Those of us who have any sensitivity about morality and traditional American values have long known that Television (and to a lesser extent Film) has had a horribly destructive effect on American culture, and is especially harmful to children, whose exposure generally to the Outside World is quite limited.
The disclaimers from "Hollywood" that "art" doesn't influence behavior ring quite hollow, given that they exist on the revenues generated by advertising, which is ENTIRELY based on the premise that entertainment influences behavior (i.e., consumers' buying behavior).
Further, it is manifest that the writers, directors, and actors in Hollywood revel in their ability to influence the Culture and behavior, invariably with negative effect.
How does it work, exactly?
Television's greatest strength is its ability to create fictional characters with whom the viewers will relate. Most often they try to create characters that will be liked/loved and/or admired, but occasionally they create characters that the viewing audience will "love to hate" or "love to mock."
Then, when the viewers have come to love a character, the writers imbue the character with attitudes that reflect the prevailing attitudes in Hollywood (i.e., degenerate), and do things with which most moral people are at the very least, uncomfortable.
Murphy Brown, a woman with no prospects for marriage, ever, decides to have a baby out of wedlock. Doctors McDreamy and Gray, both admired professionals at the top of their fields, decide to "get married" via an exchange of Post-it notes. And of course, 25% of all of the characters on network television are handsome or beautiful, articulate, compassionate, professional, well-adjusted homosexuals and lesbians. The number of intact, faithful, successful marriages on network TV is approximately zero. Essentially all TV marriages are either one of a series of marriages for the parties, or characterized by adultery, hate, indifference, or constant sarcastic assessment by both parties.
Every religious person is either evil or a buffoon, or both. You will never see a Black person on television who is average or mediocre - they are always the BEST doctor or lawyer or athlete. Inter-racial romance is ubiquitous, as are inter-racial adoptions.
A normal understanding of middle-class economics is totally missing from network television. They have police officers living in multi-million dollar homes in L.A. or New York. Indeed few TV personnae other than those whose profession is part of the story line seem to have any concept of what employment entails.
I personally don't worry much about violence on television, except to the extent that it is portrayed as a preferred method of dispute resolution. A kid who becomes too prone to violence is usually cured by the occasional ass-kicking from his comrades. But the erosion of ethics and morality is a serious problem with no solution on the horizon. Parents who are willing to turn off the crap on TV are apparently an endangered species. In fact, like "global warming," the problem promises to get worse before it gets better.
The disclaimers from "Hollywood" that "art" doesn't influence behavior ring quite hollow, given that they exist on the revenues generated by advertising, which is ENTIRELY based on the premise that entertainment influences behavior (i.e., consumers' buying behavior).
Further, it is manifest that the writers, directors, and actors in Hollywood revel in their ability to influence the Culture and behavior, invariably with negative effect.
How does it work, exactly?
Television's greatest strength is its ability to create fictional characters with whom the viewers will relate. Most often they try to create characters that will be liked/loved and/or admired, but occasionally they create characters that the viewing audience will "love to hate" or "love to mock."
Then, when the viewers have come to love a character, the writers imbue the character with attitudes that reflect the prevailing attitudes in Hollywood (i.e., degenerate), and do things with which most moral people are at the very least, uncomfortable.
Murphy Brown, a woman with no prospects for marriage, ever, decides to have a baby out of wedlock. Doctors McDreamy and Gray, both admired professionals at the top of their fields, decide to "get married" via an exchange of Post-it notes. And of course, 25% of all of the characters on network television are handsome or beautiful, articulate, compassionate, professional, well-adjusted homosexuals and lesbians. The number of intact, faithful, successful marriages on network TV is approximately zero. Essentially all TV marriages are either one of a series of marriages for the parties, or characterized by adultery, hate, indifference, or constant sarcastic assessment by both parties.
Every religious person is either evil or a buffoon, or both. You will never see a Black person on television who is average or mediocre - they are always the BEST doctor or lawyer or athlete. Inter-racial romance is ubiquitous, as are inter-racial adoptions.
A normal understanding of middle-class economics is totally missing from network television. They have police officers living in multi-million dollar homes in L.A. or New York. Indeed few TV personnae other than those whose profession is part of the story line seem to have any concept of what employment entails.
I personally don't worry much about violence on television, except to the extent that it is portrayed as a preferred method of dispute resolution. A kid who becomes too prone to violence is usually cured by the occasional ass-kicking from his comrades. But the erosion of ethics and morality is a serious problem with no solution on the horizon. Parents who are willing to turn off the crap on TV are apparently an endangered species. In fact, like "global warming," the problem promises to get worse before it gets better.
