Distorted Morals
For some reason this, Times of London “Pope attacks media for ‘distorted morals,’” and this, SF Chron’s Daily Dish, “Jamie Lynn Spears to give baby to mom?” seem related.
Pope Benedict XVI today said the media were too often used irresponsibly to spread “violence and vulgarity” and impose “distorted models” of social and family life. He urged the world’s communicators instead to adopt what he called “info-ethics”.
In a message for the Roman Catholic Church’s World Communications Day, Pope Benedict said the media often sought to create reality rather than report it, with agendas dictated by “the dominant interests” of the day. “This is what happens when communication is used for ideological purposes or for the aggressive advertising of consumer products. When communication loses its ethical underpinning and eludes society’s control, it ends up no longer taking into account the centrality and inviolable dignity of the human person” he said.
He added “For this reason it is essential that social communications should assiduously defend the person and fully respect human dignity. Many people now think there is a need, in this sphere, for ‘info-ethics’, just as we have bioethics in the field of medicine and in scientific research linked to life.” He said the media “in order to attract listeners and increase the size of audiences, do not hesitate at times to have recourse to vulgarity and violence and overstep the mark”.
True, re vulgarity, violence, overstepping the mark. “Info ethics” sounds a little scary if you believe in free speech, though I suppose he’s talking about personal responsibility. Hard to say. He is the pope, maybe he wants to run the program. I’ll admit, I sometimes stare in fascination at Catholic TV programs, strangely captured by them. Don’t get your hopes up, ye of much faith. I spend more time staring in fascination at reality TV, war stuff, assorted junk. Vulgarity and violence are more interesting. I don’t see why religious shows can’t have a little more of that. No shortage in the Bible. Maybe all this vulgarity and violence is a test. Devil loose on the land, it’s all about whether we can live righteous lives amid all of this. I dunno. What kind of righteous can you be if you don’t have temptation to resist and evil to combat? Isn’t that supposed to be the point of this vale of tears? Til kingdom come, that is.
Anyway, Lynne Spears, mother of Britney and Jamie Lynne, is going to raise Jamie Lynne’s baby. Because she wants the best for her little girl.
“She still wants her daughter to be able to be a teenager, go to parties, hang out with friends and have a career. So she’ll take the front seat of caring for the baby and take the pressure off her daughter.
“Lynne is convinced that having a baby on her hip will not help Jamie Lynn’s future in the business and she’s expecting her daughter to pick up where she left off as soon as the baby is born.”
I bet she is. Britney’s an adult, and her earning potential is tanking anyhow, but there might be a good opening in guardianship. Jamie Lynne only has a couple of minor years left in her. So it makes sense that mom might want to latch onto another one that’ll be good to farm out in maybe four years or so. I hate to advocate state intervention in anyone’s personal life, but raise your hand if you think Lynne Spears should be allowed access to any more children.
Topics: culture, media, motherhood
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 10:37 pm on Thursday, January 24, 2008
One Response to “Distorted Morals”
Leave a Reply
Trackback URLYou must be logged in to post a comment.
January 25th, 2008 at 12:26 am
Why doesn’t Lynne Spears just be honest with us, and start a brothel in Nevada?