Get Me Clean, Please!
I was in Chicago this weekend. Rather than attend conference sessions, I went to the movies to see Lassë Haalstrom’s The Hoax. The film is based on the events of the early 1970’s when Clifford Irving convinced McGraw Hill that he had, with Howard Hughes, co-written, the autobiography of this very rich, powerful, and unsteady recluse.
It was a movie abundant in sleaze. Not one character in the entire film possessed any trait that could be admired; rather, each was despicable in his/her own manner. When I left the film, I felt soiled. I went home and washed my hands and face, and went down to Oenology with dear friends and fine wine and atmosphere to reset my moral and intellectual compass.
Dan Imus is struggling to maintain his job (who cares, I ask, he makes $10,000,000.00 a year) after spewing disgusting garbage all over the airwaves insulting the Rutger’s Women’s Basketball team with ugly, sexist and racist vituperative comment. The wonder in the press focuses on the revenue he generates. He is a shock-jock; Dan Imus gets paid to be offensive, insulting and repulsive. That was ten million dollars a year!
Michael Richards is in recovery from his racist outburst, and Mel Gibson is rehabilitating himself after making vicious anti-Semitic comments to a policeman who stopped him for driving under the influence.
The final season of The Sopranos began this week. Not one character in this series has any redeeming characteristics. Even Tony’s therapist is fascinated by this mob boss’s ruthless power.
I wonder what it is about our times that inspires such repulsive behavior, and what is it about our time that permits such behavior without consequence. I am sending my children out completely unprepared for this world. I have tried to teach them ethics and morals.
It was a movie abundant in sleaze. Not one character in the entire film possessed any trait that could be admired; rather, each was despicable in his/her own manner. When I left the film, I felt soiled. I went home and washed my hands and face, and went down to Oenology with dear friends and fine wine and atmosphere to reset my moral and intellectual compass.
Dan Imus is struggling to maintain his job (who cares, I ask, he makes $10,000,000.00 a year) after spewing disgusting garbage all over the airwaves insulting the Rutger’s Women’s Basketball team with ugly, sexist and racist vituperative comment. The wonder in the press focuses on the revenue he generates. He is a shock-jock; Dan Imus gets paid to be offensive, insulting and repulsive. That was ten million dollars a year!
Michael Richards is in recovery from his racist outburst, and Mel Gibson is rehabilitating himself after making vicious anti-Semitic comments to a policeman who stopped him for driving under the influence.
The final season of The Sopranos began this week. Not one character in this series has any redeeming characteristics. Even Tony’s therapist is fascinated by this mob boss’s ruthless power.
I wonder what it is about our times that inspires such repulsive behavior, and what is it about our time that permits such behavior without consequence. I am sending my children out completely unprepared for this world. I have tried to teach them ethics and morals.
posted by Alan A. Block at 9:27 AM
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