Television, music and film in the 21st century: What comes to mind? Exploitative depictions of any number of unsavory and private acts pervade the creative works of most of today’s art forms. While many of us fail to see what harm accompanies the violence, lewd behavior and foul language that often appears throughout some of these forms of entertainment, we can definitively say that our American culture has suffered a devastating blow as a result of our tolerance of these artists, writers and directors. Our methodic desensitization to murder, sex and verbal obscenities has been calculated carefully over the years by those who, for lack of better creativity, reduced the art of music, film and television to their foolproof formula of envelope-pushing displays.
In no way do I pretend to be “Church Lady,” but I do expect the people who oversee the content of our radio waves and television programs to demand a higher level of cultural sophistication than say, allowing an actor to urinate on a depiction of Jesus, circa a week ago on an episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Yes, some individuals consider this to be comical and even socially acceptable, yet I would hope that an appeal to our need to be considerate and sensitive to all citizens’ faiths would perhaps compel a director to eliminate such a scene from his program. Thus far, such attempts have been brutally rebuffed.
Forms of entertainment serve as reflections of the overall culture of our country whether people would like to accept it or not. What the global community sees when they wish to better understand the American way of life is a blatant disregard for the ideals of some groups while others are bestowed with the respect they rightfully deserve.
Other countries see that Americans have lost the way toward a better society and have instead stumbled upon a path that only reveals how shallow, offensive and irreverent our culture has become. How did we arrive at a juncture where the sincere gifts of very talented men and women have been forgotten and replaced by the fast buck, quick and slick manner with which we treat entertainment and thus our culture?
I refuse to entertain the notion that women and men today simply are incapable of producing the same talent of those individuals of yesteryear. I would, however, argue that Americans have decided to accept “less than adequate” in exchange for “plentiful and profitable.” Somewhere along the lines of churning out CDs, films and television programs as quickly as possible to produce as much money as possible, the directors and producers forgot to see if the performers actually had talent. If the natural ability of an entertainer did come under fire, they were offered an alternative option of forgoing all moral scruples in exchange for fame and fortune. Here is where we went wrong: In the process of lowering the aptitude bar, we also lowered the moral standard so low that it seems to not even exist any longer.
Sidney Poitier, Gregory Peck and Jimmy Stewart all refused to compromise their grace and poise for the pressures of Hollywood and the demands of those who saw the quick route to success because frankly, they did not have to. If our current vulgar way of life had always been the norm, would we even have such sensational works such as “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “To Sir with Love”? Reaching for the deeper roots of culture, these works strived to maintain a certain set of standards while provoking us to think about society on a more multifaceted level.
As we have seen throughout the history of our country, each generation consistently works to abolish the boundaries of the generation before it. I shudder to think what the newest group of morally repugnant Americans will produce in the future. I hope that we can perhaps turn the tides of rudimentary progress backwards and return to the trend of the groundbreaking works of yesteryear that addressed those issues that truly progressed the course of social history, and did not simply test our stomachs for the obscene and truly abhorrent.
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sounds a lot like a hate crime to me. but great Church Lady reference, what a great character that was.
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This article is extremely offensive.
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I've fought this when it comes from the left as political correctness and I'll fight this when it comes from the right in the form of family values. Censorship of free speech is wrong. If you are offended watch something else, there are plenty of wholesome entertainment choices available to you. Lots of us like shows like curb your enthusiasm and we don't appreciate people like you forcing your sense of morality upon us.
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At no point in the article did I see the author advocate censorship, which by definition means that we have no choice in what we see or hear. She didn't say that it should be illegal to depict images or ideas that might be offensive. She expressed a desire for more people to CHOOSE to view entertainment that she considers to be less vulgar. Personally, I support the unfettered rights of entertainers and artists to create whatever they wish, and I likewise support the unfettered right of adults to have free access to said creations, regardless of how vile they may be. I also support the right of the author to attempt to peaceably persuade others that some of the things produced by our modern entertainment industry are, in fact, total garbage. It's about exercising good judgment, not about censorship.
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"I do expect the people who oversee the content of our radio waves and television programs to demand a higher level of cultural sophistication than say, allowing an actor to urinate on a depiction of Jesus, circa a week ago on an episode of 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'. She is advocating that a group, most likely FCC, prevent shows like this from being aired because they don't meet her standards of decency. Sounds like censorship to me.
