Few people in Hollywood actually like Aaron Sorkin, least of all his fellow Writer's Guild scribes who recently learned about his attempts to undermine the guild's solidarity behind the writers strike. But NBC political anchors really really like him. Last night, NBC's Brian Williams and MSNBC's Keith Olbermann had an on-air bromance over, of all things, Aaron Sorkin's writing. Both men, twice on the telecast, compared Barack Obama's Democratic National Convention acceptance speech to a scene in Sorkin's pic The American President where President Andrew Shepherd rails against his political opponent. (See YouTube below...) Here's the thing: film reviewers found the weakest part of that Sorkin movie was its naive view of politics. As the Los Angeles Times' movie critic Kenny Turan wrote, the pic is filled with "fantasies [and] pipe dreams about the American political system and where it could theoretically be headed". I don't know which is more humiliating for Williams and Olbermann: that they couldn't compare Obama's speech to something real, like nomination acceptance speeches from the past ... or they tried to praise Obama's speech and wound up unwittingly dissing it... or that they think Aaron Sorkin is so quotable.
Just because something might be somewhat unrealistic on the surface dosen’t mean we shouldn’t aspire for it! Take The movie DAVE with Kevin Kline-Not really believable, but a terrific fantasy about the type of decency I would hope is within all of us. The bottom line with this upcoming Election is, we need a President that will change the Phycology of this country. Someone who can make the country as a whole feel good again about waking up each morning. It’s been at least 8 years since I had that feeling and I actually voted for George Bush! Go OBAMA!
Comment by entertainmenttodayandbeyond — August 29, 2008 @ 9:24 am
Thank you, Nikki. Thank you for finally saying this.
The West Wing was every liberal’s wet dream. And these guys (Williams, Olberman) totally identified with it. That’s fine, but don’t start screaming when people accuse you of letting your bias show. And you’re right Nikki: They couldn’t compare this speech to anything - or anyone in real life? Sad and dismal.
Sorkin is another story altogether. He’s our version of Bill Clinton: Publicity hungry, narcissistic, utterly self-involved (ask his ex-wife to pinpoint exactly how soon after - or just before - she gave birth that he split) a former drug addict, a credit hog (talk to the writers on his shows), and finally, a guy who undermined the union.
Thank you, Nikki, for finally unmasking this guy.
Comment by Brad — August 29, 2008 @ 9:33 am
Aaron Sorkin is “so quotable”. “You can’t handle the truth!” is conceivably one of the most quoted lines in the last twenty years of film.
Love him or hate him, Sorkin turns out some of the best dialogue in Hollywood. Period.
Comment by mr. Obsession — August 29, 2008 @ 9:39 am
I disagree.
I think Sorkin is much admired by we working writers. He’s a guy who’s career is enviable in almost any way.
But don’t discount the fact they are NBC anchors and Sorkin did a lot of his work for NBC.
Comment by TadAllagash — August 29, 2008 @ 10:02 am
Sorkin had “fantasies [and] pipe dreams about the American political system and where it could theoretically be headed?”
Well, doesn’t Obama speech sort of confirm those fantasies then? You refuted your own argument, Nikki.
For all of Sorkin’s flaws, there’s no one like him when he’s on his game like he was for that script.
Comment by Brad — August 29, 2008 @ 10:15 am
Actually, I think it’s more disgusting that Sorkin parades himself around as a pseudo-liberal-friend-of-the-working-man then turns around and sells out his union brethren. The guy is a slimeball, And I’m being nice.
Comment by Hmmmmm...? — August 29, 2008 @ 10:17 am
i couldn’t believe that either! there’s nothing particularly memorable to me about any film or tv show i’ve seen written by aaron sorkin. i agree. completely embarrassing. get some anchors with real political chops and knowledge.
Comment by Anonymous — August 29, 2008 @ 10:21 am
It might have to do with Sorkin’s time on NBC’s The West Wing which made all the usual beltway folks sound way more intelligent and articulate than they actually are.
Comment by Furious D — August 29, 2008 @ 10:23 am
Comparing Obama to Sorkin is comparing apples and grapes.
Comment by reelbusy — August 29, 2008 @ 10:31 am
Well, let’s be honest, Obama’s speech had its fair share of pipe dreams as well.
It also should be noted that one of Turan’s questions (he, after all, enjoyed The American President) was whether the people of the US would embrace such a liberal president. His final paragraph could almost be about this upcoming election:
“But Reiner and writer Sorkin have gone even further–they’ve put a distinctly liberal spin on this dream White House. They’ve created a President who believes in the Democratic Party dream and isn’t afraid to speak up about it, who can passionately defend the ACLU and gun control and still have the great majority of the country on his side. Exactly how much of a fantasy is that? Tune in next November to find out.”
