Bring Back Shame and Prudery (Vanity)

Vanity ^ | 2-6-2004 | Me, Judith Anne

[sauropod]

I was hoping they could have a childhood first.

[my_pointy_head_is_sharp]

I just picked 1954 since it's 50 years earlier than now. I don't know how they would have reacted. I think probably in shock and horror. Possibly the performers would have been arrested, whereas now, they're invited back!

[Melas]

What's wrong with using the technology and other means available? If you don't want MTV, there are several options:

1) You can cancel cable/satellite.

2) You can use that nifty technology and block MTV.

3) You can attempt to gather a sufficient number of customers/subscribers to convince the provider to drop it. If and when you fail, then you know you're not as big a majority as you think you are.

[Melas]

We've put MTV BET and the Comedy Channel on parental block since the first day our first child came home (7 years). Our friends look at us like we're from Mars when we tell them. We're seriously thinking about expanding it. Perhaps we could block every channel, thereby having to explicitly OK each show our children view.

Finally, someone gets it. I might not agree with your views, but at least you understand how to use the technology at your disposal rather than insist everyone else give something up. Hat's off to you.

[Melas]

I was thinking along that line too. It can't be hard for manufactures of televisions to have a programmable television to opt out of channels. Have it passworded so only parents can add or delete channels. A simple computer program should be enough.

Not necessary. For the most part we're only talking about cable channels here, and all satellite and most cable boxes come with that very technology. It's as easy as pie. You enter a password then block as many channels as you want.

[Amelia]

I don't know how they would have reacted. I think probably in shock and horror. Possibly the performers would have been arrested, whereas now, they're invited back!

Arrested for lewdity or public indecency would have been nice, actually.

[Melas]

I agree with you about the need to change all this, and there are methods by which you can block channels on Cable (I even block Disney - because I want to know BEFOREHAND what any kid who visits is going to be watching).....but, what I'm wondering about is the Closed Captioning Issue....I've heard that the lyrics from the Super Bowl Halftime "show" were printed across the bottom of any TV on mute.....and I've read the lyrics....seems to me THAT is a VIOLATION of DECENCY standards.....I've written to Michael Powell about it, but if others would take up the call, it might help more

That's an option the user enables on his/her tv set. You can have closed captioning on all the time, not at all, or only when the volume is muted. That wasn't the NFL's, Janet Jackson's or Justin Timberlake's doing, but a choice the owner of the television had made.

[goodnesswins]

YES, BUT.....even so....those words are not allowed to be SPOKEN, why should they then be allowed to be written....the homeowner kind of assumes words that are not to be spoken on TV will NOT show up under closed captioning!

[sarasota]

If my granddaughter (3) is any example, those days are over. It's a whole new ballgame, and on a far lower level. Yet I know she will know how to deal with it through the appropriate coaching and role modelling from her family and those we choose to bring into her life. She wasn't allowed to view Finding Nemo, for example. Far too much "scar-factor". I saw it yesterday myself and was horrified. Yes, even Bambi is off her list.

[goodnesswins]

what is "scar-factor".....is that a typo....or is that something I'm needing education in?....just wondering.

[sarasota]

Sorry about the typo; I meant scare factor. But perhaps there is a scarring effect as well, come to think of it.

[KneelBeforeZod]

MTV used to be a "premium" channel in a lot of markets.

its worth too much to basic cable sales to make it a premium again.

[KneelBeforeZod]

We need to find out who sponsors MTV and tell them that as long as they sponser this filth, we will not purchase any of their products and we will agressively seek out and by from those who refuse to advertise on MTV.

That is a good idea in general, but it wouldn't work with MTV. no one against MTV falls in the target demographic. one big one is drinks...ie sodas, juices etc. the young folks who watch MTV spend much more on these things (and others items advertised on MTV) to make that a threat.

Now if you could get OTHER people to not give their kids money to buy these things, and make other peoples kids quit there jobs, that would work...but you'd never be able to do it

[mlmr]

We stopped watching televsison 15 years ago and it is the one best thing that we have done as a family. We moniter videos carefully too.

[Lady Eileen]

You are wise.

[KneelBeforeZod]

hmmm. some of the very first music recordings were "60 minute man" and the the resonse song (popular to do during that era) was the tongue in cheek "Can't do 60 anymore"

[KneelBeforeZod]

biggest problem today is probably that most Americans are too stupid to understand inuendo. we wasted too much time learning about the metric system, "other" cultures, etc.

back in the day, Hitchcock was quite a porn merchant. although you had to be able to pick up the message.

that wasn't just a train going into the tunnel in those black and white movies.

[Judith Anne]

My husband and I have started conversations in our community - at the office, the gym, at church - and have been gratified by the kind of responses we've been getting. This stuff has been bothering a lot of people for a long time, but they have been intimidated into silence and acquiescence by the familiar charges of "censorship" or "prude" or "homophobic" or even simply "unsophisticated." Quite literally, I guess, we're living the story of the Emperor's New Clothes - as soon as one or two adults say Hey, this is unacceptable, others are willing - relieved, even - to voice agreement. And that's the first step toward taking action. I think conversations like the ones we've been having here are happening all over the country. I think the barbarians finally awoke the sleeping giant. I think America is gathering its moral forces for a campaign against the cultural Al Qaeda. And, as usual, it will be us no-names out here in the trenches that will actually win this war.

That's a wonderful post. Thank you for those comments.