I'm sorry for that kid who died after an injury from a smackdown match with his friends. Also for other injured kids everywhere, regardless of what they just saw on tv: wrestling, cartoon, or crappy 'sinetron'.
But banning SmackDown? Give me a break.
When your kid gets injured trying to practice what he saw on tv, it's not your tv's fault (or the producer's, or the station's, for that matter). It's yours. When your kid gets kicked by another kid who happens to get the idea from tv, it's not the tv's fault, it's that kid's parents'. So, go sue them irresponsible parents.
If you want compensation from a tv station for a damage you think caused by it, the tv station should also demand compensation from you if your kid learns good stuff from its other programs or shows. If you say, no, you have paid your due every month, I'd say OK, the damage has also been deduced from that payment. Fair, no?
Well, now you're calling me a Lativi protector? Get this: I don't give a damn to that company. I don't even like SmackDown. It's totally stupid. A display of a bunch of airheads bumping into each other with silly chicks walking around. Here's what I would do: turn off the tv. Watch House MD, CSI, Lost, or Grey's Anatomy -- while my kid (if I had one) is sleeping...
Wait, I got an idea. While people are banning SmackDown (and Lativi), I'm gonna play it here in the Café. Big screen. Who says I don't have business sense?
SmackDown
I'm so with you on this but I like SmackDown. And, government is currently in the process to revise "Polygamy" bill because one the most popular kyai has just remarried. Gov' definitely has lack of priority sense!
ReplyDeleteThe parents just need extra money to hire a professional nanny. Or, Lativi needs to present a nanny show to justify SmackDown, therefore the society can get the balanced message.
ReplyDeletehow does economics see polygamy?
ReplyDeleteit it a law of diminishing return or increasing?
anonymous, this is how we see polygamy.
ReplyDeletepublic broadcast do have public ethics responsibility. And Indonesian TV has gone far too far in all sorts of stupid and ugly and irresponsible things. i care little for smackdown or lativi, but if that's what it takes to knock some sense back into the media scene, then so be t.
ReplyDeleteAh, "public ethics responsibility", that sloppy, abusable term. Define, please? FYI, my 10 y-o nephew starts reading my favorite blog. Alas, that blog is full of panties (or lack thereof). If my nephew becomes panty-obsessive, whose responsible is that? Blogs have become public, no?
ReplyDeletenote that the parents whose son died have prevented his son from watching the smackdown.
ReplyDeletethere is no gun in my house. but if live in a community in which everyone else owns guns, then the probability of become a victim from a gun shot is higher. guns should be banned.
unfortunately, unlike assumed in most economic theories, we live in a world where people observe and copy other people actions.
goverments should ban some things e.g. smackdown, polygamy, smoking (smoking ban works faboulously in new york).
Mainstream/traditional economics has a fairly standard explanation (probably even qualify for an EC101 entry): externalities (which also explains second hand smoking, effects guns availability). We don't dwell on the mechanism of the influence as you might prefer of course. But it's not true that (standard) economists are oblivious of the fact that individuals observe and copy other's actions.
ReplyDeleteujang - you're right.
ReplyDeletesocial influences are dealt through externalities and later game theory.
i should stop picking on economists. they are tough and macho people.
on the contrary, we're weak, insecure (that explains the machoism), and very easily provoked :-)
ReplyDeleteeeeek.... that's a low blow. but let me amuse you. I loouuuve lesbian managers!! (you should post more often in between lessons, this is infinitely more fun, smut and panties and all that).
ReplyDeletewithout going into too much details for the merit, role and responsibilities of the media in society, suffice to say that the media does have an expected role for it to fulfill in society. If this is the point you're disagreeing, then we should really cover this part separately.
The difference being terrestrial national channels are always treated separately due to their extensive reach and massive influence upon general population. Everywhere, from ownership to frequency allocation to ethics, etc. they're always treated separately. Among others, terrestrial channels are considered to be using public space (freq) and therefore have the extra burden of being responsible (as opposed to select cable channels, blogs, or specialty print publications).
