Opinion
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Friday, February 25,1994
The Battalion
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1
. M. J
PRO
I.A
CON
Should nudity he allowed on
network TV?
ince its be
ginning,
television
has been a
means of enter
taining the
public. It, like
no other medi
um, can show a
mirror image of
society.
Through drama
and comedy
programs, the
viewer sees the
triumphs and
faults of the
world they live
in. Historically, this view has been
highly censored though.
Instead of getting anything close
to real life, audiences got "Leave It to
Beaver" and "Father Knows Best." I
guess all the kids in those days
thought their parents were weird if
their dad didn't do everything in a
three piece suit and their mother
didn't sleep in a separate bed. There
were few, if any, black or Hispanic
characters, and even then most were
not positive.
It wasn't until almost 30 years af
ter TV began broadcasting that
shows were finally being aired in
which society's problems were being
"N.Y.P.D. Blue" is trying to
push the envelope by using
curse words and some nude
scenes. The cursing and nu
dity adds to the story line
by showing the viewer how
these people live.
addressed. In the early '70s, "All in
the Family" made history when a
black George Jefferson moved next to
the white bigot, Archie Bunker. Here
was love, hate and respect in the
same show.
Since then television has grown
with programs such as "Good
Times," "M.A.S.H.," "Hill Street
Blues," "Roseanne" and "The Cosby
Show." These shows, along with
many others, have broadened peo
ple's perspectives of what society re
ally is. Some were meant for the
whole family, some were not.
Now a non-family show like the
controversial "N.Y.P.D. Blue" is try
ing to push the envelope further by
using curse words and some nude
scenes. The show does not compare
to a "Porky's" movie, but it is the
first 'R'- rated television show.
That does not mean that the show
has no redeeming values, however. It
shows common people in their every
day lives reacting to society. The
cursing and nudity are never used as
a sideshow; they just happen to be a
part of the characters' routines. It is
definitely not pornographic, and it
adds to the story line by showing the
viewer how these people live.
Still, people object to it because it
airs on network television in the last
hour of prime time when some chil
dren may be watching. What these
objectors don't realize is that most of
the kids who are still up could also
turn the cable a couple of stations
and see something much worse.
A new dawn of television broad
casting is coming, and it is pro
grammed for mature audiences. They
deal with adult subjects and have
adult material. We should just be
adult about it.
ach season
as the net
works
compete for
higher Nielson
ratings, the level
of gratuitous vi
olence, language
and sex scenes
increases. The
latest addition is
nudity. The net
works argue, as
with the contro
versial detective
show,
"NYPD Blue,"
that the nudity
is essential to a realistic depiction of
American life. The lives of tough, big-
city cops probably do contain a certain
amount of sexual activity. But, do we
really need to see the entire human
body in order to understand what is
happening when a couple rolls around
under the sheets?
By diverting attention from the story
line, sex scenes — especially those in
volving nudity — take away from oth
erwise excellent programs. Rod Dyer, a
critic with the Washington Times, says
that although the characters in "NYPD
Blue" "reek of humanness," the show
could be improved "by a little sanitiz
ing." The controversy over the nude
scenes has greatly overshadowed the
show's merits.
With all the nudity in movies today,
many people argue that it is only natur
al for television to follow suit. "They're
going to see it anyway," is the attitude
of many television producers. Yes, we
are. Unfortunately.
According to Bradley Greenburg, a
professor at Michigan State University,
the average teenager is exposed to up to
4,000 sexual references each year
through television and movies. Such ex
posure does effect us. When studying
girls who watch soap operas, Green-
The lives of big-city cops
probably do contain a cer
tain amount of sexual activi
ty. But do we really need to
see the entire human body
to understand what is hap
pening under the sheets?
burg found them to have a distorted
view of the occurrence of premarital
and extramarital affairs.
Not only does nudity intensify the
sexual references on television, it also
sets the standard for the human body.
When teenage girls see a nude woman
on television, they immediately com
pare themselves to the actress on the
screen, and many feel they don't mea
sure up. Nudity on television only adds
to the "need" for plastic surgery, un
healthy diets and eating disorders.
Obviously, nobody is forced to
watch television. Anyone can change
the channel after the first glimpse of an
unnecessary nude scene. Theoretically,
parents monitor what their children
watch. But realistically, that job is very
difficult. Most parents work and are not
always home to monitor the television.
