Television

Television

TO DO:

1) Web surf the following names, events, and places, using your favorite search engine. I recommend: www.google.com

Clifford Durr and J. Edgar Hoover

Red Channels: The Report of Communist Influence in Radio and Television

Jean Muir and The Aldrich Family

The Case Against Milo Radulovich, A0589839

2)To do: 2) Read material from these web sites:

From an Oral History Project on the 1950s Red Scare

How Hollywood Has Responded to the Witchhunt of Some of Its Finest: Films About the Red Scare

Hollywood Looks Back -- 50 Years After the Red Scare

Then and Now

3)To do[Response Required]: In the 1950's, the U.S. was terrified of the "threat from within," that America could be taken without a shot fired from communists in every closet, every reach of profession and technology. Consider mass media -- international now -- in the 21st Century. Is there anything out there that could make us fear so much again? It is the stuff of James Bond movies. What country, what leader, what condition or issue could cause us to question our own citizens so harshly? Panic us into believing that the foundations of our country could be perverted or destroyed altogether?

We are actually going through this right now. Terrorism is the obvious answer to this question. In some people's eyes, we have let our gaurd down and allowed foreigners and POSSIBLE terrorists to enter our country without question. Many who have a background, or an allegiance to terrorists organizations. We look around and we don't know who is or isn't a terrorist. Many fear the arab nation. For example, a good friend of mine Kruti is from India. India itself has troubles with Afghanistan and Osama bin Laden, however, she is viewed by others as a possible terrorist. She has been ridiculed for the color of her skin when in reality, she comes from a country who has been targeted by Osama bin Laden herself.

Some people have taken their fear to an extreme by killing Pakistan gas station clerks in Dallas alone. They dub their violent acts as PATRIOTISM. In short, we have citizens in this country, whether American or other that we are afraid off at this point because of the terrorist acts of 9-11-2000. It has paniced us into believing the foundations of our immigrations system and homeland security are not trustworthy, so some "Americans" decide to take it into there own hands.

4) [Response Required] Let us pretend that the Red Scare were going on today. What television shows in this past year's line-up might be taken off the air either because their stars had "liberal leanings" (what did that mean? international or cross-cultural marriages, a vaguely Russian or Communist-nation sounding name, participating in strikes or picket lines, discussing or criticizing the American government, making public statements in support of other governments, known drug use, open homosexuality, bearing young openly out of wedlock, etc.) or because the content of the show might seem, in this age of hysteria, a threat? Brainwashing our voters, leading our youth astray? You can treat both major network and cable programming.

While not aired in recent years except on Nick at Nite and TV Land, a perfect example of this would be All in the Family starring Carroll O'conner (I am watching it now <smile> ) While Archie has a non communist attitude, his daughter Gloria and son in law Mike were both extremely liberal, which often caused fights between the family. Mike &Gloria, and even sometimes Archie oppose the American government and choices made by particular leaders such as Nixon.

Recent TV shows that would be cut would be Sex in the City, Real Sex and Queer as Folk. The shows appear on showtime and are about relationship SEX, porn SEX, AND gay SEX!! It is possible this could be treated as if it encouraging young people to have sex, be gay etc. However in others opinion it is freedom of speech or possibly "just entertainment" .

In fact today, I can't really think of a TV show that doesn't contain some kind of "liberal learning". Soap Operas are a perfect example. Soap operas are nothing but sex, lies, cheating, interracial relationships and so on. Ally McBeal, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, X-Files, The Simpsons, Friends, King of the Hill, Boston Public, Undeclared: all of these shows contain sex, interracial relationships, violence, government conspiracy, raciest ideas or slurs, and a long list of things that could be considered as things that lead our youth astray from morality.