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Fox Gives Sheriff Joe Arpaio His Own Show

By Jeralyn, Section Media
Posted on Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 12:05:08 PM EST
Tags: Joe Arpaio (all tags)
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Maricopa County (Phoenix, AZ) Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who instituted such ridiculous shaming punishments as forcing male inmates to wear pink underwear, making juveniles serve on chain gangs and bury the dead, and requiring inmates to sleep in tents, and who is the subject of a class action suit by the ACLU for racial profiling of latinos in an effort to enforce federal immigration laws, is being given his own tv show on the Fox Reality Channel.

The show is called "Smile, You're Under Arrest". [More...]

The video above is by a group called America's Voice. Watch the video and sign the petition.

This takes reality programming to a new low.

All of our Sheriff Arpaio coverage is available here.

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    Fox Gives Sheriff Joe Arpaio His Own Show | 36 comments (36 topical)

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    I see a ratings winner. It will probably be an (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by Angel on Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 12:41:48 PM EST
    hour of empty fluff with a bunch of heated words about how all the criminals are getting off without punishment, how it will really, really be bad now that we have those stinkin' libruls in office, yada yada yada.  I've quite watching tv because most the stuff on there is pure crap.  

    I'm gonna go out on a limb here (5.00 / 1) (#18)
    by kmblue on Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 03:45:55 PM EST
    and admit I think all reality shows suck.  To me, they are akin to throwing Christians to the lions for the mob's entertainment.  I watched Survivor exactly once and was horrified by the grade school antics.  Put desperate people in these situations, and they'll cavort for ya.

    I include in my rant shows about competitive cooking, designing, and weight loss.

    In case you haven't guessed, my TV viewing schedule is pretty open. ;)

    I like to watch... (5.00 / 1) (#19)
    by desertswine on Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 03:50:23 PM EST
    the Antiques Road Show. That's kind of a reality show, I guess. I remember when some of that stuff wasn't antique.

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    Top Chef, Project Runway (none / 0) (#30)
    by CST on Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 05:17:29 PM EST
    I don't mind reality shows that have require some skill involved.  Everything else drives me nuts.

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    CST, no disrespect intended (none / 0) (#31)
    by kmblue on Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 05:20:41 PM EST
    but there is ALWAYS some skill involved--backstabbing and manipulation come to mind--
    but they are not necessarily the skills "the contest" is about.

    And I believe that's why people watch--they get to relive the glory days of torturing geeks in grade school.

    It ain't about the dress or the dish.

    Just my opinion.

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    Fair enough (none / 0) (#32)
    by CST on Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 05:26:52 PM EST
    I don't think those two shows are as much about "torturing geeks" as the rest of them, and the judging at least is not.  Sure, they hype the drama, but it is different from say, big brother, or some show where it is based around no premise except drama.  And I like the dresses...

    Fine, you caught me though, I have my guilty pleasures :)

    Parent

    I don't watch FOX (4.00 / 4) (#1)
    by Militarytracy on Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 12:09:46 PM EST
    Now I'll never watch FOX anything.........ugh, it is such craptacular television.

    This doesn't surprise me, Traci.. (5.00 / 2) (#3)
    by easilydistracted on Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 12:15:23 PM EST
    the average Fox viewer will love this sort of s**t anyway.

    Fox Reality TV -- now there's a real contradiction in terms.

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    I think this is more of the GOP (none / 0) (#2)
    by hairspray on Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 12:14:55 PM EST
    schtick on how the crooks are getting away with murder.  It will be a hit, no doubt.  Fox has a big following and their viewers love these cop shows and wild chases. It doesn't contribute to the dialogue on crime and criminals at all.  Fox loves to hold up the victimization card and they will do this big time now that the Democrats are in power.

    Framing the argument (none / 0) (#7)
    by mmc9431 on Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 12:43:40 PM EST
    Again the GOP has done a fantastic job of creating that illusion of our being soft of crime. Even many of my "liberal" friends have bought into that theory.

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    Nothing is too low for Fox (none / 0) (#4)
    by mmc9431 on Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 12:21:10 PM EST
    I wish the Simpson's weren't on Fox! Then I could say I was totally "Fox Free".

    Oops, lets not forget Family Guy (5.00 / 2) (#5)
    by easilydistracted on Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 12:33:06 PM EST


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    A "new low" in reality programming? (none / 0) (#8)
    by Fabian on Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 01:26:52 PM EST
    I seriously doubt it.  I did watch some reality programs, but they were all the historical reality programs on PBS.  I learned a lot from those shows.

    The average reality show is pretty low already.  They have their own POVs, their own narratives and their own "reality" as well.  I'm not sure what the diff is between this new show and all the ones that went before it - or the Jerry Springer Show which is an unedited (as opposed to edited) reality show.

    Point taken, although Joe Arpaio (none / 0) (#9)
    by FoxholeAtheist on Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 01:42:02 PM EST
    himself is a sociopathic goon, who ran the Maricopa County penal system as a kind of Abu Ghraib lite, before Abu Ghraib even existed as a prison.

    Imo, it's something like giving Oliver North his own talk show. Of course Arpaio isn't actually convicted of anything yet - but gawd willing.

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    I'd be more shocked (5.00 / 1) (#10)
    by Fabian on Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 01:44:22 PM EST
    shocked I say!

    ...if FOX gave Bill Moyers a daily show.

    But for FOX, this is all about profits.  It always has been, always will be.

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    A reality show?? (none / 0) (#13)
    by jimakaPPJ on Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 02:55:19 PM EST
    With Moyers??

    How could that be?

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    Moyers does reality all the time. (none / 0) (#16)
    by Fabian on Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 03:38:36 PM EST
    He'd be fine.

    Heh.

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    Imo, for the MSM profit no longer (none / 0) (#24)
    by FoxholeAtheist on Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 04:37:05 PM EST
    comes from the ad revenues generated by a large audience. i.e. Bill O has a relatively small audience, or so KO always says.

    I think the real profit lies in propaganda. Meaning, programming for the primary purpose of keeping the public fearful, distracted, misinformed, and sympathetic to corporate interests and the pols who coddle them.

    Some media outlets don't even need to directly turn a profit for themselves since they are perpetually shilling, and turning a profit, for the mega corporations that own them, like General Electric - which is a huge defense contractor, among other things. Voila, the MSM is uncritical of Iraq and war in general; and now cue Brangelina for the daily dose of diversionary dreck.

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    Uh, yeah, right... (5.00 / 1) (#25)
    by bocajeff on Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 04:42:26 PM EST
    MSNBC is uncritical of the wars. Yep, they certainly are. Shills for Bush and Republicans. MSNBC certainly is...

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    Truly, FOX is hardly unique (none / 0) (#27)
    by Fabian on Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 05:05:21 PM EST
    in its role as a corporate shill.  All those commercials that drive me away from cable news also drive the programming.  I would hardly be surprised to see a new cable show called "Saved By Viagra!".

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