 HOME | BLOG | ABOUT US | CONTACT US | PAST ISSUES | ADVERTISING RATES | RACK LOCATIONS Polluting the Airwaves By Jeff Davidson The rapper Eminem wins three Grammys for his CD the Marshal Mathers LP, which is laced with misogynistic and gay bashing language, narrowly missing out on the coveted "best album of the year award." A few years later, he wins the Oscar for best song, and a few years after that, "Hard Out Here for a Pimp" wins. I thought it to be the worst in Oscar history, certainly the worst in my 35 years of viewing. When I saw George Clooney and company cheering wildly and I knew to the marrow of my bones that these people are depraved. What a long and incredible fall from "Over the Rainbow," "When You Wish upon a Star," "Moon River," "Days of Wine and Roses," and more recently "A Whole New World," "Colors of the Wind," "My Heart Will Go On," and "Al Otro Lado del Rio." The television show "Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire?" is quickly scrapped by television executives when it turns out that the first millionaire offered up to a throng of willing females was not truly a millionaire, had been hit with restraining orders by previous girlfriends, and had fudged other aspects of his background. Now, an ever escalating number of TV shows are devoted to participants who publicly disclose sordid and pitiful aspects of their lives in an attempt to gain notoriety in their otherwise un-notable existence. The long-running hit show Survivor draws upon misguided interpretations of Darwinism and is a sham. Reduced to its most base elements, contestants win prize money for their success at manipulation and back stabbing. If the human race had developed along these lines, world population would be less than a 1,000, war would be iminent every time people encountered each other, and virtually none of us would be here today. "Reality based" television programming could have taken a totally different turn. People could have been rewarded for being cooperative: * The composition of participants could have mirrored that of early bands of human beings seeking to make their way in the wilderness. * There could have been a mix of ages and capabilities. * Prizes could have been awarded for having everyone in the tribe successfully complete some mission together. * People could have been rewarded for being cooperative. * Tribe members could be rewarded for cross training one another, for ensuring that no one slips through the cracks, and certainly for not voting people off of an island. Have we reached the low point of Western culture and crass commercialism? Regrettably, no. We have yet to witness to how low American society can go in terms of displaying vulgarity, crudeness, disrespect, and abandonment of reasonable standards, while, in many quarters, having the temerity to call it "art," "newsworthy," "the public's right to know," and "appropriate entertainment." No arenas of culture will be spared, including art, politics, religion, science, education, health care, and media. How far are the exploiters of popular culture willing to go in the name of profit? What more will they do to garner attention, notoriety, and, in this day and age, celebrity? Let your imagination run wild -- their's is. Filmed visits to nudist colonies? Judging the best nude body on the beach? Pornographic sculpture in public display? Be patient. Rock music videos with staged copulation sequences? Live, televised death in the heat of some extreme sport's contest? Some network executives are drooling for it. Television and movies today are largely designed to shock, titillate, and arouse the viewing audience. The writers, directors, and producers of such movies seemingly lack the wit, creativity, and passion to convey horrendous events with anything other than up-close, in-your-face, overly graphic camera sequences that would do the 6 o'clock news camera crew proud. Jeff Davidson has written 56 books and is a professional speaker. Visit his websites www.BreathingSpace.com and www.Work-LifeBalance.net and his 12 iPhone Apps at www.itunes.com/BreathingSpaceInstitute |