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Review of Point of Order


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Review of Point of Order
David Denby

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In 1964, documentary filmmaker Emile De Antonio and art-film impresario Daniel Talbot edited the kinescopes of the 1954 Army-McCarthy hearings, cutting down six weeks of testimony into the 97-minute film Point of Order. Film Forum is now reviving it (though April 16), and anyone young enough to wonder what McCarthyism was about, or anyone of any age trying to understand the more obsessional and bizarre elements of Kenneth Starr’s investigation of the president, should see this movie. Point of Order starts rather oddly and then grows more and more dramatic, confrontational, and wild, until it ends in complete dementia -- McCarthy alone, in a Senate hearings room, ranting on and on about Communists in government as everyone walks out on him. The movie chronicles the disintegration of Senator Joseph R. McCarthy under public scrutiny. It also, by extension, unwittingly comments on the hysterical elements in today’s investigation of such threats to national security as oral sex and bookstore purchases.

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Jan 18
Professor Carl Rollyson

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Professor Carl Rollyson (Jan 18 2015 4:23PM) : Why is Kenneth Starr mentioned, and what does the reviewers mention of Starr tell you are the reviewer's politics?
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Apr 17
Jocelyn Davila Jocelyn Davila (Apr 17 2015 7:18PM) : Supporter more

The reviewer is trying to compare McCarthy’s allegations to Starr’s in the sense that they are both as absurd and ridiculous. I think the reviewer is not a fan of Kenneth Starr and is on Clinton’s side, even if he might not be a supporter.

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Professor Carl Rollyson (Apr 18 2015 8:32AM) : Right
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Student Michelle Gontar Student Michelle Gontar (Apr 18 2015 1:14AM) : The reviewer is trying to set up an analogy to what the film reminded them of and their political views against both McCarthy and Starr by showing them as bizarre and almost comical figures
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Professor Carl Rollyson (Apr 18 2015 8:32AM) : Yes.
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Apr 19
Daniel Figueroa Daniel Figueroa (Apr 19 2015 12:42PM) : David Denby mentions Kenneth Star's investigation of the president because it sets up the comparison that both allegations are both repulsion and comical. more

Denby’s political views states that is does not like Starr because of his investigation being “obsessional and bizarre”. This result that Denby may speculate that Denby may be a supporter of Clinton.

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Apr 20
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Professor Carl Rollyson (Apr 20 2015 6:57AM) : He may be a Clinton supporter, or he may just dislike that kind of investigation. The word is repulsive.
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Charles Parietti Charles Parietti (Apr 20 2015 1:09PM) : Kenneth Starr was mentioned because the reviewer is making the claim that both McCarthy's claims and Starr's investigation are unreasonable and perhaps even humorous.
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Professor Carl Rollyson (Apr 21 2015 7:08AM) : And blown way out of proportion to what the investigations purport to prove.
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Apr 21
Michelle Macauda Michelle Macauda (Apr 21 2015 11:33AM) : Denby is comparing McCarthy to Starr in the sense that they both are comical and absurd. more

Denby is comparing McCarthy to Starr in the sense that they both are comical and absurd. Both of these investigations are trying to prove more personal issues than actual harmful acts.

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Professor Carl Rollyson (Apr 22 2015 7:24AM) : Right.
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Apr 21
Jing Zhang Jing Zhang (Apr 21 2015 2:00PM) : Kenneth Starr is mentioned because the reviewers want to use an analogy to make Point of Order more relatable to current audiences. [Edited] more

By mentioning Starr, the audiences walk into a prescribed perspective set up by the reviewers. They will associate the “bizarre elements” from Starr’s investigation of Clinton with McCarthy.

