Would buying accessories of a bad TV show be sinful?

[EphelDuath]

For example, if you bought a T-shirt that has a slogan from the Office or Seinfeld. Both of these shows seem to encourage and/or glorify pre-marital sex and other sins, but is wearing a t-shirt that has the inside joke also promoting these sins by proxy?

 

[Irish_Becca]

Hmmm… I love both of those shows. Maybe I’m not the best one to answer this, but I enjoy watching those shows without enjoying the glorification of the sin. So, I would buy the shirt.

 

[Lorrie]

Hmmm… I love both of those shows. Maybe I’m not the best one to answer this, but I enjoy watching those shows without enjoying the glorification of the sin. So, I would buy the shirt.

I love both of those shows, too. I would buy the t-shirt AND the hat.

 

[Brooklyn]

I also find these shows very funny, but I have stopped watching them for the very reason that they do glorify a totally hedonistic life style, where sex is seen as no more than going to dinner with someone, and people just use other people. In Seinfeld, the main characters are extremely selfish and everything they do is for the benefit of themselves, completely opposite to the way our Lord lived and preached. I know they are attractive and funny, but let’s face it, their lives are the antithesis of Christianity.

So therefore, I would feel that if you buy and wear accessories from these shows, you are helping to perpetuate their philosophies, which are opposite to Christianity. If any of us live that way, we would be and are in a state of mortal sin. Why would you want to promote that in any way?

 

[tjm190]

You’re endorsing the shows as entertaining, not stating that you approve of the philosophy behind them- If you were buying a Nietzsche t-shirt, that might be a conflict.

 

[Brooklyn]

You’re endorsing the shows as entertaining, not stating that you approve of the philosophy behind them- If you were buying a Nietzsche t-shirt, that might be a conflict.

But that “entertainment” is watching people engage in mortal sin, the sin that put our Saviour on the cross. In many ways it is the same as buying a Nietzsche t-shirt.

 

[Booter]

I have Dunder Mifflin Paper Co. Shirts for the Scranton Parade Day.
On the back it says,
“Ain’t no party like a Scranton party
cause a Scranton party don’t stop.”
Michael Scott

This doesn’t mean I endorse immoral behavior. I love
the office and seinfeld. The whole point of seinfeld, is
that the characters are the exact opposite of what it
means to be a good person, that’s what the judge points
out in the last episode. Now they do it in a hilarious way,
but I just try to live the opposite of the characters, like george
did in the one episode

 

[Lorrie]

I have Dunder Mifflin Paper Co. Shirts for the Scranton Parade Day.
On the back it says,
“Ain’t no party like a Scranton party
cause a Scranton party don’t stop.”
Michael Scott

This is great! Too funny!

This doesn’t mean I endorse immoral behavior. I love
the office and seinfeld. The whole point of seinfeld, is
that the characters are the exact opposite of what it
means to be a good person, that’s what the judge points
out in the last episode. Now they do it in a hilarious way,
but I just try to live the opposite of the characters, like george
did in the one episode

Jerry Seinfeld: You know, chicken salad’s not the opposite of tuna. Salmon’s the opposite of tuna, because salmon swim against the current and the tuna swim with it.George Costanza: Good for the tuna.

 

[Portrait]

But that “entertainment” is watching people engage in mortal sin, the sin that put our Saviour on the cross. In many ways it is the same as buying a Nietzsche t-shirt.

Dear Brooklyn,

You have it the hammer on the nail bang on. All this discussion about buying merchandise misses the fundamental issue, viz, the morally contemptible programmes themselves. People who waste time watching this deplorable and morally depraved material ought, if they are professing Christains, to be thoroughly ashamed of themselves. Such programmes are not only mind polluting and time consumming but they encourage and excite unholy and unwholesome thoughts that can be the occasion of many hurtful lusts and sins. Surely dear friends we cannot sit passively watching scantily dressed men and women engaging in pre-marital sex and other sins of the flesh and remain unscathed - “can a man carry fire in his bosom and his clothes not be scorched” (Prov. 6: 27). Bearing in mind our Church’s teaching on chastity and fornication, how can they sit in front of a TV set and watch this unbridled ribaldry? With Job they should consider making a “covenant” with their eyes without delay (see Job 31: 1).

