Prescription for politiciansharwoodp.people.cofc.edu/BeavisButtheadOpEd.pdf · If you're not...
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WILLIAM F. BUCKLEY JR. Pat Robertson after the ex- change was over, that the critics on the other side were primarily con- cerned with the question of the separation of church and state. By which I mean that their fears of ———— the religious right seemed hypothetical and ever so abstract. I remember 40 years ago when it was fashionable to suppose that Sen. Joseph McCarthy threatened the Bill of Rights and maybe even the balance of nature. In the mid- dle of the putative reign of terror, Professor John Roche, who was steadfastly opposed to McCarthy and was serving as president of the Americans for Democratic Action, of being eaten alive by piranhas; No. Z4 is my fear of college presi- dents." That didn't seem very loyal to the forces who insisted that McCar- thy was about to close down Amer- ican liberties. What surprised me in the fort- night after the televised debate was the volume of letters from . people who seem to have a most extraordinary fear of Pat Robert- son. He is the dominant figure in the evangelical right, formerly a minister. He ran for the Republi- can presidential nomination in 1988, and before doing so he re- signed his ministry. He continues now, as a layman, attempting to mobilize the Christian right specifi- cally. One very bright young man wrote to tell me that Pat Robert- son had driven him and others he knew into the arms of the Demo- cratic Party. ertsrfn so very much exercised? I wrote to one correspondent to say that as far as I could tell, if Robertson were to wake up and discover that he was omnipotent, and therefore wrote into law every proposal that makes up the pro- gram of the Christian right, Ameri- ca would be in no way different from the country I lived in until I was approximately 30. In those days, true, you couldn't go to the movies to see a "Deep Throat," but that was not a stifling imposition. Pornography had to be bought from dirty old men, who are the best fitted to serve that pur- pose. You couldn't find a liquor store open on Sunday, which repre- sented whatever you want to call the hardship of laying in enough booze on Saturday to last you until Monday. What else? Well, you couldn't get a legal abortion. But up until very close to Roe vs. Wade, there was a the power were to be returnad them. But of course there were lot of illegal abortions, well over half-million per year. If American freedom is to t measured by that one index — da the American woman have til right to abort? — then Pat Rober son's America would not be fre But we should be prepared to sun mon historical perspectives befot denouncing as unfree the Americ that existed until 1973, the year i which the Warren Court discovere a right of privacy that extended t the right to extinguish unborn life OK, now why is Pat Robertson s exercised? Well, one reason is tha there has been, in the period w are talking about (the last 2 years), a 500 percent increase i crime. When more than 600 peopl are murdered every day, a lot c people are losing their freedor pretty definitively. When 10 time ' that many are robbed or mutilate At least Beavis, Butt-Head are on restriction By Patrick Harwood MTV has done the right thing by finally moving its immensely popular, profitable, and controversial hit cartoon "Beavis and Butt-Head" from 7 p.m. to a later time — 10:30 p.m. — so that fewer impression- able children will be watch- ing. The network has been under fire for the way the car- toon's stars love playing with fife and watching things burn. Sadly, and perhaps inevi- tably, it took a real-life trage- dy to compel the network to make this scheduling change. Earlier this month in Patrick HarwOOd Ohio, a 5-year- old boy set his house on fire, killing his 2-year-old sister. The moth- er says her son was incited to play with matches by those juvenile delinquent firebugs Beavis and Butt- Head. Television's power of persuasion is again frighteningly displayed. MTV has also promised to ease the more extreme story content of "Beavis and Butt-Head" to make it less violent and inflammatory (literally). This too is badly needed, because, let's face it, these two are a parent's worst nightmare. They're the type of bad influences we want our children to avoid. But the problem is, these troublemakers aren't out on the street; they make themselves right at home in our children's living room or bedroom. Right after dinner at 7, it was just too easy for Beavis and Butt- Head to drop in and hang out for