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Professor Carl Rollyson (Apr 22 2015 7:24AM) : Yes, Denby is suggesting what McCarthy did can be understood of a more recent investigation and controversy.
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Julissa Soriano Julissa Soriano (Apr 24 2015 1:50PM) : Kenneth Starr and McCarthy more

Kenneth Starr is mentioned because he too was attacked for “having secret.” The only variation is that McCarthy was politically accountable and Starr was not. Starr is mentioned because it is similar to what McCarthy experienced in a sense that they were both accused on a highly controversial level.

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Professor Carl Rollyson (May 22 2015 10:04AM) : Having secret? I don't follow.
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Apr 24
Julissa Soriano Julissa Soriano (Apr 24 2015 1:55PM) : reply more

Supporting the claims of communist infiltration would work against his opinion on McCarthy, which he seems to be in favor of. I think he should have added the claims because this is a review which includes his opinion in a subtle way.

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Professor Carl Rollyson (May 22 2015 10:04AM) : Your sentence structure makes it impossible to know what yo are saying. Who is in favor of what?
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Hui Maggie Su Hui Maggie Su (May 21 2015 1:45PM) : The reviewer is giving the audience a better understanding of the McCarthy's case by introducing the recent Starr's case. more

They were both “dramatic and wild” and were investigated under public scrutiny.
He does not have to be Clinton’s supporter but he is defiantly not Starr’s supporter.

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Professor Carl Rollyson (May 22 2015 10:05AM) : Right
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In the spring of 1954, McCarthy was beginning to slide. In March, he had been denounced on the Senate floor by Senator Ralph Flanders, a Republican from Vermont; he had been critically profiled by Edward R. Murrow on CBS; and his claims of Communist infiltration were getting nuttier and nuttier. There were subversives, he claimed, in the State Department, in the CIA, in the nuclear plants; there were subversives everywhere, and the country was in danger of going Red. The immediate cause of the hearings -- charges and counter-charges regarding a McCarthy staff member, G. David Schine, who had been drafted into the Army -- now seems bizarrely irrelevant. But G. David Schine was only a pawn in a very serious game: McCarthy’s committee was beginning to investigate the citadel of respectability, the United States Army. In response, the Army hired ace Boston trial lawyer Joseph N. Welch, who did something very simple that nevertheless had the force of revelation: He subjected McCarthy and his aide Roy Cohn to the kind of cross-examination that anyone making charges in a criminal trial would face. For years, McCarthy had waved mysterious lists of subversives. Now Welch asked him: What is the source of your evidence? How was the evidence treated? Whom exactly are you accusing? And of what?

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Professor Carl Rollyson (Jan 18 2015 4:25PM) : Notice that the reviewer does not address the claims of Communist subversion. Why not?
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Apr 18
Student Michelle Gontar Student Michelle Gontar (Apr 18 2015 1:17AM) : McCarthy was very paranoid of his own country and was very suspicious of the way the United States was acting at the time.
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Professor Carl Rollyson (Apr 18 2015 8:33AM) : I'm not sure he was paranoid. He may just have been an opportunist.
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Anson Chan Anson Chan (Apr 18 2015 2:34PM) : Probably because addressing it would, in a way, give credit to McCarthy, by making it seem like his witch hunt had any other aspect other than him playing upon the fears of the country for personal gains.
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Professor Carl Rollyson (Apr 19 2015 7:15AM) : Good point.
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Daniel Figueroa Daniel Figueroa (Apr 19 2015 1:07PM) : Perhaps Denby is giving McCarthy a sense of credibility. [Edited] more

McCarthy, an ambitious politician probably thought these hearings would be a stepping stone en route to a further his political career. Instead, the camera revealed to the American people that McCarthy was a fear monger.

