I had a conversation on Twitter last with a Hollywood writer. It started with me a bit saddened and shocked by a crude joke he posted. His stream isn't like that, he's usually quite good. I jabbed him a bit in reply and off we went. When challenged to defend such language, he quickly turned spineless. It was all, "everyone does it" and "what's the big deal?"
It was a trifle surreal. I argued he was better than that and he argued that he wasn't. There was no merit to his coarseness, just a sense of moral ennui.
Meanwhile, his audience is tearing itself apart.
On Easter weekend, 45 people were shot in the city (Chicago), six of them children.These are the fatherless ones, the ones who watch the most TV. They aren't the ones reading books or learning how to build things. What does Mr. Hollywood offer them? More swear words, more violence, more sex acts.
Five youngsters under the age of 15—four girls and a boy—were shot in a playground where they had gone after Easter services at a nearby church.
Witnesses agree that a car pulled up and one of the occupants asked the youngsters if they were in a gang. There is some dispute about whether the youngsters even got a chance to say no before the people in the car started shooting.
Like they needed to see that.
Just one more Hollywood invertebrate going with the flow.
We don't expose our children to a lot of media and violent video games. They know we are 'prudes', but I always remind them about we share with them. Lots of science and literature, and opportunities to shoot BB guns and archery.
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