TV-Movies-lack of morality-where do you draw the line?

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I’ve started watching a new show called “Modern Family.” It’s hilarious…if you can ignore all of the immoral undertones.

So when is enough enough? For those not familiar with the show, it is about today’s modern family…A divorced dad, remarried to a divorced woman. This dad has a son (who is gay) and a daughter. The daughter is married to a man and has 3 children. The son has a partner and they adopted a girl. The dad’s wife is a young woman with a son the age of this man’s grandchildren. Typical modern family…

The other day I was watching an episode, and it really wasn’t until later when i thought about what they were trying to say without coming out and saying it. The homosexual partners invited their pediatrician over to try to win some type of favoritism with her. During brunch, their adopted daughter Lily says her first words, “Momma.” The men have a breakdown because they are both “Daddy” so why wouldn’t her first words be “Daddy” instead of “Momma.” In the end, the pediatrician told the story of how her mother wants her to be a steriotypical asian woman who isn’t a doctor, but instead married and raising children and so on. She points out that it was her father that encouraged her to pursue her dreams. She even made the statement,“Having a mother isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be.”

It’s hard to ignore that because it is (in my opinion) so anti-family. So, where do you draw the line? It’s not this show. Every show or movie has some undertone of immorality that is considered The Norm. So, do we just stop watching TV and Movies? Do we accept some things and not others? If it’s not the pro-same sex lifestyle being pushed, it’s the sexual promiscuity, or some other type of social norm that we (should) know is wrong.

My husband and I cancelled cable about a year ago. Our computer is hooked up to the TV so we watch episodes on Hulu, nothing real-time. We also never go out to movies anymore. We didn’t make any of these choices because of the morality issue, but because of monetary reasons. However, it has been a blessing in disguise. But, are we supposed to go the next step and completely avoid all of these types of entertainment?
 
This took 40 years to accomplish. It happened very gradually. In the 1960s, all TV programs were designed for the entire family. Certain words were never spoken.

In the past, movies showed love and romance but that’s turned into ‘just sex.’

The 1950s and most of the 1960s reflected Christian values. That changed as more writers demanded freedom to show a little then a little more and then a little more. Profanity is now common in “comedy.” That never happened before.

Things changed for the worse. Even heroes turned into anti-heroes and then dark heroes.

If there is any other fruitful way to spend your time, I recommend doing that. At one time, the TV was a guest in our home, now, it’s this foul-mouthed, vulgar and oversexualized thing. At one time, you could go out for dinner and a movie. Today, the choices are very limited and mostly immoral. As Catholics, we need to engage with things that have some virtue and we have to avoid being indifferent to sin and immorality. The Catholic ideal should not be divorced parent and other divorced parent. This is not a version of normal we should want for ourselves.

Hope this helps,
Ed
 
I find that increasingly, I don’t want to watch stuff that will offend me. I will watch the news and I love a good film, but I watch EWTN more than anything else now!
 
I find it increasingly hard to find a decent show, and so I end up watching very little at all.
Netflix helps, as does DVR.

I suppose the television producers would think I drew the line too high.
 
JAGCath28 said:
My husband and I cancelled cable about a year ago. Our computer is hooked up to the TV so we watch episodes on Hulu, nothing real-time. We also never go out to movies anymore. We didn’t make any of these choices because of the morality issue, but because of monetary reasons. However, it has been a blessing in disguise. But, are we supposed to go the next step and completely avoid all of these types of entertainment?
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When it comes to judging movies and shows, I prefer to wait till the end and see how things add up. Then I weigh the moral pros and cons. To be honest, stuff like violence and promiscuity can be minor details if a movie/show has a strong, positive meaning (take 300 for example). I take all messages that are being promoted and check which is being more emphasized, which is the main theme etc.

In the case of your show though, sounds like another typical liberal sit-com. I can’t say I find it original. :rolleyes:
 
Ed is always kind enough to give us the snapshot of the last 40 years in the entertainment industry. 🙂 It’s none too pleasant.