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Professor Carl Rollyson (Apr 20 2015 6:59AM) : This appearance was actually the culmination of McCarthy's use of the media.
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Apr 19
Daniel Kvist Daniel Kvist (Apr 19 2015 3:41PM) : Mentioning anything slightly related to communism is subversive, and the reviewer is not interested in string up another debate. The review is somewhat vague; and as a reader you get a feeling that he is not taking the investigation seriously. [Edited]
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Professor Carl Rollyson (Apr 20 2015 7:00AM) : Denby is not interested in debating the issue,that's for sure.
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Charles Parietti Charles Parietti (Apr 20 2015 1:12PM) : Maybe the reviewer did not want to spend time focusing on all the details of the case and the issues around it, and just wanted to give the reader general knowledge of what the film was about in order not to take away from the review of the film itself.
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Professor Carl Rollyson (Apr 21 2015 7:09AM) : Yes, one possiblity is that the reviewer did not want to get sidetracked. Space limitations is also a consideration.
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Apr 21
Michelle Macauda Michelle Macauda (Apr 21 2015 11:45AM) : It might have been the opinion of the reviewer to leave it out for many reasons. more

It might have been the opinion of the reviewer to leave it out for many reasons. The reviewer might have felt that the communist subversion wasn’t of high importance and the amount of space allowed to write this review may cause a restriction. Also, the reviewer may not want to shed light on McCarthy because he might not agree with his views.

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Professor Carl Rollyson (Apr 22 2015 7:25AM) : And he doesn't respect McCarthy's views. They are not worth debating, in the reviewer's estimation.
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Apr 21
Jing Zhang Jing Zhang (Apr 21 2015 2:08PM) : The reviewer does not want to turn his film review into a controversial government party argument. more

Without addressing claims of Communist subversion, the review is purely targeting the film. He does give informative background information to help us better understand the film though.

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Professor Carl Rollyson (Apr 22 2015 7:26AM) : The reviewer has a certain focus and doesn't want to dilute his views with considering those of others.
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Raymond Urrutia Raymond Urrutia (Apr 24 2015 8:37AM) : What was the documentary made for anyway? more

Documentaries are used in conjunction with showcasing a specific perspective of the filmmaker. This film is mainly about the theatricality of this hearing and its participants then it is a communist and/or anti-communist propaganda tool. He does not mention it because the film isn’t made for that reason. It is made to showcase the downfall of a highly influential political figure and his moronic and unfounded acts to somehow circumvent his already dwindling power.

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Professor Carl Rollyson (May 22 2015 10:06AM) : Yes, though not all documentaries are the product of a filmmaker's point of view. Some filmmakers are hired guns.
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After the initial wrangling about the Army’s treatment of Schine, the movie turns into surreal theater -- McCarthy, giggling madly, his vocal intonations drooping like molasses over the words, then rising to a high, querulous whine, seems as mad as a hatter, and Roy Cohn, hair slicked down, huge eyes shifting anxiously from side to side, looks like a baby gangster in an old movie. Welch’s humble-Boston-lawyer act is itself a prime piece of theater. Welch is actually as tough as nails; he baits and teases Cohn, and shreds some of McCarthy’s materials -- a cropped photo, a letter denouncing subversives from FBI director J. Edgar Hoover that turns out to be a phony. McCarthy, growing more and more angry, rumbles and makes threats.

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Professor Carl Rollyson (Jan 18 2015 4:27PM) : What point is the reviewer making about the theatrical elements in the congressional hearing?
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Alison Ng Alison Ng (Apr 17 2015 10:57AM) : Response more

The hearing was televised, which means everyone presenting the case knew America would be watching. Entertainment can be used to present a certain view point and persuade, which the lawyers wanted to do since everyone in the country would be keeping track.

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Professor Carl Rollyson (Apr 18 2015 8:34AM) : Keeping track, exactly.
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Jocelyn Davila Jocelyn Davila (Apr 17 2015 7:07PM) : Characters of Theater more

It was like watching a comedy/tragedy, the people involved in the trial are like characters of a show given for the entertainment of the American people since the trial was televised. McCarthy giggling, Cohn’s slicked down hair looking like a baby gangster in an old movie are all part of their characterizations. Also the allegations seemed so absurd that it felt like what we were watching was a fiction.

