Why!?
A few seasons ago Snooki got punched in the face by some "gorilla" at the bar. MTV first aired the preview for the episode and the entire world got in an uproar over MTV airing this. How in the heck can they air a clip of a woman (?) getting punched in the face by a guy with a clear conscious. How could they? What were they thinking!? MTV of course edited the footage and showed the fight minus the actual punch in the face.
Then about a year or year and a half MTV aired a scene on Teen Mom in which Amber started punching Gary in front of their young daughter Leah. Once again, everyone was in an uproar. People called the police, the courts demanded that MTV hand over the raw footage of that. Charges were pressed, she was arrested, and custody was taken from Amber (I'm 100% in agreement and its NOT just about the hitting, I think she is a very very shitty mom).
Well, where exactly is the uproar when people watch Jersey Shore and see the ticking time bomb that is known as Ron? In the past 4 sesaons of Jersey Shore Ron repeatedly flips out. When I say flips out I mean physically punching people, destroying personal property that isn't his, and emotionally abusive of his girlfriend (not to say that Sam doesn't act the same way!). Where is are the cries of domestic abuse? Where is the uproar? Where is the "that isn't right, what is MTV thinking!?"
According to Wikipedia Domestic violence is defined as: Domestic violence, so defined, has many forms, including physical aggression (hitting, kicking, biting, shoving, restraining, slapping, throwing objects), or threats thereof; sexual abuse; emotional abuse; controlling or domineering; intimidation; stalking; passive/covert abuse (e.g.,neglect); and economic deprivation. Alcohol consumption and mental illness[ can be co-morbid with abuse, and present additional challenges when present alongside patterns of abuse.
I dunno but it seems to me like that entire paragraph above just basically says "Ron & Sam". I've watched Ron:
- get into a fight on the board walk and get arrested
- shove Sam out of the way (repeatedly)
- completely trash Sam's room and break things (including her glasses)
- put her bed on the porch and say that since she "acts like a dog she can sleep like a dog"
- trash Mike's room and stuff
- get into a physical altercation with Mike.
His behavior is always amplified by drinking.
I get that the MTV veiwers became concerned because its not normal for a guy to punch a girl (Snooki), be abusive in front of your child (Amber) but are we sitting down and accepting that its okay for a man to treat a woman like this as long as no physical punches are thrown to her? What about emotional abuse? What about mental health?
I never got into an uproar about any of the situations presented above so I'm not going to get my panties in a bunch about this either but for all of those who did get involved by calling the police, sending emails, boycotting the show/network...where are you now? Don't you care?!
What is your opinion on this?
I totally agree. We actually had to just turn it off because I could deal with the screaming, "Staaaaap. Just staaaaaaap already." Ugh. I used to think the show was funny, but now I think it's just pathetic. Ron is definitely abusive, though they all seem to have some issues.
ReplyDeleteRon is roid rage. I don't even like looking at him, he annoys me. He's definitely abusive.
ReplyDeleteAgree agree agree.
ReplyDeleteIt's REALLY ridiculous - he contiues to get out of control, but it's like the viewers just see it as entertainment. The Situation is creepy, Snooki is a drunk mess, and Ronnie is just the one that flips out. I think it's because they're more like characters than real people... It's ridiculous either way, though.
P.S. I love that you put a "?" after referring to Snooki as a woman. lol.
To be perfectly honest here, I don't watch any of those shows. With that in mind, I'm not quite sure what I can gain from any of them. The thing that bothers be about it is this: There are impressionable youth our there that are watching these shows and the situations are being depicted as normal and being glamorized (regardless of what the network says). This leads a lot of kids to think that not only is any of that behavior acceptable, but also sociall viable in that it can gain them popularity...Or notoriety as the case may be.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. However, I am less inclined to care about the Jersey Shore cast hitting each other. They willing drink when they know that drinking makes them more prone to violence. On other reality shows, hitting gets the person kicked out of the house. And Mike isn't going to press charges. It might be contractual that he can't. Have you read the contract for The Real World? Part of it was leaked. MTV admits footage is edited. They admit that untrue things will be done & said.
ReplyDeleteI understand what you're saying. And I can't wrap my brain around it all either. Why show Ron throwing Mike over a bed but they won't show Snooki getting punched? One is okay and one isn't? Doesn't make sense. The verbal abuse? They can't do anything about that.
Idk. I don't another show where physical fights are shown & there is no negative consequences. I just think on JS it's contracted that they can't press charges. Who knows.
Great article. Don't watch Teen Mom but I love Jersey Shore. Watching Sam and Ronnie's relationship makes me sad too. Thanks for stopping by today. To answer your question - no word yet on when Real Housewives of Atlanta will be back. Can't wait for RHoBH tonight!! :D
ReplyDeleteI'm 33 and remember MTV in its heydey, when it played music videos cared about youth, trying to get young people involved/interested in politics, supporting public service causes like AIDS/HIV awareness, and was clearly ANTI-VIOLENCE. So much so that on one old season of the Real World (when that show was about the lives of real, interseting people learning about eachother and dealing with real issues), when one male cast member pulled a comforter off of a female cast member, MTV kicked that cast member off the show. MTV stood for something - for the personal dignity of the individuals, particularly women, it put on its shows.
ReplyDeleteNow, MTV celebrates ignorance, hate and violence. It is so sad to see what this network, which meant so much to me when I was young, has become.
I hope that some enterprising indivdual or group of individuals out there will fill the void that MTV left and create a network that will celebrate music and youth culture in a way that respects and enriches its young viewers and make a contribution to society, something other than Snooki.