Reality Television - "Boss"

I have just watched a TV series on More 4 called "Boss", set in Chicago . It is a tale of modern American politics, which I find interesting, not least because it is so corrupt & un-democratic. Where America leads we tend to follow, in more ways than one.

Over the years the public has become conditioned & de-sensitised to sex & nudity on TV & in films. In contrast I remember going to see "Hair" in the 60's & the public furore that caused. It seems very tame now. I am the generation that was used to sex being inferred or sanitised, with those participating decorously covered in sheets. "Boss" eschewed any such niceties. Nothing whatsoever was left to the imagination in the coupling of it's stars. It was coupling, lust not love, over in seconds, with no foreplay or conversation. I find myself wondering if we actually know what the difference is between titillation, pornography & gratuitous sex & nudity any more.

I also wonder how the actors justify allowing themselves to be exploited in this way. Are they that desperate for a role or money, they have no self respect whatsoever. Even more amazing what does it do to their relationships with their partners & children? How do you instill any boundaries or moral values in your children if they know the world has seen you in such graphic scenes? Is sex nowadays really just a quickie, over in seconds, instantaneous gratification with almost anyone? The scenes I saw looked as if the actors were actually having intercourse, in fact they may well have been, & if they weren't they might as well have done.

I am also perplexed that seemingly actors aren't inhibited by cultural norms which don't seem to apply to TV or films. I doubt that many of us would go to the toilet or engage in sex in full view of the general public. Yet they expose themselves to the view of millions.

Nowadays, when you have no way of knowing what is going to appear on your screen, you need to be wary who you watch TV or a film with. I would be embarrassed to have watched this with my parents, or my daughter for that matter. Does the audience really need to see actors going to the toilet & wiping their bottoms, in full view? Is it really necessary to the plot line? Is the current generation so lacking in imagination that they have to actually see it happening?

I'm not advocating a return to the Doris Day school of acting. I have seen gritty dramatisations in which the character & plot demanded reality. But please, give the audience credit for some ability to think for themselves & use their imagination. I think we are debased as a species by this current "reality drama". It ignores the intricacies of human relationships, which are far more interesting than seeing graphic sex scenes full screen. We need to protect girls & women from being exploited. If we don't, when will seeing children in similar scenes become acceptable?

If individuals want pornography let them seek it out & be vulnerable to prosecution. I wonder how realistic a picture of the average lifestyle this is. I begin to suspect that actually a lot of people get their sexual experience vicariously through these reality shows & don't experience anything like it in their own lives at all. How sad.