Disturbed

Let me set the stage for you. I'm sitting in bed with the laptop. Maverick is curled up next to me and the television is on for some background noise. The next thing I know is I look up at the TV and see a clip of devil worshipers doing a ritual with a willing female subject. Seriously...
What in the world has this world come to? I think we are past the point of "gratuitous" sex and violence to get an R rating. The R rating has become common place. Why did we let this happen? I don't need to see naked women on TV in the middle of a living room and a Satanic ritual - which is just one in a million things that really no one needs to see.

When I was in high school, I led a movement against Tipper Gore and the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) aka. The Washington Wives. This committee was formed in '85 and it's goal was to increase parental control over music deemed to be violent or sexually explicit. This committee was inspired by Prince's song, "Darling Nikki" which suggested sex and masturbation. Along with "Darling Nikki", the committee released a list of the "Filthy Fifteen," songs that were too objectionable to be aired or sold in good conscience. As I recall it just wasn't Prince, but Madonna, Def Leppard, Judas Priest, and even Cyndi Lauper made the list. I was a little cranky at the time because how DARE these snooty, out of touch women decide what I can and can't listen to. The PMRC contended warning labels on explicit lyrics (sex, drugs, violence) would allow parents to really take a look at what their kids were doing and bring a morality back into the family unit.

I could go on and on about this whole ordeal; however, 1) the history of this mess is available on the internet and 2)I find myself looking at the situation with a fresh set of eyes.

Ever since my girls were born, I have tried to make sure they weren't overly exposed to sex and violence on television. In fact, "kissy face" was okay, but any time I was watching a show or just flipping channels and people were doing the "humpty dance" I changed channels. In fact, most of the time, I still do because I really don't see any good purpose in showing sexual acts on television, the movies or what have you. I have also tried to make sure the rules of Carlin's 7 dirty words were held in place in music because who wants their kid growing up cursing and thinking it's okay. (Do as I say, not as I do?) As the girls have gotten older, they have been exposed to stuff I can't say is the best, but not the worst either. We can't keep our kids behind castle walls, but we can't open the gates and allow the enemy army to freely cross the moat either. It's a fine line and we just have to teach them the best we can.

Wouldn't it be refreshing if there was actually good programming on that didn't involved people lying, cheating, stealing, and f-ing a different person each time you tuned in? Wouldn't it be amazing if a new generation would stand up and say they have had enough? It won't happen because this generation has been conditioned to what they have seen and heard is okay. No wonder I'm stuck putting movies in the DVD player with regularity. My moral compass is generally not in line with anything resembling what the entertainment industry puts out today and I pray my children are following in my footsteps.

After the satanic television incident, I switched channels and am now watching a movie that I enjoy. Morally, it's not the best, but there are some good lessons that can be learned from watching. The movie - chick flick "Raising Helen." It's a romance and a comedy and there's a small moment of suspense or two. This is a movie directed by Gary Marshall, which means it is automatically going to do fairly decent at the box office. Kate Hudson is lead actress and does a really good job with this. John Corbett (cutie) and Joan Cusak, Hayden Panettiere also gave some pretty good performances. Like I said, this movie is not a "G" movie and has some cursing in it; however, because it sounds like something I would actually say, I have to share one of my favorite quotes:

You listen to me. If you ever so much as blink in her direction again, I can and will bury you so far in the ground that the heat from the earth's core will incinerate your sorry ass!

That seems like a pretty good way to end the evening... a threat to maim and destroy anyone who hurts those you love. Rant over. G'night.