Wednesday, January 12, 2005

Well, which is it?

Dawn Eden notes that PBS, Disney, and Nickelodeon are going to use their cartoon characters to promote "diversity."

I'm sure that Dawn will catch a lot of flack for quoting the American Family Association. But give Don Wildmon and AFA credit for this: They are consistent. They believe that what kids watch matters.

In contrast, entertainment executives are lying hypocrites and the "We Are Family" video demonstrates this clearly. They want credit for using their programming to promote good things-- love, tolerance, understanding. In this instance, they want us to believe that entertainment can teach kids important lessons.

However, when the discussion turns to violent, amoral video games or the raunchy videos on MTV, it is a different story. Then they argue that entertainment has no power to shape kids's thinking.

How can that be? How can a five minute video make kids tolerant but 20 hours of GTA: Vice City has no effect on their thinking or moral equilibrium?

Another question: why is PBS helping to bolster the image of Disney and Viacom? i thought it was supposed to be an alternative to the commercial media, not a fig leaf to enhance their corporate image.

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