Saturday, February 11, 2012

What should we show high school students in the way off films?

B'H

It is just my personal opinion, but I think film makers have started to use film as an extremely voyeuristic media to shock, titillate and to unsettle viewer audiences. I was searching for a film to show an audience of students ranging in age from 16 to 18 last week and thus took out two films from the school film library which turned out to be so unsuitable, I felt for young impressionable minds and even for my mind.
In fact, one film, The Kite Runner, I had to turn it off and return it immediately to the library. It had a scene depicting the anal rape of a young boy who is close to the age of my son. My hands were shaking when I took the DVD out. I felt nauseated and sick. I did not watch the rest of the film. I have read the book. It was that in the book that disturbed me plus the treatment of this boy's own son who turns out to be the narrator's half brother many years later in the novel.
I know novel and film texts need to be realistic but is this showing what an ugly and actually quite sick world we have become. Do we need to show this to young impressionable students and should we? Indeed should we? There is a rising incidence they say, of pornography in the world and the incidences of child pornography is epidemic and is that connected to what we are showing and exposing children to at an early age?
Innocence is to be treasured in children. They need to have a childhood that is free from sexual abuse and other forms of abuse. There is something quite sick and perverse about a lot of things shown on screen and on TV. Hence I do not have TV. Too much violence and sexualisation of women and men. I want my child to focus on other things - being a good person, someone who contributes positively to society on many levels and is never bored so that he or she doesn't have to take drugs, drink alcohol or car or train surf for entertainment. They have much more positive things to do and do not have time for such nonsense.
There are old people to visit in homes, helping activities as well and much more to do that all give one a better sense of being that mindless entertainment so often depicted in the media as 'what young people do these days.'
I shudder every time I see someone like Britany Spears with her mammary glands fully exposed along with her belly and butt, jiggling to techno music like some young heifer on amphetamines  or these plastic women with fake smiles, all there assets exposed no mystery there, just stating to the world, 'all I am about is good animal sex', no mind involved, I like you, you like me, let's do it and blow the consequences, who cares if you are married or not.' It sickens me.
The whole of society is sick and we need a return to better manners and interests and contributing to society in ways other than offering sexuality to everyone and every thing. I am not a prude by any means. I have lived long enough to understand the difference between what was and what is now.
Society has lost its moral compass in many ways.
Why can't we show films to inspire and evoke students and not horrify them and not desensitise them to acts of violence on others that no one wants to witness or should have to witness? Education is not about the grubby sordid sexualisation of the young mind, it is about inspiration, creation of people of morals and high standards. The more we accept the grubby and gutter behaviour of some, the more we desensitise kids to real morality and allow the seamy elements of society to pretend that their behaviour is normal and acceptable.

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