Comments on: Grand Theft Auto IV: Parenting the Children of Others http://www.momsjournal.org/20080507/grand-theft-auto-iv-parenting-the-children-of-others/ My baby leaks from both ends…what's the hospital's policy on returns? Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:24:15 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Erica http://www.momsjournal.org/20080507/grand-theft-auto-iv-parenting-the-children-of-others/#comment-19735 Erica Tue, 20 May 2008 16:03:43 +0000 http://www.momsjournal.org/?p=462#comment-19735 I think it may have connections to The Red Scare. As in, it was the TV industries way of appeasing the government by doing some self control. I haven't fleshed out that theory, but I'll write a post about it when I come up with something more substantial. :) I think it may have connections to The Red Scare. As in, it was the TV industries way of appeasing the government by doing some self control. I haven’t fleshed out that theory, but I’ll write a post about it when I come up with something more substantial. :)

]]> By: Agi http://www.momsjournal.org/20080507/grand-theft-auto-iv-parenting-the-children-of-others/#comment-19695 Agi Tue, 13 May 2008 17:50:25 +0000 http://www.momsjournal.org/?p=462#comment-19695 I have always wondered that too.My theory is that for white, middle class people, it was a time of plenty and people had more time to constuct what they thought of as the "perfect society". Moms stayed home because they could, houses cost less than most cars do today, work was plentiful, goods were plentiful, and patriotism was at an all-time high. Life was good-if you were white and middle class. Proof was all around-in the new media of TV, in the blockbuster movies of the day, in magazines filled with glossy color photos, etc. Department stores were taking off even in smaller towns and everyone could look just like everyone else. Lower income people and those of color of course, DIDN'T have it all that good, women often worked outside the home, there were latchkey kids all along, or they were out doing paper routes and laundry to help make ends meet. They weren't so concerned with keeping up with the Joneses and the middle class fantasy of the perfect life. The Ozzie and Harriet world never really did exist much beyond a few lucky people. I think that those who hark back to it tend to forget that. There have ALWAYS been uwed parents, kids who don't follow strict moral codes and so on. Just because it wasn't in the media of the day doesn't make it cease to exist. The Evil Media of today is simply more reflective of whats always been there. And we as a whole are more willing to refuse to be put in a box of behavior. "The Fifties" is when my parents came of age (boy, that dates ME I guess!). My mom came from an upper-class Ozzie and Harriet life; my dad did not. Guess which one of them had the most trouble with the social revolutions of the 60's and 70's? She came around though, thank goodness. I have always wondered that too.My theory is that for white, middle class people, it was a time of plenty and people had more time to constuct what they thought of as the “perfect society”. Moms stayed home because they could, houses cost less than most cars do today, work was plentiful, goods were plentiful, and patriotism was at an all-time high. Life was good-if you were white and middle class.

Proof was all around-in the new media of TV, in the blockbuster movies of the day, in magazines filled with glossy color photos, etc. Department stores were taking off even in smaller towns and everyone could look just like everyone else.

Lower income people and those of color of course, DIDN’T have it all that good, women often worked outside the home, there were latchkey kids all along, or they were out doing paper routes and laundry to help make ends meet. They weren’t so concerned with keeping up with the Joneses and the middle class fantasy of the perfect life.

The Ozzie and Harriet world never really did exist much beyond a few lucky people. I think that those who hark back to it tend to forget that. There have ALWAYS been uwed parents, kids who don’t follow strict moral codes and so on. Just because it wasn’t in the media of the day doesn’t make it cease to exist.

The Evil Media of today is simply more reflective of whats always been there. And we as a whole are more willing to refuse to be put in a box of behavior.

“The Fifties” is when my parents came of age (boy, that dates ME I guess!). My mom came from an upper-class Ozzie and Harriet life; my dad did not. Guess which one of them had the most trouble with the social revolutions of the 60’s and 70’s? She came around though, thank goodness.

]]> By: Erica http://www.momsjournal.org/20080507/grand-theft-auto-iv-parenting-the-children-of-others/#comment-19693 Erica Tue, 13 May 2008 06:55:44 +0000 http://www.momsjournal.org/?p=462#comment-19693 Agi - Damn! Too bad it isn't authentic. It would be awesome to be able to trace "the moral decline" to Ancient Greece. I wonder why those that dread "the moral decline" always seem to cite the 1950's for their comparison - Have you ever noticed that? I'll have to look into it and write a post about the theory(s) I come up with. ;-) Agi – Damn! Too bad it isn’t authentic. It would be awesome to be able to trace “the moral decline” to Ancient Greece.

I wonder why those that dread “the moral decline” always seem to cite the 1950’s for their comparison – Have you ever noticed that? I’ll have to look into it and write a post about the theory(s) I come up with. ;-)

]]> By: Agi http://www.momsjournal.org/20080507/grand-theft-auto-iv-parenting-the-children-of-others/#comment-19682 Agi Fri, 09 May 2008 04:55:54 +0000 http://www.momsjournal.org/?p=462#comment-19682 I found in Bartleby's Quotations: AUTHOR: Socrates (469–399 B.C.) QUOTATION: The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers. BUT-apparently it isn't authentic, according to the notes. It is, however, the one I remember from college. In any case, in the class where this was read, we also read about rants against swing dancing, rock and roll and jazz as all bringing about the decline of morality. Then there were the battles against TV, comic books, dime store novels...it's always SOMETHING causing our kids to go into moral decline. I found in Bartleby’s Quotations:
AUTHOR: Socrates (469–399 B.C.)
QUOTATION: The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers.