I recently had to deal with my 8 yr old nephew browsing porn, it's our fault for not monitoring his usage of the internet. but we expect TV - and the media - to have responsibilities. the distinctions are made clear in both regulations, industry groups and even press code of conducts in almost all nations of the world.
say hi to your nephew, am i really the favourite blog?
so cool when you wield influence upon lil kids!
oh that sounds wrong.
Weakties,
ReplyDeleteI once read a blog entry by an Adulterated Indonesian who suggested that causality cannot be easily established from one observed phenomenon (a young child who died from a smack-down-like activity) to another (proliferation of Smackdown on TV).
At the time, this interesting blogger (whose blog passed away) was discussing the connection between the government officials' failure to warn people of the Pangandaran tsunami, and also other officials' failure in getting Slovenian visas to our mathematical prodigies.
What say you? Do you think this anonymous blogger might have a point in this case ;-D?
arya - you're right. and it's true that in the smack down case, it's not clear at all that the injuries were caused by playing smack down. the time frame between the accident and his death was too long.
ReplyDeletei'm making a normative subjective statement here. i believe smoking is bad for health (i think this one is true), smackdown is gross, and polygamy is inappropriate. i have a son, so i prefer a world with less obscenity; it's the parenting instinct, i guess.
:P
the adulterated indonesian has a point. but i am loath his position of sceptic academic. he needs to get a grip on his life.
arya and weakties,
ReplyDelete"it's true that in the smack down case, it's not clear at all that the injuries were caused by playing smack down."
i'm not sure about what happened exactly with that kid, but if he's injured because of smack-down role playing, then the causality is there (although it's not the only factor responsible).
developmental psych studies have demonstrated that imitation by children, even of violent cartoons, provides mental-script for violent behaviour, controlling for individual characteristics and situational factors. time lag here is quite long, as weakties mentioned, but not that long.
thanks, all. i was careful when i said "... died after an injury ..." so as not to imply a causation. i.e. i wasn't saying "... died from an injury ...".
ReplyDeleteagain, my deepest condolence to the poor boy.
i should say that the post is a bit harsh and unexpected, especially from you, lovely manager. I know that you love watching those big, muscular sweaty guyt and I can accept if something like this came from Aco, but seriously... you're a sensitive bitch. a bitch, but sensitive still...
ReplyDeletealrite, i don't think i'll do further comments but i must say that i get what the manager saying. parents should held responsible for their children. however, as much as i hate any kind of interventions, you guys should know that Asymetric information plays a big role in the Smack Down. there should be perimeter around this kind of entertainment. They should've played outside primetime, around midnight, where we can be sure that children mostly asleep, they should put the rated (not suitable for children and any macho smut peddler) and they should tell them that this is a stunt action done by highly trained people.
as for poligamy, pantyless blogs, smuts, porn, small penis that come with fat sack, celebrities who don't know how to dress properly, megalomania musician who thinks he can jump at anyone's panties: i won't say anything more!!! (not that i disagree with poligamy, no but we'll pick another fight later)
oh yeah, i forgot to mention economist-paranoia! i'm sorry, big pardon. you know i love you all very much and i must say, as much as i appear to be one, i'm not really an economist. as aco and rizal often say, i'm an econobabe! hope you all can tell the difference...
ReplyDeleteand yes, i do want to join those snob washington consensus institution. really, i'm just an econ-hooker actually. i go around looking for pimp who pays higher.
you all now can tell i'm having a pms. sorry for throwing tantrums at the cafe... is it ok too ask something strong for the coffee???
oh yeah, i forgot to mention economist-paranoia! i'm sorry, big pardon. you know i love you all very much and i must say, as much as i appear to be one, i'm not really an economist. as aco and rizal often say, i'm an econobabe! hope you all can tell the difference...
ReplyDeleteand yes, i do want to join those snob washington consensus institution. really, i'm just an econ-hooker actually. i go around looking for pimp who pays higher.
you all now can tell i'm having a pms. sorry for throwing tantrums at the cafe... is it ok too ask something strong for the coffee???