'02
Opinion
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, camera,
MTV deserves to be sued for candid camera prank
lawsuit
st exte-
w:
iiile no one has
accused MTV of
being the most
asteful producer of entertain-
nent, one would hope its
xecutives possess at least a
nodicum of human decency,
apparently, one would be wrong.
Recently, a couple from Washington,
eli tf[M).C. filed a lawsuit against MTV and Hard
re in see *ock Hotel for invasion of privacy, fraud
the offiepind mental anguish over an incident
tsser Aflinvolved in the taping of a segment for a
has k iew reality show. The show, entitled
‘Harassment,” was intended to be the
extreme sports version of “Candid Camera.”
James and Lauri Ann Ryan, as unwill-
ng participants in the show, checked into
he Hard Rock Hotel and when they went
:o their room, found what appeared to be a
nurder victim's corpse in the room.
Security guards and paramedics arrived
MICHAEL WHITLOW
;ey. In
d into
>ut wit:
‘fights.
Iran
)were
ie deatli
3^ _ ^ quickly to take away the body and ques-
you can swindle, backstab,
lie to or outperform enough
people, you win. Who
would want the youth of
America learning such
ideals, especially in the
hands of the leader of youth
culture: MTV. After all, isn’t this the
same company that brought us “Jackass”
a show that exalts notoriety above dignity
or even personal safety?
The sad thing is that in all its years, in
light of all its potential, this is where MTV
ended up. A small station that became a
cultural icon, that invented such campaigns
as Rock the Vote in order to inspire young
adults to vote in presidential elections, has
fallen to the point of placing fake corpses
in hotel rooms in order to get higher rat
ings. This is a company that was poised to
motivate the youth of a nation into politi
cal activism and cultural unity. To be fair,
they have still succeeded in this endeavor
to some degree. This success, however, is
offset by their decision to spray human
excrement on two teenage girls during the
taping of a show entitled “Dude, that
Sucks,” which never aired as a result of
other legal problems.
Instead of focusing their energy on
enlightening and educating our nation’s
youth, MTV decides to film corpses,
humans covered in feces, and re-run so
many episodes of “Real World” that they
have to create a second channel, MTV2, to
show the music videos they no longer have
time for on the original MTV.
Hopefully this lawsuit will succeed in
showing MTV and other network producers
they have a responsibility not to harm inno
cent people in the taping of their shows.
Michael Whitlow is a senior
English major.
tion the couple. The couple later dis-
zonek covered that the body was fake, the
DOorm: guards and paramedics were actors and
the entire proceeding had been taped
with hidden cameras.
The couple was understandably upset
and filed the lawsuit in April, though it
was recently moved to federal court.
The suit included the Hard Rock Hotel
because of its compliance with MTV’s
|scheme, as well as the show’s producer.
The fact that MTV even entertained
t 7:30it this idea for a moment, much less
ereirt: moved it into the production phase, is
‘ or mix appalling. No one ever said that all
ess,® lentertainment needs to be
iol I art. but exposing people to
ja ^ eS: 1 situations that are poten-
" dally traumatizing, and
Vri recordin g l * le ‘ r reaction
s ttfH ^ 0r a v °y euris tic indul-
S ence b° r< Jers on inhu-
P j! man. It also serves to
ipustrate the problems
w d/t reality television and
1 Iiv]/ v programming in
;_k»Jp ener al.
Reality television is
first and foremost any
thing but reality. Yes, it
Jtilizes individuals that
re not paid actors, but it
Iso places them in
xtremely artificial cir-
umstances set up to elicit
narrow range of
esponses. Almost all of
hem are nothing more
han glorified game
hows, with a large mone-
ary piece of cheese await-
ng whichever rat success-
ully navigates the maze
n question. Of course,
e are allowed to sit back
nd laugh at the pain and
truggles of individuals
long the way. Shows like
‘Love Cruise” or
[Temptation Island” make
mockery of human sen-
liment, and shows like
■‘American Idol” expose
Ihe destruction of human
Breams to public ridicule.
[ Of course all of this is
Nfl»kay, because as long as
j 10 p2'
eseafi
nfecM
vagirt
rmatioi
$150.
No more solicitors on campus
C onsumers are bombarded
every day with advertisements
and solicitations. Businesses
Biaye carried advertising past the
■point of TV and newspaper ads by
ANDIBACA
■Blitting untapped resources like col-
B e ge campuses to make a greater
profit. While it may be lucrative for the businesses, Texas A&M
Should not allow solicitations on campus.
At the beginning of every semester, business lepiesentatives set
3p all over campus to pressure students to sign up lor meichandise
mch as credit cards, newspapers and cell phones. The problem
with solicitors is the selling tactics they use to gain customers.
Many solicitors yell out announcements or personally address stu
dents as they pass by. Students often feel compelled to stop, even
'hough many do not want to, especially when they pass the same
dooth several times a day.
With more important matters on their minds, students have
'nore to worry about than filling out applications for credit cards
they do not need. , „ ^
The sales gimmicks companies use also take advantage o s u
dents. Solicitors know if they offer free stuff, they can draw more
students in. Students, especially freshmen, can easily be lured into
signing up for a five-year subscription to the Houston Cluonu e
Py an oversized, cheap T-shirt. ..
As most college students are constantly short on cash, solicitois
hempt to push credit cards as a money source to students. As the
at e of students graduating from college with credit card debt
increases, colleges need to help students avoid debt instead of
handing them the pen to sign up for a credit card.
Students might be less annoyed and pressured by solicitors if
they set up their tables in a better location. If A&M insists on sup
porting solicitors they should confine them to certain areas only,
such as the Memorial Student Center. Students expect to see tables
with recruiters and solicitors inside the MSC and are less likely to
feel annoyed by a solicitor.
