my two cents.
[paranoid rambling]
Just because we don't see sex on TV doesn't mean we, as a society think of it as taboo, or even less acceptable than violence. I can't think of one person that'd rather get beat up than get laid.
We don't see it on TV for two reasons:
One: Ludicrous laws, regulations, guidelines, and people who insist on deciding for us what we can and cannot watch (these are of course both symptoms and causes of the problem). In the end, this accomplishes one thing, it makes it more expensive to see what we want. And we shell out the cash to the tune of 10 billion (That's billion with a "B") per year to get it.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/11/ ... 0805.shtml
Reason number two is there is a deep flaw in the American Psyche that the networks know all too well and exploit to the fullest. Fear drives us. People are not afraid of sex (at least most people). So we won't watch it. But scare the hell out of us with stories about senseless and random violence, road rage, air rage, office rage, gangs, anthrax, Satan worshippers, killer bees, black people, computer viruses, west Nile virus, Cyrus the virus, cannibalism, out of control cops, and of course terrorism, and you will not only get ratings (which is to say dollars) but you will control us.
The awnser to nine out of every ten questions? Money and Power.
Kill your TV.
[/paranoid rambling]
Sex or Violence?
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No Add Br@d
- Hack Fiend
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This is a good topic, so I apologize in advance for posting so incredibly off-topic.
On my flight back from worlds, they showed a couple crap movies, but they also showed some roadrunner cartoons. I had forgottten how much I love those cartoons. They really incapacitate me with laughter, its the best feeling. Oddly enough though, I really hate Tom and Jerry cartoons. Maybe its cause in Roadrunner the emphasis is more on Wiley`s stupidity, and violations of laws of physics in unexpected (and therefore funny) ways, as opposed to just straight up vicious violence. My point is...oh wait, guess I don`t have one. Still, if you havent seen them in a while, go watch roadrunner cartoons, you may be pleasantly surprised.
Trying to get back on topic though: I used to read comic books in junior high, and high school. I remember really being shocked by an interview I read with an artist I liked. In the interview, the artist talked about how in some issue, two female characters, after a harrowing adventure in which they bonded together, were to have a goodbye kiss at the end of the issue. When the artist drew the drafts, it was a tongue kiss between two female characters, which was relevant to the story. Two women expressing emotion to drive the plot. In other words, it wasnt just sex for the sake of sex. In any case, the artist was asked to re-draw the panel so they would just kiss each other on the cheek. This annoyed the artist (though he did it), since for most of the issue it was perfectly fine for him to draw people decapitating each other and shooting each others limbs off and whatnot. That really did get me thinking.
What kind of twisted values says its fine for violence to be ridiculous and over the top, but intimate expressions of love are censored or not really depicted?
And in regard to all the posts about Sex being the universal language: as somebody who is currently living in a country where everybody speaks a language I suck at (no, not sex. Japanese you morons), I have found that you can indeed communicate with people non-verbally and establish bonds of trust and true affection, even if your language skills leave something to be desired. And I don`t just mean sex either. When i first started playing with the Tokyo shredders, my Japanese was absolutely horrible. But just playing footbag in a circle with them, exchanging high fives and having fun doing the hobby we all love, that really established a bond. Now my Japanese is better, and we joke around more and go party after sessions, but I still appreciate that humans can really interact positively with each other even in the absence of perfect verbal communication.
On my flight back from worlds, they showed a couple crap movies, but they also showed some roadrunner cartoons. I had forgottten how much I love those cartoons. They really incapacitate me with laughter, its the best feeling. Oddly enough though, I really hate Tom and Jerry cartoons. Maybe its cause in Roadrunner the emphasis is more on Wiley`s stupidity, and violations of laws of physics in unexpected (and therefore funny) ways, as opposed to just straight up vicious violence. My point is...oh wait, guess I don`t have one. Still, if you havent seen them in a while, go watch roadrunner cartoons, you may be pleasantly surprised.
Trying to get back on topic though: I used to read comic books in junior high, and high school. I remember really being shocked by an interview I read with an artist I liked. In the interview, the artist talked about how in some issue, two female characters, after a harrowing adventure in which they bonded together, were to have a goodbye kiss at the end of the issue. When the artist drew the drafts, it was a tongue kiss between two female characters, which was relevant to the story. Two women expressing emotion to drive the plot. In other words, it wasnt just sex for the sake of sex. In any case, the artist was asked to re-draw the panel so they would just kiss each other on the cheek. This annoyed the artist (though he did it), since for most of the issue it was perfectly fine for him to draw people decapitating each other and shooting each others limbs off and whatnot. That really did get me thinking.
What kind of twisted values says its fine for violence to be ridiculous and over the top, but intimate expressions of love are censored or not really depicted?
