Daniel Graystone on Backtalk - A Near-Disaster Rescued by 'Terror Mom' is a The Caprican Entertainment article written by Matthew Riley. It was printed in Martius 2, YR42.
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Daniel Graystone's much-anticipated appearance on Backtalk with Baxter Sarno wasn't the cringe-inducing disaster that many were expecting. But boy, it could've been.
The spot began well enough, with the grieving father and troubled CEO of Graystone Industries entering the set with just a hint of uneasiness, looking great in a suit, as always. He took Baxter's opening jibes like a good sport, even trying to join in with a couple humorous quips of his own. Then the subject of Zoe Graystone's involvement with the MAGLEV bombing came up, and Graystone switched to a PR mode he was obviously uncomfortable with. He struggled with statements that were obviously scripted by his publicists, much to Sarno's delight, as he immediately challenged Graystone's awkward mumblings, which included "Zoe was...was troubled." Soon they were on the subject of the dangers of today's young people living in a virtual world with gadgets like the Holoband, and suddenly, the whole show was in a downward spiral.
And then Dr. Amanda Graystone, the "Terror Mom" herself, marched onto the set. (A surprise and unplanned appearance? This writer has his doubts).
Both Sarno and Graystone looked surprised and Dr. Graystone promptly took over the proceedings, showing none of the emotional imbalance she displayed just a few weeks earlier when she announced to the Twelve Colonies that her "daughter was a terrorist."
I don't want to go so far as to say the Graystones seemed to be genuinely enjoying themselves, but they did seem somewhat relieved to be going on television and talking about their daughter, the MAGLEV tragedy and the lack of moral guidelines with today's youth when they're entrenched in such vice-ridden virtual environments like the V-Club and New Cap City.
Sarno seemed genuinely bemused, himself, as the couple spoke of the challenges of parenting, claiming that their daughter was angry and defiant but most certainly not crazy. Daniel Graystone even made a surprise announcement regarding his company, a gesture that might go a long way in filling what appears to be a moral vacuum in our children.
Regardless of what was revealed and what new questions were conjured, I suppose the real question regarding the Graystones appearing on Backtalk is: Was it great television? Not really. But it was better than probably anything else that was on at the time.
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