M. Allen Cunningham
Warning: Never use the word genius extravagantly, except when referring to M. Allen Cunningham’s Q&A."--ROBERT ANTONI, author of As Flies to Whatless Boys and Cut Guavas
Read Cunningham's new essay about the historical basis and ongoing cultural relevance of Q&A: "You, Me, and the Screen Between: An Elegy"
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Kenyon Saint Claire is the son of a distinguished literary family, a keeper and teacher of the written word, but his America is a land of small screens, moving images, big pharma, high-tech distraction, and endless advertising. False impressions are the stock-in-trade, and big metrics matter, especially onscreen. That’s where Kenyon finds himself, drawn into the electronic environs of primetime television. The year is 1956.
Inspired by true events, employing a groundbreaking form that evokes our agitated, media-soaked century, Q&A urgently animates America’s misunderstood quiz show scandals in light of our own time, as a moment of cultural reckoning whose reverberations we feel all around us today: in reality television, TV politics, the triumph of incoherence, and the pervasive problem of how to be real in a world of screen-induced self-deception.
Kenyon Saint Claire is the son of a distinguished literary family, a keeper and teacher of the written word, but his America is a land of small screens, moving images, big pharma, high-tech distraction, and endless advertising. False impressions are the stock-in-trade, and big metrics matter, especially onscreen. That’s where Kenyon finds himself, drawn into the electronic environs of primetime television. The year is 1956.
Inspired by true events, employing a groundbreaking form that evokes our agitated, media-soaked century, Q&A urgently animates America’s misunderstood quiz show scandals in light of our own time, as a moment of cultural reckoning whose reverberations we feel all around us today: in reality television, TV politics, the triumph of incoherence, and the pervasive problem of how to be real in a world of screen-induced self-deception.
from Q&A
And Now for a Word from Our Sponsors
“After I did the pilot, we went out to dinner and the sponsor said, ‘We may have to change your name because nobody will believe a man named ‘Sonny’ who’s giving away all that money.’ And I think I said something like, ‘Well, for the money you’re prepared to pay me, you can call me anything you want.’ Anyway, the first night of $64,000 Challenge, the announcer said, ‘And here is your host, Bill Fox,’ and I stood there for a moment until somebody said, ‘That’s you!’ ”
“The individual — the one with a surname, the one with a unique personal history and perhaps a few secrets to keep — fades happily into virtual space.”
“It was the most impactful show we’ve ever had.”
“The sponsors probably quadrupled their sales in one year. You’re talking about $100 million.”
“It was a con game, that’s all — a scam from start to finish.”
“I’m telling you, on the nights the show was on, you could shoot a cannon down the street, ‘cause nobody was on the street.”
As a matter of fact there is no audience, not in reality.
“I remember one night walking down — walking down on a summer’s night in the streets of New York and the windows were open. And out of every window, I heard the same sound and the sound was the show, our show!”
There are only some millions of groups in millions of living rooms.
The deception we best understand and most willingly give our attention to is that which a person works upon himself.
“We’re all secretly practicing for when we, too, will join the ranks of the celebrated.”
If you often can’t sleep your nerves on edge try this new sleeping tablet one hundred percent safe sleep helping to calm down jittery nerves …
“Every two minutes of every hour of every day, an image from a camera in Jenni’s apartment was loaded onto the web.”
“The camera begins to attract its own subject matter.”
“Tell me the large technologies humans have stopped, diverted, or put a break on.”
“It’s no longer a passive recorder but actively attracts the people it records.”
“I’ve often been tormented by the vision of a future in which we have invented, uh, we have really perfected mass communication to the degree that it will be possible to bind together in one great instantaneous network all the human beings of the earth, and that by a system of translation machines such as we have up at the United Nations, they’ll all be able to understand anything that’s being said…”
“In her FAQ, Jenni said, ‘The cam has been there long enough that now I ignore it. So whatever you’re seeing isn’t staged or faked.’ ”
“… And they’re all tuned in at one moment to listen to a central message — and here are billions of people all listening — and the nightmare is very simple: What are they going to hear? Who’s going to say something worth…? ”
“While I don’t claim to be the most interesting person in the world, I do think there’s something compelling about real life that staging it wouldn’t bring to the medium.”