half an hour of obnoxious, crude and, as evident in Ohio, dangerous behavior for impressionable youths. "Beavis and Butt-Head's" anti-social message is hardly limited to their fascination with flames. Vul- gar language is also a trademark. If you're not fa- miliar with the show, you migh't be startled to hear some of the words and disgusting references used. But then, with a character named Butt-Head, maybe nothing should be surprising here. When not profane, communication by these two in- ~SKltCI THE ADDED PREMIUM PROTECTS tellectuals is pretty much limited to idiotic, grunting laughs, burps and other obscene noises. When they do speak, their vocabularies usually consist of the words "cool" or "sucks" — even their slang isn't original! Disturbing, too, about these brats is their inaction. They are spectators, not participants, in life. Most of their time is spent on a filthy, beat-up sofa staring at music video after music video on television. In one episode called "Couch Fishing," they even came up with a way to fish without having to go out- doors. Finding a pole and using as bait old food scraps scrounged from under the sofa cushions and a broken radio, the boys cast their line outside, catch- ing animals and neighbors that happened by, includ- ing an elderly woman who went for a can of prunes attached to Beavis and Butt-Head's hook. Sure, Beavis and Butt-Head's sophomoric and "so stupid they're funny" antics and dialogue provoke a few laughs, even from adults. But this type of pro- gram was a powder keg that, unfortunately, MTV — in its quest to be the hippest and most provocative thing going — waited too long to defuse. A few weeks ago, prior to the fatal fire, "Beavis and Butt-Head" creator Mike Judge was quoted as comparing his show to a '90s version of "The Three Stooges." Said Judge: "There's nothing to worry about. This whole thing is a fad and it'll burn out." Great choice of words there, Mike. Sorry, parents. "Beavis and Butt-Head" hasn't been canceled outright. But the boys have been put on restriction and now they can't come out until 10:30 at night. At least at bedtime it might be easier to keep out their bad influence than at dinnertime. Harwood is a College of Charleston adjunct professor of communications and associate direc- tor of college relations. Prescription for politicians Candidates around country will have to go to school on health care proposals RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Almost two years ago, Bill Clinton came to California looking for a state cam- paign chairman for his fledgling run for the White House. He sold himself to John Garamendi, the Cali- fornia insurance commissioner, and Garamendi, in turn, made Clinton his first out-of- state apostle for a new approach to health care cost containment called the health care issue occupies a larger and larger place on the public agenda. The 75 people in the county supervisors' meeting room the other night (less than half the size Garamen- di says he has been drawing elsewhere, but the World Series was tough competition) were a cross section of the community. Garamendi did a reasonable imitation of Phil Dona- 'Garamendi did a reasonable imitation of Phil Donahue, using a hand-held microphone as he wandered in the audience, getting reactions to his opening question: What do you like Fren speci PARIS - By International A as blue-jackete ways confront!] them down and Shutting dowi to avoid Paris i pressure on thi ready in deep from which it n itself or, as on< the way of Pai line, whose flag Such strike: France. Usual! actions underta at their own in strikes target public Industrie enormous inco pose high costs. Employees at domestic airlini ting down airpo of vacation per trips. Usually t for a great dea By the time 1 ployees have e government am own eyes at lei feel they are tal compromise. Tl in countries wh of compromise . tics are costly, The late Han taken into accoi the demand to I voice in decisio: frontations and well in a rich cc bread alone. If power, and a f These needs an rewards. I believe the i en into account the core of the c Agreement on 1 ment's response very real procli ship. Both thesi government will of the Blair Hoi The GATT nej ic importance ii to understand is have so little to they will prove A good many France and its nomic power a view, threatens made-in-Americ, elimination of a French peasant Jacques Lai| France's most leader of the ai wholly engaged "We lead the las
Transcript of Prescription for politiciansharwoodp.people.cofc.edu/BeavisButtheadOpEd.pdf · If you're not...
WILLIAM F.BUCKLEY JR.
