+- VadaVaka (https://vadavaka.com/forums)
+-- Forum: Debates and Polls (https://vadavaka.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=7)
+--- Forum: Debates (https://vadavaka.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=49)
+--- Thread: The "S" Word (/showthread.php?tid=3814)
The "S" Word - brokend - 01-02-2005
Thanks to James Dobson (of Focus on the Family fame), this town I live in is the heart of super-conservative politics. However, I am not real conservative, and there isn't a lot to do in this place without pissing some die-hard christian off (for more information, visit your local politically partisan priest and tell him you voted for John Kerry).
Back to my point, one of the activities I enjoy doing is seeing foreign and independent films. There is only one theater in Colorado Springs that is willing to show such movies, and this week, they opened two new films, Jean-Pierre Jeunet's "A Very Long Engagement," (an excellent flick, i highly recommend it), and Bill Condon's "Kinsey."
Kinsey was a scientist in Indiana in the late '40s and early '50s that did a study about sexual behavior of American men and women. By surveying thousands of participating adults, Kinsey discovered that Americans did many things that were previously unrecognized, such as masturbate, or have sexual activities with adults of the same gender. The statisics were published in best-selling books with, at the time, startling data, like a third of all heterosexual men have had homosexual experiences at least once in their life.
When this movie was released, there was a huge controversy because the movie got a "R" rating by the mpaa, even though there is explicit nudity, namely full-frontal scenes of Peter Sarsgaard.
My question is this: why is it that Americans will tolerate brutal violence in our media, produce hundreds of such movies a year, but raise hell when genitals, something EVERYBODY sees on a daily basis, are shown to us? Is it because it hits too close to home? Why is it that violence, something unnaturally pleasing, is tolerated over sex, which is quite naturally pleasing?
Please, kind folk, enlighten me.
The "S" Word - Wha? - 01-03-2005
Violence wasn't associated with shame in the Bible. In fact, violence isn't even looked down on, as long as it's good vs. evil (provided good wins in the end). Then there's the glory associated with historical violence, and the fact that it's been entrenched in society, so nobody is going to give it up.
The "S" Word - kermit - 01-04-2005
Seems to me what you both need is some Chevis over ice. Look, all you are really are doing is trying to spark some sort of debate or discussion with the internet kiddies that frequent this forum.
Do you want some sort of medal that the gaming herd around here agrees with you? Maybe you want some sort of trophy for watching foreign films and feeling superior about your quasi-intellectual anti-establishment rants?
That's lame, uninsightful and not productive in the least. Instead, have a good scotch-on- the-rocks (or two), take a deep breath and hold on. It's a shame that people who protest pious people become pious themselves. It would be a wonderful world if the one side murdered the other and then proceeded to commit mass suicide. I don't need or desire anybody's pigeonholed highground for Christ's sake.
The "S" Word - GRITS - 01-04-2005
Not sure but maybe this should have started in the debates section maybe not...but between brokend wha and kermit's posts I thought it was appropriate to move it......
have fun with it
The "S" Word - brokend - 01-04-2005
ignoring kermit's post (but before i do, i'd like to add that i posted this while drinking, so such a solution loses its merit quickly), i don't really think that religion is the only reason that violence wins over sex in the media. in europe, places like italy and france thrive on their religious backgrounds, but they show nudity in their media quite often. it's just bizarre that in america, it's reversed.
i propose a hearty "screw you" to everyone out there that would rather partake in some sexual recreation rather than some violent recreation. say "screw you" to some of your best friends today! :D