Profanity on TV

Aelred of Rievaulx

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I love profanity. I swear like a drunk Catholic at the best of times. I think that if something is legal to watch in a movie (i.e. is not a snuff film) then I'd probably not see any qualms in watching it and I do occasionally like to watch movies which receive censorship purely because of the controversy, except artistically dreadful movies like The Interview.
 
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RedPonyDriver

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I love profanity. I swear like a drunk Catholic at the best of times. I think that if something is legal to watch in a movie (i.e. is not a snuff film) then I'd probably not see any qualms in watching it and I do occasionally like to watch movies which receive censorship purely because of the controversy, except artistically dreadful movies like The Interview.

Currently watching the Fifth Element on SyFy...Love Bruce Willis. Swear words don't bother me. Nudity doesn't bother me. Not into inappropriate content because I don't think sex is a spectator sport but whatever floats your boat. Regarding swear words...I can use the f-bomb as every part of speech in the same sentence (my one and only claim to fame). I can and do swear fluently in two languages. So? This makes me a bigger sinner than someone else? Really?

I am capable of picking and choosing what entertainment I care to consume. If someone else doesn't like what I choose, they don't have to watch it or listen to it. I DO try to watch my mouth around my nieces, nephews and grand-nieces and nephews...but in my house, it's my rules...and its just me, the hub and the cats. The hub laughs when I'm torked off enough to swear in Spanish and the cats understand swearing very well.

So...again...make use of the power button on your TV. Make use of your ability to get rid of cable/satellite TV if you so choose. Make use of your own ability to censor for your family. Just don't think you can do it to mine.
 
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Aelred of Rievaulx

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Currently watching the Fifth Element on SyFy.

I'm not a fan of Bruce Willis but I do like this movie. Milla Jovovich is gorgeous.

Swear words don't bother me. Nudity doesn't bother me. Not into inappropriate content because I don't think sex is a spectator sport but whatever floats your boat. Regarding swear words...I can use the f-bomb as every part of speech in the same sentence (my one and only claim to fame). I can and do swear fluently in two languages. So? This makes me a bigger sinner than someone else? Really?

Swearing is "sinful" to people who consider morality to incorporate hyper-individualistic notions of piety and purity. I prefer to think that if someone feeds the hungry, clothes the naked and shelters the homeless then I couldn't give a rats sphincter if they talk like a sailor.
 
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RedPonyDriver

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Swearing is "sinful" to people who consider morality to incorporate hyper-individualistic notions of piety and purity. I prefer to think that if someone feeds the hungry, clothes the naked and shelters the homeless then I couldn't give a rats sphincter if they talk like a sailor.

Exactly! There are those who are hung up on the outward signs of piety. In the ministries I work with, those outward gestures aren't important. What's important is getting down in the trenches with those who many consider the "untouchables". Going out and getting your hands dirty is infinitely more important than whether or not you swear or watch R rated movies or any of that other rubbish.

And...Jesus hung around with fishermen, right? I sure can't imagine any of them saying "golly gee willikers" when they slashed their hands on the nets. Then and now they're a rough bunch...hard living, hard drinking, hades-raising types.
 
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Aelred of Rievaulx

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Exactly! There are those who are hung up on the outward signs of piety. In the ministries I work with, those outward gestures aren't important. What's important is getting down in the trenches with those who many consider the "untouchables". Going out and getting your hands dirty is infinitely more important than whether or not you swear or watch R rated movies or any of that other rubbish.

And...Jesus hung around with fishermen, right? I sure can't imagine any of them saying "golly gee willikers" when they slashed their hands on the nets. Then and now they're a rough bunch...hard living, hard drinking, hades-raising types.

Fishermen were the sailors of the first century. Haha!

The earliest Christian whose writings exist, Paul, one compared his life before Christ and his life after, he said that he counts his life before Jesus as "skubalon". The translation of this by today's quite conservative translators is "rubbish", the KJV originally translated it as "dung" and at the time when Paul said it it probably meant something more like Sh**.
 
