Évocateur: The Morton Downey Jr. Movie will be presented at the Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St., on Thursday, September 19, at 8:15 p.m., with co-director Seth Kramer in person for an audience discussion. Morton Downey Jr.’s voice in the history of broadcast media echoes to this day, and for that reason we think this documentary about the late, controversial talk show host might be of interest to the students of the UIC English Department. As the film’s co-director Seth Kramer told us: “Évocateur is extremely relevant today. When Miley Cyrus goes on a twerking spree, the whole country goes nuts! What better time to reflect on the strange career of Morton Downey Jr., the man who pioneered ‘Trash TV,’ ended the age of politeness on television, and paved the way for the likes of Chicago’s Jerry Springer?” Morton Downey Jr.’s “shtick” made him a pioneering shock-jock and pioneered the format that has built the careers of people like Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck, leading to a new genre in broadcasting. Downey’s show paved the way in the creation of sensational “edutainment,” which is now inescapable in our present age. It should also be noted that Downey was a right-wing shock-jock on the now-defunct WMAQ Radio in Chicago until 1987, when media giant and MTV co-founder Bob Pittman brought Downey to the national airwaves. Student tickets are $7, and may be purchased in person only at the box office with a valid student ID; tickets are $11 for general admission and faculty. More detailed information can be found here: siskelfilmcenter.org/content/tickets.
Posted on: Fri, 13 Sep 2013 00:40:08 +0000
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