Here are some of your responses to Mike's last column...
Mary Ann writes: A big GRRR to my son who can't ever seem to find a piece of paper or the phone to thank his parents for the gifts we bestow on his daughter every Christmas and on her birthday. Did ya even get the gifts? How would we know? He never responds. How hard is it to find: a writing utensil, a piece of paper (scratch will do), an envelope and a stamp? Doesn't every home have these within reach? Did he forget our phone number? Does he know how to work a phone? His manners are atrocious and shame on you, my son. You were raised better than that. Oh my gosh, don't I feel better? Happy New Year everyone.
Shannon F. writes on Girls Gone Wild: You're right again. Good for you; stand up and make a statement (or in this case facts) about our corrupt society. Again how our media glorifies these young fools who know nothing about reality and real life.
Anne Marie writes: You're right on target. Consumers have more control of what goes on and comes out of the Hollywood-type social-elitist crowd than they realize. If we're not buying it, watching it, eating it, doing it, etc. it will fade away as they find new ways to cater to the consumers. More people need to realize that just we are funding the purchases of the million-dollar homes, the luxury cars, the flagrant and frivolous (and pointless) lifestyle of these out of control megalomaniacs. And this applies to media icons and politicians, too. Consumers alone could bankrupt Hollywood … just by not participating. Still many consumers think they are powerless to influence Hollywood, etc.
Mrs. L. writes: GRRRs to you, Mike. Though I totally agree with your disgust of the drunken charades of filth and ultra-low standards of morality, GRRRs to you, though, for frequently referring to them all as "young, hot, girls." I blame your type for referring to females as young and hot and girls … not only is it degrading, but women of all ages, not just young ones, are so called hot. This is all so ridiculous and we women are all sick and tired and fed up with the whole "youth worship" thing. After all, all of those so-called "young, hot, girls" are getting older by the day like everyone else and one day will be senior citizens with perhaps craggy, sun leathered, saggy, baggy, bumpy and frumpy visages and bodies that no plastic surgery can rehabilitate. But then, this is a whole other story.
StillStacy.com writes: Nice to see a man put it so eloquently. Many of us conservative blogging gals are blown off when we try to present the same argument; we're "Stepfords." Hats off Mr. Straka.
Lisa writes: Thanks for an insightful article – hope it gets the attention of a few more parents. I grew up in the 70's & 80's and participated in the culture that has grown into what you described in your article. Stupid choices were "normalized" by the news and entertainment media, and it took me a long time to realize that those choices weren't making my life better, or making me a productive member of society. In the last 10 years, my husband and I have become much more conservative, politically and theologically. We're much stricter about the media we allow our children (ages 8 & 13) to be affected by than our parents were with us, because it's clear that the media does not have our children's best interests at heart. I hope more parents will take a hard look at some of these "role models" held up by the media and decide to take a stand on who gets to influence their children's hearts and character.
Rodney K. writes: Thank you for helping us fathers who have been trying to teach our daughters that's its not normal what they see in much of the mainline media. We need more outspoken critics such as yourself.
Mark K. writes: You are so right about this subject that I dreaded reading your tirade to the end. One thought occurs to me. When you used the words "mixed messages" I interpreted them as "hypocrisy." Saying one thing and doing another is one of our society's greatest failings. As you said, "It's diabolical." All we can do is teach our children that when the emperor has no clothes we should say so. We do him no favors by playing along.
Randy writes: After reading your piece on "hot women" this morning, I thought that I had awakened on a different planet. Forty-five years ago, when I was 15 years old growing up in the projects on South Beach (that's where the poor people used to live), the girls were doing the same thing. The only difference was that my mother and all of the other mothers had some interest in showing their daughters how a lady behaves and how not to embarrass her family, and did so by talking to her and reminding her of the consequences of promiscuous behavior.
Those that didn't listen, were fair game, and got invited to go everywhere. (Remember college pal) Nobody ever found out because there weren't guys like you lurking in the shadows with their cameras waiting to capture any and all improprieties, no Internet, so that guys like you could zip up their fly's and then tell the world the next day on a public forum, how bad someone was the night before. It's time to mandate a more private lifestyle away from untalented predators with cameras and blogs, selling their lucky and no-talent shots to the highest bidder.
This stuff has been going on forever, and it will keep growing as long as people like you find profit in someone else's lifestyle, good or bad. Why don't you go out and create something with your hands so that humanity could benefit from it, instead of reporting on things that are really none of your business.
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