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Ada Lovelace

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I love profanity. I swear like a drunk Catholic at the best of times. I think that if something is legal to watch in a movie (i.e. is not a snuff film) then I'd probably not see any qualms in watching it and I do occasionally like to watch movies which receive censorship purely because of the controversy, except artistically dreadful movies like The Interview.

Mark Twain wrote that “under certain circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer," and I believe that can be true. A music therapist introduced a friend with neuroblastoma to the song BMFA (an acronym for the actual title) by Martha Wainwright when we were 13, and it became a personal anthem of sorts for her because it is unflinchingly, daringly, unapologetically honest, and that was a relief. She didn't stride around singing it in public or blaring it obnoxiously, but it was a song she listened to often in private because of what it gave to her. The musician's feelings are raw and fully exposed; she's vulnerable and yet strong, and that's beautiful and empowering. Listening to it provided a catharsis that "clean" songs never did. She told me she cried the first time she heard it because it the sense of relief was so overwhelming. It felt like the song understood her, even though of course it had no connection to her life.

When I think of Philippians 4:8 the first part is the most striking. Whatever is true. Sometimes truth isn't dainty or sanitized or rated G. Sometimes the words to express the deepest, truest emotions are ones that some consider to be profane.
 
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pgp_protector

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Are they actually for real responses or are they those canned one everybody who writes a letter gets?
Sure does seem like you're spending a huge amount of energy on this cartoon.

What show is it that got your dander up so much?
I'd say canned response, given the FCC doesn't deal with paid channels
 
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Ada Lovelace

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I'm already receiving responses to my "letters." The marketing department of the cable company is involved, along with local TV, and federal and state legislators. Facebook will feature the effort. The next step is to organize a boycott of all the commercial products that support this evil.

My stepdad works for one of the major studios, and previously was an attorney for Google for about a decade. Virtually every movie, every television show, every musical artist, and a multitude of websites have received complaints, accusations of it being detrimental to children or for the wholesomeness of society, and demands for it to be removed. I'm not at all surprised that Butterfly99 knows of people who've perceived the innocent fantasy show Once Upon a Time as being unbiblical because it has "dark magic." Long before the movies were released people literally judged the Harry Potter books by their covers and put on an exhibition of outrage about them "promoting witchcraft." The author even received death threats. Children's shows like Sesame Street and Rainbow Brite have also been the recipients of bitter accusations about their supposed lack of morality and the damage to young minds. And of course people have long been infuriated that inappropriate content sites exist on the internet and demanded they be removed. They've also wanted YouTube videos, religious sites, personal blogs, and quite literally thousands of other sites to be taken down for one reason or another. I guarantee that Google has received complaints about this forum from people insisting it's harmful.

Long before the advent of the technology we have today people would launch an uproar about books they felt were insalubrious and demand censorship. Writers that are celebrated now for authoring what we view as classic literature were even imprisoned and fined. Some have wanted the more salacious passages from the Bible to be removed. They've found iconic art like the Statue of David to be profane. If all content that received complaints was removed as requested the internet would cease to exist, television shows would be off the air, movie theaters would be abandoned, and even the printing presses would grind to a halt. If everything that offended the eye or ear or sensibilities was dismantled we'd be living in a dystopia. What is offensive to you might be enriching to someone else, and vice versa. It's why personal accountability is so crucial.

This isn't to say that studios, publishers, and internet companies are indifferent about what they produce and the responses the general public has of it. After all they are dependent upon consumers for their survival. It's unfeasible and unreasonable to expect them to acquiesce to every demand, though. What they have done is made an effort to empower consumers to make responsible choices for themselves and for their young children. They have made a plethora of options available for self-regulation, most of which are free and simple to use. There are parental controls available on computers, tablets, phones, and televisions, and even additional ones for browsers. You can get apps too. In the United States and in many other countries television shows and movies are given ratings that serve as guidelines about the content. Parents can block all mature shows and set limitations. Or they can simply go the old-fashioned route and unplug the television or set firm rules and fair consequences. Until recently my little sisters couldn't even turn on the television on their own. It required a passcode they didn't have, and that's because it's not just what they watch but how much time they're sitting in front of a screen that matters to my parents. There is value in kids watching TV, but there needs to be mindfulness about it. Parents are ones best able to assess what it constructive and what isn't for their children, and therefore they are the ones who need to take the reigns. They don't need to go around taking the reigns for every other child and adult.

