Posted on 06/15/2005 6:43:04 PM PDT by CHARLITE
In his new book, Porn Generation, Ben Shapiro mocks the absurdity of some common liberal solutions to society’s ills. He exposes the outrageous advice of liberal celebrities and media figures, detailing how liberals have transformed the overthrow of traditional values into an art: by methodically watering down religion, undermining parental authority, and giving all views equal legitimacy, they’ve produced the cultural crisis that we see today.
This approach has left my generation plagued with moral relativism, narcissism, and many other unintended consequences that the hippie generation is unwilling to take responsibility for and which the aging leftists that now control academia are still trying to promote. By detailing this, Shapiro provides the slap in the face that America needs.
Perhaps my experiences at Wellesley College make me especially ready to embrace Shapiro’s ideas, but I would argue that anyone would consider this book a quick read and (if they have the stomach for it) hard to put down.
Porn Generation has all of the bite and harshness of a young conservative who has been pushed to the edge by the constant force of liberal propaganda within our education system, yet it also presents arguments which are thorough and unavoidably convincing for even the most liberally-minded.
Shapiro details the chronology of society’s moral breakdown – explaining how today’s trends can be traced back to the Kinsey study in the ‘40s, the Clinton scandal in the ‘90s, and other prominent events that changed our understanding of sexuality and culture.
Loaded with quality conservative sarcasm, this book analyzes the hypocrisy enveloping the liberal machine and looks at the various aspects of our culture – teen magazines, pop celebrities, and commercial marketing – that influence our youth.
The one warning that I must issue before encouraging you to read this book is that it does have very provocative titles and explicit language. The irony, however, is that this language is nothing that we do not see or hear every day watching the news, listening to the radio, reading popular magazines, or attending university seminars. Shapiro calls conservatives and liberals alike on their hypocrisy for buying into the new culture that they condemn in principle, yet support with their wallets.
Shapiro points out the craziness of a society which turns criminals into multi-millionaire rap stars, especially when they teach boys “that it’s okay to treat women like dirt” and that these “contemporary buffoons, vulgarians and misogynists are…the ones who are ‘keeping it real’,” while teaching young girls that boys only want strippers and prostitutes.
He argues that youth cling to “gangsta’ rap” because it “distances them from their parents, and in some sense, serves as a rejection of their parents’ culture and their race itself.” This new mentality, according to Shapiro, has only served to promote moral relativism and give young whites the “false impression that [gangsta’ rap] actually represents mainstream black America.” This highlights the hypocrisy of multiculturalism and empowerment within my generation. As the Rev. Al Sharpton said, “Civil rights marchers didn’t march so that a rapper ‘has the right to call your mama a ho.’”
Shapiro looks with disdain at the careers of pop idols Madonna; the former-Mouseketeers-turned-Madonna-wannabes Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera; and newest Disney “pop tarts” Hillary Duff (who hasn’t sold out yet) and Lindsay Lohan (who has). He also looks at the lyrics from such “artists” as Kurt Cobain (Nirvana), Ozzy Osbourne (who compared Bush to Hitler just months after the President complimented him on his music success), and Marilyn Manson.
He lauds these artists on a few points, praising Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder for declaring that “any generation that would pick Kurt [Cobain] or [Eddie Vedder] as its spokesman… must be a pretty f–up generation” and admitting that Britney Spears is right about one thing: “It’s a fantasy world that [she’s] doing…It’s up to the parents to explain that to their children.”
Shapiro highlights a critical disconnect between parents and the current generation, citing such figures as: “While only 15 percent of surveyed parents believed that their teens had gone beyond kissing, 27 percent of teens reported being with someone in an intimate or sexual way.”
The recurring theme of this book is that parents are increasingly being cut out of the loop, with schools replacing their authority in sex ed, teenybopper magazines telling their kids what to think and “how to exploit…‘rents into letting [them] date,” and music contributing to the clash of generations. He summarizes his view of teenybopper magazines with the question “Where the hell are your parents?”
