Female parts are not private either

By Carrie Porche Jones, On-line Forty-Niner

April 22,1998

Male writers, stars, producers to blame for on-screen violence

 

Christopher A. Hayes said in his April 15 opinion piece that men are treated as "cannon fodder" and are at the receiving end of kicks in the groin.

 

I agree that laughter at someone's pain is cruel.

 

However, men are not the only victims in the entertainment world's frantic attempts to create humor.

 

The violence against men in movie and television portrayals is not any more tolerable than the sexual exploitation of women and children.

 

The root of the violence should be traced back to its source - male producers and writers.

 

Who is more violent than the action heroes portrayed by Sylvester Stallone and the physical fitness advocate, Arnold Swarzenegger?

 

It is not women in these movies, but men who are violent to other men, women, children and any breathing thing that may get in the way.

 

Women may not be punched in the stomach, slapped in the face or physically injured, but what about the mental abuse and sexual exploitation?

 

The popular television show "Baywatch" would not be in late-night reruns if the female characters were not always running around in dripping bathing suits.

 

Turn on the cable comedy channel and one may hear jokes about female anatomy and female "stupidity."

 

Men create these programs and men profit from them.

...men and women should be held to the same standard,

and that standard should be nonviolence.

Take the charming Ricky Ricardo, for example.

 

His domineering actions drove Lucy to trick him so she could get extra money, or steal a few moments on his show. His condescending attitude toward her was a slap at her mentality.

 

The "Jerry Springer Show" digs up the foulest bodies and pits them against each other in front of millions of viewers.

 

The male has inevitably wronged the female and is prodded and gouged with inflammatory statements until she rears up and strikes the male or female antagonist.

 

"Titanic" is a love story, so romantic that some fans have seen the film five or six times.

 

Why doesn't anyone talk about the violent scene in which Rose's fiancé throws a chair and turns over the table of dishes on her feet because she is not submissive to him?

 

In another scene, he slaps her across the face. He verbally abuses her throughout the movie.

 

Hayes is correct when he says men and women should be held to the same standard, and that standard should be one of nonviolence. There is too much violence in the streets, in homes and always around the corner.

 

We do not need the media to reinforce the images we see firsthand.