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Howard Beale: [awake, alone, in bed, at night] I can't hear you. You'll have to talk a little louder. - - Yes. - - I hear you. - - Yes. - - Yes. - - Why me? - I said, why me? - - - Okay.
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Howard Beale: [on the air] Last night, I was awakened from a fitful sleep shortly after two o'clock in the morning, by a shrill, civil and faceless voice. I couldn't make it out, at first, in the dark bedroom. And I said, "I'm sorry, you will have to talk a little louder"... The voice said to me, "I want you to tell the people the truth, not an easy thing to do, because the people don't want to know the truth." And, I said, "You're kidding. What the hell should I know about the truth?" But, the voice said to me, "Don't worry about the truth. I will put the words in your mouth." And I said, "What is this, the burning bush? For God sake, I'm not Moses." And the voice said to me, "And I'm not God! What does that got to do with it." And the voice said to me, "We're not talking about eternal truth or absolute truth or ultimate truth. We're talking about impermanent, transient human truth. I don't expect you people to be capable of truth; but, God damn it, at least you're capable of self-preservation!" And I said, "Why me?" And the voice said, "Because you're on television, dummy! You have 40 million Americans listening to you and after this show you could have 50 million. For Pete sake, I'm not asking you to walk the land in sack cloth and ashes, preaching the Armageddon. You're on TV, man!"
Arthur Burghardt
Extended Reading