Pat Robertson
after the ex-change wasover, that thecritics on theother side wereprimarily con-cerned with thequestion of theseparation ofchurch andstate. By whichI mean thattheir fears of ————the religiousright seemed hypothetical and everso abstract.
I remember 40 years ago when itwas fashionable to suppose thatSen. Joseph McCarthy threatenedthe Bill of Rights and maybe eventhe balance of nature. In the mid-dle of the putative reign of terror,Professor John Roche, who wassteadfastly opposed to McCarthyand was serving as president of theAmericans for Democratic Action,
of being eaten alive by piranhas;No. Z4 is my fear of college presi-dents."
That didn't seem very loyal tothe forces who insisted that McCar-thy was about to close down Amer-ican liberties.
What surprised me in the fort-night after the televised debatewas the volume of letters from
. people who seem to have a mostextraordinary fear of Pat Robert-son. He is the dominant figure inthe evangelical right, formerly aminister. He ran for the Republi-can presidential nomination in1988, and before doing so he re-signed his ministry. He continuesnow, as a layman, attempting tomobilize the Christian right specifi-cally.
One very bright young manwrote to tell me that Pat Robert-son had driven him and others heknew into the arms of the Demo-cratic Party.
ertsrfn so very much exercised?I wrote to one correspondent to
say that as far as I could tell, ifRobertson were to wake up anddiscover that he was omnipotent,and therefore wrote into law everyproposal that makes up the pro-gram of the Christian right, Ameri-ca would be in no way differentfrom the country I lived in until Iwas approximately 30.
In those days, true, you couldn'tgo to the movies to see a "DeepThroat," but that was not a stiflingimposition. Pornography had to bebought from dirty old men, who arethe best fitted to serve that pur-pose. You couldn't find a liquorstore open on Sunday, which repre-sented whatever you want to callthe hardship of laying in enoughbooze on Saturday to last you untilMonday.
What else? Well, you couldn't geta legal abortion. But up until veryclose to Roe vs. Wade, there was a
the power were to be returnadthem. But of course there werelot of illegal abortions, well overhalf-million per year.
If American freedom is to tmeasured by that one index — dathe American woman have tilright to abort? — then Pat Roberson's America would not be freBut we should be prepared to sunmon historical perspectives befotdenouncing as unfree the Americthat existed until 1973, the year iwhich the Warren Court discoverea right of privacy that extended tthe right to extinguish unborn life
OK, now why is Pat Robertson sexercised? Well, one reason is thathere has been, in the period ware talking about (the last 2years), a 500 percent increase icrime. When more than 600 peoplare murdered every day, a lot cpeople are losing their freedorpretty definitively. When 10 time
' that many are robbed or mutilate
At least Beavis, Butt-Head are on restrictionBy Patrick Harwood
MTV has done the right thing by finally moving itsimmensely popular, profitable, and controversial hitcartoon "Beavis and Butt-Head" from 7 p.m. to alater time — 10:30 p.m. — so that fewer impression-
able childrenwill be watch-ing.
The networkhas been underfire for theway the car-toon's starslove playingwith fife andw a t c h i n gthings burn.
Sadly, andperhaps inevi-tably, it took areal-life trage-dy to compelthe network tomake thiss c h e d u l i n gchange. Earlierthis month in
Patrick HarwOOd Ohio, a 5-year-old boy set his
house on fire, killing his 2-year-old sister. The moth-er says her son was incited to play with matches bythose juvenile delinquent firebugs Beavis and Butt-Head. Television's power of persuasion is againfrighteningly displayed.
MTV has also promised to ease the more extremestory content of "Beavis and Butt-Head" to make itless violent and inflammatory (literally). This too isbadly needed, because, let's face it, these two are aparent's worst nightmare. They're the type of badinfluences we want our children to avoid.
But the problem is, these troublemakers aren't outon the street; they make themselves right at home inour children's living room or bedroom. Right afterdinner at 7, it was just too easy for Beavis and Butt-Head to drop in and hang out for half an hour ofobnoxious, crude and, as evident in Ohio, dangerousbehavior for impressionable youths.
