"Hey teens! You, too can operate a whorehouse out of your parents' suburban Chicago home, pander to the admissions counselor AND get into Yale!"
Posted on 05/12/2003 11:17:49 PM PDT by JohnHuang2
The entertainment media of this nation is a major influence on Americans, most specifically the younger Americans who tend to be obsessed with movies, music and television.
The negative effects of that, however, which are expected, cannot be proven scientifically. Any negative incidents that are seen as a result of the lack of reality and morality in entertainment cannot be proven, they are simply assumed.
However, there are some cases around the country that clearly show the extent to which young people will imitate movies. There is one key motivation and inspiration with these four incidents, which is pretty obvious: Hollywood.
On Tuesday in Sarasota, Fla., 18-year-old Paul Smith jumped from the roof of a five story condominium. Apparently, the goal was to jump from the top of this apartment building into the pool below. One of his "friends" recorded the stunt from below, and the videotape shows that he barely missed the pool, with his legs and torso slamming against the concrete.
On April 14, in eastern Idaho, teens tore up a local neighborhood while videotaping the whole thing. They vandalized cars, houses and sprayed graffiti, damaged property, lit a fire, and even stopped cars on the road. Because of the teens' lack of judgment and common sense, all four of them faced several charges of vandalism and two of them were also charged with felony arson.
Last month in St. Paul, Minn., a 14-year-old looked into a camera saying, "Don't try this at home." He then went on to light himself on fire. The stunt resulted in third-degree burns on 65 percent of his body, three major surgeries, being on life support for six days and, according to a report by the Minneapolis-Star Tribune, the teen-ager will be in the hospital for a minimum of two months.
Late last year, an 18-year-old died in Ohio after failing in a crazy stunt. The teen, with other friends, lit a chair on fire in the back of a pick up truck. While they were trying to push it out of the bed, the truck took off quickly. College freshman Adam Ports slipped out of the back of the truck and hit his head on the pavement.
So, what's the theme? Well, with all of these cases, the teens are too stupid to think of outcomes. Secondly, all of the cases resulted in severe consequences. Lastly, these four incidents are in a long line of amateur stunts inspired by the reality series and movie "Jackass." Ever since the series appeared on MTV and even more so after the movie was released, Americans have heard of idiots who decide to imitate the stunts.
This particular issue causes physical harm to teens. Still, what about the other parts of entertainment: music, movies and television?
On this aspect of the entertainment industry, there are two sides to the coin. First, the media and the entertainment industry are in business to make a profit and, of course, we live in a capitalist society. The moral downside to this is that some will do anything for a buck, especially in terms of immorality in entertainment.
Yet, at what price are they making a buck? Look at the effect it has on society. Look at the role entertainment has played in the moral downslide of America. The "Jackass" stars are certainly not responsible for imitators, Eminem isn't responsible for the role he plays in the immorality of America, and neither are the actors of Hollywood. This is a free country. However, they obviously realize the far-reaching and long-lasting results of their work.
Celebrities are not responsible for actions of those who see them as role models, but if I were a mainstream celebrity with a conscience, I would definitely have a hard time sleeping at night.
The question is this: If these teens are inspired by a movie to light themselves on fire, jump off five-story buildings and commit other insane stunts, then how many teens out there are imitating the immoral virtues that other parts of the entertainment industry espouse?
"Hey teens! You, too can operate a whorehouse out of your parents' suburban Chicago home, pander to the admissions counselor AND get into Yale!"
Darwin never sleeps.
Oh yes they are! But the bigger culprits are the Time Warners, the Sonys and the Miramaxes who choose who will be a star, and what they do in their movies and records. It's time for America to get an enema, with the plunger going into Hollywood.
Save us all!!!The mega-media outlets are forcing us to watch movies and listed to music. Just the other day, some execs from Miramax come over to my house, tied me to a chair, used toothpicks to hold my eyes open, and forced me to watch one movie after another. Please, someone save us. I don't know how to use the remote.(/sarcasm)
Hollywood is literally killing off their own audience - not a good marketing plan.
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