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TV's Increasing Female Body Count
L. Brent Bozell III
Violence -- especially grotesque, gory or bloody violence -- has
become a staple of network television during sweeps periods. But
there's a new kind of violence surging -- violence against women. A
new study by the Parents Television Council called "Women in Peril"
reveals that between 2004 and 2009, CBS, NBC, and Fox (but not ABC)
all green-lighted a significant increase in the incidents -- and
degree -- of violence against women.
On average, during the five-year span, there was a 2 percent increase in overall violence during the primetime viewing hours. But during the same time period, there was a 120 percent increase in the number of times the audience would be exposed to a violent scene with a female victim.
CBS, the "CSI" network, led with 118 violent storylines on women, but NBC had the largest increase, at 192 percent. The forms of violence depicted included rape, stabbing, dismemberment, electrocution, poisoning, shooting, beating and torture. Death was regularly a result of the violence.
This stat tells it all: In a complete reversal of tradition, network programmers strongly favored violence depicted on screen (92 percent) rather than implied (5 percent) or merely described (3 percent).
Flipping channels in primetime can be a scary proposition with children in the room. Viewers of the NBC comic-strip-themed show "Heroes" saw images in flashback of the villain Sylar's evil deeds, including a scene of him stabbing a woman in the chest with scissors. On ABC's popular and sleazy "Desperate Housewives," viewers were shocked when one of the main female characters was shot in the chest while camping in the woods. It turned out to be a murderer's daydream, and his plot was conveniently foiled before he could kill off a major character.
Nothing's sacred. A smaller but growing category in network sensationalism is violence against female children, virtually unseen in the past (six incidents in the 2004 February and May sweeps). There were 30 such scenes on the same networks during the same time slots in 2009. CBS's "CSI" featured a plot about a teenaged girl found dead in a parking lot (with the corpse shown several times), and in flashback scenes, viewers saw her assaulted by a friend's father. For good measure, there was an attempted sexual assault while she was unconscious. A gorier scene aired on NBC's "Medium," where a suspect was shown photos of a teenage girl whose throat was slit and covered in blood.
The acceptable rules of engagement for female characters keep expanding. Chivalry is dead and so are lots of women on television, splayed in all kinds of horrific poses. Graphic violence and bloody crime scenes were not necessary for people to enjoy "Police Woman" or "Hill Street Blues." Now it's seemingly essential. It makes you sentimental for the days of shows like "Mannix," where people would get shot and fall down. Was it realistic? No. Neither was it horrific.
Then there's the bloody violence and brutality in cartoons. It's not as "real," and therefore perhaps not as bothersome as live action and because of that, it's far more gruesome.
Imagine what would have been the audience's reaction, children and adults alike, a generation ago if, watching "The Flintstones," suddenly Fred Flintstone were to smack Wilma in the face, or Bam-bam were to pummel Betty Rubble with his stick.
Yet on today's primetime cartoons, aimed at adults and children alike, the creators think it's hilarious to abuse their female characters. On "Family Guy," the lead character tells his son that he should be the "best leader of the household" he can. So the son pushes his rear end into his sister's face and flatulates, and then punches his mother in the face. On "American Dad," a female dentist saves the lead character from a shooting. When she approaches for a hug, he punches her in the face and takes her gun. See the "hilarious" pattern?
Then there's the bloody violence. On "Family Guy," a joke about the "extensive divorce procedure required by 18th century society" is illustrated by the lead character shooting his daughter dead with a musket. On "American Dad," there's so-called comedy in suggesting lawn sprinklers are a deadly household hazard. In a cautionary film, two little girls are shown playing catch with a doll, when one girl trips and lands on the sprinkler, which pokes through her chest cavity. The sprinkler showers the house, lawn and the other little girl with blood.
The creator of those shows recently had his contract renewed, reportedly at $100 million.
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L. Brent Bozell III is the president of the Media Research Center. To find out more about Brent Bozell III, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.
This news arrived on: 10/30/2009
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Posted Comments:
11-03-2009 18:23
JCE wrote:
This is the kind of posts I come on here for. Discussions, serious stuff, real stuff. I like the point made by JDB about technology being of the highest and best, and output being of the lowest and worst. As to Catharynes rhetorical question, it is about the money, catering to the masses, one of the reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire. The Bozell comment is good. I have a huge collection of board games, but all too few want to play them. cmw is also correct. To redneck again, I think that if you asked these movie producers what religion they belonged to, most would say Christian, and some would even admit to going to church on occasion. It is foolish to continue to believe in a country 80% Christian, all the criminals, both street, prison, government, and media, and those who do destructive behavior, are the 20% non Christian. Many of the non Christians have much higher moral and ethical values than the so called Christians who are are leaders, and producers, whether of goods, services, or media.
HHJ It is me, and me at my usual. I think I just found something rare that we agree on. And I appreciate you not taking my 80% comment as an attack on all Christians. I don't ever mean the good ones, or the ones who are doing good. But they are all too few these days.
As far as the redheads are concerned, sadly, they are a dying breed. But Hollywood, with its stereotypical BS, is finding them to be a selling item. Personally, it is harder to find anything hotter than a nice redhead with a good heart and attitude.
old cowboy If I get to be your age, I really hope I have some of your sense and eloquence. I best get to work.
HHJ It is me, and me at my usual. I think I just found something rare that we agree on. And I appreciate you not taking my 80% comment as an attack on all Christians. I don't ever mean the good ones, or the ones who are doing good. But they are all too few these days.
As far as the redheads are concerned, sadly, they are a dying breed. But Hollywood, with its stereotypical BS, is finding them to be a selling item. Personally, it is harder to find anything hotter than a nice redhead with a good heart and attitude.
old cowboy If I get to be your age, I really hope I have some of your sense and eloquence. I best get to work.
11-03-2009 02:57
old cowboy wrote:
Red Neck again
What in the Hell is your point?
11-02-2009 22:28
Redneck Again! wrote:
I am being re-educated!
Casey 42, You convinced me, I am going to listen to Rev. Wright's sermons! Maybe Christ was wrong in saying we should turn the other cheek! Maybe Mohammad was right and we should enslave or kill everyone not of our religion! Anyway before your beloved liberals interfered--- the Christians built a big, wonderful country, one that everyone else in the world wanted to live in and emulate! You liberals have only destroyed it! Be thankful that we believe in Jesus, not Mohammad! Have you considered moving to whatever country that would have you???
11-02-2009 21:56
old cowboy wrote:
Bush good qualities?
In my opinion Bush was an air head totally beholden to big money and big oil. He was led around by the nose by Cheney, Rumsfeld and the Saudis. He did have a nice wife and even though the kids sometimes strayed I think they were great
I am thankful he is not in charge now.
I am thankful he is not in charge now.
11-02-2009 16:04
Catharyne Stauffer wrote:
To casey42 I hope I have misunderstood your last post and the possible point you were trying to put across . I realize your hate for Pres Bush but he did have some redeeming qualities such as not being lead around by the nose by the UN, which has a LONG history of doing that to many leaders .
Just remember not that people are never all bad or all good regardless of where they are from or what God they may worship :)
Just remember not that people are never all bad or all good regardless of where they are from or what God they may worship :)
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