Not all students may see solicitors as a problem. Students who
live on campus might see it as a convenient way to get a cell
phone or credit card. However, everything is convenient these
days, and if a student really needs their own Visa card, it is not dif
ficult to obtain one somewhere other than a campus solicitor.
If students were not bothered by them, they would not have
to resort to ignoring solicitors or even finding alternative routes
to class simply to avoid dealing with them. A college campus is
not the place for businesses to set up shop and take advantage of
the heavy traffic of students who just moved out of their par
ents’ house and have no idea how to balance money, much less
make a monthly financial commitment. Students already see
enough propaganda on campus because of student elections and
organization recruitment.
On-campus solicitation has become more of a nuisance to stu
dents than a convenience. A&M is an institution for learning and
should be kept as such.
Andi Baca is a senior
journalism major.
Page 7 • Monday, June 24, 2002
Anti-Muslim
speech harmful
T his month. Southern
Baptist Conference
leaders began attacking
the religion of Islam and its
founder Mohammed. Not only
were their comments extreme
ly prejudiced, they were also
hypocritical. The issues the leaders attacked are not limited to
Mohammed’s life and Islam.
Reverend Jerry Vines, in an address to the convention’s
pastors, called Mohammed a “demon-possessed pedophile.”
Other Southern Baptist Convention leaders such as President
James Merritt have refused to refute the statements, saying
that they are accurate.
It is historically acknowledged that Mohammed’s last
wife Aisha was nine or 10 when her father gave her to him.
The practice of girls marrying at a prepubescent age was
considered the norm of the time. All females during this peri
od, including those written of in the Bible, married extremely
early, usually between the ages of nine and 12, to ensure
their “purity.”
Mohammed, however, does not fit the definition of a
pedophile. The typical pedophile is unable to find satisfaction
in an adult sexual relationship and choose children because
the innocent are less threatening than adults.
Mohammed’s marriage to Aisha, according to historians,
was simply one of alliance. His other wives were all over the
age of 17, and nine were widows before they married him.
Half were widows over 30 years of age.
Calling Mohammed a pedophile was simply an inflamma
tory and bigoted remark. Reverend Vines attacked
Mohammed because he had 12 wives, but the practice of
polygyny — one man having many wives — was not uncom
mon during this time either. In the Bible, both King David
and King Solomon had hundreds of wives and concubines,
yet they were still considered to be in God’s favor. Many
wives lead to numerous children, and children were consid
ered economic commodities necessary to increasing family
wealth. The more children a family produced, the more
money they were able to earn.
Vines also said, “Allah is not Jehovah, either. Jehovah is
not going to turn anyone into a terrorist that will try to
bomb people.” However, doing something God tells you to
do and doing something “in the name of God” are two dif
ferent things.
Christian fundamentalists frequently commit terroristic
acts in the name of God. Groups such as The Army of God
have bombed women’s clinics and gay nightclubs in the past,
as well as killed doctors and harassed abortion clinic
employees. The Army of God manual calls for protesters to
leave nails in parking lots, to flood clinics with water and
even to rent construction equipment such as bulldozers to
destroy buildings.
Neal Horsley, creator of the pro-life “Nuremberg Files”
website, once published an online hit list. The list had hundreds
of names, personal information and pictures of pro-choice doc
tors and clinic workers. Former President Bill Clinton and
selected members of Congress were also on the list.
Horsley once stated that his website does not threaten
anyone, but New York obstetrician Barnett Slepian, who was
assassinated by a sniper while standing in his kitchen in
1998, was once included in Horsley's hit list. After his mur
der, Slepian was crossed off the list. The “Nuremberg Files”
now publishes pictures of women entering abortion clinics
on the Internet.
These are just a few examples of terroristic acts undertak
en in the name of Christianity. In the months since the Sept.
1 1 attacks. President Bush continues to remind Americans
that Islam is a peaceful religion, that the 19 men who carried
out the attacks were not representative of all Muslims; they
were fundamental extremists.
The bigoted and hypocritical Southern Baptist remarks
will create more hatred on both sides of the issue. They will
lead to more prejudice against people of the Islamic faith
who are trying to distance themselves from the acts of the
fundamentalists. The comments could also make targets of
Christian missionaries around the world. For Rev. Vines to
have made such comments shows a lack of.historical under
standing and a bigotry that America does not need in its
leadership today.
Jenelle Wilson is a junior
political science major.
JENELLE WILSON
MAIL CALL
Battalion coverage
of Corps not biased
Having read the numerous
accusations of systematic bias
by The Battalion against the
Corps of Cadets, 1 looked
through past issues of the
newspaper and found no evi
dence to substantiate the
claim that The Battalion has an
agenda to discredit the Corps.
As a former Battalion editor
and Corps first sergeant, I
know firsthand how Corps cul
ture often clashes with news
reporting. Overall, coverage of
the Corps in The Battalion has
been fair and balanced.
Last spring, there were 13
page one stories and photos
about the Corps, and the Corps
was mentioned in another 30
articles. Out of 71 issues, that
is a high percentage of cover
age. The Corps voter registra
tion drive, the Corps sweeping
the Yell leader elections and
the Corps Leadership
Excellence Program were
newsworthy and ran because
they were of interest to read
ers. The same applied to the
stories regarding a cadet
arrested for pornography and, I
am sure, to the stories about
the photographs of alleged
hazing.
Some of these stories are
definitely embarrassing to the
Corps and the University, but
do not constitute bias against
the Corps. 1 hope the bad con
tinues to be reported, just like
the positive is.
Every member of the Corps,
not just its leaders, should be
aware that as Keepers of the
Spirit, the public and media
will be more critical, as it
should be, when its members
do not hold themselves to the
higher standard they profess.
Mariano Castillo
Class of 2002