Penn Natl. Commission meets at U.

The high-profile group was convened by Judith Rodin to study incivility. In films, moviegoers often prefer an action-heavy plot with straightforward action and clear-cut heroes and villains. In politics, similarly, Americans often prefer drama to substantive issues and are more interested in which politicians win and which lose than in how they get there. So said renowned movie critic Neal Gabler yesterday to a crowd of about 25 members of the Penn National Commission on Society, Culture and Community. Gabler's talk at Irvine Auditorium, entitled "Modeling Public Discourse in Popular Culture" kicked off the Commission's two-day-long session on campus. In his talk, which was followed by a 45-minute open discussion with Commission members, Gabler explained that the media's coverage of political issues tends to be cinematic in nature, with an emphasis on an oversimplified plot, constant action and a powerful hero that emerges victorious by defeating his foes. Gabler said it's rare to see civil discourse and non-violent confrontation in films, just as it is rare to see in-depth analysis of substantive issues in the media. The American public, he argued, tends to be less interested in the intricacies of policies and debates than it is in the final outcome. He used the example of the recent Senate rejection of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty in which, according to Gabler, the media gave more coverage to the political gamesmanship between President Clinton and Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) than to the treaty itself. "Discourse, particularly rational discourse, isn't exactly going to be nail-biting suspense," Gabler said. "Anyone who negotiates is a nerd or wimp," he added. "In short, pluralistic democracy makes for a terrible plot." Gabler showed clips from three films -- Jimmy Stewart's 1939 film Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and the more recent Field of Dreams and Bulworth -- as three examples that chronicle public discourse particularly well. The event was part of the sixth and final gathering of the Commission, a group of 45 academics, writers, political leaders and experts convened by University President Judith Rodin in December 1996. The Commission, which includes among its members Democratic presidential candidate Bill Bradley and Annenberg School for Communication Dean Kathleen Hall Jamieson, was charged to examine incivility in today's society and to propose ways in which public discourse can be improved. Rodin, who addressed the crowd first, stressed the importance of taking the theoretical ideas proposed in the sessions and carrying them forward into society. "Our eye has really been focused on what we could do that would be transformative," Rodin said. An afternoon session focused on communications in the world of cyberspace, as three panelists discussed the emergence of Internet communities. Author Julian Dibell, joined by Marc Ewing, the chief technology consultant of Red Hat Software Inc., and Ken Deutsch, an Internet campaign consultant, discussed the increase in text-based chat systems that allow fellow Internet users to interact with one another. "People will spend up to 30, 40, 50, and in extreme cases 70 hours a week, hanging out in this place," Dibell said. "The environment is rich and gets richer all the time." Last night, as part of the proceedings, outgoing Philadelphia Mayor and Democratic Party chief Ed Rendell spoke to the Commission members at the University Museum. And today, four Commission members -- Jamieson, former Texas gubernatorial candidate Tom Luce, Democratic presidential campaign strategist Paul Begala and Karl Rove, the presidential campaign manager for Texas Gov. George Bush -- will lead a conversation on improving public discourse in the 21st century.

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