TV NATION {CEO CHALLENGE; AIDS; THE NEW KKK; KUWAIT; PETS ON PROZAC} (TV)
Summary
One in this comedic news magazine series devised and hosted by muckraking filmmaker/journalist/satirist Michael Moore. In this program, Moore points his jaundiced lens at the following subjects: the competence of the heads of various major United States corporations; how investors are getting rich off of people with AIDS; the new Ku Klux Klan; the "free and democratic" Kuwait; and pets that are on Prozac. First, Moore asks corporate chief executives to prove that they know how to make and use their own products; all but one CEO turn down the challenge. Moore gives each executive an hour to come out of his office and speak with him. The captains of industry include Louis Gerstner, the chairman of IBM; Reuben Mark, the chairman of Colgate-Palmolive; Michael Miles, the chairman of Philip Morris; and Alexander Trotman, chairman of the Ford Motor company, the lone willing participant. Trotman fixes a Ford automobile with great skill and wins the "CEO Challenge." Next, Karen Duffy, formerly known as MTV's "Duff," speaks with the following people to learn more about how investors are making money from the deaths of AIDS patients: broker Stan Slovin; Brian D. Pardo, a pioneer in this new investment plan; Texas State Representative Warren Chisum, who is an investor; broker David Landay; and broker Bill Crust. These brokers and investors buy life insurance policies from AIDS patients and later, when the patients die, make a profit. The well-heeled scavengers talk about the safety of the investment and why the business is not only good for investors but also for AIDS patients. Following this segment, Louis Theroux reports on the so-called new image of the Ku Klux Klan. Theroux talks with the national director of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, Thomas Robb, and the Grand Dragon of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, Michael Lowe. They explain how they are using the tactics of Madison Avenue, which includes modern technology and modern advertising, to promote the new image of their organization. After the Klansmen carefully try to persuade Theroux that they are not a hate group, the correspondent plays clips of the two officials speaking freely at rallies, which indicate that they are hatemongers. Small-town businessman Robert Poetschke explains that the new Klan is not fooling anyone. Next, Michael Moore visits Kuwait and talks with the following people, among others, about their country's newfound freedom: Dr. Nasser Al-SanŽ, a member of the Kuwaiti parliament; Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah, a member of the royal family; and Anwar Al-Rifae, a public relations officer. While in Kuwait, Moore learns about the pseudo-democratic government in Kuwait and the American influence seen in the restaurant industry in the Middle East. Also, clips of President George Bush and President Bill Clinton addressing the issue of Kuwait are shown. Finally, Merrill Markoe reports on the effects of Prozac on household pets. Markoe meets a dog that once had a fixation with wood and a bird that was once obsessed with pruning herself. In addition, Markoe talks with Dr. Nicholas Dodman of Tufts University about the efficacy of Prozac.
(Network affiliation varies; series also aired on Fox in 1995.)
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: July 26, 1994 Tuesday 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:46:45
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:37009
- GENRE: Magazine
- SUBJECT HEADING: Ku Klux Klan; Kuwait
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV, 1994
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Michael Moore … Executive Producer, Director, Writer, Created by
- Randy Cohen … Co-Executive Producer
- David Wald … Senior Producer
- Jerry Kupfer … Supervising Producer
- Kathleen Glynn … Producer
- Frances Alswang … Supervising Associate Producer
- Pearl Lieberman … Associate Producer
- Haydee Sabogal … Associate Producer
- Joanne Doroshow … Producer, For "CEO Challenge"
- Jim Czarnecki … Producer, For "AIDS"
- Kent Alterman … Producer, For "The New KKK"
- David Royle … Producer, For "Kuwait"
- Immy Humes … Producer, For "Pets on Prozac"
- Helen Demeranville … Associate Producer, For "CEO Challenge", For "AIDS"
- Holley Knaus … Associate Producer, For "CEO Challenge"
- Adrienne Salisbury … Associate Producer, For "The New KKK", For "Kuwait"
- Melanie Neilson … Associate Producer, For "Pets on Prozac"
- Tomandandy … Music by
- Chris Kelly … Writer
- Randy Cohen … Writer
- Stephen Sherrill … Writer
- Eric Zicklin … Writer
- Michael Moore … Host, Reporter
- Bruce Brown … Announcer
- Duffy, Karen ("Duff") … Reporter
- Louis Theroux … Reporter
- Merrill Markoe … Reporter
- Anwar Al-Rifae
- Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah
- Nasser Al-SanŽ
- Warren Chisum
- Bill Crust
- Nicholas Dodman
- David Landay
- Michael Lowe
- Kay Maris
- Brian D. Pardo
- Robert Poetschke
- Thomas Robb
- Stan Slovin
- Alexander Trotman
- George Bush
- Bill Clinton