John Tanner Quotes in The Osterman Weekend (1983)

John Tanner: What you've just witnessed is, in many ways, a life-sized video game. You saw a liar talk to a killer and you couldn't tell them apart. But hey, it's only television. As you may know, television programs are just the filler between attempts to steal your money. So if you want to save some, turn me off. It's a simple movement, done with the hand and what is left of your free will. The moment is now. My bet is you can't do it. But go ahead and try.

[beat]

John Tanner: Am I still on?

Bernard Osterman: I'm still wondering how we got into this mess.

John Tanner: It's called being programmed.

Maxwell Danforth: Suppose I was to tell you that our enemies are capable of impairing rational thought, of dismantling our willingness to defend ourself, of dissociating whole societies from their value systems.

John Tanner: You mean they've got televisions.