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Professor Carl Rollyson (Apr 18 2015 8:34AM) : Good point about Cohn. He does look like a silent movie villain.
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Student Michelle Gontar Student Michelle Gontar (Apr 18 2015 1:22AM) : Its focusing in more on how it was an almost unbelievable event based on how ridiculous the reviewer found the scenes to be.
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Professor Carl Rollyson (Apr 18 2015 8:35AM) : Yes.
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Anson Chan Anson Chan (Apr 18 2015 2:51PM) : He is comparing the characters to typical movie personas because in a way, that's how ridiculous McCarthy was; that he was pretty much a character straight out of fiction, except in reality.
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Professor Carl Rollyson (Apr 19 2015 7:16AM) : Yes, that's how the reviewer sees it.
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Daniel Figueroa Daniel Figueroa (Apr 19 2015 1:24PM) : Being the first ever nationally televised congressional inquiry,I expected a strict professional meeting, instead I saw a mix of comedy/parody, believing this was a fiction hearing then a real one. more

Denby see this documentary as characters you see in fiction movie. Where The hearings are theatrical, Shakespearean drama and impassioned speeches are made. The audience laughter added this was to believe, a comedy stage play.

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Professor Carl Rollyson (Apr 20 2015 7:01AM) : There is a lot of performing as in a drama.
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Daniel Kvist Daniel Kvist (Apr 19 2015 3:45PM) : The reviewer thought it was ridiculous, and almost cartoonish/foolish. Everyone appearing in the scene knew that America would be watching, so the reviewer almost felt like it was staged, absurd, and overplayed.
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Professor Carl Rollyson (Apr 20 2015 7:01AM) : Overplayed, yes.
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Charles Parietti Charles Parietti (Apr 20 2015 1:16PM) : The reviewer is almost stating that McCarthy becomes so ridiculous in the hearings that it's almost as if he's over acting as a fictional character in a movie, rather than himself.
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Professor Carl Rollyson (Apr 21 2015 7:10AM) : McCarthy becomes a caricature of himself.
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Jing Zhang Jing Zhang (Apr 21 2015 2:17PM) : It reminds me of your saying about Nanook of the North that "aren't people always acting?" That is very true in that politicians want to build up certain personas in front of cameras. [Edited] more

The editing techniques can also expand the dramatic effects of the hearing. Also, broadcasting a congressional hearing itself is a theatrical move.

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Professor Carl Rollyson (Apr 22 2015 7:26AM) : Yes, it is political theater.
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Apr 23
Kerry Mack Kerry Mack (Apr 23 2015 11:10AM) : Law and Court Room drama is often connected to actual theater performances. Lawyers are even compared to actors. The reviewer is touching on the fact that this scenario was a perfect storm in terms of good t.v., and the best part was that it was real! more

There was already a well known political figure acting “madly” and a sticky plot including the controversial topic of communism. The reviewer is alluding that it was essentially meant to be packaged for entertainment purposes.

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Professor Carl Rollyson (May 22 2015 10:07AM) : For entertainment but also to score certain political points.
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Raymond Urrutia Raymond Urrutia (Apr 24 2015 8:53AM) : Great Entertainment more

I think it’s more along the lines of how unbelievable these events were and how they managed to be showcased on such a grand scale as this one. There’s a metaphoric saying on how everyone likes watching a train wreck. This is a prime example of that metaphor. As McCarthy dug his hole deeper and deeper, I found myself getting more interested in how the other officials were gonna respond and how McCarthy went about digging his hole deeper. When McCarty started personally attacking that young lawyer in the opposing councils firm I was like “Wow, he actually went that route, somebody’s officially desperate.” It was surprisingly good entertainment; I’m still surprised this actually really happened.

