Where, oh where have our priorities gone?

[woodman]

We've slipped off the road into the ditch in this country IMO, when an incident such as what happened at the SuperBowl half-time show can incite people to such outrage as has been expressed by FCC chairman Powell and others. I just read this at my homepage this morning:
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Family Group Throws Flag At CBS
A family advocacy group is urging the FCC to get tough with CBS for its airing of the Super Bowl halftime show.

The Family Research Council says it's sad that parents can't let their kids watch the Super Bowl without being exposed to "nudity and other vulgarity."

The group says CBS was wrong to turn over the halftime show to MTV, which it says revels in its ability to shock.

In a letter to the FCC, the group urged the federal agency that oversees broadcasters to make an example of both CBS and MTV.
************************************************** ************************************************** ****

I don't how others here feel, but for me this entire affair is nothing but ludicrous. What a mockery of our humanity when the sight of a woman's bare breast is horrifically indecent and the height of vulgarity - yet the sight of people shooting each other, or beating each other with baseball bats which are shown on the evening news broadcasts is perfectly acceptable. Also, the amount of graphic violence that appears in movies and video games does not result in the amount of indignation that the SuperBowl incident did just amazes me. I think our country is just a bit insane.

Comments?

[JSE]

I actually agree with you. It seems hypocritical for some to call this incident so terrible but then tune into shows on primetime TV that depict violence, sex, drugs, etc. I for one think TV has really gotten a little out of hand over the past couple of decades. MTV is really pushing the envelope in terms of sex.

Don't get me wrong, I am not a prude or a big censorship fan, I just think a lot of network's sole purpose is to push it farther and farther. I remember a show on MTV that was about teens and college students making out and having sex. Boy on girl, girl on girl, boy on boy. That was the whole basis of the series. Who does MTV think their target audience is?

If FCC chairman Powell is going to be outraged over this, he better start getting outraged over a lot more programs that are far far worse.

JSE

[Justlisten2]

That's what a buddy of mine calls it, and I agree. Since the women's lib movement, all this political correctness was born. It's all because men don't have the balls to say what they think anymore, because they're afraid to lose their jobs, and rightfully so. In this alledged land of the free, many lose their jobs because of what they say. We've lost our way as a country, freedom of speech is just a memory. :mad:

I wish I could go on, but my wife says to shut up. :eek:

[karl k]

I can't believe how some take something as this(which left alone would have been forgotten by most after the next day) and made it a subject for crucifiction. Of all the people locally I listened to the last 2 days, the vast majority of them were women, and of the men who objected, most were in the direct presence of women... or expressing the policy of their workplace. Funny, in addition to that, most cited the children as the main issue with what was shown that day. Children? Let me tell you about those "children". Any of those under 10 or so didn't care much about it as they are generally not sexually curious at that age and those over 10 or so have a very good handle on the subject of sex anyway. This isn't about the children... in fact, it's more about the parents and they're inhabitions about sex. It's they're inability to explain to they're kids in no uncertain terms about the joys and responsibilities of sex. People are so uncomfortable with they're own bodies let alone someone elses that when an "opportunity" poses itself, the only conversation that arises is about how awfull it is and how undignified it is to be that way in public. How is the exposure of Janet any different than the nude sculptures in a museum?(and yes, those are a work of art! ;) ) In reallity, those complainers aught to be glad she(Janet) had as much on as she did! Have you seen some of here latest videos?! WOW!!! And what about the "pseudo-streaker"? I haven't heard much about him!!? Why is it the streaker wears only a "G" string and gets enough air time to see the ref's uniform on the field from 50yrds away and little is made of it. Yet Janet show's a little by comparison for 1/3 the time and gets chastized for it. I praise Mtv for pushing the envelope on sex. We as a country have been way too uptight about sex for way too long and it's about time for a change. The sooner we get over our inhabitions, the better off we and our kids will be. No more secrets... no more misconceptions.

Maybe if Janet hadn't gotten the implants, she wouldn't have been so inclined to show them... and maybe if those complainers HAD gotten those implants, they wouldn't be so insecure about their own bodies... and their husbands!

Oh no I've said too much... I've said enough.(R.E.M. Loosing My Religion)

[JSE]

I praise Mtv for pushing the envelope on sex. We as a country have been way too uptight about sex for way too long and it's about time for a change. The sooner we get over our inhabitions, the better off we and our kids will be. No more secrets... no more misconceptions.

I agree that our country is very uptight about sex but MTV pushes the envelope in a irresponsible way. The show I mentioned. All they did was have sex, constantly. There was no plot, no message. It was just kids and young adults doing it. Do you want your children to think it's OK to have sex with whoever, wherever and whenever they want? I doubt it. You're right, we need to losen up but let's do it responsibly.
I watch some MTV shows and some are very good. But I hardly think MTV should be a model for our countries views on sex. Do you?


Good to see you back posting in this forum!

JSE

[karl k]

I agree that our country is very uptight about sex but MTV pushes the envelope in a irresponsible way. The show I mentioned. All they did was have sex, constantly. There was no plot, no message. It was just kids and young adults doing it. Do you want your children to think it's OK to have sex with whoever, wherever and whenever they want? I doubt it. You're right, we need to losen up but let's do it responsibly.
I watch some MTV shows and some are very good. But I hardly think MTV should be a model for our countries views on sex. Do you?

JSE
And yes, there should be some subject and lesson to the content. Now think about what Mtv is doing to promote that very thing...

By promoting sex as being trivial, they are indeed really forcing the rest of the uptight society to not only accept the idea of open sexuality, but also forcing them to do it in a way that is desireble to you and me(responsibly) in an effort to correct the irresponsibility of Mtv. You, in the end, get more exposure to the concept in an effort to correct and control than you would if it were not an issue.(as it is now) Sex is(and always has been) one of those subjects you don't address unless you have to. How many condom adds do you remember before AIDS? And even then, how many objected(even at the risk of their own childs life)? Yes, it would be nice but... ya know!