Furthermore these programmes have a tendency to foster a frivilous and hedonistic approach to life, the very antithesis to that enjoined by our most holy Faith. They are blatantly and essentially about the selfish pursuit of one’s happiness, at the expense of everything and everyone else. Since they are contrary to all that we reverence and hold dear as Catholics, they should be donounced in the strongest terms as unworthy and base forms of entertainment. Given this junk it is hardly surprising that our youth are turning out the way they are these days, save for some rare exceptions - dismissive of tradition and accepted social mores, unprecedented insubordination to parents and those in authority, severe attitude and behavoural problems, often issuing in aggression and violence - need I continue?

I make no apology for speaking in this manner; these things need urgently to be said to our disaffected youth. In the New Testament we are told to counsel our brethren if we see them going astray, exhorting them to change their wayward ways, out of love for them and genuine concern for their immortal souls. Nowhere is it even hinted at that we encourage them in their sin and, having no regard at all for their eternal welfare, make it easy for them to stray even further. Now if all this makes me a joyless prigg or prude then I plead guilty as charged.

For those who consider it perfectly acceptable to watch the the programmes adverted to in this thread, I draw your attention to these words of St. Paul (perhaps he would be deemed a legalistic kill-joy today also):

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, what ever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philipp. 4: 8).

Warmest good wishes and prayers,

Portrait

 

[choy]

is there even a network show nowadays that doesn’t glorify pre-marital sex?

and lets not even get into cable shows

but buying shirts of the shows is not a sin. i mean, if i have a shirt that says, “how you doin?” knowing that Joey from Friends uses that to pick women up and eventually sleep with them. but will somebody look at that shirt and think of sex immediately? i personally would find it more funny than giving me impure thoughts.

so per se, i think it won’t be a sin but check out what the message really is and how it would affect others.

 

[Ridgerunner]

This is probably not helpful. I have never watched either show, primarily because they looked boring to me. I’m just going on what others here have said. So, I’ll say my piece anyway.

I remember years and years ago, a friend of mine and I were visiting some long-distance girlfriends we had in New Orleans. (Ah! The romance of moonlight, magnolias and those accents!) Anyway, my friend had a (temporary) key to the Playboy Club. So, we proposed to take our girlfriends there. The food back then (they have since closed) was excellent, as were the drinks. The entertainment and service were superb (though the former was a bit on the raunchy side at times) and it was a fancy place.

When my girlfriend’s father learned where we were going, he rather mildly recommended against it. “Why, it’s just entertainment”, the girlfriend said. “Yes, but when you go there, for whatever reason you go there, you’re endorsing what it stands for.”

He was a man of considerable accomplishment and, as an executive in New Orleans, he knew its darker side well, and it gets a lot darker than the old Playboy Clubs ever aspired to be. But he explained that it stood for an immoral lifestyle and was degrading to women.

Well, none of us could see that, being sophisticated and all as we were, and we went anyway. Her father never spoke of it again, though he knew we went. Nor did he object to my going out with her after that.

Over the years, I have thought about that and, while it didn’t lead to immoral activities on our part, I have to admit he was right. It really was an endorsement of what Hugh Hefner and the Playboy Philosophy stood for. I have come, in later years, to think Hugh Hefner perhaps had the most profound effect on American culture than did anyone else in the latter half of the 20th century, and it wasn’t a good effect. It began, of course, with the men, then women began to pick it up. I have, in my life, been in a lot worse places and seen a lot worse things. But I have to admit to myself that my girlfriend’s father was right. In going there, we did endorse it, though in a small way. And consequently I share in a small way, at least, the guilt of having promoted a truly vile cultural development. I did, indeed, share in Hugh Hefner’s corruptive influence and the harm it has caused so many.

As one gets older, one remembers those things. One remembers what one did and what one endorsed, and one cannot help wondering about the ripples that might have resulted from even a very small nod of approval to something one knows is wrong.

