Theater Experience

[aldona]

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What I have noticed is that any discussion about movies, TV will eventually gets around to, yep, you guessed it...SEX

I will clarify more...what people most complain about is the SEX in movies and TV.

My husband and I spent a few weeks in the USA in early 2007, and after perusing the TV channels available in our hotel rooms we were quite confronted by the content of American TV programming.

Not by the sex, but by the VIOLENCE.

The depiction of sex seems to be actually quite tightly controlled in the US media. If someone flashes a nipple for 2 seconds, it is the end of the world as we know it and a national scandal. Even the image of a mother breast-feeding a baby is seen as bordering on pornography.

But we were not prepared for the amount of violent content, the detail in which it is presented, and the many ways that violence seems to be accepted as normal and even glorified.

aldona

[fccool]

I definitely agree with you, yet I think that the portrayal of violence is not as problematic as the glorification of it. American media portrays violence as a necessary means to the proper end. It is shown to be a solution to certain problem we have. We have war on drugs, war on poverty, war on terrorism... and these are just ideologies...Revenge is justified... And I think it played a major role on how people view war today... that it is a necessary mean to an end and it is justified. As somebody once said that fighting for peace is like fornicating for virginity. Nevertheless, our kingdom is not of this world, and I am certainly glad that it's not!

I felt extremely disgusted with myself as I watched the twin towers fall that day on TV and felt nothing. A little amazement, but I think I was so desensitized to the point of not feeling anything for these people, and I doubt I was the only one. It all seemed like a movie... far far away. But unless we are directly effected by something we don't really feel or care about the problems of those who are around us. I think that was a wake up call for me to the real brainwashing that goes around and I've done quite a bit of research for myself what made me so callous. I hope that I will never be indifferent to suffering of another human being again, whether these are our perceived "enemies" or not.

[Woody]

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I hope that I will never be indifferent to suffering of another human being again,

Another snippet puts it this way ...

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"Those who thus devote themselves to unselfish effort for the good of others, are most surely working out their own salvation. The only way to grow in grace is . . . to engage, to the extent of our ability, in helping and blessing those who need the help we can give them." {AG 305.6} STC 80

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" The spirit of unselfish labor for others gives depth, stability, and Christlike loveliness to the character, and brings peace and happiness to its possessor. The aspirations are elevated. There is no room for sloth or selfishness. Those who thus exercise the Christian graces will grow and will become strong to work for God. They are most surely working out their own salvation." {ST, March 19, 1902 par. 8}

[Dr. Shane]

Quote:

I felt extremely disgusted with myself as I watched the twin towers fall that day on TV and felt nothing. A little amazement, but I think I was so desensitized to the point of not feeling anything for these people, and I doubt I was the only one. It all seemed like a movie... far far away.

I think that is what Olger is trying to say about how media affects us. The problem with violence is that it is glorified. Revenge is viewed as being acceptable. The problem with sex in movies is that sinful sex is glorified. Everybody Loves Raymond started out good. The series had a lot of sex talk but it was in the context of marriage. Then towards the end of the series Raymond's brother starts fornicating with his girlfriend and the series mocks the Christian values her parents hold.

We are impacted. Every single one of us that watches the stuff. It is like drinking a beer and saying it doesn't affect one's body. It does. Not just to some people but to all people. The audio and visual stimuli we expose ourselves to is stored in our brains and permits the devil to affect our reasoning at a later time.