The Influence of ‘24’

The Left typically dismisses the influence of entertainment content with claims like “it’s only fiction” or “music, television and movies don’t really affect the way people behave.”

Apparently, an exception has been made when it comes to the liberal’s least favorite television show, “24.”

A non-profit advocacy group, Human Rights First (HRF), is concerned that in watching “24” U.S. interrogators will be influenced to copy the techniques of Keefer Sutherland’s alter-ego, Jack Bauer.

HRF’s Web site states that “the portrayal of torture in popular culture is having an undeniable impact on how interrogations are conducted in the field. U.S. soldiers are imitating the techniques they have seen on television — because they think such tactics work.”

One of HRF’s activities involves monitoring torture scenes depicted on prime-time television.

In order to lobby the Fox series, the group brought a West Point commander and retired military interrogators to Hollywood for meetings with “24”’s producers to present concerns about torture scenes.

Tony Lagouranis was a participant in the meetings. The former U.S. Army specialist actually played a real life role in questioning prisoners at Abu Ghraib.

Lagouranis claims he saw fellow interrogators imitate techniques they learned from watching a DVD of the Fox show.

On a recent episode of “24,” Keefer’s character was seen torturing his own brother. Perhaps the military will have to keep siblings apart from now on.

HRF also found examples of television torture on “Alias,” “The Wire,” “Law & Order,” “The Shield,” and even “Star Trek: Voyager.”

Haven’t these folks seen Rosie O’Donnell co-hosting “The View?”