As for the responses you're receiving from those you've written to, I am skeptical that they are actually coming from anyone with the authority to make the changes you're seeking. I interned in the legal department of a studio last summer and processed some complaints. I read the emails or letters, catalogued them into the system, and then sent out the standard response letter. The only time I forwarded an email to full-time employees was because it contained threats. The only personalization of the responses was in entering the person's address at the top and changing the greeting to address them by the name given. You've probably got a teenager or college student sending out replies to you as well. If you are truly that affronted by the channel, and it's one that is on cable, I'd consider canceling your cable package and letting them know the reason why. Actions are always more powerful than words, especially when it comes to how consumers spend their money.
 
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Butterfly99

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Mark Twain wrote that “under certain circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer," and I believe that can be true. A music therapist introduced a friend with neuroblastoma to the song BMFA (an acronym for the actual title) by Martha Wainwright when we were 13, and it became a personal anthem of sorts for her because it is unflinchingly, daringly, unapologetically honest, and that was a relief. She didn't stride around singing it in public or blaring it obnoxiously, but it was a song she listened to often in private because of what it gave to her. The musician's feelings are raw and fully exposed; she's vulnerable and yet strong, and that's beautiful and empowering. Listening to it provided a catharsis that "clean" songs never did. She told me she cried the first time she heard it because it the sense of relief was so overwhelming. It felt like the song understood her, even though of course it had no connection to her life.

When I think of Philippians 4:8 the first part is the most striking. Whatever is true. Sometimes truth isn't dainty or sanitized or rated G. Sometimes the words to express the deepest, truest emotions are ones that some consider to be profane.

I looked up that song on youtube. I was surprised cause it was really pretty.
 
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Grafted In

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I'll go one farther. Those of us who grew up in the US watching TV and continue to watch perhaps more than those in other countries? I think we are all acting. I think many of us have learned how to interact with others by watching people on tv acting abnormally. And I don't mean just shows where acting abnormally was intentional. I mean all acting.
 
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Butterfly99

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If all content that received complaints was removed as requested the internet would cease to exist, television shows would be off the air, movie theaters would be abandoned, and even the printing presses would grind to a halt. If everything that offended the eye or ear or sensibilities was dismantled we'd be living in a dystopia. What is offensive to you might be enriching to someone else, and vice versa. It's why personal accountability is so crucial.

So true!
 
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Winken

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What is offensive to you might be enriching to someone else, and vice versa. It's why personal accountability is so crucial.

i choose not to yield to those Christians who do not find sin offensive, or find it enriching. Holy Spirit accountability is in, all else is out.

As for the responses you're receiving from those you've written to, I am skeptical that they are actually coming from anyone with the authority to make the changes you're seeking.

I won't provide the telephone numbers from the CEOs of the various organizations --- they called me, incidentally, following my written and spoken complaints. I won't provide the telephone numbers / email of senate and house members in my state, nor at the federal level. There were no threats, no canned responses. Do your homework.

I will provide a list of the products that need to be banished from our shopping list at the local grocery and other retail outlets.
 
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RedPonyDriver

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And boycotts like this are really going to make a difference why?
I'll bet you were told in the responses that they sell advertising time on certain shows...and they are more interested in the $$$ than your little fussing complaints.
 
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Butterfly99

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i choose not to yield to those Christians who do not find sin offensive, or find it enriching. Holy Spirit accountability is in, all else is out.

Mister this sorta come across as you being full of yourself instead of being full of the Holy Spirit. She made an excellent point that what one Christian sees as a sin others don't. For good reason. Like I said, I know of people who think Once Upon a Time is sinful & unbiblical cause it has magic and witches. Lots of Christians love that show & see it as innocent family entertainment. There are Christians on this forum who've told me it's unbiblical to not believe the earth is flat and that giants are real.