“I’m going to say that television isn’t just its own golden ages of shows and stories and personalities. It’s the harbinger of the computer screen, the Internet, your smartphone, the thumbnail that is tracking the Dow, not to mention the chip in your head that one day will play Mahler, observe the daily life of the ocelot, or teach you Hungarian.”
“Well, I’m all for the multiplication of mass impressions. Now don’t misunderstand me. I just think that at the same time we ought to be trying to work out better and better things to say, as well as better and better ways of saying them.”
“She laughed in a sweet, natural way that was a testament to television existence.”
“Reality, to be profitable, must have its limits.”
“The age of humanism may be burning off.”
“The world was becoming a television studio and those who wished to rule it would have to become actors.”
“The realization that something you thought to be ‘real’ is actually an advertisement is an increasingly common, if unsettling, sensation.”
“The inquisitor arrives and asks what your life has been about, and you have no choice, you are forced to answer.”
“Is it wrong to give people what they want by taking away their defenses? — helping remove their defenses?”
“We have been converted from participants to observers, aware — like the first movie audiences — that the great Wow! we are seeing is something in which we cannot intervene, so we are not expected to try, which leaves it problematic whether we exist.”
“The possibilities for exercising social control are quite remarkable.”
“The hostess and a chanting audience urged the players — who had levers in front of them — to send jolts of electricity into the man in the box when he gave an incorrect answer.”
“All that is left to share is the spectacle, the game that nobody plays and everybody can watch.”
“Goodnight everybody — see you next week!”
“After I did the pilot, we went out to dinner and the sponsor said, ‘We may have to change your name because nobody will believe a man named ‘Sonny’ who’s giving away all that money.’ And I think I said something like, ‘Well, for the money you’re prepared to pay me, you can call me anything you want.’ Anyway, the first night of $64,000 Challenge, the announcer said, ‘And here is your host, Bill Fox,’ and I stood there for a moment until somebody said, ‘That’s you!’ ”
“The individual — the one with a surname, the one with a unique personal history and perhaps a few secrets to keep — fades happily into virtual space.”
“It was the most impactful show we’ve ever had.”
“The sponsors probably quadrupled their sales in one year. You’re talking about $100 million.”
“It was a con game, that’s all — a scam from start to finish.”
“I’m telling you, on the nights the show was on, you could shoot a cannon down the street, ‘cause nobody was on the street.”
As a matter of fact there is no audience, not in reality.
“I remember one night walking down — walking down on a summer’s night in the streets of New York and the windows were open. And out of every window, I heard the same sound and the sound was the show, our show!”
There are only some millions of groups in millions of living rooms.
The deception we best understand and most willingly give our attention to is that which a person works upon himself.
“We’re all secretly practicing for when we, too, will join the ranks of the celebrated.”
If you often can’t sleep your nerves on edge try this new sleeping tablet one hundred percent safe sleep helping to calm down jittery nerves …
“Every two minutes of every hour of every day, an image from a camera in Jenni’s apartment was loaded onto the web.”
“The camera begins to attract its own subject matter.”
“Tell me the large technologies humans have stopped, diverted, or put a break on.”
“It’s no longer a passive recorder but actively attracts the people it records.”
“I’ve often been tormented by the vision of a future in which we have invented, uh, we have really perfected mass communication to the degree that it will be possible to bind together in one great instantaneous network all the human beings of the earth, and that by a system of translation machines such as we have up at the United Nations, they’ll all be able to understand anything that’s being said…”
“In her FAQ, Jenni said, ‘The cam has been there long enough that now I ignore it. So whatever you’re seeing isn’t staged or faked.’ ”
“… And they’re all tuned in at one moment to listen to a central message — and here are billions of people all listening — and the nightmare is very simple: What are they going to hear? Who’s going to say something worth…? ”
“While I don’t claim to be the most interesting person in the world, I do think there’s something compelling about real life that staging it wouldn’t bring to the medium.”
“I’m going to say that television isn’t just its own golden ages of shows and stories and personalities. It’s the harbinger of the computer screen, the Internet, your smartphone, the thumbnail that is tracking the Dow, not to mention the chip in your head that one day will play Mahler, observe the daily life of the ocelot, or teach you Hungarian.”
“Well, I’m all for the multiplication of mass impressions. Now don’t misunderstand me. I just think that at the same time we ought to be trying to work out better and better things to say, as well as better and better ways of saying them.”
