I think good-looking people seldom make good television. And American television studios almost concede before they start: 'Well, it won't be good, but at least it'll be good-looking. We'll have nice-looking girls in tight shirts with F.B.I. badges and fit-looking guys with lots of hair gel vaulting over things.'
Interpretation
This quote suggests that attractiveness may overshadow talent in television, leading to a lack of quality programming.
Hugh Laurie comments on the superficial nature of American television, indicating that producers prioritize physical appearance over actual talent or substance. He points out that studios often resolve to produce attractive shows, even if they lack depth or quality, as they believe good looks can compensate for poor content. This speaks to a broader cultural tendency to value surface over substance.
In practice
Using this quote in a discussion about the state of modern television ethics allows for critical thought on production choices.
L.A. runs on optimism, enthusiasm and flattery. I think you can go a little bit crazy. I've heard people say there's a limit to the number of years you can stay in this city without going slightly mad. It's just too damn sunny in every dimension - weather-wise, socially and professionally.
Acting is largely about putting on masks, and music is about removing them.
I know a lot of people think therapy is about sitting around staring at your own navel - but it's staring at your own navel with a goal. And the goal is to one day to see the world in a better way and treat your loved ones with more kindness and have more to give.
As a real person, he wouldn't last a minute, would he? But drama is about imperfection. And we've moved away from the aspirational hero. We got tired of it, it was dull. If I was House's friend, I would hate it. How he so resolutely refuses to be happy or take the kind-hearted road. But we don't always like morally good people, do we?
To tell you the truth, the older I get, the less I know. I keep meeting people, both older and younger, who seem to have accrued so much more knowledge or expertise or certainty about who they are and the jobs they do. I just marvel at it.
I have a reverence for medicine because I hero-worshiped my father [a former doctor], and because I admire doctors, I admire study, empiricism and rational thought. I don't study, empiricize or think rationally myself - but I admire it in others.
Poetry is music, and nothing but music. Words with musical emphasis.
We cannot be all the writers all the time. We can only be who we are. Which leads me to my second point: writers do not write what they want, they write what they can.
When I paint green, it doesn't mean grass; when I paint blue, it doesn't mean sky.
I knew, regardless of anything else, singing in front of an orchestra was going to be inspirational. It would feed me.
My films have been progressing towards a certain kind of minimalism, even though it was never intended. Elements which can be eliminated have been eliminated.
I am like a moon that shines on an immense, unknown sea where ships never pass
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