Kirsten and I were talking on Friday about the curious difference between television/movies in North American and Europe. (To recap: violence is OK in North America, but sex is frowned upon. In Europe, Sex is OK, but violence is frowned upon)
We were wondering how this dichotomy arose, when it hit me: North Americans have never had to experience the effects on war first-hand. As such, they don't quite grasp the seriousness of violence, nor the societal damage that it causes. Europeans have a quite clear image of the effects of violence on society; it hasn't been all that long since the end of the Second World War, so cultural memory of the destruction violence causes is quite strong.
I still haven't quite figured out how this ties into the different portrayal of sex on TV between North America and Europe -- but I'm sure it ties in with the violence angle. Any thoughts?
A lot of people chalk the sex thing up to our Puritan ancestors... "People so straight laced the English kicked them out" (Robin Williams mode = off) That may have something to do with it, I don't know. I do find it amusing (in a morbid sort of way) that we're so ambivalent towards violence in the media (which can cause harm) but so puritan when it comes to sex on tv (which really can't cause that much harm... sex is natural and okay, right? or is it?)
-- Posted by >> Kethryvis » Tuesday, May 25, 2004 12:23 PMThe Europeans who cared about the bible/religon/christianity left for North America. The Bible/Christianity equates sex as bad and violence as good. Get the picture? When we finally kick the religous hangups in NA the sex will flow on TV, kinda like it has been doing.
-- Posted by >> fozbaca » Tuesday, May 25, 2004 01:03 PMEasy. There *is* no Europe. Just kidding. Actually, I notice a thread of prudishness about sex in Anglophone cultures. As well, movies on Dutch TV are fully uncut, with all the sax'n'violins left in. Go figure.
-- Posted by >> Pam » Tuesday, May 25, 2004 10:07 PMEuropeans are better at it?
Could be. Could be.
-- Posted by >> The Sassitor » Friday, May 28, 2004 10:54 AMPost a comment
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