Fox News s

January 17, 2007 - 17:22 ET by balboa

Just think: when Fox News starts that new show, it'll be liberal potshots galore!

I wonder what's taking them

January 17, 2007 - 17:25 ET by sarcasmo

I wonder what's taking them so-long??
JMR

It's hard to find conservativ

January 17, 2007 - 17:31 ET by balboa

It's hard to find conservatives with a sense of humor. :-)

That's NOT funny balboa! &

January 17, 2007 - 17:36 ET by MightyMouth

That's NOT funny balboa!

"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...

...AT ALL!..."If we ever

January 17, 2007 - 17:39 ET by bigtimer

...AT ALL!...

"If we ever forget that we are a Nation Under God....then we will be a Nation Gone Under."  Ronald Reagan

Well, I didn't mean YOU GUY

January 17, 2007 - 17:41 ET by balboa

Well, I didn't mean YOU GUYS, of course! You're hysterical!

Thank you? "There are

January 17, 2007 - 17:43 ET by MightyMouth

Thank you?

"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...

LMAO!!! "If we ever forg

January 17, 2007 - 17:48 ET by bigtimer

LMAO!!!

"If we ever forget that we are a Nation Under God....then we will be a Nation Gone Under."  Ronald Reagan

Haha. Touche

January 17, 2007 - 18:03 ET by balboa

Haha. Touche

Hmmm, I dunno, Bal....A cer

January 17, 2007 - 17:45 ET by sarcasmo

Hmmm, I dunno, Bal....A certain flavor of them seems to have somehow met with substantial comic success, maybe Fox just doesn't know where to look. If so, they're welcome. :)
JMR

I can see it now: Larroquet

January 17, 2007 - 17:50 ET by balboa

I can see it now: Larroquette is the anchor, Chong does the weather, Jimmie Walker is the political beat, Tim Wilson sports (he's hysterical btw), Drew Carey food critic, Denis Leary local color.

I'd watch, but if I were Fo

January 17, 2007 - 17:57 ET by sarcasmo

I'd watch, but if I were Fox I'd substitute Chong's-hot-daughter for Chong-himself, since she's easier on the eyes. Ideally, they'd also include Dave Barry somehow, but these days that takes a substantial sack-O-loot...Come to think of it, there's a lot of humor-potential for Colbert or Stewart in a weather-segment with a really-hot yet reasonably-funny babe, IMO...
JMR

Dave Barry could be the show'

January 17, 2007 - 18:07 ET by balboa

Dave Barry could be the show's answer to Andy Rooney!

Boston Legal cheap shot

January 18, 2007 - 00:17 ET by Calios

Jackie Mason and Jeff Foxworthy need to be recruited and if not regulars, guests. It's too bad Bob Hope, Rodney Dangerfield and Jerry Clower is no longer with us as they would be great too. But after thinking about it, I think most conservative performers would rather pretend being a Liberal because they are so easy to laugh at.

Accident?

January 17, 2007 - 17:26 ET by Jimbo

Were you trying to make a statement without a point, or did it happen by accident?

Both.No, actually I was tryin

January 17, 2007 - 17:33 ET by balboa

Both.

No, actually I was trying to point out that conservatives would have a counterbalance to all those mean nasty liberal shows.

Nah, conservatives just don't

January 17, 2007 - 17:26 ET by Smartypants

Nah, conservatives just don't own the potshot game the way that liberals do.  Liberals, by their nature--and you know this balb--are smarmy and arrogant.  They require drive-by potshots because they cannot readily defend most of their positions in an actual debate.

Oh hold the phone! There ar

January 17, 2007 - 17:30 ET by balboa

Oh hold the phone! There are PLENTY of arrogant and smarmy conservatives out there. PLENTY.

Ok, so how come we still on

January 17, 2007 - 17:32 ET by sarcasmo

Ok, so how come we still only have 5 minute segments of Dennis Miller from Fox, instead of a half-hour show that can actually-compete in viewership numbers with Stewart and/or Colbert? (And tomorrow's must-see-on-both-channels Papa-Bear/Colbert exchange is only a brief comic reprieve -- it doesn't count IMO!)
JMR

Will any news publication or

January 17, 2007 - 15:25 ET by Unsane

Will any news publication or broadcast dare call Boston Legal a "liberal" show as they have called 24 a "conservative" show?