I wouldn’t say you need to swear off all TV (though there’s not really much of a downside to such a choice). We all definitely need to be discerning, though. “Modern Family” doesn’t seem like a good choice to me. Just another show to show to reassure us that being dysfunctional is a condition to be embraced rather than something to try to avoid.
 
Well, Joe. That’s the point, isn’t it? I just can’t understand how dysfunctional became entertaining. I used to enjoy watching people with great skills on TV. Singers, dancers, magicians. Interesting and fun.

But now, it’s embrace the darkness. And who can forget that lovable serial killer, Dexter. You can buy the first season on DVD. Oh yeah. When a guy who cuts up people in his spare time… Well, I hope everyone gets the idea.

Peace,
Ed
 
One thing I found especially irritating is an otherwise decent show with a piece of immorality I cannot overlook.
 
I find I draw the line A LOT with the sitcoms and drama shows on TV. TV itself is not bad, that’s like saying the computer is bad because of the garbage that sometimes pops up when you google something. You have to make your choices wisely. When to draw the line is a personal choice, of course but I think if a particular show is starting to make you think that maybe you shouldn’t be watching it after the fact, its time to find something different to watch.
 
here is an excellent article on “the harmful effects of tv” by Father Flood,
fssp.com/press/2010/02/the-harmful-effects-of-the-television/

i personally do not even watch tv or any movies, except like saint stories or other religious shows, and even those i only watch once in a while,
when i first stopped watching tv, it was because my room was being renovated and i had no cable at that time, and that actually took a few months, but i noticed during that time, i was just alot more happy and at peace, and when i realized that, i just said forget it and didn’t get the cable put back in,

of course now i know alot more on why we shouldn’t watch tv, like what it does to your mind, what it does to your morals, how it influences you,
not to say that tv in and of itself is bad, cause it’s not, but that article i linked should explain alot of that, and not just what the tv does, but how it does it.
 
This is an excellent topic!

Very good question. I guess for me when certain immoral acts on the screen cease to serve the storyline, that’s the line that I draw…and difficult to draw at that.

What I mean by that is that when you’re going to see a movie or a TV show in a series that you’ve never seen before, how can I be sure that it will be what I think it will about?

Example: The Sopranos. It’s about the mob. The primary characters are not salt-of-the-earth types. I expect them to curse and swear, I expect them to drink to excess and take drugs. I expect them to be unfaithful to their wives. I expect them to do bad guy stuff, steal, assault, kill, etc.

So when I watch the Sopranos, I pretty much know what to expect. Having seen a couple of episodes, I know/knew that on occasion there would be some graphic language or violence or suggestive sex. IMHO, whatever was put in there served the plot well.

Other times, I’ve seen TV or movies where they’d have, for example, a prolonged sex scene; something silly like the Bourne movies where they’re running from the bad guys but have enough time for a romp in the sack. Such scenes don’t serve the storyline. Guy finds girl, guy you-know-what’s-girl then goes on with his life.

Similarly with the Bond movies, except the last two where the Daniel Craig character actually seems to fall in love with the girl and wants to spend the rest of his life with her rather than just roll her.

Anyway, if I’m in the mood for a gangster movie, I sort of know what to expect; the characters acting immorally, and I’m OK with that to a point. But if I’m watching a mystery/adventure movie where unexpectedly (and nowadays everything from Hollywood pretty much has some sex ***expected)***the characters end up with some sack time, I’m not OK with that.

Very occasionally there is a film or TV show out there where nothing gratuitous happens, neither excessive violence or sex, and it’s a pleasure to watch.
 
edwest2 said:
Well, Joe. That’s the point, isn’t it? I just can’t understand how dysfunctional became entertaining. I used to enjoy watching people with great skills on TV. Singers, dancers, magicians. Interesting and fun.
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Well in their defense, the whole human race is dysfunctional. We don’t live in Candyland. I’m not surprised people got tired of the all the light and fluff of the 50s because it all looked so fake compared to their reality.