BUT-apparently it isn’t authentic, according to the notes. It is, however, the one I remember from college. In any case, in the class where this was read, we also read about rants against swing dancing, rock and roll and jazz as all bringing about the decline of morality. Then there were the battles against TV, comic books, dime store novels…it’s always SOMETHING causing our kids to go into moral decline.

]]> By: Erica http://www.momsjournal.org/20080507/grand-theft-auto-iv-parenting-the-children-of-others/#comment-19681 Erica Thu, 08 May 2008 23:52:37 +0000 http://www.momsjournal.org/?p=462#comment-19681 Agi - haha liberal media indeed. If the media were liberal reporters would ask Dubya some real questions and not lob him softballs all the time. I would love to read that rant. That would be awesome. If you have a book/title let me know. :) Oh I bet they got hate mail! They probably lost a few viewers too, but probably picked up a bunch more. Agi – haha liberal media indeed. If the media were liberal reporters would ask Dubya some real questions and not lob him softballs all the time.

I would love to read that rant. That would be awesome. If you have a book/title let me know. :)

Oh I bet they got hate mail! They probably lost a few viewers too, but probably picked up a bunch more.

]]> By: Agi http://www.momsjournal.org/20080507/grand-theft-auto-iv-parenting-the-children-of-others/#comment-19679 Agi Thu, 08 May 2008 19:18:52 +0000 http://www.momsjournal.org/?p=462#comment-19679 I agree with you, Erica. The conservatives love to blame Hollywood and the "liberal media" for many of society's problems, but that isn't anything new at all. In college a professor read a rant about "kids today" following popular culture and not listening to their parents-it was from Ancient Greece. The media is our mirror more than anything. Oh, and you know that some stations and the network responsible for showing that Star Trek episode got hate mail for showing that kiss-something about the downfall of society... I agree with you, Erica. The conservatives love to blame Hollywood and the “liberal media” for many of society’s problems, but that isn’t anything new at all. In college a professor read a rant about “kids today” following popular culture and not listening to their parents-it was from Ancient Greece.

The media is our mirror more than anything. Oh, and you know that some stations and the network responsible for showing that Star Trek episode got hate mail for showing that kiss-something about the downfall of society…

]]> By: Erica http://www.momsjournal.org/20080507/grand-theft-auto-iv-parenting-the-children-of-others/#comment-19678 Erica Thu, 08 May 2008 18:46:03 +0000 http://www.momsjournal.org/?p=462#comment-19678 I'm saying it doesn't desensitize people to the point of becoming violent criminals because there is a big difference between what's on the screen and actually committing a violent crime. I never said media doesn't open our eyes to new things. I do believe that the media reflects current society more than it directs it. For a long time TV networks were very squeamish about showing a <a href="http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/marykay.asp" rel="nofollow">man and woman portraying a married couple to share a bed on screen</a>. It took a long time before a more realistic view was portrayed regularly. And I don't think married couples of the time suddenly slept in twin beds on opposite sides of the room just because it was shown that way on TV. Star Trek was the first to show an interracial kiss in the US and at that time race/discrimination was in the forefront of the news. (1968) Interracial marriages were very rare at the time, but you can't tell me that show suddenly made it acceptable. It happened at a time when society was already making the change. I’m saying it doesn’t desensitize people to the point of becoming violent criminals because there is a big difference between what’s on the screen and actually committing a violent crime.

I never said media doesn’t open our eyes to new things. I do believe that the media reflects current society more than it directs it.

For a long time TV networks were very squeamish about showing a man and woman portraying a married couple to share a bed on screen. It took a long time before a more realistic view was portrayed regularly. And I don’t think married couples of the time suddenly slept in twin beds on opposite sides of the room just because it was shown that way on TV.

Star Trek was the first to show an interracial kiss in the US and at that time race/discrimination was in the forefront of the news. (1968) Interracial marriages were very rare at the time, but you can’t tell me that show suddenly made it acceptable. It happened at a time when society was already making the change.

]]> By: Stephanie http://www.momsjournal.org/20080507/grand-theft-auto-iv-parenting-the-children-of-others/#comment-19677 Stephanie Thu, 08 May 2008 17:30:50 +0000 http://www.momsjournal.org/?p=462#comment-19677 You really need to give a lot more credit to the way the media shapes the ideals of our society. Stephanies latest blog post... 1 You really need to give a lot more credit to the way the media shapes the ideals of our society.

Stephanies latest blog post… 1

]]> By: Erica http://www.momsjournal.org/20080507/grand-theft-auto-iv-parenting-the-children-of-others/#comment-19673 Erica Thu, 08 May 2008 04:39:37 +0000 http://www.momsjournal.org/?p=462#comment-19673 Of course! Thanks for the controversial topic. I love me a good rant and I haven't exercised my rantyness in a while. :) Don't worry the anti-video-gamers won't lynch you. They're against any kind of violence, but if they do maybe it'll be shown on TV, turned into a video game, and I'll read about it in the paper. :P Of course! Thanks for the controversial topic. I love me a good rant and I haven’t exercised my rantyness in a while. :) Don’t worry the anti-video-gamers won’t lynch you. They’re against any kind of violence, but if they do maybe it’ll be shown on TV, turned into a video game, and I’ll read about it in the paper. :P

]]> By: Snafu Suz http://www.momsjournal.org/20080507/grand-theft-auto-iv-parenting-the-children-of-others/#comment-19672 Snafu Suz Thu, 08 May 2008 02:46:11 +0000 http://www.momsjournal.org/?p=462#comment-19672 Erica, thanks for your support of my post. I was starting to think the anti-video-games parents were getting ready to lynch me. ;) Erica, thanks for your support of my post. I was starting to think the anti-video-games parents were getting ready to lynch me. ;)

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