POWER SLAP

The value of such a program is lost upon this viewer. How does such violence help a child to grow, mature and cope with a personal threat where someone makes to slap one in the face, apparently without reason? What does this do for children under 15? Will children then incorporate such behavior into their own "toolbox" and begin slapping other children without justification? Is this what teachers will see on playgrounds during recess, perhaps even in classrooms? Such behavior on TV is not new. "Studio Wrestling" has been in production since the 50s. My father watched network programs featuring "Gillette Cavalcade of Sports" (prizefighting) twice a week. I didn't care for it, but he watched every episode. The point is, what are our children seeing on TV and how could it affect them? Many will say, "Aw, it's just tv, it's no big deal". It is a big deal. If we don't know how the impact of such events will change our children, how can we allow children to be exposed to it? How can we risk it? Why should we expose children to such a threat? Would parents allow children to play next to a busy highway, and merely tell them not to cross the street, and assume they will follow our lead? Since when have children ever behaved so well?

How can such behavior not influence children to emulate such treatment of others when it is presented in such a favorable manner? The audience claps for the winner, the host awards prizes and a pretty woman gives the winner a kiss. What child would not pursue such a possibility? What next? Will there be 10-year olds who slap each other? What about infants in diapers? When does such filth get to be too much? How about gunfire at 20 paces? How about daggers? How about slipping poison into someone's drink and guessing how long before the drinker passes out? Were does the ******** end? When does a network producer say, "Stop!" Where is the line? Is it merely when the audience is too small to make a profit for the advertiser? Really?

How about a program where people eat spoiled food, and bets are made as to how long before the eater throws up? Maybe it could be called, "Bottoms Up!". When does merely "disgusting" become completely "unwatchable"?