It appears that the television-refrigerator analogies of the post below have struck a chord with one American Psycho fan, and I want to applaud the sentiment of his response post. While I can’t claim to be an American Psycho fan myself, I agree with Yglesias' argument that too many movies with artistic or social value get dismissed on the basis of violent content.
This said, when it comes to children's programming, I still believe we can draw a distinction between the value of educational shows like Blue's Clues and Sesame Street versus movies like American Psycho, regardless of their artistic value. I have a hard time believing that children would benefit as much from studying American Psycho as from watching serious, curriculum-based educational programs—though perhaps its value would increase with age as they grow into astute, culture scrutinizing bloggers. If I may, another food analogy: most parents would probably prefer to serve their six year olds nutrition-infused grape juice than red wine, even if most of us enjoy an occasional glass of merlot with dinner as adults and aren’t hoping for a revival of prohibition.
I agree, as I expressed in my own post, that media regulations by the FCC have little value (and potential detriment to free speech.) I also agree with the observation that American Psycho might have serious value, but let’s be clear about whose palette it will benefit. Kids still need their grape juice and Wishbone. It seems to me that when it comes to media, the market has a lot more brands of wine than grape juice. So let’s enjoy our vin rouge d’Hollywood, but make sure kids don’t go thirsty while we defend the artistry of blood baths.
--By Carolynn Molleur-Hinteregger
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