2008 Woodie Awards
Column on offensive T-shirts is correct
Letter to the editor
Issue date: 9/11/07 Section: Opinion
Tony Patrico's editorial "Graphic T-shirts not always appropriate" is on point. However, T-shirts are NOT the exclusive domain for such expression. Caps, tattoos, gestures, dance, lyrics, spoken words, etc. contribute significantly to the proliferation of obscenity in American life.
Patrico's question, "... what is going to happen in 20 years when these shirts become more offensive ..." would seem to me to be a moot point. Our society is already desensitized to such vulgarity. I have gotten stares from common folks who observed me as I confronted those who have publicly displayed, even flaunted their off-color persona. It was my response that attracted the attention, not the offensive act itself.
In 20 years, T-shirts and other repositories of "potty mouthing" will not, as Patrico suggests, become more offensive. On the contrary, more of this and even more extreme expression will become the standard as we continue to permit, tolerate and otherwise excuse its demonstration in everyday life.
The FCC has a forgiving posture on broadcasting the F-word when used as an adjective. A member of the news staff at WSIE asked me if he could make such reference on air. My reply was simply, "Once." He got the message.
The Lone Ranger can't do it all. It takes the general populace acting as vice squad to clean things up and determine the standard of decency in polite society.
Tom Dehner
News Director
WSIE-FM
Patrico's question, "... what is going to happen in 20 years when these shirts become more offensive ..." would seem to me to be a moot point. Our society is already desensitized to such vulgarity. I have gotten stares from common folks who observed me as I confronted those who have publicly displayed, even flaunted their off-color persona. It was my response that attracted the attention, not the offensive act itself.
In 20 years, T-shirts and other repositories of "potty mouthing" will not, as Patrico suggests, become more offensive. On the contrary, more of this and even more extreme expression will become the standard as we continue to permit, tolerate and otherwise excuse its demonstration in everyday life.
The FCC has a forgiving posture on broadcasting the F-word when used as an adjective. A member of the news staff at WSIE asked me if he could make such reference on air. My reply was simply, "Once." He got the message.
The Lone Ranger can't do it all. It takes the general populace acting as vice squad to clean things up and determine the standard of decency in polite society.
Tom Dehner
News Director
WSIE-FM
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