Real-Life Depiction vs. Fictional Violence
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I couldn’t believe my eyes. The headline read: “Vivid Health Messages Can Run Afoul of Networks’ Sensibilities” [April 29]. Anti-smoking public service ads with nose-less victims of skin cancer are too graphic for national broadcast. But not considered too graphic are violent, grisly killings; drug-induced abuse; alcoholic rampages; bombings; maimings; and any other form of out-of-control behavior.
“It’s only art imitating life!” many of my friends in the business say. If that’s true, let’s go all the way. Let’s show the kids what can happen--for real--when you take life-threatening risks like sunning or smoking.
It’s time kids learned the difference between real and pretend. Pretend is when everyone smokes, drinks and kills each other in one hour--including 20 minutes of commercials. Real is when you lose your nose, cannot take a breath and die way before you should have.
BARBARA DEKOVNER-MAYER
Encino
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