"In March 2003 MTV, another Viacom-owned entity, refused to accept a commercial opposing war in Iraq, citing a similar policy against advocacy spots that it says protects the channel from having to run ads from any cash-rich interest group whose cause may be loathsome. "The decision was made years ago that we don't accept advocacy advertising because
it really opens us up to accepting every point of view on every subject ," Graham James, a spokesman at MTV told the New York Times. The youth-oriented music station regularly airs recruitment ads for the U.S. Army. "
(rest of the article is here http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=17645)
This is very sad. A huge network with obviously a lot of influence over the population, especially on children, being threatened by the fact that "points of view" might make it on the air.
While this is depressing coming from a spokesperson for the powerful, I have been noticing it at many times in my humble life.
People, or I should say, Americans, tend not to be politically active. A lot of us don't even vote. But it goes beyond just apathy, way beyond.
Americans can and often do get angry and offended if you try to bring up politics. And I mean before a political stance is even spelled out. Just the mention of politics pisses people off. They view it as ruining their fun (just take a look at the message boards on Bruce Springsteen's website http://discussions.brucespringsteen.net/thread.jsp?forum=61&thread=57590).
This seems to be the problem:
"I mean, I did that thinking thing when I was school, but I graduated years ago!"
I've found this phenomenon at almost every crappy part time job I've worked at. I've found it amoungst smart, professional people. Amoung people young and old. I know nobody wants to be bothered with politics all the time. But it seems to me that people's priorities are a little out of whack.
We get so riled up and care so much about and don't mind talking endlessly about a sports team that doesn't have any bearing on our lives outside of how much money we're willing to spend on paraphenalia and chicken wings, yet get OFFENDED when a conversation begins about people who will affect out lives greatly. Yes, politicians lie, cheat and steal. Well, baseball players gobble down ephedra, basketball players rape their girlfriends and wrestlers aren't even competing! So, nobody's perfect.
The same goes for movie stars. At their best, at least movie stars have the ability to be part of a great film that can get people thinking; the best movies are political statements. But we don't care so much about that, as we do about what they wear, where they shop, and apparently how much more amazingly awesome their houses and cars are than ours. So, again, people are so obsessed with a spectacle that has nothing to do with them that they reject conversations about things that everything to do them.
If you don't believe me, here's a short list of situations where the "fun" or "glamour" was ruined and pissed people off. Again, not just because of what they said but also because they said anything at all.
- Michael Moore at the Oscars. He, despite the fact that his film was anti-violence, was "out of line" when he mentioned his dissent against Bush. Again, this from anti-war or apathetic-to-war people who just tuned in for dresses and crappy speeches, not a challenging message.
- The Dixie Chicks. Need I say more. Bruce Springsteen, the same thing. Steve Earle, Willy Nelson...
- Related to above, CBS not airing MoveOn.org's ad.
We just don't want our "fun" spoiled.
Is it any surprise that political races are starting to look a lot like NASCAR races? How else could we get over the imaginary "it's not fun" wall? Oh yeah, we could move on to the fifth grade.