Piece image

Hollywood Washington

From: Richard Paul
Length: 00:05:51

Embed_button
The difference between Hollywood-Washington and Washington-Washington Read the full description.

More from Richard Paul

Caption: Yoki Matsuoka, Credit: Seattle Times

The Mind of the Innovator (00:59:01)
From: Richard Paul

How engineers think and where innovation originates.
Piece image

WAMU at 50 (01:59:01)
From: Richard Paul

50 years of broadcasting at WAMU-FM in Washington, DC
Piece image

Shakespeare In Black and White (00:07:01)
From: Richard Paul

The African-American experience with Shakespeare
Piece image

Washington Goes To The Moon Part 2 (00:58:55)
From: Richard Paul

The fire on Apollo 1 killed three astronauts and nearly destroyed the space program
Piece image

Hiroshima - What We Think (00:06:32)
From: Richard Paul

How American public opinion has changed in the 60 years since Hiroshima
Piece image

My God (00:25:39)
From: Richard Paul

Three 12 year olds - Muslim, Orthodox Jew, evangelical Christian
Piece image

Fighting With My Dad (00:07:32)
From: Richard Paul

A profile of a man who can't work with others
Piece image

Life Before Social Security (00:07:03)
From: Richard Paul

A look a life for the elderly in the years before Social Security was created
Piece image

Moon, Mars and Money (00:05:54)
From: Richard Paul

Will we go back to the Moon and on to Mars? A reality check.
Piece image

Destroy It To Save It (00:06:00)
From: Richard Paul

A trip back to a neighborhood the Supreme Court ordered destroyed

Piece Description

Ever notice how movies about Washington never look like the Washington you see on C-SPAN -- how the hearings are always dramatic and the politicans are always two-faced and crooked? Ever wonder if it's true? And if it's not, ever wonder why they keep saying it? This story looks at the difference between Real Washington and Hollywood Washington.

2 Comments Atom Feed

User image

Review of Hollywood Washington

As Eddie Murphy says in the movie 'Distinguished Gentleman'..."the truth is gonna come out tonight." Not just a primer to Hollywood Washington, this piece looks at the differences between what we see on screen and what is for real. Clips from movies, including the one mentioned in the opening line, and the writers who've written them adds more humour to the piece, especially when they're followed by the the sounds of Washington Washington.

User image

Review of Hollywood Washington

Amusing, insightful look at the differences between Hollywood’s take on Washington and the thing itself from someone who has actually witnessed political life. My RN mother used to have the same indignant reaction to hospital shows, as in “Don’t they know anything?!!” Paul has the same lively harrumph thing going on. Real politics seems surreal enough these days, but Paul reminds us that most of the time they’re actually trying to do something in DC. Even if it isn’t always what you want them to do. Good ME, ATC drop-in length.

Broadcast History

Originally broadcast on Studio 360

Transcript

INTRO: Producer Richard Paul’s wife put up a cartoon on their refrigerator. There's a movie theater. And on the screen it says "Caution: Applying logic and plausibility to movies will only annoy you and those around you. Just let it go.” Richard finds he can’t do that. Especially when a movies subject is the city he’s worked in for 25 years, Washington, DC.

***************************

So there’s this place called Washington, DC. Capitol of one of the larger countries in North America. Maybe you know something about it.

[MONTAGE]:

MOVIE – Legally Blonde 2
WOMAN: “The people believe what we tell them to believe.”

[FADE TO]
MOVIE – The Distinguished Gentleman
MAN 1: “I’m thinking of retiring from congress.
MAN 2: You can retire. You just promised all these people you were gonna run again.
MAN 1: That was a political promise. (chuckles) you know better than to...
Read the full transcript