It’s why I like the dark anti-heroes you despise so much. Cuz despite all the magic, the superpowers, the weapons, and the looks you can give them, they’re still human and suffer like any other average person.
 
I can’t see anything entertaining about television shows about dysfunctional families. I’d rather read a good book.

About ten years ago I made the decision to stop cable. I was a widow then, so didn’t have to make that decision with my husband. And then I realized that even the little bit that was left for me to see on TV wasn’t worth it, so I stopped watching it altogether. I just use my old TV screen for DVD’s of good movies. It had become hard to watch TV for more than three minutes without being offended by content of the show, or a commercial.

I don’t miss TV at all. I get my news on my computer, and like to do research on it. Forums like this and two others take up the time that I used to watch TV.
 
Lost_Wanderer said:
Well in their defense, the whole human race is dysfunctional. We don’t live in Candyland. I’m not surprised people got tired of the all the light and fluff of the 50s because it all looked so fake compared to their reality.

It’s why I like the dark anti-heroes you despise so much. Cuz despite all the magic, the superpowers, the weapons, and the looks you can give them, they’re still human and suffer like any other average person.
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That’s a fair point. However, I do think there is a difference between the timeless tragic hero (who strives to do good even though he/she is flawed) and simply reveling in our fallen nature. Certain movies and TV shows that strive to be “true to life” are just depressing to watch.
 
Joe_5859 said:
That’s a fair point. However, I do think there is a difference between the timeless tragic hero (who strives to do good even though he/she is flawed) and simply reveling in our fallen nature. Certain movies and TV shows that strive to be “true to life” are just depressing to watch.
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I suppose there are but I haven’t run into any form of fiction like that yet, thankfully. :o
 
When it comes to anything we view or listen to, we need to ask ourselves this question. Would Jesus Christ approve of it? It doesn’t matter what other people think, what would Christ think of it? We try to rationalize our actions many times, although, deep down we know they are wrong. “For where thy treasure is, there is thy heart also.” (Matthew 6:21) Is our heart with Christ or with the immorality in the entertainment industry. Anything immoral, whether music, movies or TV, is a pathway for the devil. It is not so innocent as a lot of people seem to think. It affects our mind and soul, just look at our current culture.
 
If you find it entertaining on the intellectual or emotional level, go ahead and watch. If you feel it is negatively effecting you, stop. If you feel it is absorbing too much of your time, cut back or stop. The TV is no different from any other form on entertainment- aside from it’s accessibility. You are almost certainly emotionally and mentally mature enough not to imitate what you see on TV.
 
JAGCath28 said:
I’ve started watching a new show called “Modern Family.” It’s hilarious…if you can ignore all of the immoral undertones.

So when is enough enough? For those not familiar with the show, it is about today’s modern family…A divorced dad, remarried to a divorced woman. This dad has a son (who is gay) and a daughter. The daughter is married to a man and has 3 children. The son has a partner and they adopted a girl. The dad’s wife is a young woman with a son the age of this man’s grandchildren. Typical modern family…

The other day I was watching an episode, and it really wasn’t until later when i thought about what they were trying to say without coming out and saying it. The homosexual partners invited their pediatrician over to try to win some type of favoritism with her. During brunch, their adopted daughter Lily says her first words, “Momma.” The men have a breakdown because they are both “Daddy” so why wouldn’t her first words be “Daddy” instead of “Momma.” In the end, the pediatrician told the story of how her mother wants her to be a steriotypical asian woman who isn’t a doctor, but instead married and raising children and so on. She points out that it was her father that encouraged her to pursue her dreams. She even made the statement,“Having a mother isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be.”

