1. Lewdog

    Lewdog Come ova here and give me kisses! Supporter Contributor

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    Should Networks Be More Sensitive?

    Discussion in 'The Lounge' started by Lewdog, Sep 27, 2013.

    So I'm watching TnT Network right now, and they are airing an episode of "Cold Case," where two kids opened fire and killed a bunch of people in a mall. Given the recent events in Kenya and the Mall shooting in New York, should TnT Network air this episode right now? This same subject was brought up with the first episode of "Sons of Anarchy," this season and the boy who shoots up his school. Are we becoming too sensitive as a society, or should networks be more sensitive of what is going on around the world?
     
  2. thirdwind

    thirdwind Member Contest Administrator Reviewer Contributor

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    I think it's OK for networks to air shows with such scenes. Sadly, such violence is a part of life, and networks can choose to reflect that in their shows. That being said, I do think there should be a certain time lag between the event and when the show airs. For example, it would have been insensitive if a show about a man shooting up a school had aired the day after the Sandy Hook tragedy.
     
  3. Wreybies

    Wreybies Thrice Retired Supporter Contributor

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    I think we are far too sensitive as it is, at least in the U.S. The American comfort bubble is too big and too delicate.
     
    Trish, Andrae Smith, HarleyQ. and 2 others like this.
  4. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

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    Exactly what I was about to say. Consideration is one thing, but "sensitivity" has progressed int the realm of Thought Police.
     
  5. slamdunk

    slamdunk New Member

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    Why should I and probably hundred of thousand other viewers get punished for something we didn't do due to some idiots actions somewhere?


    If you get hurt over the show you can just choose to watch something else or no show at all without trying to ruin it for everyone else.

    A school shooting is ofc a big tragedy but airing a show a week later what difference does it make? The victims parents/friends/relatives won't get them back and probably has all sort of emotional issues that has to be tackled show or no show (the big issues is not due to some show, that is just misdirected anger at those I assume are not responsible for what happened).

    As long as the show isn't done in a way mocking the victims I see no reason why it should be a reason to whine. Stuff like this sadly happens and reality is out there even if we don't get it on tv shows.
     
    Last edited: Sep 28, 2013
  6. Lewdog

    Lewdog Come ova here and give me kisses! Supporter Contributor

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    I'm going to be Devil's Advocate here and say that if we continue to desensitize ourselves things are only going to escalate. If you see on the news 200 people were killed just last week in a mall shooting, then turn on your television this week to see an episode of a program that is doing the same thing and you get enjoyment out of the show, what does that say about where our society is headed?
     
  7. GingerCoffee

    GingerCoffee Web Surfer Girl Contributor

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    I think they should. But the business model of commercial networks says it ain't gonna happen. Not to sound too defeatist but all I figure I can do is vote with my feet. I just don't watch the crap.
     
  8. minstrel

    minstrel Leader of the Insquirrelgency Supporter Contributor

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    This kind of thinking can easily be carried too far, of course. You can keep insisting that things be made milder and milder until there's nothing on but Sesame Street and Teletubbies. Where do you draw the line, and what criteria do you use in making that decision? And why do you think those are the right criteria? Etc.
     
  9. GingerCoffee

    GingerCoffee Web Surfer Girl Contributor

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    I do think there's a middle ground between pablum and glorifying serial killers and mass murderers, don't you?
     
  10. slamdunk

    slamdunk New Member

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    Do you have any data suggesting that this is the case? As far as I know studies suggests that global violence has only gone down: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/22/world-less-violent-stats_n_1026723.html

    Maybe some get the impression that its so violent these days due to media being more global and covering the whole world pretty much instead of just one or a few countries.

    Its possible they were more violent before due to the lack of shows showing the downsides of violence (such as suffering)? I think its wrong to assume that violence on tv is all bad, maybe a show about a school shooting will actually make a person thinking in those lines think twice?

    I don't know what you are suggesting here, be sensitive how exactly? Would anyone get helped over a small delay in airing the show or perhaps you suggest total censorship of anything that can make someone feel bad?

    Personally I think people with mental issues needs to get helped by a professional. There are probably in every show someone that would feel or has feeled better if "something" wasn't shown, take a rape scene or maybe just a normal sex scene for instance it probably make (some) rape victims feel bad, take a hot person to play a character it probably make some ugly person feel bad, take a rich person it probably makes some that struggle financially feel bad and so on. Eventually you can't air anything because people are going to get their egos hurt and someone always feel bad over this and that. In my opinion maybe its better that those who can't handle reality gets some professional help for their personal issues than to make everyone suffer.

    The movie "silence of the lamb" is pretty much glorifying a serial killer (he is smart, he got charm, he got class etc). Do you think it should be censored?

    And why stop there, because you say so? Maybe others want this and that removed, why should it only be your way?
     
  11. minstrel

    minstrel Leader of the Insquirrelgency Supporter Contributor

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    Of course. But read my post again. Those were not rhetorical questions I was asking. I asked:

    It isn't enough to just say there's a middle ground, Ginger. I'm sure we all agree there is. But can you answer those questions?
     
