by April Shalen

Created on: April 18, 2008

The term public outcry' implies for me an assembly of like-minded individuals who, acting together as a multi-celled united front, aim to focus their collective conviction on an institution, a practice, a person-whatever-and, ideally, effect a shift-an alteration, of an existing policy or condition, that the group considers congruent with the original aim of the outcry'.

To even have a prayer of achieving its objective, the congregation needs to make its point pointedly'; the group is more likely to scratch the surface of whatever it is that its members aim to shake-up, by adhering together in a homogenously passionate focus on the main theme of their effort; and they need to be consistent and relentless in the circulating of their convictions. In North America we have freedom of speech-freedom of expression-and that might be as far as the collective effort gets: the mere fact of having had an opportunity to rant-just before the participants receive some polite, canned acknowledgement immediately followed by a figurative slammed door or barricade.

Having expressed the thoughts above, my question would then be: what would constitute Hollywood cleaning up its act? Obviously, the answer here would vary from contingent to contingent.

The maternal group, who I will dub Mothers Against Sexual Activity In Popular Culture [MASAIPC], appears to wish to curb freedom of expression in various readily accessible media art forms such as television and film, rather than heighten their personal responsibility to their children by explaining the significance of certain acts-such as Sex'-and the variables of Sex in different contexts. Do these moms tell their offspring that they were delivered to the family doorstep by a Stork? Or a Pod?

Western culture is notoriously puritanical about sexuality and Sex'; the culture instills a sense of shame and verboten activity relative to displays of human anatomy and erotic behavior; that's why when sexuality is portrayed in certain extreme formats it's considered prurient-rather than natural. Such a distorted and unhealthy perception of Sex, stemming from lifelong exposure to a skewed worldview, is the common basis of a lot of guilt and neurosis. I don't mean to imply that mothers should encourage their children to tear off their clothes in public and commence to break-dance; while I don't associate shame' with the human form, I think what should be emphasized is context'-and the common sense to determine in what context it makes sense to

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>