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or an individual like a director eliminate scenes like that from his program. so she wasn't advocating a group more than likely, she specifically mentioned the director. you read "people who oversee the content of our radio waves and television programs" and thought of the government, she mentioned the one creating the show.
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No she is blaming the directors for the vulgarities. The overseers she is referring to are the FCC.
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This is a bit off topic but concerns entertainment for students around Blacksburg.
With country and bluegrass heritage making up a huge part of SW VA culture. And Venues like Crooked Road Trail, Floyd Country Store and Rex theater in Galax why doesn't VT and Blacksburg offer a Venue for a gathering of entertainers internationally, and local music, andto enhance the VT experience and promote the local culture? Seems a win win for all.
Maybe I'm just not aware or out of the loop in the B'burg area? Is there such a place close by for students and I just missed it's promotion?
I can't tell you how many folks young and old associated with VT who have no clue about Galax and the Fiddlers Convention or The Rex Theater in Galax of Friday nights. Be nice to EDUCATE and possibly enhance the SWVA economy with a marriage and promotion through the 25,000 + at VT.
MUSIC not meth and suicide is what the hills of SWVA should be known for.
ADMIN, Mental health and State gov't are you listening.
Music can healthy and healing
Just saying........
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Depictions of Jesus are offensive. No one really knows what he looked like, so quit it with your cartoons.
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It is a common theme amongst 'moral majority' conservatives to wail about the moral decline of America. They all seem to think that things were so much more wholesome back in the good ol' days.
But what era are you referring to? A few decades ago when the most popular act was George Carlin's "Seven words you can never say on TV"? Or maybe you mean before then, like when African Americans were not allowed to go to VT. Perhaps earlier, when women did not have the right to vote. During the era of slavery? Do you truly believe society was more civil when the Founders were legally allowed to shoot and kill each other in broad daylight?
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If you're going to cite an example to strengthen your case, at least describe it correctly. Larry David did not "urinate on" Jesus. The whole joke was that he had an overactive bladder and it caused backsplash. Not to mention, the absurdity of having a picture of Jesus above the toilet in the first place. Funny's funny.
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Plus, Larry David is a Jew. Why would he really care about Jesus?
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"I hope that we can perhaps turn the tides of rudimentary progress backwards and return to the trend of the groundbreaking works of yesteryear that addressed those issues that truly progressed the course of social history..." For many, the belittling of religious faith is an important step in the course of social progress. I believe her own bias blinds her from this fact.
"As we have seen throughout the history of our country, each generation consistently works to abolish the boundaries of the generation before it." Right, and the current boundary is baseless superstition. When Americans learn to practice their religions in a manner that does not affect the public sphere, then perhaps the debasing of mythical religious figures and stories will cease.
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Brooke, don't confuse talent with political correctness or assimilation with cultural values, especially not the 'values' you're talking about. John Lennon was one of the greatest songwriters ever, yet he frequently pointed out his atheism. I am saddened by the fact that Miley Cyrus dominates iTunes while bands like Bela Fleck and the Flecktones lose members of their ensemble, but that has nothing to do with losing sight of our "traditional values".
Also, we never could have had "Imagine" if Lennon had not been an out-spoken atheist. It goes both ways.
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Get over it. Move out of the country if you don't like it Brooke. This isn't a Christian nation subject to erroneous morals. If things are so bad then get your passport and kick it.
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"If our current vulgar way of life had always been the norm, would we even have such sensational works such as Its a Wonderful Life, To Kill a Mockingbird and To Sir with Love?"
To Kill A Mockingbird is still considered "vulgar" by some to this day who find the work's rape discussion too graphic for young adult audiences.
Moreover, the novel was written in 1960 as a direct response to the racial injustices so prevalent at the time, in a culture your article suggests as somehow superior to the present one. I think it unwise to romanticize a past in which discrimination and racism were so widely accepted. I consider a "way of life" which blatantly discriminates against minorities to be far more "vulgar" than the current popular culture, which includes, among thousands of other things, a satirical sitcom on a premium cable channel. So Larry David pees on a picture of Jesus. Better that than a man getting lynched in the middle of the night for the color of his skin while "Leave it to Beaver" broadcasts wholesome, family-friendly entertainment into America's living rooms. That wistful nostalgia you hold for generations past? I'm sorry, but it's rooted in delusion.
And concerning your statement that "each generation consistently works to abolish the boundaries of the generation before it," my only response is a resounding "Hell, yes."
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