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Professor Carl Rollyson (May 22 2015 10:08AM) : I think you capture the film's momentum, wanting to know what happens as McCarthy digs himself deeper into that hold.
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Julissa Soriano Julissa Soriano (Apr 24 2015 1:58PM) : reply more

I think he is trying to let the viewer know that the film is fabricated. Theater evokes some kind of emotion and I think with the use of each character, their tone of voice, and what dialogue, thats’s what were getting in Point of Order. Entertainment with a mixture of politics.

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Professor Carl Rollyson (May 22 2015 10:08AM) : yes
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Hui Maggie Su Hui Maggie Su (May 21 2015 2:50PM) : Players in theater always overplayed to entertain the audience. He compares this trial to a "surreal theater" to show how unbelievable they were.
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Professor Carl Rollyson

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Professor Carl Rollyson (May 22 2015 10:09AM) : always overplayed? I think that is an exaggeration. And why past tense? Surreal means something more than unreal.
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And then it comes, The Moment: Grinning and giggling, McCarthy brings up the membership, years earlier, of one of Welch’s junior assistants in a Communist-front group. Welch hesitates, secures McCarthy’s attention, and then, with the whole nation watching, delivers a rebuke to the senator (“Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?”) that, in its phrasing and timing, its hesitations and ultimate certainties, is one of the most devastating pieces of rhetoric in American history. The rebuke is one of those supreme instances in which law and common sense come together -- equaled in recent years by Senator Sam Ervin’s lecture on the Constitution to John Ehrlichman in the Watergate hearings and perhaps again by Judge Susan Webber Wright’s scathing dismissal of the Paula Jones claims.

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Professor Carl Rollyson (Jan 18 2015 4:28PM) : Comment on the reviewer's use of analogies--in this case comparing the hearings to Watergate.
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Student Michelle Gontar Student Michelle Gontar (Apr 18 2015 1:26AM) : Its as if the reviewer is commenting on the shock factor of the rhetoric, almost as shocking as America saw the Watergate case which was topical at the time
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Professor Carl Rollyson (Apr 18 2015 8:35AM) : Quite so.
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Anson Chan Anson Chan (Apr 18 2015 3:16PM) : In both cases, American politicians betrayed the trust of the public, which at the time was something that was considered rare. By comparing the two cases, he makes a note of when politicians had to be reminded that they cannot do whatever they want.
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Apr 19
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Professor Carl Rollyson (Apr 19 2015 7:16AM) : At that time? You mean during McCarthy's time? [Edited]
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Daniel Figueroa Daniel Figueroa (Apr 19 2015 1:35PM) : The hearings about Watergate dented Americans' faith in their government as the American public viewed McCarthy with disdain, with his appearance and actions as reckless and manipulative.
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Apr 20
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Professor Carl Rollyson (Apr 20 2015 7:01AM) : McCarthy was attacking the government. I'm not sure the hearing dented faith in goverment so much as faith in McCarthy.
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Charles Parietti Charles Parietti (Apr 20 2015 1:19PM) : The reviewer is comparing the two events McCarthyism and Watergate as both had negative impacts of how U.S. citizens viewed the United States.
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Professor Carl Rollyson (Apr 21 2015 7:11AM) : The analogies do something else other than just reflect on American attitudes toward government, especially with the mention of Sam Ervin.
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Michelle Macauda Michelle Macauda (Apr 21 2015 11:56AM) : During the Watergate case, the political figure Nixon, was exposed for covering up a break in where burglars attempted to steal government information.I more

During the Watergate case, the political figure Nixon, was exposed for covering up a break in where burglars attempted to steal government information.I think that the reviewer uses this analogy to compare McCarthy for being not trustworthy to our government. Political figures can’t always be trusted and Watergate is a great example.

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Professor Carl Rollyson (Apr 22 2015 7:27AM) : Right, trust was broken.
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Jing Zhang Jing Zhang (Apr 21 2015 2:26PM) : The comparison aims at raising awareness among U.S. citizens of the importance of political justice. [Edited] more

Political figures have responsibility to U.S. citizens (sense of decency), and political parties should realize that they should serve their country rather than their personal interests.

