Famous Police Dog

The newspaper headlnes tell it all. This from the April 26 issue of the Los Angeles Times front page of the Business Section:

"New fight looming over TV violence...An FCC study finds that children are still being exposed to gore."

And this from the December 1, 2006 Wall Street Journal Weekend Journal:

"[In a backlash against racy and gross-out material, some comics are turning to still-biting but less salacious jokes. Jeffrey Zaslow on humor's new edge.] AMERICAN COMEDY feels ruder and raunchier than ever. The movie "Borat" has become a scatological sensation. Satellite radio has embraced the dirtiest minds on the planet, with Howard Stern leading the discussion. And comedy clubs have become a breeding ground for anything-goes slurs, culminating in the recent onstage racial tirade by "Seinfeld" star Michael Richards. But up next, let's have a big hand for . . . cleanliness! It's no joke. Those in the funny business are saying that, despite all the explicit sitcoms and mean-spirited Internet humor, there's a quiet countermovement toward clean comedy. Some comedians are deciding they're tired of using profanity as a crutch. Others find clean comedy can be more lucrative. Scores of comics are signing contracts promising to eschew foul language and controversial topics. And this week, veteran comic Paul Mooney said he will stop using the N-word in his routines, and called on other black comedians to do the same. It's a backlash, 40 years in the making, in which some comics say it's time to redraw the line between edgy and unacceptable."

And again in the December 15, 2006 Wall Street Journal Weekend Journal:

"The most positive trend of 2006 (surely there had to be one) was described in The Wall Street Journal earlier this month by Jeff Zaslow in a piece titled, "Comedy Comes Clean." Notwithstanding the fact that the movie "Borat" was a "scatological sensation," Mr. Zaslow described stand-up comedy's new turn toward humor passed through a sieve of normal decency. My favorite, from comedian Michael Jr.: "Someone asked me if I'm pro-gay. I'm not pro-gay or amateur gay. I didn't even know they had a league."

For some comics it was a business decision. Cleaner comedy is an easier sell at corporate events, theme parks, cruise lines and the like. Others felt that younger audiences had by now marinated for so long in the verbal sludge served at comedy clubs and on cable television that they found straighter comedy to be, well, new.



From cruise lines to theme parks to faith-based venues, this new emphasis on keeping inappropriate humor at bay seems to mirror the mood among many Americans. According to a poll released yesterday, just 6% of 9,095 respondents say they want edgier, more-sexual entertainment programming; 51% said they want more shows with positive messages..."



Is America waking up? Are people fed up with the constant barrage of smut being peddled through the Internet and the media? You bet they are! Don Imus' recent firing from CBS is just the beginning. I'm sorry that he lost his job, but what the heck...he chose his words and said them on the airwaves to millions of listeners and then people got angry. And the result was that he was fired. Wow. Imagine that--having to take responsibility for something you've said to the masses.



The point here is: People want change. And slowly the tide is turning. I've heard a zillion times from kids who tell me that Full House was the only show that they were "allowed" to watch when they were growing up. Or I hear from parents that they always knew their kids were safe when Full House was on TV. I speak with parents all the time who say they don't trust that their kids are safe in front of the TV during "kid vid" hours. And most of them are afraid that their kids will easily stumble across an Internet site that is raunchy beyond their wildest dreams. We all know that parents have a responsibility here--know what your kid is watching...on TV, the movies, and on the Internet. It's really the only safeguard you've got. Here at cleanguys.TV we promise to feature content that is clean. Kind of like an episode of Full House. Thanks again for being here.