And what about when children are
playing with friends whose parents
don't restrict television viewing?
By broadcasting nudity on televi
sion, the networks are placing a burden
on their viewers. Because nudity adds
nothing to a program that couldn't be
achieved through suggestive yet unre
vealing camera shots, the networks
have sacrificed the interests of their
viewers in a blatant ratings bid.
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Dave Winder is a sophomore journalism
major
Melissa Megliola is a senior industrial
engineering major
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R-E-S-P-E-C-T: find out what it means
Economic, social status key issues in gender equality
LYNN
BOOHER
Columnist
I magine, if you
will, a universe
opposite of ours.
A place where men
hurry down the
street to underpaid
jobs, wearing push
up jock straps as a
chorus of, "Hey, big
fella, show us what
ya got," rains down
from female con
struction workers.
Televisions blare
commercials where
sons say, "Dad, what
do you do when you
get that itchy feel
ing?" Outrageous? It's the kind of world
women deal with every day.
I recently went to a party where a young
man informed me that women should be
required to sign up for the draft if they
want to be considered equal. Once this
were law, he said, equality would be as
sured.
My initial reaction was one of frustration
that anyone in modem society could be so
simplistic in their ignorance. It did, howev
er, provoke a lot of thought about just how
far women are from gaining equality both
socially and legally.
For any woman who is out in the real
world, the huge discrepancy in pay be
tween men and women for the same job is
daunting. I have never understood why my
mother gets paid less than the men who
work under her, especially since she has
more experience and puts considerably
more time and effort into the job than some
of them.
The trend of lower pay for females ex
tends across all jobs, whether in govern
ment or in the private sector. The two ex
ceptions are modeling and prostitution.
Only government legislation insuring that
both sexes receive equal pay for the same
work can right this wrong.
In case anyone's noticed, pay discrepan
cies aren't the only problem for women in
the work place. Getting respect from male
coworkers is often a big hurdle.
It's ridiculous to assume that the reason
there isn't an equal number of women po
litical leaders or corporate executives is be
cause there aren't enough qualified women
to fill these positions. A more plausible rea
son is that it is difficult for qualified womtm
to gain respect from men, and sometimes
even from other women who may feel un
comfortable about another female passing
them in a certain career or, in the case of
politics, stepping out of the bounds of the
traditional temaYeroIe.
Luckily, sexual harassment is getting a
lot of play in the media, but stopping ha
rassment alone won't stop discrimination.
Socially, women don't have it much easi
er. A woman who shows strength and
stands up for her rights often has to con
tend with unfounded name-calling, ranging
from various forms of the word "lesbian" to
just plain "bitch."
Television commercials promote the im
age of women as inferior, whether they're
bimbos hanging onto men in beer commer
cials, models who want to please men in
make-up commercials, or women who
don't mind discussing their latest yeast in
fection or whether they douche on national
TV. I ha ve yet to see a comparable ad
aimed at men.
Movies aren't any better. It's a much-
hyped rarity to see male frontal nudity in a
film, but naked women in movies have
been around longer than I have.
Children's toys are also outrageous. I'd
love to see a G.I. Joe doll with the same
monstrous proportions Barbie has. Girls are
taught early on by their dolls and fashion
magazines that they are expected to be thin
and gorgeous.
What about women in athletics? High
school girls are discouraged soda lly from
playing sports other tium volleyball or ten
nis because anything else is seen as "too
manly."
Five-time Olympic gold medalist Bonnie
Blair gets very little recognition from the
press or the public for her achievements.
One has to wonder what the difference
would be if she looked like Cindy Craw
ford. Nancy Kerrigan certainly gets a lot
more recognition than she would if she
weren't beautiful. I heard one man lament
that "the pretty one" had to be the one to
get hurt.
Don't forget the "virgin-whore dichoto
my" that exists in sexucif standards, the fear
of being attacked when alone anywhere,
and many other pertinent concerns;.
Where does all this leave societ}' as a
whole? Until more women speak out, the
few who do will continue to be persecuted.
Perhaps men who make arguments like
"making the draft a requirement for
women will make them equal" should
reevaluate their motives. It seems that
someone who was truly concerned with
equal rights for both sexes would empha
size more important issues, like equal eco
nomic and social status.
