"It's the media's fault!" the angry crowd shouted back to the TV set. "Dan Rather told us so!"

The escalating violence in the world has many citizens desperately concerned.   However, to appease that concern many scapegoats have been dutifully brought forth and wrongfully flogged.

Does the media create violence?  Not exactly...

To examine the effects of television, radio, music, print, the Internet, and all aspects of media may be hopelessly out of our own capabilities at this point.   It is much like trying to observe one's on psyche without bias. 

The media certainly does and has had an impact on our lives.  So has the automobile.  So has the neighbor's cat.  The extent to which outside stimuli affects and shapes our personalities and values has always been under considerable debate in both the psychological and sociological arenas.

I believe the media is a mirror of our lives, culture, and values -  but more so, especially when dealing in realms of entertainment, it is also a mirror of our psyche - and even a release.   We fly with Peter Pan, have romantic affairs with Cary Grant, wait anxiously for Drew Barrymore to write back (or is that just me?), etc.   We grapple with our deepest issues as individuals and as a culture through the interchange of fantasy, entertainment, and parable.

Many of these issues may indeed be "adult-oriented."   Concepts of beauty, violence, sexuality, greed, prejudice, and even God are not necessarily designed for children until we as adults can deal with them ourselves.   The child enjoys the swing set.  No one had to tell them either way about the essence of joy - it just was.  Values as to what is good, bad, evil, etc. to adults have no business on the child's playground.

However - if to protect our children - we deny ourselves as adults the right to grow, to explore, to shape our own values - then I do believe that ultimately everyone - both children and adults are compromised - and not for the better.  Even The Bible is filled with startling accounts of violence and sexual taboos, but these moral censors seldom want to start the censorship within their own religion because somehow that is "sacred violence" - which is to say it's o.k. if God tells you to cut your child in half, but not o.k. if Dracula tells you to suck blood.   Good grief! - is parable really so hard to understand?   Perhaps if  I  t a l k  s l o w e r  you will feel more comfortable....

Much of the media's exposure to our ever-changing world is shocking, complex, and disconcerting to many.  Still - these "demons" are not to be feared so much as understood.   Without the media - Rodney King continues to be beaten - China is just a foreign country - and none of us have a damned thing in common.  "Ya freaks!"

Through the media - we can see our world.  So if you don't like what you see.... well, bully for you.  Try alcohol - try jogging - try putting a bag on your head.  Better yet, try understanding.  The reality is there - whether you want to view it or not, and condemnation is not the key to safety or better living.  

As for the concept that media reinforces our violent nature - I think it is doubtful.  In defense of freedom of speech after the Columbine high school shooting incident, Terry Gilliam (British filmmaker: "Brazil", "12 Monkeys", etc.) was quick to point out that television and cinematic violence is not the source of the problem in The United States.  Other countries view the very same entertainment but have not had the same increase in violence as The U.S.

If television is so sinisterly corruptive as these family-protectors-censors want to imply - then why has there not been a rise in the positive elements that television offers?    I Love Lucy has ran for years - but very few of us want to befriend our landlords or play Samba music.    Are you disappointed?  I'm not.  It's best to let Lucy be Lucy and Cartman be Cartman.    Enjoy the show or turn it off.

Censorship prevents understanding.  If the mandate for safety through regulation continues we might as well go for cloning.  Cloning cuts down on violence, sex, and all differences.   Human Spam is still Spam, but the compromises of censorship are not worth keeping meat that stays well in the can if it's lost all it's flavor.

And now a word from our sponsors..... Work hard.  Buy more.  Fill time with Objects.  Compromise meaning. Destroy essence.  Go postal.  Take control.   It's the new 1-2-3 Kit called Success, and the kids are ready to buy. Get 'em a computer!  They've got to stay ahead, you know....

sincerely,

The13th Rambo and friends: The13th BigBird, The13th Cartman, The13th Sexpot

and lastly The13th Victim - which is us - afraid of the dark and perpetrated by our denials...