I know people hate Sorkin for various reasons but I think people need to step back a bit and at least give the man credit. His writing is superb and he’s terrific and crafting rousing monologues. The comparison isn’t a bad one. And while Obama’s delivered a great address, I don’t think anyone is comparing it to the great REAL speeches of all time.
Comment by Kevin — August 29, 2008 @ 10:36 am
Nikki,
Not one that ever comments on posts, because frankly I wouldn’t waste my time reading most of the comments. Your reporting is usually first-rate, and while I don’t always agree with your commentary, it’s rooted in strong background information and can be taken at face value, without throwing in my two cents. However, you are missing a few key variables in your tirade about Sorkin and the folks at NBC News:
1. Olbermann and Sorkin have been admirers of one another for many years. Remember, it was Olbermann’s time at Sports Center that Sorkin used as a starting-off point for the characters in ABC’s Sports Night. Olbermann has also quoted Sorkin’s lines on more than one occasion during this campaign: here, and here for starters.
2. Most critics in politics adore Sorkin’s writing (though admittedly those with a liberal slant), while some critics in entertainment don’t like him for being an somewhat outspoken elite writer. But that wasn’t what at issue here. What Williams and Olbermann were referring to in this particular instance, wasn’t completely a chorus to the quick wit of Sorkin’s writing. Detailed further by an MTV blog of all places, there were key lines in Obama’s speech that mirrored The American President in tone and verbage. What Olbermann and Williams pointed out has some merit.
3. Even after Sorkin’s exit from The West Wing, the showrunners knew where the country was heading in 2008. The final seasons featured a presidential race between a inspiring, inexperienced minority Democrat versus a maverick old-school Republican. And after some investigation by The Guardian, it turns out that wasn’t a coincidence at all.
Moreover, the anchors, like much of the country, did not seem to be all that upset about the plight of writers (which is not to say that’s a good thing, just a fact). I doubt they will stop talking about Sorkin anytime soon just because he attended a few closed-door meetings.
Comment by Not The Whole Story — August 29, 2008 @ 10:41 am
Anyone who didn’t love Sports Night deserves Two and a Half Men and its ilk.
Comment by Jay — August 29, 2008 @ 10:59 am
In Olbermann’s case, it’s also because of Sorkin’s work on Sports Night, a show that was so close to Olbermann’s life experiences on ESPN he joked he should get royalties.
Comment by Glenn Hauman — August 29, 2008 @ 11:06 am
It has to be the hallucinogenic mushrooms that they are all using.
Comment by Its the mushrooms — August 29, 2008 @ 11:12 am
There’s nothing wrong with Olbermann or Williams, they’re (biased) newsmen, not media critics. Their words tried to relate the “storybook” aspect of Obama’s nomination to an equally ignorant American public… Expecting these guys to understand the weight of their praise for Sorkin’s story is analogous to suggesting one take the inane babble of a simple entertainment industry blogger as serious commentary on divisive labor issues.
I’m a WGA member, and I’ll tell you this… Aaron Sorkin is far more fiscally talented and brilliantly creative than 85% of the membership. I’d trust his leadership over most of my fellow members any day of the week. I wish he would have undermined us, maybe we actually could have learned something from the strike.
Comment by Nick — August 29, 2008 @ 11:26 am
Yea, Sorkin is a hack. His heavy handed, preachy style is an insult to the intelligence of the viewing public. I was so happy when ‘Studio 60′ was put out of it’s misery, that show was awful. His Oscar aspirations for ‘Charlie Wilson’s War’ never came to fruition either, not even close. Leave it to Sorkin to take promising source material with an A-list cast and end up with a film that’s mediocre at best. He really has a way of sucking the life out of everything he gets involved with.
As for NBC, I can’t get enough of watching their anchors bicker and fight on air. Keep it up guys, you’ve earned my viewership.
Comment by Rael — August 29, 2008 @ 11:42 am
West Wing was boring. Even A Few Good Men rang false. “You need me on that wall. You want me on that wall.” Yeah, right.
And “American President” was just a tad better than “Dave” which isn’t saying much.
That guy got way lucky. He writes about politics like how movie stars want to play them. Not like they really are and how they really act.
Comment by Chicago Guy — August 29, 2008 @ 12:04 pm
Also, don’t you think Olbermann probably looooooooved sports night, for obvious reasons?
