LIVE AND UNCENSORED IN NEW YORK CITY PART 1

LIVE AND UNCENSORED IN NEW YORK CITY PART 1

The Creative Coalition is a nonprofit, 501©(3), public advocacy organization of the entertainment industry.  It “educates and mobilizes leaders in the arts community on issues of public importance, specifically in the areas of First Amendment rights, arts advocacy and public education.

 

Members are those whose careers are related to the arts or entertainment fields who, as their brochure terms it, “have unique access to the media and can shape a message.”

 

On Thursday, November 15, 2005, The Creative Coalition along with the House of Campari and Paper Magazine hosted a panel discussion on censorship in the media today at the Steven Kasher Gallery, 521 West 23rd Street.

 

Legendary Emmy Award winning talk show host Dick Cavett, actor/comedian/writer Richard Belzer (Law & Order: SVU) Tim Blake Nelson (Actor, Syriana, Meet the Fockers, Minority Report, O Brother, Where Art Thou?) and Bill Devlin, spokesperson for Christian Democrats, participated in a panel discussion moderated by Court TV anchor Catherine Crier.

 

The Gallery had been hosting “Passionate Image: The Body In Art and Advertising”. That exhibit featured outstanding examples of advertisements and other works of art focusing on the human body.  (That will be the subject of a future vlog.)

 

The discussion and Q&A lasted for an hour.  Dick Cavett shared his experience of dealing with network executives who were worried about broadcasting a Yoko Ono song, “Woman is the Nigger of the World”.

 

Catherine Crier talked about guests who were afraid to express unpopular attitudes “on the air”.  Richard Belzer wondered why we were so worried about Janet Jackson’s breast and so unaware of the maiming and loss of life in Iraq.

 

By turns, each guest made quips that were sharp and pungent.  Dick Cavett, especially, launched a blistering attack on political correctness on the word “Native American”.  When one panelist pointed out how fortunate we were to live in freedom in the USA instead of Saudi Arabia, Richard Belzer responded: “Just wait six more months”.

 

There will be two five minute vlogs distilled from the hour dialogue.  The second vlog will be published in a few days.

 

For more information, visit the website: www.TheCreativeCoalition.org