The Superbowl Halftime/Half Naked Show March 2004What do most people remember most about the Super Bowl Game of 2004? Is it the 85-yard touchdown pass by Jake Delhomme that broke the Super Bowl record of the longest touchdown pass ever thrown? Is it the 41-yard field goal that Adam Vinetari kicked to win the game with four seconds left? Oh, C'mon, do we even remember the score? Most likely, what people will remember will be the half-time show, when network television crossed the line of decency during this family event. The half-time show, with sexually explicit lyrics, dancing and ripping off of clothing, crossed a line that should make us think and act. Lowering StandardsGetting used to something bad can happen little by little. For years the networks and our culture as a whole have been moving the line of what's viewed as appropriate or decent for young people and family audiences. Slowly we have become desensitized in no longer feeling shocked or surprised in hearing and seeing images that show a lack of respect for women, and promote sexuality as a vehicle for self-pleasure. How do we know if we have been desensitized? The test is whether we feel a sense of surprise, shock or embarrassment in what we experience. Although most viewers thought Justin and Janet's actions were wrong, most of us weren't surprised that an MTV half-time production presented lewd dancing, raunchy lyrics and sexual moves. Sexuality and marriageGod has a beautiful plan for sexuality. God has created sex as one way to love as He loves. Obviously, God does not have sex, but he does love us with intensity and complete fidelity. The tenderness, intimacy and passion of the union of husband and wife are meant to be an image of the intensity of God's love for each of us. God's love is a personal, faithful, and committed love. Real love means being capable of laying down your life for another person. God meant sex to be that way too. Sex means that God has asked you to be the visible sign of his love for that person. "That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body" (Gen 2:24). Bonding and babiesAlso, sex is directly linked to God's power and joy in creating another human person. Spouses are saying with God: "You are so wonderful that this world would be a better place if there were more people like you. I commit to being the father or mother of our child." Sex is a powerful and beautiful thing, but like so many beautiful things, its beauty is also fragile. Its power and beauty can also be misused. Using sex as something that simply makes us feel good without a permanent commitment to the other person turns sex into selfishness, manipulation and slavery. To paraphrase a line from a movie, "Your body is making promises to me that you have no intention of keeping." But it's just a T.V. show Much of today's media has tried to promote a selfish vision of sex. Television shows, movies, advertisements and music often suggest sexual relations without marriage, making people think that it is okay, or that it is just a trivial activity for fun and self-pleasure. In a Kaiser Family Foundation study, 76% of teens said that one reason young people have sex is because TV shows and movies make it seem normal for teens. An honest look at our own experiences tells us this is true, especially in relationship to sexual images and topics. Sex Sells It's instructive to ask why there are so many sexual images in the media. The answer is that sex sells, and selling things makes companies lots of money. Stirring up sexual feelings in people can trigger our emotions, our minds and our body chemistry. It's easier to forget the answers to the social studies test than an advertisement that's tied to sexual feelings. Advertisers know this is part of human nature, so they study it and use it to exploit us so we will buy their products. They place more value on their profits than they do on the truth and dignity of human sexuality. How far is too far? Many would say, "Having sex is one thing, but the way I dress and behave is another. You can go pretty far without 'doing anything'." Apparently Justin and Janet did not "do anything" either, and yet it was clear that they went "too far". When something is special we treat it with respect. Sex is very special. Deep down, it means making a complete gift of one's self to another person. The key is the word "gift". Modesty creates respect for that gift. It reserves the gift for that one special person who has committed his or her life to me. Modesty does not mean dressing ugly. When we want to give someone something special and "just for him" or "just for her" we usually wrap the gift with beauty and wait until the right moment. Modesty means protecting that gift and making it as special as it was meant to be. Modesty and mysteryModesty actually makes a person more beautiful. In true love there is a mystery about the other person that creates an awe and fascination. This is not a game. Each person is truly a mystery, because each person is made in God's image, and belongs first of all to God. Marriage and sex mean being allowed into the mystery of another person in an intimate and permanent way. Contrast what happened in the show to what the Church teaches about the delicate beauty of sex. That beauty should be protected and promoted by the virtue of modesty. "Modesty protects the mystery of persons and their love...Modesty is decency. It inspires one's choice of clothing... It protects, for example, against the voyeuristic explorations of the human body in certain advertisements, or against the solicitations of certain media that go too far in the exhibition of intimate things."(CCC, 2522-3). Thus it becomes a question not of "how far is too far", but rather, how much you are willing to respect what real love is all about. "That's just the way things are nowadays."...Oh, really? It's important to realize that we have the power to try and change things when we experience something against our values. Although the majority of people are aware that there is a general lack of modesty in television shows, it was not until this occurrence that they decided to do something about it. 200,000 people complained to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) about the half-time show. That is a new record. Thanks to the action of the American people, steps were immediately taken to ensure decency the following week. CBS took some responsibility and decided to broadcast the Grammy Award show on a five-minute delay, so they could delete anything that was too raunchy before it was sent into our homes. Janet Jackson was asked not to attend the Grammy Awards, in hopes of the outraged society cooling down their memories of being offended. Justin Timberlake was still there to get his award and apologize to the public. Female performers at those awards decided to dress more modestly. At the following week's Pro Bowl planned half-time songs were eliminated that included sexual language. The FCC is looking into charging monetary fines to those responsible. Since TV and media are also about money, placing large fines for each violation can be very effective. Over the last ten years the FCC has shied away from doing this, but increased public demands of decency can give this government agency the confidence it needs to enforce already existing laws that are meant to protect the beauty and dignity of sex. Our power as consumers can also make a difference. Boycotts and protests to advertisers and companies get the companies' attention. Thus, it is not only the responsibility of the government and the television stations, but also of the American people to safeguard the decency of the media. These short-term steps are encouraging. However, the real test comes over the long term. After the present criticism dies down, will the media go back to using sex as a tool for selling shows and products, and will it still portray sex as a tool for self-pleasure? And what about the larger issue of promoting sex outside of marriage? Will we wait until people are completely desensitized to begin to protest and work for change? |
Current Issues are Click Here to go back to Archives |