If those programs are what the other posters say they are, whether they are entertaining or not, I think I would find another shirt to wear.

 

[Portrait]

This is probably not helpful. I have never watched either show, primarily because they looked boring to me. I’m just going on what others here have said. So, I’ll say my piece anyway.

I remember years and years ago, a friend of mine and I were visiting some long-distance girlfriends we had in New Orleans. (Ah! The romance of moonlight, magnolias and those accents!) Anyway, my friend had a (temporary) key to the Playboy Club. So, we proposed to take our girlfriends there. The food back then (they have since closed) was excellent, as were the drinks. The entertainment and service were superb (though the former was a bit on the raunchy side at times) and it was a fancy place.

When my girlfriend’s father learned where we were going, he rather mildly recommended against it. “Why, it’s just entertainment”, the girlfriend said. “Yes, but when you go there, for whatever reason you go there, you’re endorsing what it stands for.”

He was a man of considerable accomplishment and, as an executive in New Orleans, he knew its darker side well, and it gets a lot darker than the old Playboy Clubs ever aspired to be. But he explained that it stood for an immoral lifestyle and was degrading to women.

Well, none of us could see that, being sophisticated and all as we were, and we went anyway. Her father never spoke of it again, though he knew we went. Nor did he object to my going out with her after that.

Over the years, I have thought about that and, while it didn’t lead to immoral activities on our part, I have to admit he was right. It really was an endorsement of what Hugh Hefner and the Playboy Philosophy stood for. I have come, in later years, to think Hugh Hefner perhaps had the most profound effect on American culture than did anyone else in the latter half of the 20th century, and it wasn’t a good effect. It began, of course, with the men, then women began to pick it up. I have, in my life, been in a lot worse places and seen a lot worse things. But I have to admit to myself that my girlfriend’s father was right. In going there, we did endorse it, though in a small way. And consequently I share in a small way, at least, the guilt of having promoted a truly vile cultural development. I did, indeed, share in Hugh Hefner’s corruptive influence and the harm it has caused so many.

As one gets older, one remembers those things. One remembers what one did and what one endorsed, and one cannot help wondering about the ripples that might have resulted from even a very small nod of approval to something one knows is wrong.

If those programs are what the other posters say they are, whether they are entertaining or not, I think I would find another shirt to wear.

Dear Ridgerunner,

This was indeed helpful. Eloquent words of wisdom that speak for themselves.

Warmest good wishes,

Portrait

 

[choy]

great point

but do shows stand for promoting promiscuity? or is it just a consequence of them assuming that it is how normal, everyday society is now functioning?

for example, i love the show Big Bang Theory. as in IT guy i just can relate to nerd humor. but given that part of the plot is some romantic, and even sexual tension between one of the nerds and they’re beautiful but of average intellect neighbor. i don’t think the show promotes promiscuity but assumes that it is an acceptable practice in today’s society. how do you approach something like that?

and now that i think about it, i just realized that one of my all-time favorite show Friends is the most morally questionable show. it has:

a. pre-marital sex (everyone of them has, glorified by Joey)
b. divorce (Ross)
c. same-sex relationships (Carol)
d. extra-marital relationships (Chandler and Janice)
e. IVF (Phoebe)

 

[Portrait]

Dear Choy,

Your posting only serves to underscore all that I have said above in respect of contemporary TV shows - they really are morally wanting and rotten to the core. People, the young especially, only dote on them simply becuase they have nothing else with which to measure them against, or precious little. They really believe that what you term “nerd humour” with all the accompanying decadence is the norm; you could say the shows tap into the immorality of the times and by doing so stimulate a further demand for yet more filth, sometimes more near the knuckle than the previous offering.

As Catholics who are striving to live up to the arduous demands of our faith and “keep ourselves pure”, we will give this morally corrupting and degrading stuff a very wide berth.

