PCTV In the News
Vintage talk show
84-year-old airs populist view on public access TV
By: Courtney Gross , Staff Writer
Princeton Packet 1/16/2007
A blue dot emerges from blackness on the television screen. Over the sound of classical music, a voice with a distinct French accent calls out for change. In what he called an accidental development, 84-year-old Michel Mockers, a native of France turned Princeton resident, and an esteemed oil painter, has found a new pursuit.
Following an interview on public access television several months ago, Mr. Mockers has spearheaded the production of his own television show to promote what he calls an unfunded, grassroots and unorganized political party. Having spent the 20th century making oil paintings and sculptures — works that have been exhibited in New York City and elsewhere — Mr. Mockers' current experiments in more contemporary technologies were inspired by his past artistic endeavors, he candidly explained at Princeton Community Television, or TV30, last week. Five episodes of the political talk show "Planet" aired on TV30 late last year and Mr. Mockers is now working on six more of the interviews and philosophical critiques to extend through March.
In an attempt to create a broader dialogue and raise awareness on the nation's current political state, Mr. Mockers brings guests and discussions to the station's Witherspoon Street studio to focus on issues and challenges that have spanned decades. From an interview with a veteran of the Vietnam War to a discussion of the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, Mr. Mockers plans to show the balance needed in politics and international affairs — a balance geared toward the interests of people, not corporations, he said. And through this, he continues to use his decades of experience in the arts to make comparisons.
"(When) you make a drawing you need two things, a piece of paper and a pencil," Mr. Mockers said. "One is as important as the other." Translating the same concept into political terms, Mr. Mockers asks through his television show: What is more important, labor or capital? His conclusion: They are equal. "What is more important, the population of the planet or the planet itself?" Mr. Mockers asked. "There should be a balance." While recognizing his outreach is small, the artist hopes to see candidates eventually running on his platform to promote greater pluralism in society. "The government of the people, by the people and for the people," Mr. Mockers said, "I believe that doesn't exist at all." Despite his strong political views, Mr. Mockers tackles complicated issues with a common and infectious laughter just as he has conquered multiple other pursuits over the years.
Throughout his life, Mr. Mockers has continued to expand his talents across a multitude of media. An author, thespian and artist, his latest inclusion of the 30-minute television show to his extensive resume was far less challenging than he expected. Through the help of the station's director, George McCollough, Mr. Mockers has begun to grasp editing and other complicated tasks associated with producing his own show. "In many ways it is easier to be in front of the television than on a stage in a theater," he said.