Comments on: Jack Valenti dies

By: kamm

kamm — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:44:29 +0000

Valenti was one of the most disgusting, worm-like MPAA/RIAA lobbyist, good riddance he's gone now.
One worm bit the dust, thousand other to go.

By: Justin Levine

Justin Levine — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 20:09:28 +0000

"Many said Jack didn’t get the digital age. I think what he didn’t get was binary thinking. "

Fair enough. But perhaps even you fail to grasp that the digital age presents binary problems. Either filesharing will be legal, or it wont. Either the VCR will be allowed to exist, or it won't. Technology often dictates the choices we have. For many of our current copyright problems, the choice is either 1 or 0 and we won't be allowed to split the baby.

By: David Berry

David Berry — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 14:13:56 +0000

Public relations.

Full stop.

You don't need affection for it. You don't need to lose sleep over why you felt charmed by it. It plays on emotions and it plays on the desire by the other to have a 'rational' discussion in order to ignore rationality and instead appeal to the lowest common denominator.

It plays hardball in order to win; not to make friends.

By: Swan

Swan — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 12:30:14 +0000

Sorry for the loss.

I wrote this post about racism and Kelo v. New London you may find interesting.

By: Hexatron

Hexatron — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 00:27:52 +0000

The warmth. The attention to YOU. The silver coiff. And you bought it.

If you were a little fish, you would be telling us how 'that kind anglerfish was giving you the most delicious worm.'

His loud denuciation was the voice of his deepest sincerity.
His whispered kindnesses were just 'cooling the mark.'
His view of you was nothing like your view of him.
For one thing, he never forgot where his interests lay or who his enemies were.

But though he be dead, his hearty handshake and warm exterior live on in a thousand slimeballs.

By: Mark Seery

Mark Seery — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 21:20:40 +0000

Classy piece Lawrence. Full of important points.

By: Laura

Laura — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 13:28:22 +0000

Precisely, Sam. I saw him speak at a conference in 2004, and, though I completely disagreed with most of his positions, I found myself utterly charmed by him. Perhaps it was because I disagreed with his positions that I found myself charmed. That, I think, is the paradox of the persona of Jack Valenti.

By: Wally H.

Wally H. — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 13:26:29 +0000

Prof. Lessig -

This is a lovely post. Amid the flood of dimwitted invective directed at the man by the Geek Chorus of Cyberspace, you've said what needs be said. Thanks for that.

By: Sam

Sam — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 12:08:57 +0000

I attended and vividly remember the HLS “debate” between Larry and Jack Valenti. Put simply, Valenti was completely unconvincing, but highly endearing. He had an enviable ability to ingratiate himself with his audience and even his sophistry — he knew how to evade arguments he would lose — made him more not less likeable.

By: Kevin Donovan

Kevin Donovan — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 09:49:52 +0000

I've respected and admired you since reading your work a few years ago.

This post has done more to show you deserve that respect than any legal theory could.