When Paris Hilton drapes herself in a skimpy black outfit, douses herself with a fluffy wet rag, crawls around on the floor, sucks her fingers, and says with her eyes that it’s all for you, Carl’s Jr. adds, “that’s hot,” and sells more spicy cheeseburgers. According to a recent study, between 2002 and 2005, thirty-five percent more shows include sexual scenes, and since 1998, the overall number of sexual scenes per thousand shows has doubled.

 

American TV is undressing.

 

In the meantime, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is scrambling to salvage at least a portion of the modesty that separates America from Europe, Australia, and Canada. Most people would agree it is inappropriate and sad when a ten year old is seduced by an adult, no matter how effectively a TV screen seems to render images unreal. But despite this common sentiment, sexually explicit material is still nationally broadcast on a regular basis, and it is not because of a corrupt, slippery minority that controls the airwaves. It is because, as we all know, sex sells cheeseburgers.

Don’t point fingers. The same majority that worries about our children regularly compromises these noble standards based on the universal human desire to drive a nicer car.

 

Unhealthy foods taste better. Stronger whiskey speeds intoxication. More dangerous vehicles look cooler. Trashy lyrics sell more CDs. Pornography. Nicotine. Every day, people knowingly compromise moral standards in order to increase sales. In most cases, money makes decisions, not morality.

 

Grumble all you want, but television, like novels, plays, professional sports, musicals and opera, is just another form of entertainment and should be a free enterprise. Government censorship has existed for over a thousand years. In 443 BC, the Roman government created the office of censor in order to “help shape the character of the people”. China introduced the first censorship law in 300 AD. Socrates was sentenced to drink poison in 399 AD, for his corruption of the minds of youth and “unorthodox activities.” The Catholic Church in Europe practiced censorship for centuries, including Pope Paul IV’s list of prohibited books, printed in 1559.

 

Our founding fathers, however, put their feet down in 1791 when they ratified the Bill of Rights and since then, the idea of free speech has nearly sunk in. Free speech ought to trump government censorship of human expression (including advertisements), despite its unmistakably ugly side. It is not the government’s place to dictate the expression of ideas or even the broadcasting of images. If a ruling body can arbitrarily legislate entertainment based on what it deems appropriate, the same ruling body, by implication, has the power to legislate ideology and dissenting opinions – the foundations of democracy.

 

In a perfect world, television would only consist of sports and bi-weekly news reports. But this is not a perfect world. Smut TV will continue to stain the airwaves because most of us like it.

 

There is hope, however. The salespeople among us are, as previously stated, motivated by money, not morality.  The American public, which is blessed with a deep-rooted morality, chooses what to buy. We do not need the FCC’s help in regulating television. If the FCC was eliminated, it would become exceedingly apparent to the American population that the decency of television programming is our responsibility.

 

We can choose to watch only those shows with rating systems that are both adhered to and clearly defined. Parents can choose to lock their televisions in the closet when they are not home. And bear in mind, no one ever mandated that every American must own a television.

 

We have more power than we may think.

 

We also have the power to trust the FCC to make and enforce the best rules, and consequently complain when they fall short of our individual standards. In other words, it is our right to be incredibly lazy and make excuses.

 

Every time we entrust our moral standards to others, we lose another piece of freedom, another snippet of what makes us human – we cut another corner of the American flag.  With great power comes great responsibility. Free speech is a great power. It is our responsibility and privilege as Americans to harness it with integrity and goodness.