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Apr 22
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Professor Carl Rollyson (Apr 22 2015 7:27AM) : Yes, quite right, political justice.
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Apr 23
Kerry Mack Kerry Mack (Apr 23 2015 11:15AM) : Americans inhabiting what we like to consider as "The Land of The Free" do not like it when they are deceived by what they hope is an honest, democratic society with the politicians to match. The reviewer compares the situation to Watergate because more

american politics are scandalous—especially when politicians are essentially caught red-handed being politicians (sneaky, deceptive, etc.). Both cases revealed what was really going on behind the scenes in American politics. Americans do like to feel like they do not have all of the information or say about their government and trust was lost.

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May 22
Professor Carl Rollyson

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Professor Carl Rollyson (May 22 2015 10:09AM) : The question is do we equate Starr with McCarthy. Are both investigations equally suspect?
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Apr 24
Raymond Urrutia Raymond Urrutia (Apr 24 2015 8:27AM) : The End of A Major player in Politics more

This is essentially the beginnings of the death of a major politician’s political career, shown and highlighted for all to see. Watergate and the McCarthy hearings both showcase a politician overstepping their rights as public officials and paying for it in a severe enough manner that they never recover from it. The theatricality of it all to, adds to its appeal. Like you said professor, everyone was watching these hearings at the time, the same way everyone was watching as Watergate unfolded and when it came out that Clinton was having an affair. Although that one didn’t do as much damage to Clinton’s career like everyone thought it would.

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May 22
Professor Carl Rollyson

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Professor Carl Rollyson (May 22 2015 10:11AM) : Yes, Clinton's recovery is remarkable, although it may be because he was lying about sex, not some issue of great importance to the nation. And lots of people lie about sex, and he may have been forgiven for doing so as well.
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After the hearings, McCarthy was finished: The Senate condemned his tactics the following fall by a vote of 67 to 22, and he died three years later. Watching this material -- the paranoia, the irrationality, the bullying and toadying and righteousness -- you may at times have trouble believing your ears and eyes. But in ten years, the investigation into Monica Lewinsky’s reading habits will appear no less peculiar.

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Jan 18
Professor Carl Rollyson

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Professor Carl Rollyson (Jan 18 2015 4:34PM) : Notice the review siimply accept's the documentary's point of view. Why? Does his reference to Monica Lewsinky help with your answer?
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Apr 17
Christina Rivera Christina Rivera (Apr 17 2015 9:25AM) : The reveiewer is accepting the documentary's point of view because it is although entertainment, it is not something that should be investigated more

His reference to Monica Lewinsky helps understand his views because as the investigation was unneccesary because of how drastic and irrational the material was.

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Apr 18
Professor Carl Rollyson

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Professor Carl Rollyson (Apr 18 2015 8:35AM) : That seems to e the case.
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Apr 17
Jocelyn Davila Jocelyn Davila (Apr 17 2015 6:55PM) : Common sense more

The review accepts the documentary’s point of view because I think everyone can agree that McCarthy was a nut job in this hearing, his allegations were completely absurd especially towards the end of the trial. He ran out of ideas on how to keep the trial going and that is when Welch finally finished him. I think he referenced Monica Lewinski because the trial can seem similar to this, very theatrical with controversial topics.

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Apr 18
Professor Carl Rollyson

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Professor Carl Rollyson (Apr 18 2015 8:36AM) : Also the reviewer thinks the Lewinsky issue is trivial and so is McCarthy.
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Apr 18
Student Michelle Gontar Student Michelle Gontar (Apr 18 2015 1:27AM) : The reviewer is once again poking fun at the investigation making it more comical to the reader and showing their distaste in what ought to be a serious case
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Apr 18
Professor Carl Rollyson

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Professor Carl Rollyson (Apr 18 2015 8:36AM) : Right.
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Apr 19
Daniel Figueroa Daniel Figueroa (Apr 19 2015 2:11PM) : Denby accepts the documentary's point of view because the McCarthy hearing was a comedy in making, but it was so unbelievable experience for Denby and the viewers that the investigation should not happen. more

Denby references Monica Lewinsky because he is comparing her situation insignificant as to McCarthy was at that time.

