ithinkyoushould | soapbox editions.
Recognize the Not-so Subtle Messaging of MTV, MUCH, and Youth/Young Adult-Oriented TV Programming in General.
So again the other night I flicked on the tube. Yes, this seems to be my habit of late. Not because I am “searching” for material, but *indirectly*, it would seem that I am indeed searching for material.
Perhaps like some people, I would not ever readily admit that I go to television to validate my interests or to change and/or influence the way I think, or even to learn something. I might suggest that I go to TV out of boredom, something to do, or for a temporary diversion to “relax” my over-stimulated brain, and chill-out. Except TV-watching is anything but “relaxing” and in fact it provides the exact opposite feeling.
Studies show that it is the passive action of TV-watching that makes us most susceptible and vulnerable to the over-simplified and disturbingly complex images that we see on TV. For example, we have the problem in North America of Obesity. Now I am not sure if anyone has ever done a study between the correlation between TV-watching and Obesity, but have you ever watched TV starting at 10pm and notice the amount of fast food, fried food commercials and junk food ads that occupy the airwaves? It’s alarming!
No, these are not subtle images of families dining together, these are an-all-you-can-eat gorge-fest in the form of glossy super-sized visuals of plates of fatty, sugared and salted foods that no person should be consuming at 10pm much less at dinner. Most, if not all of these items are consumed in bar-type, “social” atmospheres with pretty THIN young adults eating, laughing, grinning and socializing over massive plates of food. Except that no one is actually consuming the food. They are deliriously overjoyed at the “idea” of the food and the bountiful nature of the food, but in all reality, as we are now painfully aware, people who “look like that” do not necessarily “eat like that,” and that’s where the disturbing subliminal messaging comes in.
Take also, for example, the program, 1 Girls, 5 Gays. It airs on MTV/MUCH. Perhaps in the 10pm timeslot, perhaps even earlier. I can’t be sure, because it’s not my “go-to” program of choice, and like many programs on the boob, it’s pretty much a random catch-all as far as I’m concerned. [Wait, I do like the Food Network, certain Chefs are good, and I watch HGTV because I like certain programs. Don’t get me started on Sarah Richardson from Design Inc.!]. But I digress…
So I’m flicking, and I see my “favourite” bubbly host, Aliya-Jasmine, she of the “Condoms and Haiti” report. And now “Ms. AJ,” as I affectionately call her, also hosts a round-table “talk-show” where she discusses gay-sex-scenarios with 5 gay guys. The show is liberally and shockingly spiced with all manner of sex-talk and the liberal use of the F Word, completely unedited and not beeped. The boys talk about random F’ing, as our pretty ethnic hostess, eyes wide and grinning, without even a hint of irony, nervously giggles her way into presenting 10 “questions” about gay-sex life amongst these 5 differently-attractive, 20something white boys. Each question is prefaced by a bold suggestive visual, blatantly lacking in subtlety.
The other night our hostess asks the boys, “Is [gay] sex better with drugs?” And then we flash to a cartoon image of a cannonball with its spout, in the form of a joint, that becomes lit. The joint then points upward like a penis, and then we cut to the boys laughing and over-grinning, agreeing that yes for some of the “panel” gay sex is indeed better with drugs, and for others not so much.
Watching this on the safety of my sofa, I sat there thinking, “Can this be serious?!” Other questions follow, but I cannot believe my ears, or my eyes. Earlier, our illustrious host asks if any of their parents have seen the program, and the boys answer that some of their parents have and others have not. The general commentary is that their parents don’t necessarily approve or disprove but that they want them to be “safe” and that they hope that they are not being overly promiscuous. Naturally the program demographic is not geared towards adults or parents or teachers or caregivers and so the random question about what adults might think is gratuitous, and side-steps the issue[s] entirely.
And herein lies the problem. For all intents and purposes, the show is mind-numbingly gratuitous and salacious and isn’t about promoting sex-positive encounters or dealing with the “real” issues that gay/young adults may or may not face, rather it’s about the random-nature of horny young adults, specifically young horny white gay boys of a certain economic and social background [one of the guys also “does” girls], prescribing and describing how they navigate the seemingly slippery slope of picking up, also known as “cruising,” as well as the beginnings of alcohol, drug and sex addiction.
Ya, I’m off my rocker about this one. Because at the end of the day, young people are gonna do what young people wanna do, and hey, it’s their prerogative and right to do what they wanna do, man. And I say go for it! Fight for your independence and your right to do stupid shit, but don’t let these random people of questionable morality dictate what you should or should not do with your sexuality. Don’t let these folks of questionable morality dictate that you should try gay/sex with drugs because it “might” be better. Don’t let these people with questionable morality even suggest that it’s ok to put your body and therefore your life at risk for simple entertainment.
Personally, I think it’s irresponsible and disgusting. And it’s not a joke. The whole time the 6 of them are laughing and guffawing and telling bad jokes about the so-called reality of their lives and it’s incredibly shallow and distasteful. I am loathe to think that there is an audience for this. And I want to know what purpose and benefit it serves any community beyond the voyeuristic qualities that imagining gay-sex life might have for some. I don’t think that any of us imagined this when we shouted from the rooftops that, “I Want My MTV!”
A program like this is all kinds of wrong, and I think you should recognize the not-so subtle messaging of these so-called entertainment programs, and be vigilant about what you allow into the sanctity of your home.