“She laughed in a sweet, natural way that was a testament to television existence.”
“Reality, to be profitable, must have its limits.”
“The age of humanism may be burning off.”
“The world was becoming a television studio and those who wished to rule it would have to become actors.”
“The realization that something you thought to be ‘real’ is actually an advertisement is an increasingly common, if unsettling, sensation.”
“The inquisitor arrives and asks what your life has been about, and you have no choice, you are forced to answer.”
“Is it wrong to give people what they want by taking away their defenses? — helping remove their defenses?”
“We have been converted from participants to observers, aware — like the first movie audiences — that the great Wow! we are seeing is something in which we cannot intervene, so we are not expected to try, which leaves it problematic whether we exist.”
“The possibilities for exercising social control are quite remarkable.”
“The hostess and a chanting audience urged the players — who had levers in front of them — to send jolts of electricity into the man in the box when he gave an incorrect answer.”
“All that is left to share is the spectacle, the game that nobody plays and everybody can watch.”
“Goodnight everybody — see you next week!”
NOTES
After I did the pilot: Sonny Fox, host of The $64,000 Challenge
The individual: Ihab Hassan, “The Way We Have Become,” Georgia Review, summer 2009
It was the most impactful show: Daniel Enright, TV producer
The sponsors probably quadrupled: Joseph Cates, TV producer
It was a con game: Reverend Stoney Jackson, contestant, The $64,000 Question
I’m telling you: Jack Narz, quiz show host
I remember one night: Sonny Fox
There are only some millions: Clifton Fadiman
The deception we best understand: Lionel Trilling
We’re all secretly practicing; David Shields, Reality Hunger
Every two minutes: Steven Shaviro, Stranded in the Jungle
The camera begins to attract: Stanley Milgram, played by Peter Sarsgaard in Experimenter
Tell me the large technologies: David Thomson, Television: A Biography
It’s no longer a passive recorder: Experimenter
I’ve often been tormented: Clifton Fadiman, Conversation, NBC Radio, 1954
I’m going to say: Thomson
She laughed in a sweet: ibid
Reality, to be profitable: Mark Slouka, War of the Worlds
The age of humanism: Thomson
The world was becoming a television studio: Peter Carlson, K Blows Top
The realization that something: Tim Wu, New York Times, November 25, 2016
The inquisitor arrives: Charles Baxter, Burning Down the House
Is it wrong to give people: Bill Schlackman, psychologist, “The Century of the Self” documentary film
We have been converted: Thomson
The possibilities for exercising: George Lakoff, Resisting the Virtual Life
The hostess and a chanting audience: National Public Radio
All that is left to share: John Berger, The Shape of a Pocket
After I did the pilot: Sonny Fox, host of The $64,000 Challenge
The individual: Ihab Hassan, “The Way We Have Become,” Georgia Review, summer 2009
It was the most impactful show: Daniel Enright, TV producer
The sponsors probably quadrupled: Joseph Cates, TV producer
It was a con game: Reverend Stoney Jackson, contestant, The $64,000 Question
I’m telling you: Jack Narz, quiz show host
I remember one night: Sonny Fox
There are only some millions: Clifton Fadiman
The deception we best understand: Lionel Trilling
We’re all secretly practicing; David Shields, Reality Hunger
Every two minutes: Steven Shaviro, Stranded in the Jungle
The camera begins to attract: Stanley Milgram, played by Peter Sarsgaard in Experimenter
Tell me the large technologies: David Thomson, Television: A Biography
It’s no longer a passive recorder: Experimenter
I’ve often been tormented: Clifton Fadiman, Conversation, NBC Radio, 1954
I’m going to say: Thomson
She laughed in a sweet: ibid
Reality, to be profitable: Mark Slouka, War of the Worlds
The age of humanism: Thomson
The world was becoming a television studio: Peter Carlson, K Blows Top
The realization that something: Tim Wu, New York Times, November 25, 2016
The inquisitor arrives: Charles Baxter, Burning Down the House
Is it wrong to give people: Bill Schlackman, psychologist, “The Century of the Self” documentary film
We have been converted: Thomson
The possibilities for exercising: George Lakoff, Resisting the Virtual Life
The hostess and a chanting audience: National Public Radio
All that is left to share: John Berger, The Shape of a Pocket