Basic HTML Version
2
translation of the letter in English.
He says :
"1 find
The
PLAJN TRUTH very inter–
esting, because it is thought-provoking.
In the German edition of January-Feb–
ruary,
1971,
the question is asked, why
America, in spite of her generous help
to other nations and peoples, is so un–
popular. The explanations given in the
article are correct, but the most impor–
tant of all reasons was not mentioned.
"That most important reason is
America's own self-portrayal in Ameri–
can-made films and television programs.
These are shown in Germany and
around the world, often with subtitles
in our language, or simulated voices in
our language. Whoever follows these
entertainment media must come to the
inevitable condusion that the U.S.A. is
almost solely populated by criminals,
and that murder and bloodshed are as
normal, as it is elsewhere to have
breakfast.
"One is inclined to ask the following
questions: Why does virtually no one in
America ever work? Because in your
own filmed or televised self-portrayal
one never sees nor hears anything like
normal working men or women. Why
are the American policemen, without
exception, such stupid blockheads, who
overbearingly and arrogantly appear on
the scene after the Jawbreakers have
been arrested by prívate investigators?
"Do you seriously believe that one
can like a country, where day-i n and
day-out acts of violence and crime are
shown as the standard way of life on
the television screen? For your informa–
tion 1 endose severa! newspaper dip–
pings advertising American fi lms and
television programs."
These showed violence, crime, and
sex. And a "Western" was advertised.
Continuing his letter:
"To these could be added countless
reports ( news reports printed in the
German press] by Americans them–
selves about the use of American troops
in Vietnam, including gruesome moving
pictures, showing the wounding and
killing of civilians. Believe me, no man
will like such a country, especially not,
if he has an uncomplicated mind (em–
bracing the larger part of all television
fans), and takes the broadcasts as true,
factual reports, since they are not
The
PLAIN TRUTH
Communistic, but American-produced
reports."
America's Self-Portrayal
Actually,
I
think our German sub–
scriber is referring to fictitious entertain–
ment programs as "reports." But we
need to realize that when American
TV
programs are shown in other countries
- as they are, all over the world, the
people in those countries take them as a
factual representation of what life is
like in America. But continue this
letter:
"Day-in and day-out the television
screen funnels into the minds of
viewers :
' 'The Americans are the criminals ...
"American criminals kili a....
"The gangsters of America cause....
"And so forth !
"The consequences are clear to me -
it means the worldwide disapproval and
rejection of America! The question
comes up whether this process can be
stopped. It would have to be a cam–
paign against the false self-portrayal,
but, who could do that? Who could
be
powerful enough to fight the mighty
ones of the fi lm industfy?
J
don't
know! Please excuse that 1 write in Ger–
man, but my English is not good
enough. With friendly greetings, Arno
Amft."
There you have it! - the way
WE
look, in the eyes of one subscriber in
Germany!
And thcre you have one of the very
CAUSEs of all the evils in the world
today.
I want to explain a number of things
on this subject.
First, American television shows and
movies are not intended to
be
documen–
taries made for the purpose of showing
other peoples around the world what
life is like in America. Quite the con–
trary ! They are made primarily for the
United Statcs audience, and purely for
ENTERTAINMENT. for this pucpose they
picture the unusual, the uNcommon, the
daring, the shocking, the imaginary.
And of course that is one of the evils.
But if we want the friendship and
respect of other nations, we ought to
realize that millions in those countries
do
mistake these pictures aod programs
as self-portrayals of what life is Jike in
D ecember 1971
America!
If
American industry is going
to produce that kind of show, it would
seem those responsible ought to have
sufficient sense of responsibility to pre–
vent this damage to the American image
abroad.
Tbe Profit Motive
But of course men in commercial en–
terprises are in those enterprises for one
purpose - PROFlTS. They are much
more coocerned about making profits
than having a sense of patriotism in
respect to the American public image.
And that is the root of all our
problems - of all the evils in the
world.
1 repeat again and again and again
- there are just two broad overall
ways, or principies of life. The one 1
call the "GET"
the other the
"CtVE"
way. Humanity lives on the self–
centered principie - the way of greed,
lust, desire to acquire, accumulate -
and, as well, the way of UNconcern for
the good and welfare of others - the
way of jealousy, envy, hatred.
The principie of
"CJVE"
is the way of
outgoing concern for the good and wel–
fare of others equal to self-concern.
It
is
the way of serving, helping, sharing -
of cooperation, of consideration, pa–
tic:ncc, kindness.
In United States television, the cost
of production and broadcasting is de–
rived from the "commercials" - the
advertising. Rates are based on viewer–
ratings at the various hours of day or
night - the number of viewers tuned
in. The competition for high ratings is
furious. Millions upon millions of doi–
Jars are involved. The
concem
is
not
for
what viewers
o11gh1
to see, but for what
the largest number will prefer to see.
And television experience shows the
public
wanls,
not what is
good
for it,
but what will
enlertain.
The American
TV diet would not
be
filled with vio–
lence, murder, crime, illicit sex, if the
viewing public did not prefer that to a
diet of education, instcuction, useful
information. The profit motive rules.
And the profit motive says, "Jones pays
the freight; give Jones what he wants !"
Television: The Violent Medium
One case in point:
It
once became
necessary,
in
the
oational interest, to
( Continued
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cot:er)