rao@brillig.umd.edu (Subbarao Kambhampati) (06/06/89)
Hi,
This is in reference to the media coverage and mass reactions to the
central park rape incident. I was surprised and saddened at the quick rate
at which it got snow-balled into a "racial" incident, totally masking the
essential nature of the incident viz, violence of a group of men against a
woman, with total disregard to sanctity of the woman's life (in all senses).
I was very saddened to see that only one article in the main-stream media
(an article in Time magazine) noted this mis-representation and neglect of
deeper issues concerning the crime. That the disease knows no boundaries of
black-white/rich-poor demarcations was amply shown by the NJ incident involving
the teeanagers from affluent backgrounds and a mentally retarded girl. The
real answer to these crimes, I think, can not be found entirely in the motives
of the individuals in those specific cases, and has to be attributed in a
significant measure to the media portrayal of male-female relationships.
[Time magazine article points out how for a significant number of high-school
teenagers, their first exposure to sex is through its portrayal in "slasher
genre" movies, and how it can possibly distort their sense of values. The
standard arguments in defense of this genere, such as "there is a distinction
between fantasy and reality" may not even hold when the subjects are in their
formative years and may not have been given a fair representation of the
"healthy" side of male-female relationships. Couple this with the essentially
male-dominated nature of the present day society and what type of picture do
you think we are giving those in formative years???.]
It is not surprising that an adolescent has hormonal "urges"--It is however
surprising that they would go to the extent of violence against fellow humans
to satisfy those needs! I don't believe that it is just an extreme form of
natural reaction--instead I think it is partly a reflection on the societal
conditioning that these people go through.
I think, we have to seriously examine what it is in the portrayal
of women and men in the media that gives a teen-ager a "sex-centered"
and "self-gratification oriented" view of the world and a conviction that
they can pursue violent means to achieve those ends.
I know this posting is not very constructive in the sense of offering answers
to the perceived problems--part of the raison d' etre for it is a desire to
grope for just such answers.. Comments?
-rao
[Subbarao Kambhampati]rsp@PacBell.COM (Steve Price) (06/08/89)
In article <17894@mimsy.UUCP> rao@brillig.umd.edu.UUCP (Subbarao Kambhampati) writes: > > This is in reference to the media coverage and mass reactions to the >central park rape incident. >[Time magazine article points out how for a significant number of high-school >teenagers, their first exposure to sex is through its portrayal in "slasher >genre" movies, and how it can possibly distort their sense of values. The >standard arguments in defense of this genere, such as "there is a distinction >between fantasy and reality" may not even hold when the subjects are in their >formative years and may not have been given a fair representation of the >"healthy" side of male-female relationships. > what type of picture do >you think we are giving those in formative years???.] I think this is a vital point. The combination of suspense, violence, and sexual titillation found in much of the popular "slasher" films (and even in main stream Hollywood fare) has a powerful affect on adolescent development. I can't believe that it is a healthy influence, leading to positive sexual development for men or women. I also think that the films which peddle ultra-violence are those which ought to be kept away from children/adolescents (preferably by parents). These films should be rated in a manner similar to X-rated films and kept out of kids' hands and minds. I do NOT mind my two sons (12 and 14 yrs) watching a film showing people sharing love/sex/pleasure. I hope both sons grow up to be men who value love/sex/pleasure. (I mean as in R-rated love stories -- not X-rated films.) I mind a great deal that they could learn that sexual pleasure comes from violence and brutalization, or that domination and the power to inflict pain are the highest forms of pleasure. Apparently most Americans don't feel as I do, so most of my son's friends watch the "slasher" films and my boys silently resent my refusal to allow these films into the home. But I don't plan to budge on this one. -- Steve Price pacbell!pbhyf!rsp (415)823-1951 "'Nothing will come from nothing' without information" -- Shakespeare & Bateson
rsp@PacBell.COM (Steve Price) (06/08/89)
In article <17894@mimsy.UUCP> rao@brillig.umd.edu.UUCP (Subbarao Kambhampati) writes: > > This is in reference to the media coverage and mass reactions to the >central park rape incident. >[Time magazine article points out how for a significant number of high-school >teenagers, their first exposure to sex is through its portrayal in "slasher >genre" movies, and how it can possibly distort their sense of values. The >standard arguments in defense of this genere, such as "there is a distinction >between fantasy and reality" may not even hold when the subjects are in their >formative years and may not have been given a fair representation of the >"healthy" side of male-female relationships. > what type of picture do >you think we are giving those in formative years???.] I think this is a vital point. The combination of suspense, violence, and sexual titillation found in much of the popular "slasher" films (and even in main stream Hollywood fare) has a powerful affect on adolescent development. I can't believe that it is a healthy influence, leading to positive sexual development for men or women. I also think that the films which peddle ultra-violence are those which ought to be kept away from children/adolescents (preferably by parents). These films should be rated in a manner similar to X-rated films and kept out of kids' hands and minds. I do NOT mind my two sons (12 and 14 yrs) watching a film showing people sharing love/sex/pleasure. I hope both sons grow up to be men who value love/sex/pleasure. (I mean as in R-rated love stories -- not X-rated films.) I mind a great deal that they could learn that sexual pleasure comes from violence and brutalization, or that domination and the power to inflict pain are the highest forms of pleasure. Apparently most Americans don't feel as I do, so most of my son's friends watch the "slasher" films and my boys silently resent my refusal to allow these films into the home. But I don't plan to budge on this one. -- Steve Price pacbell!pbhyf!rsp (415)823-1951 "'Nothing will come from nothing' without information" -- Shakespeare & Bateson -- "A man gazing at the stars is | ARPA: tittle@glacier.ics.uci.edu proverbially at the mercy of | UUCP: {sdcsvax|ucbvax}!ucivax!tittle the puddles in the road." | BITNET: cltittle@uci.bitnet --Alexander Smith | USnail: PO Box 4188, Irvine CA, 92716