tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26424417258044226182024-03-12T19:19:11.615-07:00Chick In ActionChick of All TradesChick of All Tradeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11504997137351246340noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642441725804422618.post-29181193551519991902011-10-23T18:26:00.000-07:002011-10-23T18:45:00.731-07:00Occupy Wall Street, Corporate Greed, and the Entertainment Industry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Eavxg4hgnc/TqS-n1hvuaI/AAAAAAAA8X4/qYTrH_3MFNo/s1600/occupy-wall-st1-460x307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Eavxg4hgnc/TqS-n1hvuaI/AAAAAAAA8X4/qYTrH_3MFNo/s320/occupy-wall-st1-460x307.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I thought this was a very interesting letter written by Bob Sherman, who is the Director of the Chicago Chapter of the Parents Television Council (PTC). He presented it to those Occupy Wall Street gatherers in Chicago who are very concerned about corporate greed.<br />
<blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: ;"><i><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">IF YOU ARE AGAINST CORPORATE GREED, PLEASE READ THIS. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I am a volunteer for a national organization that is fighting corporate greed in the entertainment industry. If you don’t think corporate greed in the entertainment industry matters, you will think again if you read the essay below. </span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">THE PROFIT MOTIVE IS OUT OF CONTROL </span></b></i><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">by Bob Sherman</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: ;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: ;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The profit motive is the fuel that drives our economy. It is a high octane fuel. It has given us progress, opportunity, and abundant wealth.</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: ;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: ;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> But when it is controlled neither by law nor by moral restraint, the profit motive can turn against us in ugly ways. History abounds with examples. Consider for example the exploitation of workers, the cheating of investors, and the destruction of natural resources, all of which result from unbridled greed.</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: ;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: ;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> When we think of the term “corporate greed”, we might think of the Enron scandal, the sub-prime mortgage mess, or the AIG bonuses. But when placed in perspective, and viewed in terms of the harm done to people’s lives, these examples pale in comparison to a far greater evil. I am talking about the culture of greed that has saturated the entertainment industry in general, and the broadcast industry in particular.</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: ;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: ;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Broadcasting at one time was a responsible industry. Broadcasters had a code of ethical conduct, designed to assure that broadcasting would serve the public interest. But unbridled greed has relegated the public interest to the trash heap. In the tradition of Ebenezer Scrooge, today’s broadcasters would say “Bah, humbug” if asked to live up to the code, a portion of which follows: “Respect should be maintained for the sanctity of marriage and the value of the home. Divorce should not be treated casually or justified as a solution for marital problems. Illicit sex relations should not be treated as commendable. Sex crimes and abnormalities should be viewed as unacceptable program material.”</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: ;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: ;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> In the post-code era, material for television is chosen with one purpose and only one purpose, and that is to make money, as much money as possible, in any way possible, without the slightest regard to the harm the resulting programs are doing. Broadcasters turn a deaf ear to the pleading of parents, educators, and child welfare experts. As a result of their greed, here is how we might update the code: “The sanctity of marriage and value of the home should provide material for humor. Illicit sex relations should be celebrated. Sex crimes and abnormalities of every conceivable type should be prominently featured”.</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: ;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: ;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Prominently featured? You bet. During a four week study period<sup>1</sup>, here is what children saw during prime time on major channels: Masturbation, oral sex, anal sex, manual stimulation, bondage, kinky fethishes, incest, pedophilia, partner swapping, prostitution, threesomes, transsexuals, transvestites, bestiality, necrophilia, sex toys, and voyeurism. As for the so-called “rating system”, none of the above was rated Mature.</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: ;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: ;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Children’s attitudes about relationships and life issues are largely formed by television. What is television teaching them? The same four week study revealed that marriage is consistently depicted as a burdensome trap. Children are taught that people who live with a succession of sexual partners are the ones who lead a satisfying and fulfilling life. They are taught that sex has little or nothing to do with marriage, that most sex takes place outside of marriage, and that adultery is just as common as marital sex.</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: ;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: ;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> We should heed the warnings of psychologists. Below the age of eight children do not think in terms of motive. By the time they are old enough to realize that television programs are just entertainment, it’s too late. Their attitudes about life’s most important issues have largely been formed. As a result, we have seen an explosion in the number of single parent homes, with tragic consequences for individuals and for our society.</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: ;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: ;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Let’s take a look at some of the consequences:</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: ;"><i><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Child abuse. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Abuse of children is 6 times more likely in an “irregular family”.<sup>2</sup> </span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: ;"><i><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Crime. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">72% of adolescent murderers grew up without a father.<sup>3</sup> 13% of juvenile delinquents are from a home with married parents, 33% from divorced or separated parents, and 44% from unmarried parents.<sup>4</sup> 70% of juveniles in state reform institutions grew up in single- or no-parent situations.<sup>5</sup> </span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: ;"><i><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Disease.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> In evaluating the degree to which a casual depiction of sex might be harmful, it is important to take into account the prevalence of sexual disease. The first national study of four common sexually transmitted diseases among girls and young women has found that one in four are infected.<sup>6</sup></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: ;"><i><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Domestic violence. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Abuse of women is 25 times more likely in an “irregular family”.<sup>2</sup> This is a rather startling figure, but the author of this paper has not yet found any information to contradict it.</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: "><i><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Drugs and alcohol. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Fatherless children are at dramatically greater risk.<sup>7</sup></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: ;"><i><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Mental illness. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Fatherless children are at dramatically greater risk.<sup>7</sup></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: ;"><i><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Poverty. