Gotta love those censor-happy fanatics...
Aug. 6th, 2001 12:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
batskeetshttp://www.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/TV/08/01/tv.content/index.html
That article qualifies as an eye-roller... not only does Mr. Bozell sound borderline fanatic in his statements, but he also seems to have no concept of what's actually *on* TV.
First of all, what's with lumping three patently different shows like Buffy, Boston Public, and Smackdown together like that? These shows don't even fit in the same *category*. Buffy and Boston Public have received a great deal of critical acclaim. Buffy is a show that takes some real artistic risks, like an entire episode without spoken lines ("Hush"), and an episode dealing with death of a loved one that was probably one of the most intense hours of TV I've ever seen ("The Body"). And from what I've seen of Boston Public, its attempts at reflecting real inner-city life are nothing at all akin to WWF Smackdown, which is a vertiable smorgasboard of cartoony, exaggerated fakery.
The only thing that those three programs seem to have in common is that HE feels they're unsuitable for HIS kids, and while he's certainly entitled to that opinion, the rest of the world might not agree with his stance. And lord knows there are *plenty* of namby-pamby family-friendly programs for him to choose from, so why shouldn't he just choose what his family should watch, and enforce that decision? God FORBID anyone should have to put thought or effort into their parenting! ;p
I also strongly disagree with his whole "robbing our children of their innocence" bit. I don't think it's necessary to shelter our children that way, because they do need to know that violence and vulgarity *CAN HAPPEN* in our society. And true, we might hear people on NYPD Blue say "bitch," or see people on Melrose Place sleeping around, but that doesn't mean that we *have* to follow suit.
That's why we all need teach our kids to think for themselves, so they'll carefully examine the ideas that are put forth to them, rather than just accepting everything they see and hear as gospel truth. When they grow up and go into the real world, they'll need to have the ability to make conscious, rational decisions for themselves, and anybody who has a lick of sense will figure out that they don't need to light a building on fire just because somebody on TV did it.
(and as another point, Mr. Bozell seems to have conveniently forgotten that, at the beginning of *every episode*, Buffy broadcasts a warning that the program is intended for mature viewers. Hello? duh. ;p)
Okay, shutting up. Gonna eat lunch now. :D
That article qualifies as an eye-roller... not only does Mr. Bozell sound borderline fanatic in his statements, but he also seems to have no concept of what's actually *on* TV.
First of all, what's with lumping three patently different shows like Buffy, Boston Public, and Smackdown together like that? These shows don't even fit in the same *category*. Buffy and Boston Public have received a great deal of critical acclaim. Buffy is a show that takes some real artistic risks, like an entire episode without spoken lines ("Hush"), and an episode dealing with death of a loved one that was probably one of the most intense hours of TV I've ever seen ("The Body"). And from what I've seen of Boston Public, its attempts at reflecting real inner-city life are nothing at all akin to WWF Smackdown, which is a vertiable smorgasboard of cartoony, exaggerated fakery.
The only thing that those three programs seem to have in common is that HE feels they're unsuitable for HIS kids, and while he's certainly entitled to that opinion, the rest of the world might not agree with his stance. And lord knows there are *plenty* of namby-pamby family-friendly programs for him to choose from, so why shouldn't he just choose what his family should watch, and enforce that decision? God FORBID anyone should have to put thought or effort into their parenting! ;p
I also strongly disagree with his whole "robbing our children of their innocence" bit. I don't think it's necessary to shelter our children that way, because they do need to know that violence and vulgarity *CAN HAPPEN* in our society. And true, we might hear people on NYPD Blue say "bitch," or see people on Melrose Place sleeping around, but that doesn't mean that we *have* to follow suit.
That's why we all need teach our kids to think for themselves, so they'll carefully examine the ideas that are put forth to them, rather than just accepting everything they see and hear as gospel truth. When they grow up and go into the real world, they'll need to have the ability to make conscious, rational decisions for themselves, and anybody who has a lick of sense will figure out that they don't need to light a building on fire just because somebody on TV did it.
(and as another point, Mr. Bozell seems to have conveniently forgotten that, at the beginning of *every episode*, Buffy broadcasts a warning that the program is intended for mature viewers. Hello? duh. ;p)
Okay, shutting up. Gonna eat lunch now. :D