"Do you want your children to think it's OK to have sex with whoever, wherever and whenever they want? I doubt it."
Do you remember as a kid how much you did, with whoever and wherever, and whenever you wanted? How much of that was due to TV? Rock music? Video games? Pornography? And in reality, was it really that much, with that many, in that many places? Granted, for some that may be true, but most(I'd like to think) it is a very selective thing. Besides, they will either do what you tell them or not. And if not they will do what they want, with whom they want, wherever they want anyway!


"But I hardly think MTV should be a model for our countries views on sex. Do you?"
It won't be much longer. Because of Mtv, Playboy, and others, shows like Sunday Night Sex Talk, and Berman and Berman are getting their start in an effort to set the story straight in a no holds barred accurate way. Soon there will be more and more like these that a few yrs ago would be considered "obscene and vulgar" and that's the day I look forward to for my kids!

[bturk667]

I think what it comes down to is that there is a time and place for such things. The Super Bowl halftime show is not one of them. If the slut wants to do that on a MTV awards show, great, you would kind of expect it there. To do so however on the halftime of the Super bowl, well, for most it seemed to be unexpected and unwanted. There has to come time and place when people say enough with this type of bull$hit.

I understand why Janet Jackson did it. I mean, she is a has been. What has she done in the last five years? After the Super Bowl, well, we all know now what she has done, don't we? This, however does not mean I have to like it. Also, why not have the character to to admit it was planned, and then at least say I ment to do it, because my carrer needed a shot in the arm, for I am washed up star of yesterday! I see an new album release from her, or at they very least maybe a greatest hits album, to come out in the near future.

[karl k]

I think what it comes down to is that there is a time and place for such things. The Super Bowl halftime show is not one of them. If the slut wants to do that on a MTV awards show, great, you would kind of expect it there. To do so however on the halftime of the Super bowl, well, for most it seemed to be unexpected and unwanted. There has to come time and place when people say enough with this type of bull$hit.

I understand why Janet Jackson did it. I mean, she is a has been. What has she done in the last five years? After the Super Bowl, well, we all know now what she has done, don't we? This, however does not mean I have to like it. Also, why not have the character to to admit it was planned, and then at least say I ment to do it, because my carrer needed a shot in the arm, for I am washed up star of yesterday! I see an new album release from her, or at they very least maybe a greatest hits album, to come out in the near future.
How bout the beach? "G" strings and string bikinis! How bout the gym? Spandex! How bout the swimming pool? Outdoor summer concert? Your neighbor, in the front yard, laying on her stomach... topless?

I do agree with you about the time/place thing Bruno, but lets keep this in perspective...
CBS wanted to get your attention durring halftime, and they did it! How unexpected was the incident? Anybody and everybody(including CBS) knows what and who Janet is and is capable of. Now that being said, how could anybody be that suprised? If CBS wanted to play it safe, they would have brought on Mellissa Ethredge(sp?) or Faith Hill. Now it's all about next year and who will tune in to the game and halftime. Will you?

Why should the whole thing be as big as it's being made to be? To fine CBS and Mtv would be saying they were in on it... were they? Should they have known better? Maybe. And what about Janet and Justin? Do they deserve more than the pseudo-streaker? After all, he went there with the intent just as much as the others and he did it with all the lights on, with no crowds, and very nearly naked!

Don't get me wrong, the superbowl probably isn't the place, but at the same time it's not like they got undressed and started in on each other either. At the same time, you see far nastier things at your local beach or lakeside park in a family environment!

Oh ya, what would this be if it truely were an accident? Would it be looked on in the same way... or not.

Just something to think about:)

[JSE]

How bout the beach? "G" strings and string bikinis! How bout the gym? Spandex! How bout the swimming pool? Outdoor summer concert? Your neighbor, in the front yard, laying on her stomach... topless?


Karl,

This is true but, I think one of the things that has outraged people about the Janet/Justin thing whether they realized it or not, is the whole act involved. A talk show host here in Houston brought this up. He found the act somewhat violent and thought it sent the wrong message to kids. The fact that Justin reached over and ripped the whatever that was off and exposed Janet's Ya Ya was kindof sexually violent in nature. I am not sure I agree 100% with this, but he has a point. Will every young boy turn to the girl next to him and try and rip off the girl's shirt? I doubt it, but some kids will try it thinking, hey Justin did it. Again, I think it's more about the context of the act than the actual act itself. Take your quote above, what if young boys started going up to those girls and started ripping off the swimsuits? That's a whole different story. That would be wrong.

JSE

[Chris]

It sounds like there are two issues here - The act itself and the reaction from society.

The act itself wasn't as harmful as people make it out to be, at least not in my opinion. I wouldn't worry about the kids being traumatized from seeing a female breast - they've likely seen much more on national television. It was more of what brought the act about that bothers me. It seems like network executives and artists/performers alike are getting desperate enough to try anything for exposure and ratings. It wasn't long ago that Madonna and Britney were kissing on stage in order to get a reaction. With so many people fighting for attention these days, I'm almost afraid at what we'll see next. This act had little to with an art form or artistically tying sexual content into a performance - it was clear that it was mostly a stunt to draw attention. Sadly, it succeeded, and will pave the way for others to follow.

I wouldn't call Janet a slut, as someone did above, but it does say something about where she is in her career. There comes a time in every artists career that it is no longer enough to just be good - you have to draw attention in other ways.

Let's see here, we've seen Lil Kim's breasts, Cher's cheeks, and plenty of other stars' body parts on countless awards shows every year - why aen't people attacking the networks more often?