roundtable: Dole, Industry Deviancy and Cyberspace

roundtable: Dole, Industry Deviancy and Cyberspace

Dole, Industry Deviancy and Cyberspace

W. Curtiss Priest (BMSLIB@mitvma.mit.edu)
Thu, 01 Jun 95 11:34:19 EDT 

Message-Id: <9506011536.AA26293@a.cni.org>
Date:         Thu, 01 Jun 95 11:34:19 EDT
From: "W. Curtiss Priest" <BMSLIB@mitvma.mit.edu>
Subject:      Dole, Industry Deviancy and Cyberspace
To: Telecommunications Policy Roundtable <ROUNDTABLE@CNI.ORG>


DOLE BLASTS 'DEVIANCY' IN HOLLYWOOD FILMS, MUSIC:
(Lesson for Cyberspace)
June 1, 1995
CITS Observations on attached article:
W. Curtiss Priest

Have you read a copy of WIRED?  Do you get a weird feeling when you
hear about how parts of cyberspace are lacking in values and humanity?

We do.  Perhaps you do too.

And, if you do, it appears that we have a natural ally with Senator 
majority leader, Bob Dole!

Read the following article, and every place entertainment industry is
mentioned, just think about what cyberspace could _really_ be like in
just a few years.  Now think about H.R. 1555 and S. 652, and how
the intent of these bills is to hand over cyberspace to industry.

It's enough to make you want to dream up an Exon bill!
but we are not in favor of censorship solutions.

But further, my dear gentlepeople, this form of depravity (obscenity)
is just the tip of the proverbial 'iceberg.'

Cyberspace should be about people helping people, people learning to
be fine citizens, and the opportunity to create a society that many
have dreamed of, but lacked the tools to achieve!

Yet, if we let the marketplace build cyberspace -- why should it be
any different than the 'nightmares of depravity' that has Bob Dole
so incensed about?  It won't, unless we, the people of the United
States of America, determine to make it a better place.  It will
not happen by accident nor by market forces.  It takes leadership
and commitment.

Market forces ==> cyberspace ==> cyberpunk ==> cyberchaos

So, dear congresspeople, as you are looking for public interest
support to consider these two bills, think Dole.

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****************************Advertisement********************************
Subscriptions to the Boston Globe can be received by calling 617-929-2000
****************************Advertisement********************************
DOLE BLASTS 'DEVIANCY' IN HOLLYWOOD FILMS, MUSIC:
Says industries promote
violence, rape, casual sex

By John M. Broder
LOS ANGELES TIMES
(Boston Globe)
LOS ANGELES - The Senate majority leader, Bob
Dole, appearing in Los Angeles to raise money for his
presidential campaign, condemned Hollywood yesterday
for debasing US culture with movies, music and televi-
sion progranns that have produced "nightmares of de-
pravity" drenched in violence and sex.

The Kansas senator accused the entertainment in-
dustry of marketing images of evil to American children
in an amoral thirst
for profit.

Dole's broad-
side, delivered in
the heart of Holly-
wood, marked an es-
calation of his cam-
paign to win the
support of conserva-
tives concerned
about the coarsen-
ing of American cul-
ture.

His language,
according to a pre-
pared text, was full
of condemnation
and moral abso-
lutes. It is the har-
shest criticism lev-
eled at the enter-
tainment industry by any of the current crop of presi-
dential hopefuls and is much stronger than any of the
mild criticism voiced by President Clinton.

"My voice and the rising voices of millions of other
Americans who share this view represent more than the
codgy old attempt of one generation to steal the fun of
another," the 71-year-old Dole said last night at a recep-
tion for political donors. Few if any entertainment indus-
try officials were present.

SEN. BOB DOLE
"A llne has been crossed"

"A line has been crossed - not just of taste, but of
human dignity and decency," Dole said.  "It is crossed
every time sexual violence is given a catchy tune. When
teen suicide is set to an appealing beat. When Holly-
wood's dream factories turn out nightmares of deprav-
ity."

Dole added that he intends to continue speaking out
against what he considers cultural contamination and
will name those he considers most responsible.

"We will contest them for the heart and soul of every
child, in every neighborhood. For we who are outraged
also have the freedom to speak. If we refuse to condemn
evil, it is not tolerance but surrender. And we will never
surrender," Dole said.

He cited the movies, "Natural Born Killers" and
"True Romance," and the rap groups, Cannibal Corpse,
Geto Boys and 2 Live Crew, as products and artists who
"revel in mindless violence and loveless sex."

"The mainstreaming of deviancy must come to
end," Dole said.

He singled out Time Warner Inc., whose record divi-
sion several years ago produced the violent and sexually
explicit rap album, "Cop Killer," by Ice-T and which con-
tinues to publish music by a variety of Black rap artists.

***************************************************

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******************************************************

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