Hardhitting series loses its irreverent political compass big time with its coverage of Russia’s actions.
Enfant terrible Shane Smith
VICE (HBO) Directed by Shane Smith / Executive Producer, Bill Maher
Episode S2:11 / June 2014
• The Crippling heroin epidemic in Iran
• How global warming and quest for hydrocarbons is reigniting Cold War in the Arctic
Patrice Greanville
What prompts the producers of HBO’s VICE news magazine series to kneel at the altar of American propaganda after working so hard to build a more impartial image? The two segments featured in this episode seem to encapsulate the best and the worst of “cutting edge” mainstream North American telejournalism, as represented by Shane Smith’s VICE.
In the first segment, VICE examines the dreadful situation of Iran, now besieged by an expanding heroin addiction epidemic, much of it triggered by events unleashed by American meddling in neighboring countries, not to mention the fact that Europe and the US represent the biggest markets for drugs in the entire world. Still, although 15 minutes can hardly do justice to a topic as complex as this, the images are eloquent, and some of the narrative illuminating.
In the second segment, detailing the multinational struggle—a sort of armed-to-the-teeth gold rush— for hydrocarbon resources in the Arctic, itself a topic vastly under-reported by the mainstream media, VICE caves in to standard “us” vs. “them” memes, using some of the worst anti-Russian/Cold War clichés. Shame.
Has Shane Smith sold out, or is it the influence of Bill Maher and the HBO folks?
The evolution of VICE from a distinctively scrappy news & cultural organization willing to tweak the system’s nose, to a more established outfit worthy of backing by a major media empire like HBO may have required Smith, one of the creative forces behind it, to deepen his cynicism and gradually acquire the system’s coloration. Recent programs suggest that while VICE remains a far more unpredictable news source than, say, Face the Nation, which trades in outright journalistic prostitution, its willingness to insert well-known American propaganda memes in its material is rapidly sullying its image. Smith remains elusive about his actual political beliefs, an understandable if not admirable position when seeking fame and success within the parameters of the imperial communications system. The Wiki quote below seems to point in the direction of Smith being something of an anarcho-libertarian, but it’s a mere guess:
In a March 2008 interview with The Guardian, Smith was asked about the magazine’s political allegiances and he stated, “We’re not trying to say anything politically in a paradigmatic left/right way … We don’t do that because we don’t believe in either side. Are my politics Democrat or Republican? I think both are horrific. And it doesn’t matter anyway. Money runs America; money runs everywhere.”[4]
Founder Smith has stated: “I grew up being a socialist and I have problems with it because I grew up in Canada [and] I’ve spent a lot of time in Scandinavia, where I believe countries legislate out creativity. They cut off the tall trees. Everyone’s a C-minus. I came to America from Canada because Canada is stultifyingly boring and incredibly hypocritical. Thanks, Canada.”[5]T
Then, again, just like his current boss, Bill Maher, Smith may want to have it both ways while skating on the surface of events.
Patrice Greanville is The Greanville Post‘s founding editor.
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FOR THE RECORD
VICE kicked off its ten-episode first season April 5, debuting new editions Fridays (11:00-11:30 p.m. ET/PT), following new editions of “Real Time with Bill Maher.” The season finale, was devoted entirely to the show’s headline-making trip to North Korea.
Season one credits: VICE is executive produced by Bill Maher, Shane Smith and Eddy Moretti; co-executive producer, BJ Levin; consulting producer, Fareed Zakaria.
VICE AS SEEN BY ITS CORPORATE PARENT
LOS ANGELES, June 13, 2013 – HBO has renewed the news magazine series VICE for a 12-episode second season, with debut set for 2014, it was announced today by Michael Lombardo, president, HBO Programming. Hosted by Shane Smith, founder of the revolutionary new media company of the same name, VICE smashes barriers of decorum to cover the kinds of stories often overlooked by mainstream media outlets.
“VICE’s fearless, irreverent style of news coverage has produced a uniquely provocative show,” noted Lombardo. “We look forward to more of their groundbreaking reporting in season two.”
SOURCE: Deadline.com
