The Entertainment Industry and Society

The issue of screening material that the entertainment industry churns out (such as TV programs and musical lyrics) is one that is often disputed but is rarely addressed in a meaningful way. On the one side, proponents of freedom of speech have great difficulty agreeing to have material edited as they feel that it compromises the artistic freedom of those producing it. On the other side, the violence and sexual depravity that is delineated on the screen or through lyrics are contributing to the irreversible corruption amongst our society members, particularly among the youth. The damage that is being done must be dealt with before artistic freedom is even being considered. Doctors must abide by "First do no harm." Is it not possible that the rest of society respects this important tenet of society?

First of all, the young ones are most affected by this. In a world of increasing familial instability, children and teens are looking to the media for role models and for inspiration. Yet if they were to flip on the television today, they would see Lindsey Lohan and Paris Hilton prancing about in raunchy outfits. Girls are learning to emulate such ostensibly wanton behavior in favor of developing healthy ideas of what upstanding and honorable women should be like. They are substituting intelligence and integrity for sleaziness. Young boys are learning to become more misogynistic as they see girls displaying such behaviors and are exposed to chauvinistic lyrics. Boys are growing up believing that women should dress and talk like these celebrities in order to by "worthy", and are also growing up to believe that as men-to-be, they have to crave such women. The youth have developed extremely distorted images of themselves thanks to the media.

In addition, the youth have developed very bleak views of the world itself. Images of violence and extramarital affairs drench the screens everywhere, are publicized all the time whether in the tabloid magazines that line the grocery store cash registers, or in those TV programs about horrifically dysfunctional families. Children have come to learn that it is a "dog-eat-dog" kind of world, and it contributes to their anger and feelings of depression. While overly-optimistic and ignorantly naive shows can be just as atrocious and repulsive, shows that expose the "harsh realities" of the world should mitigate how much they show. Most of the shows are unrealistic and tamper with the children's worldviews. All for the sake of entertainment.

We cannot ignore that humans, especially those on the brink of reaching adulthood, are malleable and vulnerable. Children and young adults have yet to form their own identities (or are desperately attempting to do so), and are willing to soak up any available life lessons. If the television or a rapper is providing the advice, then the children are being set up for some serious consequences. Of course, the children's strongest protection from these ramifications are sound relationships with their parents; however, each child cannot be guaranteed a home that provides a strong foundation. The media is here for entertainment, and if we are not going to strengthen the family dynamic, then we have to censor what is being put out there by the entertainment industry. After all, the protection of our children should come before the frivolities of mere diversions.