  12. jazzabel

    jazzabel Agent Provocateur Contributor

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    I'm all for freedom of expression and not shying away from the truth. I also love mysteries and used to watch cop shows a lot. However, in the last year or so, I have noticed increasing discomfort for the level of violence on TV. Not only is it more frequent, it's more gruesome and the quality of plot and writing is worse. To the point that I have my Sky box full of unwatched episodes of shows I used to love. I try and try and only occasionally one of them is enjoyable and interesting. The rest is just cheap thrills in blood and gore. I think it's a real problem.
     
  13. Lewdog

    Lewdog Come ova here and give me kisses! Supporter Contributor

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    My major problem is with the timing. It's the media has become so commercialized that they feel the need to 'cash in' on other people's suffering.

    Yahoo had an article up shortly after the Boston Marathon bombings about Ron Paul disagreeing with how the Boston Police Force dealt with the situation. Can you guess what the title of the article was? Ron Paul Blasts Boston Police. Yeah...
     
  14. Duchess-Yukine-Suoh

    Duchess-Yukine-Suoh Girl #21 Contributor

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    I'll second being the Devil's Advocate here. There's nothing wrong with fictional violence, but it's when those lines are seriously blurred that you start to worry.
     
  15. Morgan Willows

    Morgan Willows New Member

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    I don't see a problem with fictional violence because it's just that, fictional. I can slaughter dragons, assassinate Renaissance bigwigs, and gleefully run down pedestrians in "totally not New York"-ville without any problems whatsoever. The problem is when networks encourage shows to have "ripped from the headlines" episodes. They are deliberately reenacting a traumatic event and getting it as close to the real event as they can without getting sued.
    Showing a shooting victim a reenactment of the time they were shot is cruel. Showing a rape victim a reenactment of their rape is cruel. It's not "bothersome" or "a bit upsetting" it's outright unconscionably cruel; it triggers the same emotional and physical responses (increased heart rate, adrenaline production, etc.) as the original event, it effectively makes a person relive it.
    Saying "why should I be punished for something that didn't happen to me" shows a rather shocking lack of empathy, in my opinion. When you say something like that to a victim of trauma you're effectively saying "I don't care if it emotionally destroys someone else, it's fun for ME and that makes it ok." That sounds incredibly callous to me especially considering, as I've found in my own recovery experience, an unfortunately high number of people tend to discount or dismiss the trauma you've suffered, mostly for their own comfort at the cost of your own. There is very little that is worse than having people repeatedly tell you that your feelings about the event don't matter, that you're overreacting, or that you should "just get over it" as if you're deliberately letting your trauma affect you just to inconvenience them rather than being attacked by feelings of panic and fear which you have no control over. It's like being trapped in a burning building but everyone outside that you ask to let you out says they won't help you because you're being dramatic - after all, the fire's not burning them so why does it bother you? - and you should just put the fire out by yourself.
    Trauma is never something to trivialize or dismiss and doing so is incredibly cruel.

    That being said, I don't think programs depicting things that are close to real events should be banned but there should be some variation of a 'trigger warning' attached to the show both at the beginning and at any point following a commercial or other break from which the show returns. That would go a long way toward allowing people who would be upset by it to avoid being subjected to it against their will. There are plenty of "viewer discretion advised" type warnings like this but I think there should be more specific versions attached to anything "ripped from the headlines." If people want to avoid the content, that allows them to do so and at no detriment to those who have no problems with watching the show.
     
  16. Andrae Smith

    Andrae Smith Bestselling Author|Editor|Writing Coach Contributor

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    ^Ditto!!!

    I also believe there should be a buffer zone between traumatic events and tv shows replicating similar events. My philosophy, there's a time and a place for everything.
     
  17. slamdunk

    slamdunk New Member

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    I don't know if I agree. Not showing and denying possible millions of people "to know" or to get entertained becuse some teoretical pain sounds pretty cruel too.

    It seems like television can work to help people get through events as well, I mean there are plenty of victims to 9/11, world war 2 etc that want to tell their story. I even seen documentaries of killers where the victims rellatives wanted to talk to the killer and got to do that, this don't feel cruel at all when the victims themselves want to help out with the show. This suggest that while some don't want to touch in the past many do, maybe getting to talk about an event can help ease the pain. Maybe we are overthinking how the victims feel about a show when even the victims themselves want to participate, spread their words and are willing to relive those events.

    The problem is that people got all sorts of mental issues that they probably should tackle themselves or with a professional. If you work on the news you note how all sorts of maniacs will call in and complain about this and that, you have your reasons to remove or add spilers and warnings but other people has all sorts of reasons why this and that should be changed as well.

    Just stopping there (rape and shooting) wouldn't be fair, would it?

    A couple breaking up in a tv show probably reminds people of the same tradic event they themselves have experienced recently, it make their emotional state all messed up. A breakup can be too much to handle and enough for people to commit suicide. So should they air bad rellationships or are these folks just supposed to "get through it" while shootings should be all tabu maybe we need a SPECIFIC (spoiler) warning about a breakup happening?

