[From The Hollywood Reporter: “It was really a ‘Sophie’s Choice,’ Ostroff said of trying to choose projects for next season with only 10 hours to fill.]
Ms. Ostroff made this horrific comparison yesterday in Pasadena at the Television Critics Association Press Tour.
Seriously, Dawn? There was no other phrase you could use.
“Sophie’s Choice” was a decision Holocaust survivor Sophie Zawistowski had to make on which of her children would live and which would die in a Nazi concentration camp.
Sure, it was a work of fiction by William Styron – but he has even said that it was based on a real story (fyi, Meryl Streep won the Academy Award for her portrayal in the movie).
The decision on which child a parent would choose to live and which to die is the same as which TV show on The CW makes the schedule and which doesn’t?
The Gossip Girl spin-off or The Vampire Diaries?
Supernatural or One Tree Hill?
I know it was said on the fly and was meant to convey that it was a difficult choice – but come on.
Imagine what the Right Wing Pundits would say if President Obama, during the recent Beer Summit, said “It’s really a ‘Sophie’s Choice’ in deciding which beer to drink.”
I started OnMedea with the intention of having a positive tone in regards to the world of media (with the exception of anything concerning Ben Silverman) – but that’s been really difficult based on what I’m discovering out there.
I certainly hope Ms. Ostroff made the right decision and the new “Melrose Place” lives up to her expectations.
For the record, Sophie chose the boy.
Jill Kennedy – OnMedea
(I understand the slight irony that I write these things under the blog title OnMedea – a fictional woman who slaughtered her kids after finding out her man had an affair.)
The analogy draws attention to the immense pressure faced by television executives in selecting programs that have the potential to captivate audiences and resonate with viewers on a deep emotional level, while acknowledging the inherent risk involved in such decision-making.
This literary reference not only underscores the emotional weight that Ostroff attributed to her job responsibilities but also highlights the complexity of the decision-making process in the competitive world of television programming.
This analogy implies that the choice is not simply about what shows will be successful, but also about the value and impact that each show will make on the industry and the audience. Making these decisions requires a deep understanding of the audience’s preferences and the ever-evolving landscape of television. Despite the difficult nature of these choices, Ostroff successfully steered The CW towards great success during her tenure.
The analogy that Ostroff draws is a powerful one, highlighting the intense pressure and weight of responsibility that comes with deciding which shows make it to the small screen and which ones don’t. Despite the challenges, both choices have far-reaching consequences for the characters involved and the audience that invests in their stories.
Dawn Ostroff, the former entertainment president of the CW network, caused quite a stir when she compared the challenging task of selecting which TV shows to greenlight to the heartbreaking decision of the character Sophie in William Styron’s novel “Sophie’s Choice,” who must choose which one of her children to save from the Holocaust.
Dawn Ostroff, who is one of the most prominent TV executives in the US, has recently compared the process of selecting television shows for a network to the difficult decision Sophie had to make in the novel “Sophie’s Choice” by William Styron. In the novel, Sophie, a Polish immigrant in the aftermath of World War II, is forced to choose which of her two children will live and which will die at the hands of the Nazis.
The author goes on to analyze the merits of Ostroff’s comparison and the challenges of being a TV executive in today’s media landscape. Additionally, readers can find a lively discussion in the comment section, with some commenters agreeing with Ostroff’s assessment and others offering alternative perspectives on the TV industry.
Dawn Ostroff, the president of The CW television network, once compared the process of selecting which shows to air to the heart-wrenching decision that Sophie had to make in the classic novel “Sophie’s Choice” by William Styron. Many found her analogy to be quite apt, as it requires careful consideration and balancing of numerous factors such as audience appeal, creativity, production costs and potential revenue. While it is undoubtedly a challenging task, Ostroff’s success in the industry is a testament to her ability to make these decisions with skill and expertise.