12/03: American Cultural Decay, Part I
Category: American Culture
Posted by: A Waco Farmer
We were having an interesting discussion from the old blog in re Hollywood and culture and who to blame for the corruption of the American soul. Although the discussion began with my surprisingly (at least to me) laudatory review of Jon Stewart's Oscar performance, I took the position that Hollywood was capable of great good and was more of a mirror to our depravity than an evil force intent on undermining virtue in America.
This morning C-SPAN aired a panel discussion from last December taking on the question of the "Pornification of America." Although C-SPAN has not archived this seminar, I am including a C-SPAN link with information on the colloquium and the authors who participated (all of whom seemed worth further investigation).
Although the topic was pornography, and its impact on society, nearly all the panelists acknowledged that pornography was merely one element in a corrosive American culture of marketing sex to children and adults (which includes music and toys and clothing and "strip culture"). Thinking back to the conversation linked above, I am convinced that we sometimes conflate Hollywood with Madison Avenue and corporate greed. But it brings up the greater point: are we not getting exactly what we want? If the genius of the market is that we reward agents who give us what we desire, is it fair to blame the entrepreneurs who feed our addictions to unsavory and unhealthy and destructive distractions?
This morning C-SPAN aired a panel discussion from last December taking on the question of the "Pornification of America." Although C-SPAN has not archived this seminar, I am including a C-SPAN link with information on the colloquium and the authors who participated (all of whom seemed worth further investigation).
Although the topic was pornography, and its impact on society, nearly all the panelists acknowledged that pornography was merely one element in a corrosive American culture of marketing sex to children and adults (which includes music and toys and clothing and "strip culture"). Thinking back to the conversation linked above, I am convinced that we sometimes conflate Hollywood with Madison Avenue and corporate greed. But it brings up the greater point: are we not getting exactly what we want? If the genius of the market is that we reward agents who give us what we desire, is it fair to blame the entrepreneurs who feed our addictions to unsavory and unhealthy and destructive distractions?
Tocqueville wrote:
Was the four letter vulgarity that Portia's son repeated merely a reflection or mirror of the child's already profane vocabulary? Of course not. But for the movie, the word would never have been uttered. The movie vulgarity was a pure cause--not an effect.
In the absence of some public authority or restraint, five-year olds can conveniently watch MTV or listen to Howard Stern, twelve-year olds can buy and listen to rap albums that glorify gangsterism, murder, rape, and violence. It is a matter of free market choice. Obscenity and violence sell, and we as a society apparently no longer feel comfotable ordering anyone, even children, not to choose them. We are unwilling as yet to pay the price that decency in public entertainment will require. But if children are not to gorge themelves on violent entertainment then it is an inconvenient fact that someone besides parents wil have to assist.
We fight the drug problem on the supply side as well as the demand side. It is high time we did the same with Hollywood.