The Avengers!

[RandyWayne]

This is the "other" one I am waiting for.

[RandyWayne]

Another one that shows some potential.

[Titus2woman]

Originally Posted by AncientPaths

If that makes me an irresponsible viewer in your eyes, then so be it.

I personally think that people the do stupid things will have gotten around to doing them with or without a tv show.

I am not judging your motives or your level of responsibility. I would say that if you watch this show with children or even teens present you might want to rethink that.

What I am saying about societial norms is that our views have been changed and not for the good.

I work with openly gay doctors who bring their partners to our company Christmas party and not one person would dare object.

People openly discuss taking psychotropic drugs in the work place as if it a normal part of life and even joke about it... 'Today is an 80 mg day for sure'.

'Who I screwed on Satruday night after we all left the bar' is now appropriate lunch conversation.

And these are average employed women, not some gutter trash whores.

So one has to ask how we got there from here... and raunchy television leads the race as culpable in my opinion.

And also in my opinion there is no denying that Breaking Bad is a raunchy show, no matter how well written or acted or how interesting the subject matter.

[houston]

Originally Posted by Titus2woman

I am not judging your motives or your level of responsibility. I would say that if you watch this show with children or even teens present you might want to rethink that.

What I am saying about societial norms is that our views have been changed and not for the good.

I work with openly gay doctors who bring their partners to our company Christmas party and not one person would dare object.

People openly discuss taking psychotropic drugs in the work place as if it a normal part of life and even joke about it... 'Today is an 80 mg day for sure'.

'Who I screwed on Satruday night after we all left the bar' is now appropriate lunch conversation.

And these are average employed women, not some gutter trash whores.

So one has to ask how we got there from here... and raunchy television leads the race as culpable in my opinion.

And also in my opinion there is no denying that Breaking Bad is a raunchy show, no matter how well written or acted or how interesting the subject matter.

It's an ugly world out there, is it not? People are no longer ashamed of the things that they do. Talking about the pills I popped and the coke I snorted and the threesome I had with a swingers couple the night before is now considered small-talk.

Any mention of the Lord and you are told "Don't judge me."

( Isaiah 5:20 ) Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

[llambert]

Originally Posted by AncientPaths

First let me say that I'm sorry about your brother. That must be extremely difficult.

Now. Artistic talent/brilliance alone does make certain things worthwhile to me. I won't dispute that. It's a story that is being told that I believe is both interesting, sad and engaging -- and it is absolutely not glamorizing meth. If you believe that it is, than you are not doing objective research.

Yes, we have all been desensitized. I won't deny it. Whether that has brought about the demise of society - it can't have helped.

Superior intellect? Well, what do you mean by influenced? Do I think that watching this show will make me want to cook meth? No I don't. Would any person in their right mind who watches the trail of death and destruction that Walt leaves in his path be encouraged to go down that road? I don't believe so. If that makes me of superior intellect or "stronger stuff", then I accept that

I am not claiming that the show is somehow "good" - like it should be shown in school or anything. But I think it does a good job showing the dangers of meth, the damage it does to families, the true nature of Walt and how he is no hero on the show.

I feel sad for the characters on the show, I'm glad I haven't gotten myself into their messes, and I like the anticipation of what will happen next. If that makes me an irresponsible viewer in your eyes, then so be it.

I personally think that people the do stupid things will have gotten around to doing them with or without a tv show.

We don't have TV at home by choice (in NYC you needed to get a converter box a couple of years ago to get a signal if you didn't have cable and we just didn't think it was worth it). When I go out to some place where there's tv, like the gym or the laundry, I realize that I'm really not missing a whole lot. I do watch DVDs and of course stuff online.

I was checking out The Brady Bunch (a DVD from the public library) and I hadn't seen it in many years. It gets a bad rap for being corny, cheesy, sappy etc, but you know that show dealt with death- the father (not sure about the mother) was a widow. Little things like how those characters dealt with each other addressed issues of humanity: jealousy, sharing, friendship, tolerance, getting along with others, fitting in. And really watching the episodes again, I didn't find them stupid or corny at all. Same thing with Andy Griffith's series which I never appreciated when I was young because I dismissed the show because all the characters were white country folk.

