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Article: 'This Week': Talk Without The Discourse
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- September 1, 2009
CopyrightCopyright 2009 The Washington Post. This material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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Tom Shales | On TV is a new weekly column by the Pulitzer-
winning critic. He'll write not only on all things television but
also about our culture and the forces that shape it. Look for him on
Tuesdays.
As philosopher and pianist Chico Marx might have said, "There
ain't no Sanity Clause" in the TV talk-show code of ethics -- but
then neither is there a code of ethics. Shouting matches may be
irrelevant and deplorable but -- oh, all-rationalizing phrase --
they can also make for "good TV." Many are the crimes against
civility, logic and simple decency committed in its name.
Perhaps it was good TV when, on Sunday's edition of the estimable
and ever-excellent ABC News program "This ...