And in regard to all the posts about Sex being the universal language: as somebody who is currently living in a country where everybody speaks a language I suck at (no, not sex. Japanese you morons), I have found that you can indeed communicate with people non-verbally and establish bonds of trust and true affection, even if your language skills leave something to be desired. And I don`t just mean sex either. When i first started playing with the Tokyo shredders, my Japanese was absolutely horrible. But just playing footbag in a circle with them, exchanging high fives and having fun doing the hobby we all love, that really established a bond. Now my Japanese is better, and we joke around more and go party after sessions, but I still appreciate that humans can really interact positively with each other even in the absence of perfect verbal communication.
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dragonhack
- Atomsmashasaurus Dex
- Posts: 787
- Joined: 05 Feb 2004 16:41
I don't like how ppl try to blame violence on media, but that is because I understand that it's wrong and I know I would or shouldn't do it in reality. Since video games, tv, etc. aren't reality, I think they are a cool way to be violent...but not, since it's just a game or movie. Yeah, I guess I agree that violence on media can be blamed for, I just don't understand how some ppl can't make the connection that it's not saying, "Hey this is cool, go try shooting the crap outta the next guy you see." But not everyone thinks like me. If it is to blame, don't censor it or whatever...I think there should be some big warning saying, "Don't try this!" before it is shown. It needs to be taught more to the ones who don't understand, cuz some ppl who do understand, enjoy it and don't want it to be censored. Did I make any sense?
Chrissy Fryer
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Senor Grommet
- Post Master General
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Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2003 2:39 pm Post subject:
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"I speak fluent in Universal Language. "
maybe, but you apparently don't speak English. That made absolutely no sense.
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"I speak fluent in Universal Language. "
maybe, but you apparently don't speak English. That made absolutely no sense.
My name: Jeremy Mirken, AKA Chocolatey Shatner, AKA jerk enemy rim.
I kick it with trunk chef elf and liz luck key my.
I kick it with trunk chef elf and liz luck key my.
I hate violence. There was a time, not that long ago, when I thought that violence was occassionally an option for the oppressed. For people like FARC and the Zapitistas. I am trying to cut violence out of my life. I still play violent video games and watch violent movies and tv shows. But a lot less than I used to.
The only violent tv I watch is the first series of Buffy (infact it's the only fictional tv I watch), which is back on tv (thursday nights 11-12 channel 7 for any other Australians out there.) The only violent movies I watch are ones that I think are trying to express something, not your standard action blcokbusters.
I am completely against cenorship, and don't want to see anything banned, no matter how crap it is. But I also think that media plays a huge part in influencing people. Especially children whose parents are working a lot and don't have time for them. However I also believe (naive as this may sound to some people) that the media only shows what is most in demand. Hence if everybody stopped watching crap over advertised violent movies, they would stop being produced.
I think that it is clear, looking through history, that the only thing violence achieves is more violence. After World War One the ruling parties thought that this war would end all wars, because nobody would ever be prepared to enter into a war again, having seen those consequences. They then created an environment such that it seems inevitable now that war would continue. Apart from ww2 - we see conflict in the middle east, in korea, in eastern europe - all of which was amplified by the events of the first world war.
Yet it seems like nobody is prepared to learn from history. There are no bad people. There is nobody who kills without reason. Imagine the conflict that would have been avoided if the west had have allowed Russia and the soviets to rule their country however they wanted (russian civil war - 1917). Imagine the lives that would have been saved if the "victors" of WW1 didn't attempt to control and extort those that lost.
As far as I can see, the only manner in which violence can be stopped is by stopping violence ourselves. We cannot force those with opposing idealologies or opinions to refrain from conflict - we can only refrain from taking part in the conflict ourselves.
The only violent tv I watch is the first series of Buffy (infact it's the only fictional tv I watch), which is back on tv (thursday nights 11-12 channel 7 for any other Australians out there.) The only violent movies I watch are ones that I think are trying to express something, not your standard action blcokbusters.
I am completely against cenorship, and don't want to see anything banned, no matter how crap it is. But I also think that media plays a huge part in influencing people. Especially children whose parents are working a lot and don't have time for them. However I also believe (naive as this may sound to some people) that the media only shows what is most in demand. Hence if everybody stopped watching crap over advertised violent movies, they would stop being produced.
I think that it is clear, looking through history, that the only thing violence achieves is more violence. After World War One the ruling parties thought that this war would end all wars, because nobody would ever be prepared to enter into a war again, having seen those consequences. They then created an environment such that it seems inevitable now that war would continue. Apart from ww2 - we see conflict in the middle east, in korea, in eastern europe - all of which was amplified by the events of the first world war.
Yet it seems like nobody is prepared to learn from history. There are no bad people. There is nobody who kills without reason. Imagine the conflict that would have been avoided if the west had have allowed Russia and the soviets to rule their country however they wanted (russian civil war - 1917). Imagine the lives that would have been saved if the "victors" of WW1 didn't attempt to control and extort those that lost.
As far as I can see, the only manner in which violence can be stopped is by stopping violence ourselves. We cannot force those with opposing idealologies or opinions to refrain from conflict - we can only refrain from taking part in the conflict ourselves.