Vigilance

I CONSIDER it my luck that my work and other concerns regularly keep me from watching TV. I get to watch it only on trips, when the buses or boats I take just turn it on and I have no way to escape it.

Occasional viewing and some complaints mostly from parents, however, give me an idea of the very low state to which many TV shows, especially the gossip shows about starlets and other media "items," have sunk.

There is so much vulgarity, so much frivolity and inanity that you sometimes wonder where the sense of decency, of refinement and ethics has fled. The word that can summarize the whole phenomenon is decadence.

Sorry to say this, but with the many screaming faggots, loose women, naïve youngsters and hardened hustlers and perverts acting as hosts or guests, what else can we expect?

It's really nauseating to hear them speak as if they do not have to bother about morality. They hardly show any fear of God.

It's a pity, because I know that many of these TV personalities are otherwise very talented, articulate and intelligent. If only they can behave properly! Everyone is expected to do that, right?

I strongly feel that something has to be done about all this. These shows not only pose a clear and present danger to all of us, they also are surely creating a culture and mentality not in keeping with human dignity.

Charity is shredded to pieces as insults are traded, all sorts of detractions and even calumnies (I wonder if these words are understood) are openly aired out, certain people are made fun of, etc.

It seems all the mad dogs of human folly are let loose in these shows. A real shame to all of us!

No, I don't think we are talking about "bakya" [low-brow] versus "class" here. We are simply talking about basic decency that should be present in all of us regardless of whether you are in the A or B or C and D markets.

It's times to do some active, even aggressive vigilance on the part of the public, especially parents, teachers, public officials, business leaders, and youth.

Some of us can monitor the shows more closely, others can start campaigning against the bad shows or do some liaison work with those involved in the shows -- from producers and sponsors to TV network officials and stars.

Yes, there may be times when we can boycott a particular show, or boycott the products of the companies sponsoring these shows. But there should be initiatives to reach out and do some truly educational efforts for entertainers.

Many of us can start writing letters to editors, make phone calls to radio stations and TV channels airing concern, or with the cell phones start bombarding text messages to people concerned.

We have to debunk the fallacy to which many have fallen, which says that in order to be entertaining and at the same time make money, the shows have to be low and rotten. That's really crazy.

Producers and the network officials should not just depend on ratings. These are morally blind indicators. They should have a keen sensitivity to the fact that the TV can wield tremendous power of influence on the people.

Thus, they should set the standards of what is truly good for public consumption. This, of course, presumes they have a good grounding on what really make for authentic human dignity and common good.

They have to be clear-minded and strong to resist the many temptations that can come their way. This because they have to heed to what Saint Paul once warned us all:
"For many walk, of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is ruin, their god is the belly, their glory is their shame." (Phil 3,18-19)

In the end we can never ignore the ultimate and constant way of looking at things, especially in the world of entertainment -- we have to discern the forces of darkness and those of light, of evil and of good, that are at work always.

We need to be vigilant all the time!