By Erin Kirsten Stein
Arizona Daily Wildcat
May 4, 1998

Ban 'Banned from Television'

I saw something on television the other night that was so revolting, so offensive, so horrific that I had to turn off the TV.

No, it wasn't Barney.

It was an advertisement for a video called "Banned from Television."

In the tradition of the "Cops" videos, this tape shows you what really happens and what they won't show you on TV.

"They don't think you can handle it," the announcer sneers.

Now this sounds tasteless, but what's so terrifying about it?

The images displayed on the screen indicate that this video is not for the faint of heart. In fact, it's not for human beings, it's for serial killers.

Besides the typical T&A shots of prostitutes being arrested, the video includes death, shootings and probably lots of blood - but you don't see that in the commercial; it's banned from television, remember?

In one scene, a man lifts a gun to another man's head, and just before the gun is presumably fired a graphic is stamped over the picture: "Banned From Television!"

Now who honestly wants to watch someone get shot in the head? Tell me, please, because I'm having a hard time trying to picture the intended audience for this video.

It gets worse. In another scene, a huge train is approaching and a woman is running out in front of the train. Who wants to watch a woman get smashed by a locomotive? Honestly, think about it!

The destruction of the human body is a appalling and disturbing thing to watch.

But we watch violent movies, right? So what's the difference?

Well, it's a movie for one thing. And usually, it's a horrible thing that is happening in the movie. Perhaps we shouldn't have it in movies anyway. People like Brandon Lee do get killed on movie sets.

But movies often try to teach us something about violence and the people who instigate violent acts. Movies are also a reflection of society and, face it folks, all that violence in the movies actually happens in real life.

But do we want to watch in real life? For fun?

The frosting on the cake is that someone is actually selling this video for a profit. Someone is capitalizing on human suffering and terror.

Whether or not the video actually shows the woman getting run over by the train is immaterial. The commercial implies that the video does show it. Anyone purchasing this video will expect to see it.

These images were banned from television for good reasons.

War photography is often disturbingly gory. Any photos that are published are carefully selected and they are only published if the news media feel it's necessary for the public to see what's going on to understand the news. Would you want to watch a whole video of images as horrible as war photography?

What kind of society do we live in if people consider this entertainment?

Call me a wimp if you must, but I don't want to be someone who is entertained by anyone's death. That is someone's son or daughter, someone's niece or nephew, someone's grandchild.

Does anyone value human life anymore?

Erin Kirsten Stein is a senior majoring in creative writing, journalism and general fine arts studies.