9.15.2008

Here I Go Again

I know I already posted a pet peeve, but I guess today is just ripe for them!
So I am sitting on the couch letting T take a nap and we (okay, really just me) are channel surfing. I stop on Oprah, now let me preface this by saying that generally I am not an Oprah fan, but I usually check and see what her topic du jour is.
Today I see it is about Internet predators. Kind of skeezy, but an ever seemingly increasing problem. I decide to check it out...I didn't last long.
I can handle watching shows like Law & Order SVU, and other police/murder/dark tales type shows, but I turned the channel on this one pretty quickly. I will admit some of the things they mentioned were pretty hard to listen to, but it was not the reason I turned the channel.
The first reason I turned the channel was because of a "how to" book that has been written by predators on how to do these sorts of things. The fact the book exists is not why I turned the channel, but it was due to the fact that Ms Winfrey proceeded to read the entire brochure like document out loud, step-by-step (with the kindness of censoring for the at home audience, but the in home audience got the uncensored version).
The second reason I turned the channel was after I had gone back to the show to see what they had moved on to only to discover that Ms Winfrey was now talking to a man from Wyoming whose job was to find predators. Okay fine, however they then proceeded to share with the audience a video of which the at home audience was spared from viewing it due to the nature of it. BUT the man did describe what everyone was looking at...so you got to picture things for yourself.
These two reasons together form my third reason for being highly bothered by this show. I know the intention was to bring to bring to light the severity of Internet predators and just what is out there, but do we really need to see blurred out photos of infants and toddlers? I am guessing the audience did not see the blurred images.
I will preface my next thought with this - I did not watch the show in it's entirety, so perhaps I missed something that was done that would contradict my feelings, but I didn't get that impression from the parts of the show I did see. I am all for stopping Internet predators, but does such detail about how people commit these crimes have to be given? Ms Winfrey READ (word for word) a how-to guide on how to get started in child pornography...I mean really? Granted pedophiles know this, but do we have to make the details known on such a mainstream level?
These thoughts were echoed as I watched Primetime tonight discussing some thread of unsuccessful terrorist plots. They did say nothing they would be showing was new to terrorists, but what about those would-be terrorists, or the really curious kid who might be on the brink? Do we need to delve into how shoe bombs are made, or why I can't bring that bottle of pop through security anymore?
Please, inform people of the scary things that exist in this world so that we can be informed and aware and do our best to protect ourselves and the ones we love, but can we limit the amount of information shared so that not everyone and their dog knows how to hide their computer stash of child porn or how to convince your 3 year old that it's okay to do those things? I think we'd all be a little better off without knowing.

8 comments:

Erin said...

I hate that too! Why do they have to explain in very clear detail how to break the law and endanger us and our families??? I don't think they thought through that one very well.

Nachelle said...

I totally agree, and I saw part of this show too, I missed the pamphlet being read, but the other parts were disturbing enough (especially the interviews of the girls that their friends dad would drug and rape them while at sleepovers...yikes) Made me one, decide Miya can not have sleepovers at anyone's house (JK, but still wierded me out) and two, your same conclusion, why are we showing these instruction videos??

Krista said...

I agree. I usually really like Oprah, but I was totally baffled and literally sickened to my stomach as I started watching this. I thought it was totally inappropriate and over the line. Needless to say, I couldn't watch for very long; one can only take a certain amount of that sort of thing. It made me so sick. I kinda wanted to punch Oprah for doing this show, (which, I know for you guys is an everyday occurrence, but a first for me!) I thought it was absolutely disgusting and totally unnecessary the way they presented this information- they aught to be ashamed!

Melissa said...

agree agree agree. yuck. Oprah, what up? I have seen her show once in my life, but this is a total turn off. Wonder if she got complaints?

Shana Dee said...

I'm so glad someone else saw this show. I never watch Oprah, but just happened to turn the channel to it. I was completely disturbed and wondered if she shows this kind of stuff on a regular basis. I guess it is good to be informed, but reading the "how to" guide on the air was a bit much for me.

I don't have kids yet, but I will not be letting my children boy or girl go to sleep overs. The risk is too high. It's a sad reality.

Higa said...

I have much to say about this post that I think I may blog about it. :) Especially after reading some reactions to your post.

Higa said...

I have much to say about this post that I think I may blog about it. :) Especially after reading some reactions to your post.

Higa said...

Hey... thanks for your comments. I enjoyed it and I agree with you in that sometimes there is a line but I think Oprah likes to cross it more often than not. :) Probably for shock value than anything else. I guess I'm not too 'shocked' by it given that some of those things she has shown on TV I have either seen personally or have heard through work. Which is probably why I came across how I did. :)
PS... Your little girl is so freakin' cute!!!