TV's Tasteless Trampling of the Taboo

[Keith]

TV's Tasteless Trampling of the Taboo

If I were to tell you that sex on TV is incessant, you'd tell me you already know that. To which I'd tell you that you really, really don't have a grasp of just how much sex is steaming up the tube.

The Kaiser Family Foundation recently issued a new biennial study finding that the number of sexual scenes on television has nearly doubled since 1998. Think about it: just seven years. In its review of more than 1,000 hours of programming, the study found that 70 percent of all shows include some sexual content, and that these shows average 5.0 sexual scenes per hour, compared to 56 percent and 3.2 scenes per hour respectively in the Victorian days of 1998.

These increases combined represent nearly twice as many scenes of sexual content on TV since 1998. Not everything increased: The number of shows in which sexual intercourse is either depicted or strongly implied is down slightly in recent years (from 7 percent in 1998, to 14 percent in 2002, to 11 percent in 2005).

Many sex scenes and sex chatter are played for laughs in sitcoms. The new ABC show "Hot Properties" had an entire plotline on Nov. 4 making fun of one character's encounter with a man she claimed she didn't know was a male prostitute. When he asked for his money, she replied she "did stuff to him, too" so she deserved a discount. He gave her a coupon for the next time around. Ha-ha.

In 2005, prostitution is played for laughs, and so is bestiality. I kid you not. On the Nov. 8 episode of the ABC drama "Boston Legal," one of the show's lawyers was asked to defend a man in a divorce proceeding. He stated that his wife was seeking an annulment because he "strayed" -- ready? -- with his pet cow. He explained "we became very close" and he'd "had a bit to drink." The lawyer spit out: "You strayed -- with livestock?" He protested: "It's not what you think. It was all very loving." As she backed away from him, he admitted a "mistake," but argued that he's been a model philanthropist and a deacon at his church.

A deacon -- of course. Hollywood loves to make its sickos into active churchgoers.

How low will Hollywood go? Even lower. Try mocking God. The Nov. 13 episode of the Fox cartoon "American Dad" featured the show's titular CIA agent's housewife dancing in the streets in Saudi Arabia in a black bra and panties, singing a song and shaking her breasts at the Arab men. (quoted deleted) With these explicit references to sexual organs, can we get any closer to baiting the FCC's Keystone Kops than a sentence like this?

But wait, it gets worse. When the teenage son Steve pleads for help in the desert, God descends from Heaven "in the form most pleasing" to the boy

Edited November 23, 2005 by IslandRose

[Irish_Graham]

Lowest Common Denominator.

Its the dumbing down of our society, porn becoming mainstream, thoughtless and inartistic rubbish dominating the worlds of writing, music, film, tv, media. Is been on the slide for a long time, but its really hitting the depths now. People in general nowadays want instant gratification, have very little attention span beyond a few seconds for attention grabbing and about 15-20 minutes for one single task/past time. Why read an 800 page book over the course of a month if you can just watch a 90 minute dvd in 3 semi interested 30 minute sessions? Thats the mentality, and as a result, the sheep are now so gullible and easily swayed and manipulated that they can almost be convinced of anyhting and to act any way.

A sign of the times.

[His Ambassador]

As one who is old enough to remember when TV was in its infantcy I have watched the programming deteriorate over the decades and people, even in the Christian community, become desensitized to the point that they are less and less concerned about the garbage that is thrown on the screen. TV producers will continue to push the envelope and programming will continue to deteriorate. As Believers IMO there is little we can do to change the downward spiral of the entertainment media except to refuse to watch it or patronize the sponsors of objectional programming.

It has been years since I have watched sit-coms. I watched "Touch By An Angel", "Highway To Heaven" (regardless of their theological shortcomings) and currently watch "7th Heaven" and "Everwood", "Cops", sports, History Channel, news magazines and local newscasts. What I find disturbing is that the younger generations seem to find a lot of the garbage acceptable and carry over what they see on the screens into their real lives. As a consequence gone are good manners, modesty, courtesy and respect. But, if we are to Believe the Bible, it's only going to get worse.

[kodischild]

I don't watch much but TVland anymore. Apparently I am much older than I look, because I can't handle the modern junk.

Tv is bad enough, at least we can turn shows off. What really, really get me are the commercials. There I am watching something that is at least halfway decent, then a commercial for tag or axe...ahh, what's the one with the prostitute straddling the senator? Some phone commmercial. Anyway, it sickens me that I have to have the remote in my hand just to turn to something else during the commercials.

It bothers me even more that my 6 year old niece is exposed to stuff like that. It is so hard to explain to her why we don't watch this commercial or that one. She is too young to understand most of the references, but also too young to be exposed to such things.

Magazine covers are heading downhill fast, too. Some of the things that teenage boys have to walk past are downright pornagraphic. Ok, they should know enough to look away, and I assume that full grown men do. Still, that is a horrible temptation to shove into a 13/14 y/o boys face!! It is hard enough for them to keep their thoughts pure at that age!

Ok, I guess I'm done growling. This is one of the issues that really, really upset me!

[mrcorey]

TV's Tasteless Trampling of the Taboo

Mr. Bozell is president of the Media Research Center.

I gave up TV completely when I was going to night school. Since then, the only TV I watch is 1 hour a day to catch the news. I honestly had no idea how bad it has gotten. I thought it was bad a few years ago. There's never anything on that tempts me except news channels & sometimes I watch a news special.

The other times I watch TV, it's with a DVD. I collect all Lucille Ball shows, I have the complete first five seasons of I Love Lucy. Plus old movies. And science shows. But even DVD's I don't watch very often. I just can't justify sitting in front of the tube for hours when I can do other things. {Like sitting in front of the PC for hours}

I was never into sports, so I don't watch them, except maybe the World Series or the Super Bowl, depending on the teams playing. ANd I do try to watch the Olympics.

I wonder what, if anything, we Christians can do about this trend?

in Him;

corey

[kodischild]

TV's Tasteless Trampling of the Taboo

Mr. Bozell is president of the Media Research Center.

I gave up TV completely when I was going to night school. Since then, the only TV I watch is 1 hour a day to catch the news. I honestly had no idea how bad it has gotten. I thought it was bad a few years ago. There's never anything on that tempts me except news channels & sometimes I watch a news special.

The other times I watch TV, it's with a DVD. I collect all Lucille Ball shows, I have the complete first five seasons of I Love Lucy. Plus old movies. And science shows. But even DVD's I don't watch very often. I just can't justify sitting in front of the tube for hours when I can do other things. {Like sitting in front of the PC for hours}

I was never into sports, so I don't watch them, except maybe the World Series or the Super Bowl, depending on the teams playing. ANd I do try to watch the Olympics.

I wonder what, if anything, we Christians can do about this trend?

in Him;

corey

I suppose we could start by writing to....someone. There must be someone to write to? Ok, someone help me out with this one.

We could boycott everything that the makers of Tag, or Axe, or the worst of the offenders make. ONly it would take a lot of us to boycott, and we would have to be pretty motivated.

We could stop getting cable/satallite and start subscribing to the Christian cable or satallite company. What is it called? Angel walk or somthing.

We could support the American FAmily association more.

Ok, ok, it turns out I don'thave any specifics here. Poor little brain must be frozen or something. (Hazard of heating with a wood stove and being on the other side of the house from the stove.) Anyone out there who can clarify whatever it is I thought i was thinking????

[nebula]

Lord, please intervene.

How long will You let the enemy mock Your name like this?