I cancelled Showtime. Why don't you?

[hackwriter]

Because of the utter reprehensibleness of the upcoming film that supposedly "retraces President Bush's steps on 9/11/2001", but in actuality fictionalizes him into some sort of conquering hero, I called Dish Network today and told them to cancel my Showtime subscription.

I'm going to follow this up with a letter to Matthew C. Blank, Chairman and CEO of Showtime Networks, Inc., explaining exactly why I'm cancelling. I'm going to cc: Charlie Ergen of Echostar as well. I get the sense that Ergen is a pretty cool guy; he does, after all, include FSTV and Worldlink in the Dish Network service.

Blank's bio (http://www.ncta.com/pdf_files/blankbio.pdf) seems to show a pretty decent resume of support for causes near and dear to us lefties -- so how he's willing to sell out to the Rove Empire is beyond me. But if he IS redeemable, he should damn well know that some of us find it morally irresponsible to rewrite history two years after the fact.

Might I suggest that those of you who have Showtime might want to do the same?

(BTW, as soon as I cancelled Showtime, I signed up with Netflix. ;))

[Ilsa]

1. Good for you!

We don't take Showtime. I guess I could write them a letter anyway, but i doubt it would have much impact.

[LearnedHand]

2. GREAT idea!

I don't have Showtime, but if I did, I'd cancel it immediately. And you're right about Ergen; I know him, and he IS a cool dude.

[NJCher]

3. Netflix is great

I signed up as a result of hearing about it from someone on this board. The service is prompt and fast. Can't beat it.

Anyway, applause applause for you and your action re Showtime.

I could not bear to see a movie making that pathetic clod into a hero.


Cher

[keopeli]

4. I signed up for Showtime two years ago with praises...

...for their programming. I enjoyed Queer As Folk as entertainment, and I wanted to re-inforce their efforts. I wrote them a letter, too.

When I heard about this movie they produced that was blatently political and biased (even the trailer was unbelievable), I started writing my new letter. The next day, I sent it off and cancelled Showtime. I indicated in my letter that, after they show this, I wouldn't even consider coming back before 2005, and that depends on their actions in the future. ( I believe these acts of market protest should have a stated way for the offender to redeem themselves, as well as a stated period for the protest - just like parole!)

I encourage everyone to cancel Showtime for showing this movie and either write a letter, or cancel on the day after the show is aired for the first time.

The best thing to come out of this debacle will be watching this film in 20 years and laughing our asses off at how it was ever made. I truly hope we will be laughing by then.

Peace.

[AmandaRuth]

5. and then

you cancel cable. And when Comcast (or whoever) calls, you say that you will not be buying their service because they refuse to carry alternatives to Fox News and this movie.

And please don't tell me that boycotts won't work, if enough people did this, things would change, because it's all about money no matter what anyone says.

just got home from work, in a really bad mood

[dweller]

6. 'it's all about money'

you got that right.
and it's our money that controls them, not the other way around.

cancelled my cable last January, and life just got more interesting all along.
Just don't ask me to axe the internet...

dp

[amber dog democrat]

7. TV is evil

in anything more than moderate doses. I will not commit to watching what passes for programming or especially pay for it.

My last cable service ended in 1993. I rant to the cable people who try to re enroll me in our cablevision services about how I won't pay to have my intelligence insulted.

I will read something or rent movies... but well done, Let the cable folk know why you are cancellling. The ought not to be shilling for these shameless political publicity stunts.

[carnival]

9. Alternative to Fox

I'm just curious, what is the cable alternative to Fox News?

[leftyandproud]

8. because it only costs an extra $2 a month ;)

got a good package deal with HBO, etc

I like "Dead Like Me"
and "Freshman Diaries"

very original stuff...worth the price of admission

[jumptheshadow]

10. One movie will not kill it for me

Let the Bush groupie express his opinion. Lots of people will see right through it.

Showtime as a channel has been innovatively gay-friendly. Queer As Folk has declined in quality and is erratically written but can still be entertaining. And the partner and I are looking forward to the lesbian soap opera that will make its debut on Showtime next year.

On the other hand, if this movie signals a trend and the network tilts right then we will have to reconsider.

[Djinn]

11. Wouldn't it be better

If everyone KEPT their subscriptions but nobody watched "Bush - saviour of the world" or whatever it'll be called?

I don't know how viewer numbers are measured in US and whether individual cable channels get rated but if they do and it turns out that only a minute percentage of subscribers who were ABLE to actually CHOSE to watch it wouldn't that send a decent message?