Comment by Danny — August 29, 2008 @ 12:37 pm
I get that Sorkin’s kind of a jerk and has pissed off a lot of people, but pretending that there was never anything of value in his writing is delusional. He is, in fact, one of the most quotable writers out there, and any politician would do well to take a few plays out of his book.
Comment by Sus — August 29, 2008 @ 12:40 pm
Aaron Sorkin has made a big mistake.
Well his psdeo-anchfor friends at MNBC had an embarrassing emplosion in Denver this week. Which has the online media talking and youtube fired up too. Also NBC News has lost viewership big time becouse of being in the tank with the leftwing. O’Reilly of Fox and CNN has been creaming this dinonetwork like crazy. What will NBC and MSNBC do when thier ratings get so low NBC Universal would consider selling off thier news division to someone else becouse thier opioined biased journalists are knee-deep for Obama.
Comment by chuck — August 29, 2008 @ 12:58 pm
Wow, talk about a stunning lack of objectivity, Niki! Where to begin?
First: Wow, some reviewers didn’t like The American President. What is that, a diss? The world was not unanimously behind Sorkin’s Capra-like vision of politics. Oh, until about four years later when his TV show, hitting the exact same note, became one of the most watched and admired shows in the country. Okay.
Second: To the guy who wrote above “There’s nothing particularly memorable to me about any film or tv show I’ve seen written by Aaron Sorkin.” While you may not like the guy’s “style” of writing that’s just an idiot ass comment for one simple reason: “You can’t handle the truth.” One of the most quoted and MEMORABLE lines in the history of movies. My point is minor but make a different argument or chose your words more carefully.
Third: Aside from all of this, Sorkin is a brilliant writer, and anybody who can’t admit that either has no clue what good screenwriting is (which wouldn’t surprise me considering how much bad screenwriting there is) or is going out of their way to ignore the obvious.
Fourth: What someone did or did not do during the WGA strike is not related to their abilities as a writer. There are A LOT of bad writers in this business who I’m sure were on that picket line every day. I’d rather work with Sorkin.
Comment by Robert Wyatt — August 29, 2008 @ 1:10 pm
Many of the comparisons come from the writers after Sorkin left basing a presidential candidate on Obama and Obama’s quote that he would like to use Sorkin’s lines.
As it’s been said, we deserve much better than we’ve had the past eight years. In that time the best we’ve had was the fiction!
Comment by segsig — August 29, 2008 @ 1:14 pm
Whenever I watch that scene I can’t help but note what a strong call was made to do something about the threat of global warming - in 1995.
Comment by Steve Nelson — August 29, 2008 @ 1:20 pm
Wow, Nikki, that chip on your shoulder is almost as big as Sorkin’s. Whatever else he’s done, the guy has written some damn fine scripts over the years. Pretending otherwise because you’ve got a beef with him makes you as petty as Sorkin. I’m disappointed.
Also, The American President and The West Wing both painted a portrait of politics that was idealistic, not naive. What a sad place we’ve come to when our leaders are denigrated for expressing a message of idealism.
Comment by Anonymous — August 29, 2008 @ 1:51 pm
It was perfectly appropriate to compare the speech to a B-movie from several years ago. It couldn’t have stood any stronger comparison.
Comment by eb — August 29, 2008 @ 2:33 pm
I agree with Brad’s comment. Aaron Sorkin is one of the best writers in the business and that his writing was praised by two hardened news anchors in this context hardly justifies this particularly snarky post. I don’t know what this columnist has against him. What’s wrong with being idealistic about politicians anyway (especially this one)?
Comment by anonymous — August 29, 2008 @ 2:49 pm
Or maybe it’s because Sorkin’s really fucking talented. That might be it, people. Could be…
Comment by nick — August 29, 2008 @ 2:55 pm
So let me get this straight…
You use a movie review to criticize political commentary that uses a pop culture reference as a crutch?
Hmm… Just checking.
Comment by Kitler — August 29, 2008 @ 3:09 pm
Despite the rhetoric of guild members, the WGA strike was a disaster, gained little for it’s members and hurt a lot of people in this town. At least someone had the guts to admit mistakes were made.
On the other hand, I’d rather watch Charlie Sheen as a TV president than Sorkin’s self-righteous, Martin Sheen saga. More cigars and dress stains…
Comment by John Douglas — August 29, 2008 @ 5:28 pm
I miss guys like David Brinkley reporting from conventions that produced actual news.
