Why is the Ghetto Culture is glorified in the Media?

Wheelie Catholic wonders why there is a fascination with violent crime in the media, particularly in video games like "Grand Theft Auto", in light of the Holy Father's comments on consumerism at World Youth Day. "Why have we turned social problems into entertainment? What kind of distance from solutions does that cause for the next generation? Does it normalize the existence of violence and poverty in urban areas? Have we considered the concept of stewardship regarding monies we pay toward products that glorify violence rather than putting it toward solutions?"
I worked for years teaching in inner city high schools like those she describes. The teens in these areas have no hope for a better future. No one they know is married, gangs rule their social lives, and many of their friends are drug addicted and in and out of jail as a peverse type of second home. I had a student commit a crime in order to spend Christmas with his friends in jail, but get out in time to go to the beach in the summer.
They often lack fathers to discipline them, little or no Christian faith to believe in an eternal reward, and few with the tough love to teach them moral behavior. They accept and even embrace the culture of crime as their reality, perhaps despairing of a better life. Who could blame them for feeling despair?

What frightens me is when so called middle class kids, mostly from broken homes, glorify crime, violence, gangs through video games, film and RAP music. According to Ebony magazine, over 80% of Rap musis is purchased by whites. Here in semi-rural suburbia, my 15 year old daughter passed a schoolyard walking the dog, and was verbally accosted by a young man with blonde hair whose trash talking came straight from a RAP video. Why did he think he would impress her with this kind of talk? To her credit, he didn't.
The Holy Father pointed out in his talk to the youth at Dunwoodie, that these youth, both within and outside the inner city need the hope of the Gospel and the reclaiming of the culture from the culture of crime. Catholics must never support this types of entertainment which seek to glorify the suffering of the poor, regardless of the misguided souls who find a sense of pride in it.

Disney and decency

ABC has been fined $1.43 million dollars for a shower scene in "NYPD Blue" which shows a woman entering a shower shocking a little boy. The Disney Company owns ABC, so it's lawyers did their best to twist the meaning of the FCC law to justify showing partial nudity on broadcast televsion. Brent Bozell of the Media Research Center has some interesting commentary on Disney's influence on the media.
"Was this scene necessary to the story line? No. Was it there to titillate? Absolutely. ABC claimed it was "nonsexual nudity," and therefore okay.
When it was finally rapped on the knuckles, Disney-owned ABC was petulant. It responded first by joining the crowd in Tinseltown now asserting in federal court the "right" to drop the F-bomb on millions of children. Then the lawyers insisted to the FCC that there's nothing inappropriate in an ABC show lovingly fixating the viewer on the young woman's bare behind several times. It was only seven seconds, they protested."
What would Walt say?
HT Catholic Exchange

The Pope praises the internet

Pete Vere has recently mentioned this blog in The Wanderer (Jan 17 issue).
The Holy Father recently discussed the lack of ethics in the media,
"He praised new media such as the internet, which were "changing the very face of communications".
It seems that the efforts of faithful Catholic bloggers are making a difference. Pro-life bloggers were told at the Blogs for Life Conference January 22 in Washington DC that we must carry the stories of the pro-life movement, because there is a virtual media blackout on this issue, with the exception of EWTN. I posted on my observations on the media covering the March here.
A pro-life friend, a Franciscan brother, advised me that the days of internet freedom are coming to an end in the near future, especially if Hillary is elected.
This horrifying prospect was seen in the Democrats' attempts to impose the so-called fairness doctrine in Congress, where this blog would have to register to a governing agency who would make certain that we gave the other side equal time. Equal time, they OWN the mainstream media! We're the beacon of the Culture of Life, we'd better shine brightly now, before we are shut down.
HT Spirit Daily

Fr. James Martin's Response to Joyce Behar's Anti-Catholicism

Foolish as it would be to look for deep theological insight from "The View," Joy Behar's recent statements on Catholic saints (a) not existing any longer and (b) needing medication, was about as close as you could come to a nice Youtubable, public display of anti-Catholicism, for any who doubt it still exists.

Martin, editor of America magazine, has a good article responding to Joy Behar of The View who recently went on a public anti-Catholic screed. Do go read his responses to each of Behar's embarrassing examples of ignorance of the faith she is attacking. I also like his points about why he's not worried and the implied charity of Mother Teresa probably already praying for Behar.

In addition to pointing out the problems with such impromptu examples of anti-Catholicism being the last acceptable prejudice, we should also remember to extend charity to such offenders by forgiving them and praying for them. Mother Teresa, pray with us and for us, as we pray for Joy Behar.