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">57% of black children living with mother only are in poverty, compared with 15% living with married parents.<sup>8</sup></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: ;"><i><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Rape. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">It is estimated that between 1 in 4 and 1 in 5 college women experience completed or attempted rape during their college years.<sup>9</sup> 25% of college women surveyed are victims of rape or attempted rape, 84% by an acquaintance, and 57% were considered date rape.<sup>10</sup> 60% of rapists grew up without fathers.<sup>3</sup> </span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: ;"><i><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Suicide. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">25% of sexually active girls are depressed vs. 8% of their peers.<sup>11</sup> 6% of sexually active boys attempt suicide vs. less than 1% of their peers.<sup>11 </sup>Sexually active male teens are 2 times more likely to be depressed<b> </b>and 8 times more likely to attempt suicide.<sup>12</sup> Sexually active girls are 3 times more likely to be depressed<b> </b>and 3 times more likely to attempt suicide.</span><sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">12</span></sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: ;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: ;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">How shall we deal with these problems? Shall we sit back and let them happen, and then come along with a band aid in the form of more prisons, more shelters, and more services such as crisis counseling? Why don’t we stop these problems before they happen? The best way I know to do this is to support the Parents Television Council. It’s quick and easy:</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: ;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: ;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Sign on to <a href="http://parentstv.org/">http://parentstv.org/</a> </span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: ;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: ;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">…then look for the Get Involved link on the left.</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: ;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: ;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Thanks for taking a moment to help others. </span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: ;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">--Bob Sherman</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: ;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: ;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">1. Parents Television Council, <u>Happily Never After</u>, 08/05/2008.</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: ;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2. Prof. Maria Sophia Aguirre, <u>The Family in the New Millennium</u>.</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: ;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">3. Cornell, D. et al. <u>Behavioral Sciences and the Law</u> 5, 11-23</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: ;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">4. Wisconsin Department of Health & Social Services, Apr. 94.</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: ;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">5. Survey of Youth in Custody, Bureau of Justice Statistics.</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: ;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">6. NY Times 3/12/2008</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: ;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">7. US Dept. Health & Human Services, Center for Health Statistics</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: ;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">8. U.S. Bureau of Census Series P-60, no. 185.</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: ;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">9. National College Women Sexual Victimization Study (Fisher 2000).</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: ;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">10. October 2002 statistics study at the University of Tennessee.</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: ;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">11. National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health.</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: ;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">12. Dr. Paul Warren, Behavioral Pediatrician and Adolescent Medicine Specialist, Dallas, Texas.</span></i></span></div></blockquote>Chick of All Tradeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11504997137351246340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642441725804422618.post-65142020020724046352011-02-20T06:13:00.000-08:002011-03-02T19:30:16.659-08:00Send Your Warning to the Sponsors of Skins (Easy to do!)"Nearly every major corporation has responsibly decided not to support the non-stop orgy of teen sex, drugs, and alcohol that is MTV’s Skins. All but Clearasil, that is. It’s not enough that Clearasil continues to buy ad time on the teen-targeted program that promotes such irresponsible, even dangerous behavior; in a cynical ploy to forestall criticism of their continued support, Clearasil publicly touted what turned out to be a PSA that only directed viewers to MTV's website and Clearasil's own Facebook page - neither of which gave any information about how to deal with the drug and alcohol abuse so pervasive in Skins.<br />
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Clearasil, and its parent company Reckitt-Benckiser need to hear from you. <br />
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If Reckitt-Benckiser believes a 30-second PSA can encourage pro-social behavior; they must allow for the possibility, even the likelihood that the surrounding 42 minutes of programming can encourage anti-social behavior. Which is why their continued support of Skins is simply indefensible. <a href="https://www.parentstv.org/PTC/action/Skins-RB2/main.asp">MORE...</a><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_2112586212"><br />
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<a href="https://www.parentstv.org/PTC/action/Skins-RB2/main.asp">TELL RECKITT-BENCKISER WHAT YOU THINK OF THEM SPONSORING SKINS!"</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.parentstv.org/welcome.asp">From Parents Television Council Website. </a><br />
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</br>Chick of All Tradeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11504997137351246340noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642441725804422618.post-30412471240643211462011-02-03T16:16:00.001-08:002011-03-02T19:31:10.817-08:00Letter to Dr. Alveda King (niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.)This letter is too good not to share:<br />
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<a href="http://networkedblogs.com/dQGRh">http://networkedblogs.com/dQGRh</a><br />
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</br>Chick of All Tradeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11504997137351246340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642441725804422618.post-41490492487319613232011-01-29T14:47:00.000-08:002011-03-02T19:33:35.313-08:00SKINSAs a mom, I am terribly concerned with what is shown on TV that our children can possibly get a hold of, even accidently. That's why I joined up with Parents Television Council (PTC) and am their Associate Director of the Houston Chapter.<br />
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Right now, there is a show on MTV called "Skins" that maybe you have been hearing about on the news programs. This show consists of teens as young as 15 engaging in sexual content which could be considered pornographic.<br />
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Please go to this website <a href="http://www.parentstv.org/ptc/publications/emailalerts/2011/0122.htm">www.parentstv.org/ptc/publications/emailalerts/2011/0122.htm</a> if you are concerned as I am. You may want to write to the advertisers involved with your concern, because once the show has no sponsors it cannot continue.<br />
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The PTC is not a religious organization, and is not an organization that wants to censor. What they ARE concerned about are shows that are shown during times that children may have a chance of watching. You can go to their website for more information: <a href="http://www.parentstv.org/">www.parentstv.org</a>.<br />
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</br>Chick of All Tradeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11504997137351246340noreply@blogger.com0