Comment by Fiftyfoot — August 29, 2008 @ 7:57 pm
i like your blog and visit often. you seem to have good sources and have broken your share of stories. that being said, i disagree in the biggest way possible. aaron sorkin is a brilliant writer. his dialogue is utterly memorable. i don’t know how he is viewed by his fellow writers but i’d be willing to bet that many of them are awed by his skills. the anchors were simply trying to relate the feel of the speech and the atmosphere in the stadium to the viewers in a way that they may understand. they did their jobs. your article comes off kind of bitter too.
Comment by ken — August 29, 2008 @ 11:27 pm
It would be kinda funny if Sorkin actually wrote Obama’s speech… Coincidence?
Comment by Anonymous — August 30, 2008 @ 3:23 am
MSNBC’s ratings are not tanking. It’s actually the reverse. The network is doing well. And coincidentally it’s because it does lean more toward the left. Which isn’t bad when FOX leans to the right and CNN leans wherever they can in their pathetic attempts to get ratings. MSNBC found an underserved audience and ran with it.
And Sorkin is a talented man. Don’t hate on the dude. He may be an asshole in real life but he’s still a good writer.
Comment by B- — August 30, 2008 @ 3:45 am
WOW.
that really is retar- lame. wow. aaron, i can confirm as many can is a total D bag. great writer thought. LOL.
Comment by troy — August 30, 2008 @ 7:13 am
So Obama’s speech was ’second rate’, and ‘couldn’t stand stronger criticism.’
How sad that what was probably the best political speech in America in over a decade gets that kind of reaction.
But let us put the Olbermann and Matthews comments in perspective. They were discussing the structure of the speech, its use of rhetoric, its political positioning, and its rhythms. Whether you like Sorkin’s actions during the WGA strike, or his idealized view of politics you have to recognize that he does use those things pretty well in his ’speeches’.
Matthews also compared sections of it to Reagan’s speeches which pigeonholed Jimmy Carter in people’s minds and how hard hitting that was when he was writing for Carter. So they weren’t limited to fictional comparisons.
Meanwhile Fox is trying to spin Palin’s foreign policy experience because Alaska is next to Russia. I’m surprised they missed that it borders Canada.
Comment by Pat in NY — August 30, 2008 @ 8:03 am
Former drug addict?
Sadly, Aaron Sorkin’s career arc shows every sign of the active disease of addiction — which, in the DSM-IV is described as a mental illness involving obsession and compulsive behavior(s) in line with the addict’s proclivities.
Early genius, followed by multiple brushes with the law, and a later output that somehow gets worse over time, instead of better, as you’d expect of someone so masterful…
Comment by really? — August 30, 2008 @ 10:15 am
“on-air bromance” - omg. I’m suing you for damages caused by my fall from this chair
Comment by David Ross — August 30, 2008 @ 2:23 pm
Sorkin is a great writer, period. YOU may like him or not, which is irrelevant, but he has a body of work to kill for and consistently turns out great stuff. The american president, and much of the west wing, were fairy tales, and Sorkin has admitted as much. That doen’t make them great pieces of writing. The animosity behind you comments seems based purely on a personal dislike of the man. For a journalist who supposedly tries to see behind the facade of things, that is quite a poor sign.
Comment by mike — August 31, 2008 @ 12:57 am
Sorkin is an undeniably brilliant writer. he raised the general IQ of the tv world.
don’t know if the guy is an asshole or not (i don’t know him personally) but i’d like to see anyone here, anyone anywhere, out-write this guy. seriously. that should be a goal.
If all writers were this good the strike would have had a fighting chance. we’re not.
Comment by Keven with an "e" — August 31, 2008 @ 10:22 am
Calling Keith Olbermann a “news anchor” is like calling Bill O’Reilly or Sean Hannity “news anchors”. These guys are hatchet men at best, attack dogs at worst. They’re not journalists. They’re paid to foam at the mouth, that’s it. Assigning any sort of credibility to them is both irresponsible and dangerous.
Comment by Do what now? — August 31, 2008 @ 12:32 pm
Aaron is a talented man who has been nothing but honest annd sweet to me personally. I believe the loss of his style of writing on the small screen is what’s wrong with TV today.
Comment by Carebear — August 31, 2008 @ 4:06 pm
Sorkin is a liberal junkie douchebag whose West Wing and American President were nothing more than liberal political porn. Is it any wonder why OBAMA HQMSNBC has fans in Sorkin? Sorkin wrote a show in which Martin Sheen pretended to be a brave, intelligent, strong Democrat president, and Keith Olbermann hosts a show in which he pretends to be a serious journalist.