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Apr 20
Professor Carl Rollyson

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Professor Carl Rollyson (Apr 20 2015 7:03AM) : Right
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Apr 19
Daniel Kvist Daniel Kvist (Apr 19 2015 3:53PM) : As with the Monica Lewinsky investigation, the reviewer thinks that the McCarthy trial is insignificant, and that the government should not be wasting time with such matters and make it a public affarir.
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Apr 20
Professor Carl Rollyson

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Professor Carl Rollyson (Apr 20 2015 7:04AM) : Yes.
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Apr 20
Charles Parietti Charles Parietti (Apr 20 2015 1:22PM) : The reviewer accepts the documentary's point of view the documentary shows the reviewer in an entertaining way that the investigation was ridiculous and should have not be conducted, much like the investigation with Lewinsky.
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Apr 21
Professor Carl Rollyson

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Professor Carl Rollyson (Apr 21 2015 7:12AM) : Right.
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Apr 21
Michelle Macauda Michelle Macauda (Apr 21 2015 12:05PM) : The reviewer accept's the documentary's point of view because it is easier to poke fun at the ridiculous and absurd investigation. more

The reviewer accept’s the documentary’s point of view because it is easier to poke fun at the ridiculous and absurd investigation. The reviewer might also agree with the documentary’s point of view. The reference to Monica Lewinsky is to show how ridiculous and irrelevant the case was.

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Apr 22
Professor Carl Rollyson

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Professor Carl Rollyson (Apr 22 2015 7:28AM) : True. No apostrophe in accepts.
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Apr 21
Jing Zhang Jing Zhang (Apr 21 2015 2:33PM) : The reviewer believes that the documentary is a true reflection of the hearing and investigation. [Edited] more

After all, the documentary is a work of art. If it is informational and entertaining, then accepting the documentary’s point of view means the review agrees with how the film delivers the true situation.

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Apr 22
Professor Carl Rollyson

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Professor Carl Rollyson (Apr 22 2015 7:29AM) : The reviewer is in sympathy with the documentary's aims. Another hostile reviewer might take issue with the way the documentary is put together.
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Apr 23
Kerry Mack Kerry Mack (Apr 23 2015 11:18AM) : The reviewer accepts the documentary's point of view because at the end of the documentary, and after the trail in real life, McCarthy's reputation was further tarnished. Also, whenever McCarthy acted irrationally, people could point to the trail/ more

documentary for evidence of his bizarre character.

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May 22
Professor Carl Rollyson

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Professor Carl Rollyson (May 22 2015 10:12AM) : True, although to this day McCarthy has his defenders, and I wish someone would make a film with a different perspective.
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Apr 24
Raymond Urrutia Raymond Urrutia (Apr 24 2015 8:17AM) : Pointlessness of it All [Edited] more

He’s highlighting the pointlessness of it all. The documentary highlights the absolute absurdity of it all by highlighting the more redundant, but entertaining, parts of it. The photo, the fraudulent letter, the acquisition, it literally all led to nothing, besides the burying of McCarthy’s political career. As for Monica Lewinsky, all you really need to ask yourself is what does what she reads in her own personal time have to do with her affair with Bill Clinton? It’s a pointless question that leads everyone no where when it comes to an investigation of their relationship.

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May 22
Professor Carl Rollyson

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Professor Carl Rollyson (May 22 2015 10:12AM) : I think your response has been shared by many people.
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DMU Timestamp: January 07, 2015 02:48

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