Add your voice to ours

By: American Decency Staff

Written by Lisa Van Houten “You’ve come a long way, babyâ€Â – was the ad slogan from the 1960s and 1970s linked to the themes of feminism and women’s liberation, when Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem went on a vitriolic offensive against “traditionalâ€Â women’s roles and femininity.  The National Organization for Women (NOW) pushed for the right of women to kill their unwanted babies (so-called “reproductive freedomâ€Â) and end unwanted marriages through no-fault divorce.  They decried the roles of wife and mother as “second-classâ€Â citizens – celebrating Mother’s Day with the catch-phrase – “Rights, not Roses.â€Â The titles Miss and Mrs. were thrown out in favor of “Ms.â€Â and the 1970s Helen Reddy song, “I am woman, hear me roarâ€Â became the anthem of the women’s lib movement. Yet in all the fighting for “equal rightsâ€Â and against real and imagined sexism, few efforts were made by those in the women’s liberation movement to speak out against the ultimate form of degrading, demeaning sexism – pornography. In fact when under President Ronald Reagan, Attorney General Ed Meese formed the well- regarded “Attorney General’s Commission on Pornographyâ€Â which researched and exposed the destructive impact of pornography upon women and society, there was little support or commendation that came from those in the ranks of women’s rights. Today, decades later, women have crashed through the glass ceiling – heading corporations, sitting on the Supreme Court, serving in Congress, running for President – but pornography is flourishing like never before.  And women are objectified as nothing more than sex toys – even more so than before we were “liberated.â€Â All you have to do is look at the upcoming fall lineup of new television shows that premier next week to see that. ABC/Disney is reincarnating the 1970s show “Charlie’s Angelsâ€Â –also known as “Jiggle TV.â€ÂÂ  Also on ABC will be “Pan Amâ€Â – a retro show about the sexual antics of 1960s Pam Am stewardesses.  And ABC has in the works a show to premier in January, “Good Christian Belles,â€Â previously entitled “Good Christian B—chesâ€Â which might give you a better idea of the offensive nature this program will have.  (The name was changed after expressions of outrage from the Christian community, but the theme is likely to remain.) And NBC, in their quest for “sex-sellsâ€Â ratings, will debut “The Playboy Clubâ€Â – which has received much criticism and calls for boycotts not only from pro-family organizations such as American Decency, but even from Ms. Gloria Steinem, as well. NBC’s “The Playboy Clubâ€Â is set in the 1960s at Hugh Hefner’s infamous Chicago Playboy Club.  And if the titillating promos that NBC has been running during family viewing time are any indication, the show is nothing more than a flesh fest of illicit sexual exploits amid the promotion of pornography. You’ve come a long way, baby. Yeah, we’ve come a long way – we’ve made a 180 degree turn from a time when television upheld the family, ethics, and morality to today when those values are ridiculed and undermined.  We’ve gone from television that portrayed Christian faith with regard, to shows that opening and offensively mock and deride Christ and Christianity.  We’ve gone from television shows that depicted women with respect to the current lineup that degrades and sexualizes them. As this new fall season of television shows begins, we at ADA will again be monitoring these shows and others – exposing the corporations which sponsor and empower such trash and urging them to advertise in ways that build up, not tear down our moral foundations. However, we are only one voice.  We need you to join with us in our efforts so that corporate America hears from thousands of other concerned voices.  Look for our regular “Take Actionâ€Â links targeting the corporate offenders in the weeks and months to come and please add your voice to ours as we speak out against the corrosion and sexualizing of our culture. ========================================================== Your support is important to our ability to make a difference. Donate online at: https://secure4.afo.net/ada/donate.php American Decency Association is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. American Decency Association Bill Johnson, President P.O. Box 202 Fremont, MI 49412 ph: 231-924-4050 www.americandecency.org http://www.twitter.com/billwjohnson

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