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I'm Pissed! for 07/10/00 & 07/13/00

07/10/00

I'm Pissed!

By "John Stevenson"

There is an organization called the Parents Television Council that is having sponsor's pull advertisements from certain television programs that they deem unfit for our society.

Recently, MCI and Dr. Pepper/7-Up pulled ads from "Smackdown" because the PTC believes that that program is not suitable for "family viewing."

And they are right.

However, why should it come to this? How is the WWF to blame, instead of the parents? Sure, the programming is violent, but it is wrestling. Wrestling has always been a violent form of entertainment.

I have watched the WWF for over 15 years. Back when I first started watching, the characters were very cartoon-like and a bit over the top, and it was violent.

In the mid 90's, the WWF changed directions and went for a harder edge. Sure, they had a bit of sexual innuendo, swearing and violence, but they adapted to the times. Their product had become stale so the adapted to the times, something that any large company needs to do to show some sort of profit.

The WWF is definitely not family viewing now. It has a more mature edge. Remember too, there are a lot of things you can show on television now than you could back in the 80's. As a society, we want something a little more edgier, since that holds our interest.

As for family viewing, there is plenty of family oriented programs on at all hours of the day. If a parent thinks a program is not suitable for their children, they have many other programs on that are suitable for children, especially in the age of cable/satellite technology.

Wrestling had also been under the spotlight due to children hurting other children by performing wrestling moves. Of course, this is WWF/ECW/WCW's fault. Definitely not the parents fault who do not take the time to teach their children the difference between fact and fiction, right and wrong. The alternative the parents have is to rely on a baby-sitter like the PTC to deem what is right and wrong for society. This way, when the child does something wrong, it will not be the parents fault, it will be a television program's fault. And the PTC will back the parent up.

7-Up is running that "Up Yours" ad. So, if children start running to school chanting "Up yours", will the PTC stop television programs from having 7-Up sponsor them? Probably not since 7-Up bowed down to the PTC.

MCI has Sela Ward doing that sexy dance in one of their commercials. MCI is promoting sex.

That's okay with the PTC, too.

The list of companies is fairly large that have pulled their ads from WWF programing alone. If you would like to see them, go to www.parentstv.org. While there, check out their main spokesperson, Steve Allen. Didn't he used to be involved with wrestling? Why, yes he did.

All I am saying is that the times have changed and programming has changed with it We should be able to make our own choice on what to watch without having some watchdog group tell us what we should or should not watch. America was not built on that premise. America was built around freedom.

Sure, sometimes the WWF goes to far, as does other programming. I would rather have something that shocks me for a moment than to have that dull, warm and fuzzy feeling from watching something like "Touched by an Angel". We live a real life every day and we should all have an opportunity to watch something that can let us forget about any problems we had that day.

The PTC wants to bring "Responsibility to the Entertainment Industry". Responsibility for what? We used to watch Roadrunner cartoons every Saturday morning, yet we never decided to drop an anvil on someone else's head. And, again, that goes back to our parents who took the time to let us know that that was not real. We knew he difference between fact and fiction back then. We did not have a group like the PTC trying to make our decisions for us.

Times have changed, and we need to focus our attention elsewhere. Maybe the PTC can do something about 15 year old mothers. How about some lessons on the negative aspects of drug use? Hey, gangs seem to be a problem! There are much worse things out there than a television program.

LEAVE MY PROGRAMS ALONE, PTC!!!

A great site to go to is www.PTCsucks.com. I think the address tells you what it is about. It is a great site regarding the PTC and, if you would like, you can make a difference. Go there and see how.

By the way, PTC, we are still going to extoll the virtues of a good cigarette. You wanna try and shut us down?? It's time for a cigarette, kids. So, sit back, light one up and enjoy!!!

By the way, in case anybody cares, I have had no cable for the last 24 hours. This really sucks.
Thanks Cox Communications!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

COMING NEXT: Out top 10 guilty pleasure albums of all time, plus other assorted words of wisdom!!

Email "Steven" if you find this offensive and you want to give him a "Good Ass-Whuppin."
Snide_Remarks@weirdcrap.every1.net

I'm Pissed! fo 07/13/00

07/13/00

I'm Pissed!

By "John Stevenson"

Normally when I write this, I am generally pissed about something. But, not today.

Nope. I have been extremely happy the last few days from an email I happened to receive. I feel so gushy and mushy inside.

Before you leave, I will rant about something later on here--I promise. First, I would like for you to do me a favor. Click on the link to the right of this column and check out Deborah Foreman's site. If you have no idea who Deborah Foreman is, you are either a bit brain damaged or might have been in a coma or have not read any of these prior columns. If it is the latter, go to the archive and find out about Deborah or, better yet, just go to her site and find out exactly who she is.

Why am I happy? Because I received an email from Deborah. Something she did not have to do, obviously, but she took the time to send something, for which I am eternally grateful. Do I sound like some psycho fan now, or what?

We do receive other emails, of course, and try to reply to each and every one. But this was DEBORAH FOREMAN!!! Do you understand the meaning of that?
Anyway, thank you very much, Deborah. Your email meant a lot to us!!!

Now, we really, really have to start a script for our movie. Sheesh, all the hard work she is making us do. But, damnit, it's worth it! Okay, enough fawning over Deborah. Onto today's topic, guilty pleasures in music.

I grew up listening to groups like Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Queen, Blue Oyster Cult, etc, etc. I listened to rock/heavy metal, and thought all other music sucked. Disco sucked. "Pop" music sucked. Country sucked, and it still does.

I still listen to the same genre of music today. However, there are some things in my collection that I am almost embarrassed to admit I have. So, for all our lucky fans out there, I am going to have 2 lists of our guilty music pleasures.

John's picks:

5) "Saturday Night Fever" Soundtrack--Hey, the Bee Gee's might have sucked back then, but they don't on this album now.

4) Men Without Hats, "Safety Dance"--What can I say? The song grows on you. Might as well include Animotion, "Obsession" with this one, too.

3) Toto, "The Seventh One"--I don't know why I like this album.

2) George Michael, "Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1"--A great album, to me.

1) ABBA, "Gold"--Hated ABBA when I was growing up. Now I don't. I also like Frida's minor solo hit, "I Know There's Something Going On".

There is one group I will never like, Katrina and The Waves. I had the displeasure of meeting her over in England at a concert and she was quite rude and stuck up, so I put the curse of the one hit wonders on them. And it worked. SO THERE, KATRINA!!!!!

Bob grew up listening to Disney music, and still does to this day. Here are some of his guilty pleasures.

5) "I don't have any guilty pleasures. I still only listen to Disney music."

4) "Really. I only listen to Disney music. It is uplifting."

3) "Look, I am not shitting you. Disney music has taught me good citizenship and good morals."

2) "Look, John, stop bugging with with your fucking list shit."

1) "FINE! I listen to GWAR!! Okay??!! I listen to GWAR and Disney. Now, get the fuck away from me."

As you can see, Bob was really not that helpful. Sorry.

I just had an idea!! We will now be known as "Weirdcrap.go.cc: The Site that Deborah Foreman Visited." I wonder if we can trademark that?
Good night!!!

COMING UP: Something about people that we have seen on tv that we don't
know but their actions really annoy us so we will make fun of them for
cheap thrills.

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