How news talk shows are trying to make something of nothing--and what we can do about it
Football these days! If the past year or so's worth of discussions are to be believed, it's certainly not about football anymore. A topic whose greatest controversy used to be the dads glued to the screen on Sundays has suddenly become a showcase for "what's wrong with ___?" Fill in the blank: America, the media/television, today's values, liberals, young people, secularists, etc.
I've actually never seen the show "Desperate Housewives". When my dad and I sat down for Monday night football, we assumed the now-infamous clip was simply Terrell Owens being Terrell Owens--quirky, funny, and maybe a tad on the egotistical side. And the joke afterwards--"let's watch some football"--was worth a chuckle, since I scarcely ever watch TV, but I do watch football.
Yet, like last year's Superbowl, this tiny, non-revealing clip has suddenly become the center of a raging controversy. Or has it? Tonight's lineup of MSNBC shows has featured talk, talk, and more talk about the clip, with guest panelists debating the cultural implications. On the "Deborah Norville Tonight" show (a show I would only watch again under severe duress), a man declared that Americans were still deciding how to react to this piece, that they didn't know if they should be offended. In his words, Americans "still don't know where the lines are" and are "trying to decide where they should be drawn".
Now I understand what so many of you mean when you talk about the "arrogant liberal intelligentsia". And I don't even consider myself a conservative!
I have a news flash for the news shows: people know what offends them. No one needs your "expert" help in deciding what to be offended about and what to accept. No one needs assistance stirring up a controversy--over anything! Controversy will emerge on its own when a topic is important enough to warrant it. When that happens, discuss it all you want, but please, don't be so self-righteous as to assume that people need your assistance to figure out whether or not they like a 30 second clip on TV!
And to those who actually were offended by this "controversial clip", I have a question: did you actually see the clip the first time it aired? Or did you see it on one of the constant reruns, for the purpose of demonstrating just how "offensive" it was supposed to be? If you happen to belong to the second group, you're not doing yourself any favors by watching the reruns, talk shows, and analysis. It's like touching something that burns--you're not going to keep touching it over and over. You're going to leave it alone! There are at least 800 other channels available on television, countless videos and DVDs you could be watching--and let us not forget, the best option of all: turn off your TV once in awhile! You are not required to be a passive recipient of media. If you don't like something, don't watch it! If you don't want your children seeing it, don't let them!
And if they do manage to see something you disagree with, why not use it as a learning opportunity? Explain to your children what you thought was wrong and why you disagree with it. Chances are, they're going to respect you a lot more if they know your reasoning than if you just forbid them to watch something and don't say why. And I don't mean just saying "Don't watch this show because it has sex in it." Explain to your child, that, for example, "I don't believe in sex outside of marriage, because sex is something for two committed adults who love each other and want to start a family. Peolpe who have sex before they're married often regret it later for a variety of reasons such as....etc, etc, etc." Then you don't have to worry about TV deciding what your kid will do in life, because you've actually done what a parent is meant to do and TAUGHT your child what is right and wrong. Children only turn to TV when they lack any other information. Share your beliefs! Share your experience and knowledge! Show your children, through your words and your actions, how you think they should live. You'll be pleased at the results you get.
Other than "turning it off", you have some options when TV bothers you. I don't think a talk show about Americans being "unable to decide" their own morals is helpful or even relevant. Instead, why not put out the other view? If something on TV shows sex out of wedlock, and you don't agree with that, why not write some letters to publications, talk to your friends and coworkers, or, hell, write a blog entry?
It's what I did.
--LL
If the gods had meant for us to think, they'd have given us brains--!
ADDENDUM:
After completing this piece, I noticed another relevant "media controversy"--that of the basketball game where fans and NBA players were essentially rioting. On "Nightline", I saw several blatant attempts to turn this awful incident into "a phenomenon" and to add several player-to-player brawls to this "developing problem". Ok--what happened at that game was terrible, and I'd never want to see it repeated. But to say that it's indicative of our current culture, to say that it's some kind of ongoing trend? That's nothing more than a blatant attempt to pull some more ratings by worrying and upsetting people. This is low and unworthy of what our media is meant to be--but unfortunately just part and parcel of what we can expect. --LL