"HAV3 TH3 BRIDG3S OF INSANITY B33N CROSS3D AND FOR3V3R R3TRACT3D???."  - Meshuggah, "3ntrapm3nt", from Catch Thirty Thr33 (2005)

...not in their current forms

January 17, 2007 - 15:36 ET by TruthMonger

...not in their current forms as the churches of liberal fascism, my friend : ) . . .

Terrorists are not Muslims, Nazi's were not Christians, etc, etc...

I watch this show on a regula

January 17, 2007 - 22:46 ET by Pam

I watch this show on a regular basis and last night was just another night with Alan Shore..I actually agreed with what he said about just hiring "Steves".  Our government employees should be the best and the brightest and the point made about the No-fly list was valid.  That being said, Michelle should have added Denny Crane's comeback to Alan..it was the last word...when Alan turned the question back to Denny, what would Denny change.."absolutely nothing, in spite of our differences this country works and that's what is so great about it!"

Nope. Obviously no liberal bi

January 17, 2007 - 15:17 ET by Chris Norman

Nope. Obviously no liberal bias here. Next...

The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.

- Arabian Proverb

Fairness Doctrine

January 17, 2007 - 15:26 ET by Sugar Land

And this when the "fairness doctrine" is becoming a 'cause celeb again with liberal stuffed shirts in congress.  Beeeautiful!

I can't wait for Newsweek's a

January 17, 2007 - 15:28 ET by Jseitler

I can't wait for Newsweek's article calling B.L. a "liberal sex fantasy".  I mean, they have to, right?

...

...No takers?

So many attorneys are dems,

January 17, 2007 - 15:50 ET by JDW

So many attorneys are dems, it's an aspect of this show which has to be overlooked to enjoy it. Remove Crane and ratings would sink. The quote above makes fun of conservatives in an entertaing manner.

Your thought concerning aggressive sex is a big strike against the dems. Interesting.

JDW

Kerry: "You know, education, if you make the most of it ... you can do well. If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."

I watched the show, and the

January 17, 2007 - 15:33 ET by robert108

I watched the show, and the real problem with Denny Crane not being able to fly was that they couldn't do decent profiling, so all they could go by was his name. They had him lumped together with all the other "Dennis Cranes", and couldn't use any other distinguishing characteristics, like ethnic background or a picture. Of course, they didn't bother to bring that fact out in the open.

I'm in awe of your ability to

January 17, 2007 - 15:41 ET by Chris Norman

I'm in awe of your ability to watch this show without putting your foot through the screen...

The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.

- Arabian Proverb

I still like the show and ine

January 17, 2007 - 15:39 ET by Interested and concerned CDN

I still like the show and inevitably, every week, there is a dig at the right or big business, usually from either Spade or Bergen.

And of course Denny Crane is a sex perv conservative buffoon who has never lost a fight in court but only thru the brilliance of his partners and lawyers.

Denny Crane rules!

I guess I live under a rock

January 17, 2007 - 15:55 ET by bobtheman

I guess I live under a rock. I've never seen an episode of ER, Boston legal, and any number of "hospital or legal" shows... and from the sound of it, I'm not missing anything. I wear my ignorance to these shows like a badge of honor. Give me the history channel and The Sopranos, and I'll be just fine.

bob,I'm with you. I haven't w

January 17, 2007 - 16:11 ET by Chris Norman

bob,

I'm with you. I haven't watched a network show in so long I can't name more than a handful of shows. It's nice not to be a slave to the derivative dross they serve up each Fall. I'd rather watch an umpteenth million repeat of Seconds from Disaster than one - er - "new" episode of network fare...or just read a good mystery.

By the way, I'm looking forward to a new episode of Seconds from Disaster, this season, entitled "Election Day, 2006".

The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.

- Arabian Proverb

Well, Bob and Chris, (you ignorant slut, Jane) this is TV.

January 17, 2007 - 22:54 ET by acaiguana

Well, Bob and Chris, (you ignorant slut, Jane) this is TV.

ACA

...

Acaiguana says:  "I love blind Monkeys and any inference that I am making fun of blind Monkeys would be wrong.

You're missing a lot of quali

January 18, 2007 - 00:21 ET by balboa

You're missing a lot of quality TV out there. There's a lot of garbage, no doubt, but there's also a lot of good smart stuff out there.

When the commercials are more

January 18, 2007 - 16:27 ET by Chris Norman

When the commercials are more entertaining than the shows, I give up.

The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.

- Arabian Proverb

"Boston Legal" is a liberal wet dream!

