"I'm Outraged!"

Baser-X · #1 February 6th, 2004, 06:23 PM

"I'm outraged" seems to be the phrase of the week following the Super Bowl. Outraged over a breast, shown initially for maybe 2 seconds before cutting to commercial. Of course people would have talked about this no matter what, but it would have died down after a couple days and a few good laughs. But then the "incident" was (and still is) replayed over and over and over on the news in close up, enhanced, different camera angles, and in still photos that remain on the screen for far more than 2 seconds. It's almost a week later and this is still one of the hottest topics on the news, and was actually discussed in more detail than an 11 year old girl who was abducted and has now turned up dead.

Does anyone else find this disturbing? :blink:

Anyway, while watching the national news, I became annoyed at having to hear about Janet's tit again

and how outraged all these people are over it. So I did some chan surfing and I noticed that as I flipped through the chans I saw at least 20 people engaged in or as victims of acts of violence on regular cable TV, not premium. This makes no sense to me. People are completely outraged about the human body, something perfectly natural, while a completely unnatural event such as people suddenly sprouting knives or gaping bullet wounds is perfectly acceptable to American society in general. On this train of thought, my mind naturally drifted to the current state of the world in which we are currently engaged in a war. And throughout the past 100 years of American history, we have spent approximately 25% of that time in known wars, and I shudder to think of how much time we have spent in "off the record" wars. Some of these wars were justified (like WWI & WWII), others.... well....

Now, I can't say this is a direct result of violence on American TV or the lack of acceptance of the nude human body (or portions of) on American TV, but it must be some sort of contributing factor. We are desensitized (sp?) to the horrors of violence, and more often than not, the violence is intermingled with a "risque yet tame" sort of accepted American sexuality. Just a quick study of the past 20 years of crime in America would indicate that good portion of crimes committed are sexual, violent, or both in nature.

So what does this all mean?

I don't really know.... I do know that the US has the highest known murder rate of any other country in the world that is not currently engaged in a war on their home soil. As a matter of fact, take all the murders in Canada over the past 25 years and add them together, and you still would not equal the amount of murders in the US alone in 2002.

So what's my point?

I don't think I really have one. I just find myself amazed at what is acceptable and what is "indecent" or "immoral" or whatever and what affect this has on today's kids. They are more prone to violence and sexual agression than kids were when I was growing up. Not to say it didn't happen when I was growing up, but it was on a much much smaller scale. I was just reading today that an 11 and a 12 year old, both boys, are being charged for some sort of sexual assault on a 10 year old girl in a school bathroom. Yesterday, a kid was found dead in a school bathroom, the day before a kid found dead in front of a school. And these weren't cases of an adult killing a kid, these were kid on kid crimes. My girlfriend is a teacher, she just got a new student a few days ago who is in 3rd grade and has just been released from a juvenile facility for trying to stab another student with a knife at his former school.

Need I bring up Columbine and all the schools that followed? :no:

I guess maybe my point is, I fear for the future.... but by the same token, like most other Americans, I like my sex & violence on TV. I like things blowing up, and the more graphic the death and destruction, the more entertaining it is.

And with that, I will conclude this semi-pointless rant....

dammit · #2 February 6th, 2004, 06:39 PM

Not a pointless rant at all buddy...everything you say is true! I think the big difference between kids growing up these days, as opposed to when I grew up (dark ages) is DRUGS. We here in the UK have just as much trouble as the result of drugs as you guys, and probably the rest of the world.
There are still nutters eveywhere...always have been..always will be....drugs or no drugs..but these days a new breed of nut is emerging.
As for Janet Jackson's tit :no: who gives a toss!

Harrie · #3 February 7th, 2004, 05:17 AM

I agree with dammit, it wasn't the slightest bit pointless, and you said it all really, really well, Baser-X. I'm not feeling particularly able to express myself right now, but I'd like to say it was a very good post, thank you.

Dodge · #4 February 7th, 2004, 06:26 AM

Personally I dont see the big deal in it. So what she showed her tit. Who cares. not like we haven't see one before. i could see 13 year old boys getting excited over it, but not adults.

Is it disturbing that this is getting more coverage than the little girl that is dead. Hell yes and that is in my opinion what is wrong with this world. But, the news will show the stuff that will bring the ratings up. They dont care about anything but Money. If they get people to watch that 2 second shot, then they end up with more money in their pockets... So ONCE again. Is it DISTURBING........ HELL YES.....

renegade600 · #5 February 7th, 2004, 10:17 AM

Oh weelll, one of these years when fairness becomes the fad again, maybe things will be right.

margo_s · #6 February 7th, 2004, 11:51 AM

To Baser-x and you others who took the time to add to this post ... Disturbing? ... Hell yes ... to think that Janet Jacksons tit got world wide coverage ... repeatedly, is appalling ... and I think Dammit got it right ... Drugs, the availability and acceptance of these is a thorn in the side of human kind. Maybe the fact that it was coming up full moon had something to do with it as well? Who knows! My Mum used to say "Never look back" ... but what has the young adult of today left to achieve ... by the time they are 12 / 13 they have tried alcohol, drugs and sex, and deduced that they are all overrated ?!?! I look back at the time when I was growing up and maturing?? and know it was a whole lot safer then ... so where to next?? Think I'll go comb my arms and howl at the moon.