    If you think about it something as simple as people talking may remind the lonley bullied kid that she/he has no friends, it triggers the same physical response as in school, so is it not cruel to show those stuff (where the potential outcome is suicide)? Eve

    Why should I get punished for something I didn't do was the quote.

    Watching a show or news about an event dosn't says much about an empaty lack either. Everyone from moms to old and young watch such events and I'm sure many if not most do understand that there is pain is involved. But instead of locking ourself in and do nothing we educate ourself and learn what happened. Not watching is not helping the victims that probably need to be helped by professionals with their emotional issues.


    I'm sure most people act according to (their own) logic and possible what we call "heart".

    If you have an issue with rape scenes then how is what others watch going to help you? Then there are those who probably disslike a show for sexual, religious reasons as well, should people dump all entertainment becuse some people can't handle it?

    What do you suggest instead of getting over it? Forever pain?

    I assume this comes from the missreading of what I said about being punished for something we didn't do. You remade it into "something that didn't happen to me", a person burning inside a building bothers me more than a show with a rape scene (one is real and can acctually be prevented).
     
    Last edited: Sep 30, 2013
  18. Morgan Willows

    Morgan Willows New Member

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    I don't mean to be rude but I'm going to have to assume that you partially skimmed my post because many of your points are either not contained in my post, were already addressed in my post, or were very specific when you seem to have assumed they were general. Please read this post in its entirety to avoid further confusion.

    When a tv show is directly mirroring real events that have affected people, it's not "theoretical." It is deliberately creating a facsimile of actual events suffered by actual people who are suffering actual trauma over it.

    So let those who are willing to watch it do so, and give those who aren't a way to not be unwillingly subjected to it.

    I was talking specifically about "ripped from the headlines" episodes. Like, for example, if some show did an episode mirroring the Boston Bombing, there should be a warning or notification of some kind to that effect. I was using rapes and shootings as an example of my point that forcing someone to watch a facsimile of a traumatic event can be just as traumatizing as the event itself. I was not using it as an end-all be-all to cover every little thing, as should have been obvious by my specifically stating that I was talking about "ripped from the headlines" stuff.

    Also, as a side point, there is a difference between a bad breakup and being raped or shot and if you don't know that, I'm not sure I can be much help to you. The former is certainly troubling but can't begin to compare with the latter two.

    I wasn't intending to quote you directly or I would have quoted you directly. In any case, the effect of such a statement remains the same. It's still dismissive, it's still asserting that things that do not happen to or because of you personally are not worth considering, that your comfort is the only comfort that matters.

    It's very hard to believe that you're worth being helped by anyone, let alone a professional, when everyone around you is either ignoring that it happened, insisting that you shouldn't be acting this way because "I watch the news and it happens to a lot of people", or are encouraging you to "just get over it" especially by continually mentioning the event or the subject of the event. Also, "you need to get help" often sounds like an accusation, like they're accusing you of being too broken to be worth dealing with.
    A traumatized mind is often not a logical one. When something is affecting you on such a deeply emotional level, it's almost impossible to step back from it and analyze it logically for a considerable period after the events and yet this is what you appear to be insisting people do. Things simply do not work that way.

    I specifically stated that I didn't think shows with such content should be banned but that there should be a warning about content which is specifically trying to mirror recent traumatic events.
    Warning people in no way inconveniences those who want to watch such shows, it just gives people who don't want to break down into a quivering puddle of terrified sobs because of the subject matter a chance to avoid it. How is that a bad thing?



    I never suggested that getting past it was not an option, only that it is incredibly dismissive to tell people who are still sensitive to "just get over it" because the statement first dismisses their pain and then prioritizes your comfort over consideration for their situation.
    Getting past a trauma is something that should be worked toward but you don't tell someone, say, with their leg in a cast to "just get over" their broken leg and insist that they still run a marathon on it; it needs time to heal, yes? That's all I was saying, emotional trauma needs time to heal as much as any other injury does. To tell someone that their emotional injury should "just go away" because you don't care to deal with it tells that person that they don't matter, that their pain doesn't matter, and that there's no point in trying because if they're still broken when everyone else thinks they shouldn't be, maybe they're broken forever and there's no point in trying to heal anymore.
    "Is it still bothering you a lot?" "Do you want to talk about it?" "Is there anything I can do to help you move on?" "Maybe trying X would help you cope with it better." These are things that should be said to a trauma victim, these are supportive words that offer help and hope for recovery. When you tell someone to "just get over it" you're shutting them down and pushing them away which is the exact opposite of helpful.

    It was an analogy, not reference to an exact existing problem. This is why I said "It's LIKE..." not "it is the exact same as..."
     
  19. Gallowglass

    Gallowglass Contributor Contributor

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    We are far too sensitive to violence; more so than we are things like, say, nipples. It's reached a critical mass of silliness where if one more person objects to a punch thrown on-screen the universe will implode out of pity.

    Violence is - and this shouldn't be a surprise - a facet of existence, like love, kittens, and gas meters. It shouldn't be censored from our screens just because a (thankfully small) minority of people don't want such unpleasantries disrupting their comfy little bubble in which they pretend they're in an episode of Sylvanian Families and all life is butterflies.

    Sorry, this subject is...close to my heart :p
     

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