January 17, 2007 - 16:26 ET by NeoCon Jedi

"Boston Legal" is a liberal wet dream! It's filled with sex, enough legal loopholes that would make any card-carrying memeber of the ACLU proud, more sex, enough Bush-bashing to make Ted Kennedy go for a swim, and more sex.

One problem, though, it's not real. If any law firm operated the way BL did, they would have lost their liscence's along time ago. I'll take "24" over BL anyday.

BL... it's more like BS to me.

"At an end your rule is, and not short enough it was!" -- Yoda

Stopped watching long ago

January 17, 2007 - 16:52 ET by joeldpalmer

I loved The Practice and really liked Boston Legal until the start of last season. I had to stop DVRing it. They just beat you over the head with their right-bashing. I do expect defense attorney's in Boston to be liberal but it was getting so blatant that I just assumed they no longer valued my viewership.

Liberals never value viewersh

January 17, 2007 - 22:58 ET by Eric Turner

Liberals never value viewership. They have control of the media. They don't need you.  They only reason they want you to watch is to come under their control.

There was an episode on Dr. Who like that...watch TV and come under the control of someone or something....mmm....(de, de, de, de - Twilight Zone music)...

AKA: armyvet

Liberal Motto: Watch Until It Hurts

January 18, 2007 - 23:02 ET by emjem24

Eric,  I absolutely agree. Sad, but true. I've never seen Boston Legal and don't really want to. I mean, yet another show about laywers. Give me a break. Television needs a couple of fresh ideas. There's one show I like: How I Met Your Mother. My husband and I really love it. There are some obvious liberal ideas like drug use is okay sort of thing. This will sound cheesy, but I really love American Idol. I love how Simon dishes it out to self-deluded contestants that America has taught are special and that you can do anything, even sing, when you're a talentless hack. Sort of like more of the actors on Boston Legal.

The difficult we do immediately; the impossible takes a little longer.  Air Force Motto

emjem says: When your brain's stuck on liberalism it self-destructs.

emjem, I've never seen the sh

January 18, 2007 - 23:13 ET by Eric Turner

emjem, I've never seen the show either. You know I kind of enjoyed James Spader in some of the movies I saw him in. Sad him going to waste like this.

"you can do anything, even sing, when you're a talentless hack"

You should enjoy this being (apparently USAF). I was stationed at SOCEUR at EUCOM HQ in Stuttgart, GE and they were having a (ridiculous) "change-of-responsibility" ceremony for the outgoing and incoming First Sergeant of the HQ Cmdt office and they had this female Army E7 up there singing the German and American national anthems.  Get this...she sang the German national anthem beautifully. I mean really it was good.  Guess what...oh man, she got half way through the Star Spangled Banner and forgot the words!  Can you believe that?  Oh boy did she get it (well I'm sure she did) the EUCOM Sgt Maj (who was a USMC Cmd Sgt Maj) was there along with the HQ Cmdt and several other muckity mucks. It was funny.  Good thing Simon wasn't there. He'd have grilled her. But I'm sure she got that anyway.

AKA: armyvet

Sad him going to waste like

January 18, 2007 - 23:18 ET by balboa

Sad him going to waste like this.

It's only wasteful to you. Lots of us love him on the show. If he were doing dinner theater in Elwood, IN, that would be wasteful.

I'd rather see him in movies.

January 18, 2007 - 23:25 ET by Eric Turner

I'd rather see him in movies. As I admitted I haven't seen the show. So just going off what I have heard...I'd rather see him in movies then spouting off political propaganda (left or right).

I suppose I just wish actors would stick to entertaining.

"dinner theater in Elwood, IN, that would be wasteful."

That would be wasteful for anyone wouldn't it? No disrespect meant for those lucky souls who live in Elwood, IN.

AKA: armyvet

Of course, Elwoodians would b

January 18, 2007 - 23:40 ET by balboa

Of course, Elwoodians would be spoiled to have Spader there. :-)

 Where the hell is Elwood, I

January 18, 2007 - 23:43 ET by terrig

 Where the hell is Elwood, IN?  If it's South of Da Region-it don't matter! ;p)

Very small town north of Indi

January 18, 2007 - 23:48 ET by balboa

Very small town north of Indianapolis.