It’s hard to ignore that because it is (in my opinion) so anti-family. So, where do you draw the line? It’s not this show. Every show or movie has some undertone of immorality that is considered The Norm. So, do we just stop watching TV and Movies? Do we accept some things and not others? If it’s not the pro-same sex lifestyle being pushed, it’s the sexual promiscuity, or some other type of social norm that we (should) know is wrong.

My husband and I cancelled cable about a year ago. Our computer is hooked up to the TV so we watch episodes on Hulu, nothing real-time. We also never go out to movies anymore. We didn’t make any of these choices because of the morality issue, but because of monetary reasons. However, it has been a blessing in disguise. But, are we supposed to go the next step and completely avoid all of these types of entertainment?
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A few years ago I would have probably watched and laughed.

Now I can not.

We have allowed (through sheer business, the false god of ‘tolerance’, or for whatever reason) the airwaves to become purveyors of filth.

This is wrong. And I am sensing a ground-swell that is destined to take back the airwaves. We have a right to decent entertainment, and we have a right not to be exposed to a moral cesspool.

No one has the right to impose moral filth on others. Too often, the cry of artistsic freedom is just a disguise for someone reading straight off Satan’s teleprompter.

I utterly disagree with anyone who says, ‘If you don’t like it, don’t watch.’ There is a HUGE difference between freedom and license, and in this, I side with Fadda John Corapi.
 
edwest2 said:
This took 40 years to accomplish. It happened very gradually. In the 1960s, all TV programs were designed for the entire family. Certain words were never spoken.

In the past, movies showed love and romance but that’s turned into ‘just sex.’

The 1950s and most of the 1960s reflected Christian values. That changed as more writers demanded freedom to show a little then a little more and then a little more. Profanity is now common in “comedy.” That never happened before.

Things changed for the worse. Even heroes turned into anti-heroes and then dark heroes.

If there is any other fruitful way to spend your time, I recommend doing that. At one time, the TV was a guest in our home, now, it’s this foul-mouthed, vulgar and oversexualized thing. At one time, you could go out for dinner and a movie. Today, the choices are very limited and mostly immoral. As Catholics, we need to engage with things that have some virtue and we have to avoid being indifferent to sin and immorality. The Catholic ideal should not be divorced parent and other divorced parent. This is not a version of normal we should want for ourselves.

Hope this helps,
Ed
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I agree with you that discernment is necessary. I agree with you that we Catholics - in fact, anyone who believes in promoting decency and goodness - should not be indiscriminate in what we’re willing to engage.

But I think the picture you paint is a bit too negative. You said, “Today, the choices [if you want to see a movie] are very limited and mostly immoral.” I disagree.

Now, I don’t go out to the movies very often, so maybe I’m wrong. But there were plenty of movies in the past year that were worth seeing/promoting. I saw Frost/Nixon, I saw Doubt, I saw - quite recently - The Book of Eli. Those were good and thought-provoking.

Also - I’m not really addressing you here, Ed, but others - immoral content itself is not the issue, it’s how it’s portrayed. A movie or TV show that glorifies immorality or dysfunction should not be promoted, nor should one that consistently portrays them gratuitously (whether it’s promoted or not). But neither of those is the same as simply portraying them. The question is, How are they portrayed?

The only show I’m following at the moment - LOST - is well-worth watching. I admit, however, that I only watched one other show in the last half of this decade (that was NBC’s Kings, if anyone cares to know). I started watching V but probably won’t continue; it was good but not that good.

Finally, I strongly object to those who have cast suspicion on TV itself as a medium of storytelling (which is just silly and paranoid), or who asserted - in a painfully overgeneralized way - that “books” are better than “TV.” TV is younger than books, so yes, there are more books that are good literature than TV shows in existence. Furthermore, TV seems far more prey to the kind of commercialism which kills quality. But there’s nothing intrinsic to the TV show as a way of telling a story that makes it inferior.

That said, many people find that, on a practical level, it rarely offers anything worth watching. More power to you on that. In fact, I may qualify as such a person (though I don’t consider myself to be of that opinion), since I watch only LOST.
 
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