Attack of the Boob Tube
Several people have asked my response to the recent hoopla surrounding the Super Bowl half-time show. By now, the results have been aired, the greviences have been laid, the late night talk show demi-gods have had their fill of fodder, but I have yet to say much of anything about the incident. Since I’ve been asked, and pressed to provide my, ahem, “insight,” here goes (just please remember you asked for it.)
We live in a strange country in intersting times. Yes, I saw Janet Jackson expose her right breast during the Super Bowl. My response is one of “hold on here, let’s back up and look at the big picture.” IMHO, we (collectively) spend way too many waking hours fussing over organized sports. We as a society provide copies of Playboy magazine at almost every newsstand (although usually obscured with the obligatory “brown band” of paper) yet we view breast feeding as a vulgar act which is rather repulsive and should be confined to private moments. We provide athletes to colleges and universities around this great land, despite the fact that many cannot read or write and have no intention of gaining an education. We refused to air the moveon.org ad because it may generate “too much controversy” yet we find it amusing that a beer sponser provided an ad featuring a farting horse and shocking that Janet ripped open her top.
We as a society place way too much emphasis on organized sports. Why is the “Super Bowl” so big, yet the recent events of NASA landing on mars passed over so easily? Why is a farting horse not considered “too much controversy” when a “wardrobe malfunction” permitted? My sincere hopes are that this entire incident will allow our society to regain some of it’s lost perspective and look at the larger picture. Why are we placing so much emphasis on the Super Bowl in the first place? Many people were quick to comment on the exposed breast, saying things like, “millions of kids watch this game. For some families, it’s the only program on TV that they watch together.” Why do we allow our children to watch a televised game featuring athletes who cannot read or write yet proudly display their collegiate background? Isn’t that more shocking than an exposed breast? Even more importantly why is it that almost every 40 year old and most teens are out of shape, if now downright overweight?
Next year, we would all be better off if we boycotted entirely the super bowl and instead went out and looked at the starts. But that will never happen so, in honor of Jay Leno, I’ll close with this thought, “she’s given new meaning to the boob tube.”
Until next time, this is Carol, the Carol in “Carol’s Little World” signing off.