Lynn Booher is a sophomore English and
psychology major
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The Battalion-Mail Oiil
^1994^
Aggie ring worth wait
I feel bad for Aggies that can't afford
their senior rings. I feel bad for Aggies
who will be seniors and have to wait an
other year (30 hours) to order their rings.
I do not feel bad for Aggies who have
been enrolled for one year (30 hours) and
want their rings — whether they are the
class of '96 or transfer students.
The A&M ring is awarded for hours at
A&M. Thirty hours is not enough, or
sophomores would have rings.
It seems to me that transfer students
are attending college for an education
and/or a degree. If they are so desperate
for a ring, they should wear their JC ring.
And if they are so desperate for an A&M
ring, then they should have started here
at A&M.
The A&M ring is worth the wait; I am
still waiting, and transfer students should
wait, too.
Lisa K. Lattu
Class of '95
Something is rotten
in state of Denmark
It is now possible to say there is no jus
tice in the state of Texas. Never before in
my lifetime have I seen or heard of such a
blatant political misuse of judicial powers.
Kay Bailey Hutchison, Mike Tigar,
Dick DeGuerin and the so-called judge
who presided over this obviously unethi
cal proceeding should be run out of this
state.
First, let's consider the tremendous in
sult to the integrity of the good people of
Austin by claiming Hutchison could not
get a fair and impartial hearing in our
state's capital. Then, let's consider the in
sult to the intelligence of all the people of
the state of Texas whose tax dollars pay
her salary.
What the people of Texas need to ask
themselves is why a judge who has not
sat on the bench or presided over a crimi
nal case for 15 years was picked to pre
side over a case as important and contro
versial as this one!
Another question which must be ad
dressed is why the judge refused to rule
on evidence which was vital to the Travis
County District Attorney's case when he
had three weeks to do so.
At the very least, the refusal to make
such a crucial ruling in a criminal case
and then ordering the jury's decision
without hearing any evidence or argu
ment from either side, smacks of a sold-
out judicial system that allows suppres
sion of crucial evidence in a criminal
court proceeding.
To me the answer is as plain as the
nose on my face. The Dallas-Fort Worth
area is Kay Bailey Hutchison's backyard.
It is also the location of the largest group
of her political supporters and allies.
There is a tangled web of political con
spiracy being weaved in the state of
Texas. But I say it is not by the Travis
County District Attorney, as has been
suggested, but rather it is being spun by
Kay Bailey Hutchison.
If Hutchison is representative of what
fiscal conservatism stands for, then it is
time for not only all Texans, but all Amer
icans to utilize their right to vote to
cleanse not only the federal but state gov
ernments of these unethical parasites.
William H. Foster
Vidor, Texas
Umbrella theft last
sign of corrupt world
I write this letter fox two reasons. First,
as a lost and found piece, and second as a
warning to all students at Texas A&M of
the kind of people that live among us.
OK, the story: on Feb. 21, I went to my
11:30 math class just as I always do except
that I carried my trusty umbrella in one
hand because that morning had been a lit
tle cloudy. I placed the umbrella in the cor
ner of 107 Heldenfels ;md went on with a
normal class. At the end, I put my note
book in my backpack and prepared to
leave. I looked in the comer to notice that
my umbrella had been stolen.
Now, I'm not going to go into some big
soapbox about two-percenters, Aggie hon
or or which way Highway 6 actually runs.
This has nothing to do with Aggies or be
ing a true Aggie or whatever else people
love to preach about. This has to do with
the fact that there is a class of people out
there that will actually steal your umbrella.
I mean if I had left my watch or money in
the comer, then I think I might deserve to
have had them stolen. But an umbrella?
What kind of world do we live in where a
person can't feel safe propping their um
brella in a comer? Well, I guess I learned
something.
So now you people have a right. This is
not an "Aggie right." It's the right of every
red-blooded umbrella owner. If you see
someone with a black and white Wilson
umbrella (the big golf kind), ask them
where they got it. Ask them if they got it in
Heldenfels. If so, then look them straight in
the face and tell them that it's not theirs;
it's Chad Hastings', and he wants it back.
And to the person who took it, if it was
a simple mistake, fine. Just a simple apolo
gy and my umbrella is all I need. But if
you actually intended to steal another hu
man being's umbrella, I truly feel sorry for
you. So enjoy the next southern Texas
shower unaer the dxy, comforting heaven
that is my umbrella!
Chad Hastings
Class of'97