The Swamidass Sez

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Things that make you go hmmm...

It is interesting how a movie or TV show watched in private can seem benign or neutral, but the same show watched in the company of friends or family, can create discomfort or embarrassment.
This happens most frequently with scenes depicting some type of sexual activity. The scene is not graphic enough to convict to stop me from watching if I am by myself, and yet in the presence of someone else, something compels me to look away or skip forward in the show.
Why is this?? Are we concerned for the other people present? Are we convicted that the scene is actually wrong to watch?
Well, in most cases, I think this is indicative that the activity portayed is actually obscene in the sense that it should be off-stage, something not done in public or not at all. So when we are with others, it seems that the "obscene" scenes that were ok in private become uncomfortable.

Much could be said about how to decide in an absolute sense what is acceptable to watch and what is not, and yet, whatever one's view, it seems common to have one standard in private and tigher one in public. Hmmm...

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