Ok, I do this rant about once a year... I know many of you have heard it before. You know the rant that about tv and how pretty much 24 hours a day on American Network and cable there is every imaginable act of violence, torture and pain inflicted from one human to another. The C.S.I's, The Law & Order's, those Criminal Minds, they try every trick in the book to find more brutal, sexual and outrageous methods to rape, then slice apart and ultimately snuff out a life.
Reality: American Style
No one particular show is worse than the other, they all might even be good, if on their own. But together, they dominate television, even throughout the daytime hours when millions of children get to watch the violence with A & E (once a place for great Arts and Entertainment) plays Criminal Minds marathons pretty much non stop on many days. Those still struggling to accept that there is some connection between this programming and real acts of violence is fooling themselves.
And yet... there is outrage over a Janet Jackson nipple, indecency fines threatened against a couple of butts on NYPD Blue and the blurring of even the remotest peak of body parts on reality television shows. I guess on the plus side, with the job rates where they are, there was a huge increase in the need to hire digital pixelators.
I have no issue with television shows not showing nudity. Most shows that I love don't. You can get your fix of naked on the Internet if you need it. My issue is with American shows that promote, tease and play off the naked, when there is no actual nakedness. Cable shows like Naked & Afraid and Dating Naked, boldly use Naked in their titles, yet show nothing, even on cable, except the butts of the men and women they film. I suppose some might find it titillating to watch two people naked, even if you can't see them, in certain situations. To me however, pixelating body parts is disturbing.
Disturbing because it somehow makes the body parts bad. Why would you cover something good? It also makes the penis and vagina's much more sexual. A naked man or woman on a beach can be beautiful, even sexy. A naked body however, is not in itself necessarily sexual simply walking along the sand, unless of course that nasty penis is pixelated. I guess the pixelization acts sort of as a chastity belt keeping the American population safe. Without it, the uncaged penis might develope a mind of it's own and take off down the beach, diving into any hole, orifice or opening not covered!
Ahh, the lovely Keegan from Dating Naked
Although I am glad butts (unless of course slightly ajar) are not pixelated, I am surprised that censors and decency activists have not yet figured out the butt can be as sexual to some as body parts in front. In fact, with Dating Naked's Keegan here, his beautiful ass might need more protection than his front.
In most other parts of the globe, reality shows with nudity are shown as they are. These countries, mostly European (although Canada and Australia shows nudity on prime time) don't sexualize the naked body, they simply don't hide it, especially on shows that promote 'Naked' in the title. These countries also as we all know have dramatically less violence with their societies.
Reality: European Style
This isn't new of course, sociologist have been reporting it for decades. Nudity does not equal more sex or promiscuity. It does however appear to lead to more healthy attitudes about the human body and less fear about sex and sexuality. It is the hope of every human being to one day have wonderful, erotic and healthy sex. It is not the hope of most to one day be raped, chopped up and thrown in a river. Yet... the latter remains more preferable as an entertainment source. I wonder when, or if this will ever finally change?