Warmest good wishes,

Portrait

 

[choy]

i highly doubt there’s anything on non-religious channels now that would be considered good moral shows. TV shows and movies now show that falling in love means you have to engage in pre-marital sex. and cable shows and movies of course would show this very graphically.

so what can we consider as morally good shows or shows that doesn’t cross the moral line? hardly anything really, i guess we’re better off not buying TVs

 

[Portrait]

i highly doubt there’s anything on non-religious channels now that would be considered good moral shows. TV shows and movies now show that falling in love means you have to engage in pre-marital sex. and cable shows and movies of course would show this very graphically.

so what can we consider as morally good shows or shows that doesn’t cross the moral line? hardly anything really, i guess we’re better off not buying TVs

Dear Choy,

Many God fearing Christians, both Catholic and Protestant, are choosing to do just that. Of course that is a matter of personal choice and conviction. My wife and I have not yet done this but I watch very little TV these days - more intellectual stimulation and enjoyment on CAF! If we do watch TV it does tend to be DVD’s that we watch on it - box sets of old shows like Columbo, Invaders, The Fugitive - all of which had a good moral to the plot and ended on a happy note. No they were not perfect but they are mildness itself in comparison to the morally depraved stuff they are putting ou nowadays.

Of course there is always the superb and orthodox EWTN which provides good wholsome programmes for the faithful. By the way, and I know this is off topic, but I would be interested in hearing from people who have made the decision to give up their TV’s owing to the morally repugnant material that now dominates the schedules.

Perhaps in view of modern TV we all need to make the Psalmist’s prayer are own “Behold turn my eyes away from beholding vanity”, and we may add downright filth and excess.

Warmest good wishes,

Portrait

 

[marybridget123]

No, not ‘sinful’ but misdirected.

In human life, misdirection exaggerages or widens the moral envelope. this includes ‘watching’ some tv show, and allowing that show to influence your moral values. I love seinfeld—but after repeated exposure i saw the moral theme of “if it’s ok with you…then it’s ok with me.” two decades later, the re-runs are not that funny. Andy and Barney of the old Any Griffith show is still funny. The values are embedded in the show.
Same with Seinfeld and many other shows. It’s a thought process each person has to activate and stand by, or an entertainment value, bypassing moral conciousness.

To your Q: if you are momentarily amused by any show, don’t consider yourself flawed. You are not. Promoting a thematic show that is outside of the Catholic faith is not the same as watching and learning what is going on in the world. love, m…

 

[VeronicaAnne]

I’ve never felt a need to watch The Office. I have barely watched any Seinfeld.

Having said that… I wouldn’t buy and/or wear a t-shirt that has a line from any TV show. All that would do is advertise the show… and I would have spent my own money to benefit the people who have worked on that show.

Yet… these would be fun.

If there is no God, then who pops up the next Kleenex?

Failure is not an option. It comes bundled with the software.

Though, there IS this really neat one that I found at Catholic Posters.com

 

[Gerard_Nadal]

Hollywood has trained us to be entertained by sinfulness. In so doing, we dull our sensibilities. Fornication is hot and homosexuality is cute. A show about nothing. Then we start asking if we can wear the official merchandise. I guess if you’re going to consume the show, you might as well advertise it. At least it’s consistent.

 

[Haggisman]

i highly doubt there’s anything on non-religious channels now that would be considered good moral shows. TV shows and movies now show that falling in love means you have to engage in pre-marital sex. and cable shows and movies of course would show this very graphically.

so what can we consider as morally good shows or shows that doesn’t cross the moral line? hardly anything really, i guess we’re better off not buying TVs

Portrait and Ridgerunner, my hat off to you both; you’ve hit the nail on the head!

Choy, me and my wife are in our 30’s and no longer watch TV. The main reason is because of all the anti-Christian negatives it teaches our children. Some comments and behaviours etc may “go over their heads” initially, but the long-term subliminal (and sometimes clear) message is that the language and behaviours should be condoned. Now, we spend time talking and playing games, teaching them about Jesus and the Church by using every day examples of recent events, and by watching DVDs that have no morally questionable material. Our home has become a much happier and healthier place to be for all.

Thank God for Catholic Answers!