I read an article that shows like this were "aspirational"- they gave the audience something to aspire to. Breaking Bad might reflect reality (honestly I've never seen it- but dealing with all I have to deal with in life, I like to watch things that will either educate me or give me some sort of encouragement- like this is what people can aspire to and accomplish rather than these are the depths to which humanity can sink. I already know that.)

I've wanted to bring up another point that may seem kind of off:

I knew a man who was a staunch Oneness believer whose personal conviction was to not purchase any books or materials published by trinitarians, although he would read the stuff if someone gave it to him. When I asked him why he lived this way, he said, "Because these people will think that God is blessing them"- In other words, the trinitarian authors will have a false sense of justification because of the profits they're reaping by the popularity of their books.

There's a TV show called The Game that airs on BET. One of the actresses proclaims Christianity, yet in her role in this show, she wears sexy short clothes, uses profanity and portrays a character that is extremely promiscuous. So if we keep watching her work, are we in a way allowing her to justify that what she and others like her who profess Christ are doing is in some way a blessing? I see this show when I'm at the gym flipping the channels and this question crosses my mind.

Another actor who appears once in a blue moon on that same series gave testimony on some website that I can't find. His name is Chaz Lemar Shepherd (he was a buddy character in 7th Heaven). He said that he went to read for a role where he was playing a gangster and the script required that he curse. He said that his conviction was to not use that kind of language. So when he read for the part, he changed around the dialogue but did it in such a way that he was able to show that the character was even more vicuous and threatening than originally written. And he got the part.

[AncientPaths]

Originally Posted by Titus2woman

I am not judging your motives or your level of responsibility. I would say that if you watch this show with children or even teens present you might want to rethink that.

What I am saying about societial norms is that our views have been changed and not for the good.

I work with openly gay doctors who bring their partners to our company Christmas party and not one person would dare object.

People openly discuss taking psychotropic drugs in the work place as if it a normal part of life and even joke about it... 'Today is an 80 mg day for sure'.

'Who I screwed on Satruday night after we all left the bar' is now appropriate lunch conversation.

And these are average employed women, not some gutter trash whores.

So one has to ask how we got there from here... and raunchy television leads the race as culpable in my opinion.

And also in my opinion there is no denying that Breaking Bad is a raunchy show, no matter how well written or acted or how interesting the subject matter.

I'll respond in more detail when I'm not using my phone, but I did want to ask what your response would be (if you were hosting, for instance) if a coworker brought their gay partner to the company Christmas party, and why? "You don't belong here, Go home", "please wait outside", "you're going to hell"?

What is the appropriate response?

[Titus2woman]

Originally Posted by AncientPaths

I'll respond in more detail when I'm not using my phone, but I did want to ask what your response would be (if you were hosting, for instance) if a coworker brought their gay partner to the company Christmas party, and why? "You don't belong here, Go home", "please wait outside", "you're going to hell"?

What is the appropriate response?

Easy. I do not invite gay couples to things I am hosting. Its just too complicated. In the case of our company Christmas party I did not give enough information. Spouses are not allowed to attend yet our gay doc skirts that every year and brings her gay partner. No one feels they can say anything because it will be percieved as gay bashing rather than just enforcing the 'employee only' rule. It is a very 'in your face' kind of thing. While I don't believe that anyone should be mean to a gay person, I was simply using the example to point out that not only does the one bringing the partner feel nothing at flaunting their gayness to everyone... but no one else feels that they can be anything but accepting even those who really are bothered by the smoochie gay stuff.

I was strictly using this example to point to the shift in sociatial norms but it appears that even you want to hint that I might be a homophobe, lol!.

Let's look at a few more examples:

Recently I have seen:

Cocktail dresses worn to a funeral.

A Margarita machine brought in to a minors birthday party.

Large numbers of people on public assistance for long periods of time with no shame over it whatsoever. We recently delivered the 8th child of a medicaid mother.

People openly discussing how to steal from the government via disaster relief with no one speaking that it might be a.illegal b.morally wrong.

More mothers with baby-daddies than husbands. More baby-daddies who are on their 2nd, 3rd, 4th and more women that they have a child/children with.

Every wedding shower I have been invited to in the last year was for a couple that was already living together. Most of the baby showers were for unwed mothers (we don't even call them that anymore because they are the norm).

But the point is that very few people even notice that these things are out of place. There has been an undeniable shift and not for the good in my opinion.

