GIVING CREDIT WHERE IT'S DUE

There's quite literally a 'war-of words' being waged these days on Chicago radio station WWYW (Y103.9 FM) over the TVLand network's refusal to show the closing credits for The Andy Griffith Show, the iconic 60's comedy starring Andy Griffith and Don Knotts that aired weekly for years on CBS Television. I wholeheartedly support the station's petition to encourage the network to show the on-screen credits as they were intended (http://www.y1039.com/). It's like a theatre performance with no curtain calls - or even a curtain, for that matter. It's simply a case of not giving credit where credit is due.

But this is merely one battle in a much larger war that encompasses more than one program or network. Many syndicators and so-called "classic" networks are re-writing - or digitizing - movie and program credits altogether; running them at breakneck speeds in tiny boxes along one edge of the screen while the next program (or, more often, a promotion) gets the lion's share of the available pixels. The pure business logic is simple: create additional space and elasticity in an otherwise linear universe to make room for more programming (i.e., commercials). I am somewhat surprised that this issue hasn't become more prominent among various labor unions and trade associations representing actors and writers. Perhaps it's because many of those being credited on-screen are largely forgotten or deceased.

The dispute over closing credits is instructional for our culture. Today, in our over-caffeinated society, it's more important than ever that we s-l-o-w d-o-w-n a bit and take a look at what's truly important, not only to ourselves but to our neighbors and communities, as well. That could not be a more appropriate sentiment than during the nation's Memorial Day holiday this weekend. It transcends a three-day vacation, or cook-outs, or the traditional start of summer. Sincere appreciation and common decency for those who went before - especially those who gave the last full measure - never goes out of style and should never be forgotten.

-MDS