Posted on 01/10/2005 7:14:58 AM PST by .cnI redruM
It used to be impossible to get any cheesier than the old 12 CDs for 1 penny deal that Columbia House used to hook new members. The CDs tended to be turkeys bound for the discount rack and the artists one mediocre release away from being a Vegas lounge act that no one was quite willing book on a weekend night. The Columbia House program conveniently emptied the corporate warehouses of unwanted plasticware and wasted rolls of film and basically suckered chumps and losers into buying a bunch of stuff no one really considered entertaining.
Well now they've gone one step lower on the food chain. They've reached the level of coprophages. They mass-distribute has-been porno tapes. The ones the audiences just couldn't get up for. It must have been the shallow plot line or the really weak performance from the leading man. The genre somehow lacks room for character growth and human empathy.
This foray into the merchandise that teenage boys hide in between the mattress and the box springs would be laughable if the only likely consumers were puberty-stricken teens in search of relief. The laughter stops when any serious thought is given to what goes into one of these actions features and who some of the non-teenagers who use this service may be.
Pornography addiction can ruin the career and family of a man who lacks the moral certitude to shut the VCR or the computer off once the filth starts streaming. One of the first questions a potential sex addict gets asked by a therapist is probably the following.
Do you spend long hours on the computer downloading pornographic images or interacting in chat rooms while neglecting your job and family? -This Is War (an addiction treatment website)
The answer to that question is probably 'no' for the vast majority of people who have watched one or two stupid porno films. I'm sure most viewers find themselves getting naked, only if they found the movie's contents so disgusting they feel like taking a shower. However, if shown to the wrong person, these videos can be visual cues that lead to truly parasitic behavior.
Does anyone really like the idea of a convicted child molester getting his or her hands on 12 blue movies for just 1 penny? There's something about the 90% or higher recidivism rate that makes me think stimulating these people with a visual cattle prod isn't a very smart or decent thing to do.
Columbia House had its spinners out in force when asked about their new list of film offerings. The smarm was thick enough to stir with a stick and burn with mogas and diesel. I read the following and unfortunately didn't have the hip-waders on.
"This will be a separate subsidiary," said Jim Litwak, senior vice president of marketing at Columbia House. "It will be completely separate from Columbia House, and will not be marketed to current members. We are not using Columbia House at all, and are not talking to existing members; this is a separate business and deal." -A Columbia House Executive in The NY Post.
The real question here is not how and where the movies are sold and distributed. If Columbia House rakes in money off this and provides the motive power to make it happen, they are morally responsible. Some slickmiester press secretary can't deny the obvious truth. Columbia House cannot stoop any lower and remain in the same species as the rest of us. Do the children of America a favor and throw this company's cheesy add circular in the trash.
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