Comment by KyleCope — August 31, 2008 @ 7:00 pm
Only extreme right-wing Republicans, who espouse a political philosophy that is solely based on hatred of anyone who is not exactly like them, would have souls so dead that they could fail to be appreciate the brilliance of both Sorkin’s writing and Obama’s speech. Whether or not you agree with their politics, how can you be so unaware and unevolved as to not appreciate the poetry in their words? There used to be a time when that was referred to as rhetoric, before that word acquired the very negative connotations it has today. Back then, it used to mean the art of delivering an effective and powerful speech, using all the devices that are available to anyone who knows how to use them. Sorkin is a master of it, as is Obama. And, by the way, so was Reagan. But since he had an “R” after his name I guess it was only brilliant when he did it, and Sorkin and Obama are just hacks. Right! What hypocrisy. No wonder this country is in the sad state it’s in now.
Comment by Stan Baranowski — September 1, 2008 @ 10:58 am
The WGA made the biggest mistake in labor history. Not representing its members. Variety Quoted Verron when he said we are going to wreak havoc in the entertainment industry. That’s no a reason for going out on strike. That explanation was not good for the WGA or for any of the entertainment unions. Part of the problem the WGA didn’t discuss there actions with there sister Unions. No other entertainment Union backed the WGA in there action The IA went out of there way to say The WGA went out for all the wrong reasons. Thomas Short posted a letter he wrote condemning the actions of the writers.
Aaron Sorkin is a league ahead in pay and ability of most members of the WGA. Needless to say he isn’t dependant on Scale writing for the Peoples Court or Judge Judy. Sorkins ability to speak emotion into his characters threw words is what made the West Wing so popular. Between 4th and 5th the season all the emotion and feelings left the show like turning off a light it was so obvious. Work dialog for a scene up to a point and then 10 seconds of silence leaving the audience to determine emotions. Sorkin Characters showed their emotion threw his words. If there wasn’t dialog The viewer was sharing the emotion not wondering what emotion it was. Sorkin writes emotion and feeling in a way it is almost real.
This is the confusion between Obama and Sorkin. But after listening to President Bush and John Mc Same its just nice to hear some put 6 word together to make a coherent sentence.
Unions are strong when they have qualified people to represent them. Next time see if Aaron Sorkin will write WGA West coast press releases and get your message to the people.
Go to the table with the support of your brothers and sisters. Careful what you say least you have to sit at the kiddy table. Clean up when your done so the DGA doesn’t have to clean up after you.
Comment by marty — September 1, 2008 @ 1:44 pm
Sadly marty, you can not put a coherant sentence together.
Comment by Anonymous — September 1, 2008 @ 5:35 pm
Last week at the DNC convention there awas a personality clash. It was between Keith Oberman,who was left ESPN becouse of a spat with Suzy Kober; Chris Matthews and Joe Scarbourgh. What a personality clash like this reveals about MSNBC that thre are severe divisions. The public spat was enough to cause to President of MSNBC to deny that there are personality clashes going on. Anyway Oberman and Matthews can’t emulate any of Sorkin’s West Wing charactors. Just can’t. Yesterday Chris Matthews was quite subdued at the RNC Convention. But what’s going at MSNBC is worthy of a news story upon itself.
Comment by chuck — September 2, 2008 @ 11:45 am
Alan Sorkin is the one eyed king in a blind and dumb Hollywood, that guy is quotable! That guy is relevant!
Past Unrealistic things:
1. space flight
2. Moon landing
3. splitting the atom
4. Curing polio
5. almost all medical science of the 20th century
6. using a flying machine instead of taking 30 day by boat to Europe.
I never listen to the idiots who say it’s “unrealistic”, I now have a new reply “yes we can”.
Comment by Seth — September 4, 2008 @ 3:59 pm
Someone said MSNBC is getting creamed by Bill O’Reilly, actually, that’s not true.
Last sweeps report Bill O’Reilly’s numbers dropped 32% and Olbermann’s numbers rose, they are only a few thousand viewers apart and of recent times Olbermann has been creaming O’Reilly.
Just to get the facts right.
Comment by Seth — September 4, 2008 @ 4:14 pm
Seth you got your facts wrong. MSNBC is ranked 27 in the neilson ratings. Already rumors are flying that Matthews and oberman may be leaving MSNBC. CNN is beating MSNBC.
I challenge you present your facts on ratings. Neilsons don’t lie. And for bashing Gov Palin Andrea Mitchell said on Morning Joe she got dissed off over the fact over her treatment of Gov Palin. A backlash has started.
Back up your facts.
Comment by chuck — September 5, 2008 @ 7:08 am