This book is the ultimate summary of how we “have been re-defining deviancy so as to exempt much conduct previously stigmatized,” while concurrently defining deviancy up so that the normal has been made to be found deviant. It differs from other conservative crisis-of-our-age books in that he doesn’t just scream bloody murder at the problems caused by the liberal hijacking of our culture, but also offers shrewd solutions for how each of us can help restore and transform our culture.
Overall, Porn Generation is well worth reading and very enjoyable -- assuming you can stomach knowing exactly how disgusting our culture is.
Maribeth Armitage is a former Witherspoon Fellow and a graduate of Wellesley College. She managed a congressional campaign in Boston before coming to work for Townhall.com.
There's a huge meth problem around here. So because there are a lot of meth customers, that makes it okay?
Just because people buy porn and keep the shop open, it's okay, even if the majority of local citizenry don't want it there?
What's your point?
People should lobby local government to enforce the laws as written.
I agree that if the gov't drastically reduced spending - 50% would be a good start - many problems would wither up and die.
But I don't see that happening, so both fronts need to be fought.
The definitions of "family" are shifting because of societal pressures. In a few years, the nuclear family, which many believe to be the norm, will become more and more rare. It may prove to be an economically unsustainable model for a lot of people. More than likely a large portion of nuclear families will be replaced by the multi-generational extended families.
The extended family is actually a more efficient use of resources in regards to child care and other expenses etc.
And yes, unwed mothers are a problem. But again, this has to do with economics. It's a phenom that thrives when people have very limited time horizons. And time horizons tend to be influenced by economics.
Yeah, right. Example - Philadelphia, every year, gives $20,000 to "gay" organizations for their "gay" pride parade.
You know that's a useless argument.
That would lead me to conclude that the people of Phillie are okay with their gay pride parades.
My belief is that drugs are a plague -- but the absolute worst of all the drugs is meth. I believe this not only because of the way that the drug impacts individuals' bodies, but because it targets those communities that can least afford the human, financial or emotional toll. I've made something of a study of meth. So, trust me on this point -- having lived through the crack days of NYC in the 1990s and comparing it to meth -- well, there is no comparison. Crack is like applesauce compared to meth. Luckily it hasn't really hit NYC yet, but it will.
You named two destructive influences in a small community. One legal and one illegal. A big city, like NY, can absorb both and keep functioning. A small town can't. It's up to the will of the population to fight back.
It would lead me to believe that the local gov't there is replete with leftists, those who support homosexuality, and homosexuals themselves. Whether the actual voters themselves agree or not is unknown.
So in your world view, single mothers having babies with a series of men they aren't married to is called "extended families". Well, that's a novel definition of the phrase.
"Extended families" really means not only the mother and father and their children, but some grandparents, and maybe some aunts and uncles and cousins as well.
So, it's clear that you place zero importance on traditional marriage and family - IOW, "real" - marraige and intact families. It's good to know your viewpoint.
As far as local communities fighting porn shops, they tried already here, and lost. Think my town of 1200 plus wants to fight the ACLU?
No, we share the same definition of extended families.
Not by what your previous comment said.
Anyway, my other life is intervening. Gotta run.
My other comment spoke to the changing shapes and make-ups of families -- the nuclear family being replaced, at least in part, by the extended family. This is due largely to outside pressures. It's a solution to several problems, not the least of which are economic. I implied, but didn't outright state, that unwed mothers are what happens when solutions to those pressures aren't instituted.
That just about sums it up, well put!
Always!
now lets talk about C. Heston and R. Reagan
I like your comments.
Actually, it only takes one to wreck a marriage.
The trick to having the golden touch, is to be darned careful what you touch. Congratulations to those who chose wisely.
As for me, never again.
If your girlfriend askes you to get married, you say "Well, you better find a man who wants to get married."
Guaranteed, in about 20 minutes you will have some good things going on.
Depends what you mean by "vociferously support." I vociferously support the regulated legality of pornography, although I don't consider myself a supporter of pornography, not because I want it or because I applaud the destruction of morality, but because using force to combat non-rights-violating vices is wrong.
"ending sleaze and various forms of "immorality" would not do a thing to help terrorism, illegal immigration, or any other of the serious issues"
You just don't get it. They are all interlinked. A society in decay will never be able to deal with any of the problems you've mentioned.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.