"Beavis and Butt-Head's" anti-social message ishardly limited to their fascination with flames. Vul-gar language is also a trademark. If you're not fa-miliar with the show, you migh't be startled to hearsome of the words and disgusting references used.But then, with a character named Butt-Head, maybenothing should be surprising here.
When not profane, communication by these two in-
~SKltCITHE ADDEDPREMIUMPROTECTS
tellectuals is pretty much limited to idiotic, gruntinglaughs, burps and other obscene noises. When theydo speak, their vocabularies usually consist of thewords "cool" or "sucks" — even their slang isn'toriginal!
Disturbing, too, about these brats is their inaction.They are spectators, not participants, in life. Most oftheir time is spent on a filthy, beat-up sofa staringat music video after music video on television.
In one episode called "Couch Fishing," they evencame up with a way to fish without having to go out-doors. Finding a pole and using as bait old foodscraps scrounged from under the sofa cushions and abroken radio, the boys cast their line outside, catch-ing animals and neighbors that happened by, includ-ing an elderly woman who went for a can of prunesattached to Beavis and Butt-Head's hook.
Sure, Beavis and Butt-Head's sophomoric and "sostupid they're funny" antics and dialogue provoke afew laughs, even from adults. But this type of pro-gram was a powder keg that, unfortunately, MTV —
in its quest to be the hippest and most provocativething going — waited too long to defuse.
A few weeks ago, prior to the fatal fire, "Beavisand Butt-Head" creator Mike Judge was quoted ascomparing his show to a '90s version of "The ThreeStooges."
Said Judge: "There's nothing to worry about. Thiswhole thing is a fad and it'll burn out." Great choiceof words there, Mike.
Sorry, parents. "Beavis and Butt-Head" hasn'tbeen canceled outright.
But the boys have been put on restriction and nowthey can't come out until 10:30 at night.
At least at bedtime it might be easier to keep outtheir bad influence than at dinnertime.
Harwood is a College of Charleston adjunctprofessor of communications and associate direc-tor of college relations.
Prescription for politiciansCandidates around country will have to go to school on health care proposals
RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Almost two years ago, BillClinton came to California looking for a state cam-paign chairman for his fledgling run for the WhiteHouse. He sold himself to John Garamendi, the Cali-fornia insurance commissioner, and Garamendi, inturn, made Clinton his first out-of-state apostle for a new approach tohealth care cost containment called
the health care issue occupies a larger and largerplace on the public agenda.
The 75 people in the county supervisors' meetingroom the other night (less than half the size Garamen-di says he has been drawing elsewhere, but the WorldSeries was tough competition) were a cross section ofthe community.
Garamendi did a reasonable imitation of Phil Dona-
'Garamendi did a reasonable imitationof Phil Donahue, using a hand-heldmicrophone as he wandered in theaudience, getting reactions to hisopening question: What do you like
Frenspeci
PARIS - ByInternational Aas blue-jacketeways confront!]them down and
Shutting dowito avoid Paris ipressure on thiready in deepfrom which it nitself or, as on<the way of Pailine, whose flag
Such strike:France. Usual!actions undertaat their own instrikes targetpublic Industrieenormous incopose high costs.
Employees atdomestic airliniting down airpoof vacation pertrips. Usually tfor a great dea
By the time 1ployees have egovernment amown eyes at leifeel they are talcompromise. Tlin countries whof compromise .tics are costly,
The late Hantaken into accoithe demand to Ivoice in decisio:frontations andwell in a rich ccbread alone. Ifpower, and a fThese needs anrewards.
I believe the ien into accountthe core of the cAgreement on 1ment's responsevery real procliship. Both thesigovernment willof the Blair Hoi
The GATT nejic importance iito understand ishave so little tothey will prove
A good manyFrance and itsnomic power aview, threatensmade-in-Americ,elimination of aFrench peasant
Jacques Lai|France's mostleader of the aiwholly engaged"We lead the las
