TV Violence

To David Wiegand – SF Chronicle TV Critic

Thank you for your strong review of The Following and saying “it does not belong on television.” I too abhor censorship but TV and movies have gone way too far in exploiting violence for entertainment. I have long advocated more sex and less violence in the media. At least most sexual scenes portray love.

Believe me that in 1957, I attended a conference of educators warning of the effect of violence in movies and TV on the minds of children. The media today is even more pervasive in bring more and more sophisticated violence to young people now. Tie in the U.S. government’s easy use of violence and mayhem to get its way, children and young people are inundated with violence as the best method of winning, like football.

I hope critics like you will bring us reader’s attention to gratuitous violence in television programs. That way we can more easily decide for ourselves and families what programs to view.