I am certain they would greet

January 18, 2007 - 23:52 ET by Eric Turner

I am certain they would greet him with all the proper pomp and circumstance due an actor of his caliber (as much as they could muster that is) ;-)

AKA: armyvet

You're Kidding

January 19, 2007 - 10:17 ET by emjem24

I'm glad I missed that, Eric. Yikes. There's great singing talent in the USAF so I'm sure that that would not have been allowed. I feel bad for the people who attended the change of command (responsibility, whatever) ceremony. There's nothing so terrible as singing the Star Bangled Banner like Roseanne Barr. Did you hear that the USS Reagan ran a Reagan Idol competition and the guy that won it auditioned at the tryouts in Mineapolis? He was good...the military really does have talent. Makes me proud. :)

The difficult we do immediately; the impossible takes a little longer.  Air Force Motto

emjem says: When your brain's stuck on liberalism it self-destructs.

Try "Law and Order" no bias there

January 17, 2007 - 17:01 ET by niner-four-whiskey

Jeez, if you think that's bad, just try and sit through an episode of "Law and Order." It is absolute, episode after episode nothing but liberal/left tirades against anything and everything right of Joseph Stalin and Chairman Mao.

You will not get 10 minutes into an episode without getting preached at.

I stopped for a few minutes a couple weeks ago. The episode had something to do with a doctor who didn't perform some test that might have led to the parents getting an abortion, and a "wrongful life" suit had been brought and of course, someone had been murdered and of course, the monologue by the prosecuter character went on and on about how he had "no right to impose right-wing beleifs on all these helpless parents who could have aborted their defective children and now someone got murdered and its all your fault, you right wing bastard."

 I've given up all the L &am

January 18, 2007 - 23:21 ET by terrig

 I've given up all the L & O episodes unless they're at least 12 years old and don't watch any after that.  My stupid bioch of a M-I-L called me regarding that episode (as she was watching it at 4 pm my time) to tell me she thought I would "enjoy" being the mother of a wrongfully born child myself (in her point of view).  I asked her what the heck she was talking about and I hung up on her.  Haven't heard from her since, piled on this piece of news on hubby who is currently having a run-in with a LTC & he told me that one stop we won't be making when we get back to the mainland & visit friends & relatives in VA BCH is his old address. 

I don't understand why that show is so bad as it used to be a really great show in it's infancy.  As for "Boston Legal", my husband just loves this show (one of the few he can get over there via his computer when he has the chance) but he thinks it's "all in good fun", something he doesn't believe with the L & O franchise.

Try "Law and Order" no bias there

January 17, 2007 - 17:02 ET by niner-four-whiskey

Sorry - double post. Don't now how it happened.

Hahahaha

January 17, 2007 - 22:45 ET by Ynot59

I saw the show and thought it was hilarious.

I love the writer for Spader. I think he's got a really great sense of humor.

C'mon folks, it was funny.

BRITANNICUS SUM

I happen to enjoy both 24 and

January 18, 2007 - 17:23 ET by Caringwhiteguy

I happen to enjoy both 24 and Boston Legal.  24 is extremely fast-moving, tense and exciting and Boston Legal is very funny.  You've got to remember they are works of fiction.  Those getting exorcised on either end of the spectrum need to take a deep breath.  As Rush Limbaugh often says using absurdity to illustrate the absurd is a great technique, and neither show is real-world believable.  By the way here's a real-life story akin to Denny Crane's no-fly-list problem.  And by the way, the Denny Crane character as played by Bill Shatner is a lot more likeable than the preachy liberal Alan Shore, played by James Spader.    http://www.breitbart.com/news/2007/01/17/D8MNE7DG0.html. 

How Original

January 18, 2007 - 22:44 ET by emjem24

Isn't it just wonderful when you can't come up with your own plot lines and so let's put in a gratuitous reference to Pres. Bush's administration? Isn't this better suited for SNL as a joke than an actual episode on a t.v. show? Oh, and how many more times can we comment on Cheney's hunting accident? Yeah, it was stupid but haven't we beaten it to death already? Yet another sign of how immature hollywood is and yet another reason I don't take ABC, its news and shows seriously.

The difficult we do immediately; the impossible takes a little longer.  Air Force Motto

emjem says: When your brain's stuck on liberalism it self-destructs.

I dunno...Cheney accidentally

January 18, 2007 - 22:49 ET by balboa

I dunno...Cheney accidentally shooting a guy in the face could has legs, baby!

You'd love the cover of the y

January 21, 2007 - 04:41 ET by Unsane

You'd love the cover of the year-end Texas Monthly then...

"HAV3 TH3 BRIDG3S OF INSANITY B33N CROSS3D AND FOR3V3R R3TRACT3D???."  - Meshuggah, "3ntrapm3nt", from Catch Thirty Thr33 (2005)