I won't provide the telephone numbers from the CEOs of the various organizations --- they called me, incidentally, following my written and spoken complaints. I won't provide the telephone numbers / email of senate and house members in my state, nor at the federal level. There were no threats, no canned responses. Do your homework.

I will provide a list of the products that need to be banished from our shopping list at the local grocery and other retail outlets.

Uh huh. Sure.
 
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I'm already receiving responses to my "letters." The marketing department of the cable company is involved, along with local TV, and federal and state legislators. Facebook will feature the effort. The next step is to organize a boycott of all the commercial products that support this evil.
How's the boycott going?
 
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MWood

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Cursing is the weak minds attempt to express itself forcefully.
Not only that, but it ruins your reputation, you loose respect of others, but most of all you are not an effective witness for Jesus. As a Christian, we are Ambassadors for Christ. And the work we do as Ambassadors are the works that we will be judged on when we stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. We are to let our light shine before others that they may see Christ in us. And want to be as we are. Christian.
 
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Kersh

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I'd love to live in a world where shows like South Park didn't exist, because there was so little interest that TV networks didn't bother to air it. But, I don't. And, I would hate to live in a world where the government forbids everything that this or that group considers offensive (even if I am a member of said group). So, I reconcile these two positions by opting to not watch TV shows that I find offensive and letting others make up their own minds. I protect the children by restricting what my own kids watch and trusting other parents to do the same. As for those kids in highly dysfunctional homes that can't be bothered to set limits on media consumption, I'd point out that the kids likely see worse things in real life.

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RedPonyDriver

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I'd love to live in a world where shows like South Park didn't exist, because there was so little interest that TV networks didn't bother to air it. But, I don't. And, I would hate to live in a world where the government forbids everything that this or that group considers offensive (even if I am a member of said group). So, I reconcile these two positions by opting to not watch TV shows that I find offensive and letting others make up their own minds. I protect the children by restricting what my own kids watch and trusting other parents to do the same. As for those kids in highly dysfunctional homes that can't be bothered to set limits on media consumption, I'd point out that the kids likely see worse things in real life.

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I have never seen an episode of South Park, Family Guy, or Spongebob. Right now, I'm watching the news...after watching The Presidio. I'm in bed by 9pm anyway so it's not like I watch a whole lot of anything...my favorite show is the original NCIS closely followed by Criminal Minds and Blue Bloods. I'm waiting for the new Star Trek movie and the new Independence Day movie to come out later this summer (both rated PG-13)...but I'm an oddball, there's a whole lot of "popular" shows I've never seen an episode of, including "Seinfeld", "Big Bang Theory", "American Idol" and "The Voice". Why? Because I think they're stupid and not worth my time.

So...let each decide for themselves. Let parents choose what they will let their children watch. My parents didn't really censor us kids growing up (in the heyday of Hendrix, The Beatles and Black Sabbath). I've always sort of self-censored what I will listen to or watch...but I have absolutely no desire to try to censor someone else.
 
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AGTG

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That's nice...I am also a Christian...and you do not have the right to control anything for anyone but yourself...you are the reason Christians are so widely disliked.

No, the reason why Christians are so widely disliked is because Jesus resides within them and Jesus always points out the hypocrisy and wickedness of the world so it can realize it needs to repent and turn to God with sincerity, or the wrath of God will continue to rest upon their heads.

To any Christian who presumes we should be silent on matters of morality when it comes to media, may I remind you what Jesus said about salt that lost it's savor: It's good for nothing but to be stepped on in the road.

You will note salt has widely been used down the ages to preserve things. If you caught a deer, you could salt the meat to keep it from going rotten. That's exactly what Christ was talking about in that passage. But the world is now filled with savorless Christians, and so the culture goes rotten and the world doesn't notice the stench. But God does.

God bless you, Wink, for standing strong for Biblical standards of morality and conduct. We have just as much a right to insist on moral standards in the stuff coming over the airwaves.

But... Since the signs of the times are so clear, perhaps God is calling you and your house away from cable television. It's a one-way medium invented by the devil to draw the hearts and minds of people away from God.

There's a reason why they call it "programming," by the way.

Pull the plug, use the internet as you have more control over what your family has access to.
 
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