Oh and just to stay on topic I will repeat... AND I BELIEVE THAT RAUNCHY TELEVISION AND MOVIES ARE AT LEAST PARTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT.

[AncientPaths]

Originally Posted by RandyWayne

Another one that shows some potential.

I read the books in about a week. Really liked them.

[AncientPaths]

Originally Posted by Titus2woman

Easy. I do not invite gay couples to things I am hosting. Its just too complicated. In the case of our company Christmas party I did not give enough information. Spouses are not allowed to attend yet our gay doc skirts that every year and brings her gay partner. No one feels they can say anything because it will be percieved as gay bashing rather than just enforcing the 'employee only' rule. It is a very 'in your face' kind of thing. While I don't believe that anyone should be mean to a gay person, I was simply using the example to point out that not only does the one bringing the partner feel nothing at flaunting their gayness to everyone... but no one else feels that they can be anything but accepting even those who really are bothered by the smoochie gay stuff.

I was strictly using this example to point to the shift in sociatial norms but it appears that even you want to hint that I might be a homophobe, lol!.

Let's look at a few more examples:

Recently I have seen:

Cocktail dresses worn to a funeral.

A Margarita machine brought in to a minors birthday party.

Large numbers of people on public assistance for long periods of time with no shame over it whatsoever. We recently delivered the 8th child of a medicaid mother.

People openly discussing how to steal from the government via disaster relief with no one speaking that it might be a.illegal b.morally wrong.

More mothers with baby-daddies than husbands. More baby-daddies who are on their 2nd, 3rd, 4th and more women that they have a child/children with.

Every wedding shower I have been invited to in the last year was for a couple that was already living together. Most of the baby showers were for unwed mothers (we don't even call them that anymore because they are the norm).

But the point is that very few people even notice that these things are out of place. There has been an undeniable shift and not for the good in my opinion.

Oh and just to stay on topic I will repeat... AND I BELIEVE THAT RAUNCHY TELEVISION AND MOVIES ARE AT LEAST PARTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT.

Ok, I see. So what if one of the doctors did bring their (female) spouse - you know, to flaunt her hotness or whatever . How would you handle that differently? Would you still think it might be inappropriate to call them out on it at the party - just out of politeness and to not make that person uncomfortable? Anyway - neither here nor there.

I understand your larger point that things aren't like they were in the good old days.

I guess we could argue back and forth for some time, but I'm not really trying to convince you that there is anything other than entertainment value to Breaking Bad. You clearly aren't entertained, and I clearly am. So be it.

And by the way, I certainly would not let a child or teenager watch that show with me. I think that goes without saying. Now, I realize what your next point might be, but yes, I do think there is different scale of appropriateness based on age.

[Titus2woman]

Originally Posted by AncientPaths

Ok, I see. So what if one of the doctors did bring their (female) spouse - you know, to flaunt her hotness or whatever . How would you handle that differently? Would you still think it might be inappropriate to call them out on it at the party - just out of politeness and to not make that person uncomfortable? Anyway - neither here nor there.

I understand your larger point that things aren't like they were in the good old days.

I guess we could argue back and forth for some time, but I'm not really trying to convince you that there is anything other than entertainment value to Breaking Bad. You clearly aren't entertained, and I clearly am. So be it.

And by the way, I certainly would not let a child or teenager watch that show with me. I think that goes without saying. Now, I realize what your next point might be, but yes, I do think there is different scale of appropriateness based on age.

Yep, we probably should wrap this up... and no I'm not going anywhere else with you watching BB. You are an adult and have every right to decide what works for you. Even God allows for that. I was only expressing my own opinion and using your polar opposite one to highlight where we differ.

On the gay question. I would not invite the gay doc. to any social event that included my usual circle of friends. Many of them would be uncomfortable since even without her partner she is a very in your face militant dyke type with always making sure that everyone knows she is gay. It appears to be her primary source of identity.

Now my friend Yvonne, who is gay, would be invited anywhere. She is not as interested in letting the world know she is gay as she is being kind and loving to people. She would do nothing to offend and would never discuss her sex life unless asked directly and then only if she felt it would do someone some good to know. Although I am a hetero and she is a homo we share the understanding that some things are private and not for public display. I would not bring my hubby into her home and sit in his lap smooching and she does not fondle her girlfriend in my presence like doc chick does.

So you may better see that I was discussing decency and decorum more than gayness.