MTV wants to have their cake

and eat it, too. They want to champion every type of moral liberality

and be a victor for the freedom of speech, yet they also want to feed

off their own young, getting fatter and richer with every bite. Only,

their cannibalism continues to wreak havoc on the young flocks of viewers

they both attract and devour. I wish them a good case of Mad Cow Disease.

There have been more complaints

over the years concerning MTV than there are corporate tie-ins in sports.

Now the extreme-stunt show "Jackass" has spurred a young teen

to light himself on fire, emulating one of the segments on the program.

This undoubtedly will lead

to the music network quickly producing an "MTV News Special"

on the influence of "danger culture" on the teens of today.

MTV has become more hypocritical and incestuous in its programing with

every passing overdose, sexually transmitted disease or alcohol-fueled

car crash.

There is a philosophy that

the church must first make people feel guilty, before it can be successful

in forgiveness of guilt. MTV has taken the opposite route. MTV continually

bombards youth culture with the worst images, sounds and impressions and

when there is fallout they do a story on it. They try to "help."

MTV wants to blow up its cake and eat it, too. It's like sweeps-weeks

news shows that do segments on the blight of strip clubs, all the while

showing the same lascivious images that they condemn.

From the hate of rappers like

Eminem to the kiddie porn show "Undressed" to the aforementioned

"Jackass," MTV produces more negative light and noise than any

channel in history, not to mention the videos. At least the Playboy channel

is honest about what they produce. At least "Temptation Island"

is forthright in what it does. MTV sticks attractive, hot-blooded guys

and girls in lush houses (The Real World) and RVs (Road Rules) 24-7 and

pretends that the shows are about people getting along. They are selling

sex, pretending it's sociology.

But what's worse, somewhere

between Madonna strip video No. 1 and Madonna strip video No. 27, MTV

started a news division and now reports and "helps" concerning

the horrors of our society. MTV not only wants steak, they want to raise

the cow, pet the cow and then slaughter it, too. Their sirloin is our

children.

MTV has the audacity to counter-program

and brag on their specials that promote sex and responsibility. They preen

over their shows that promote sensitivity to people who are different

from us. But how long before or after the "sex and responsibility"

show do you run your wet t-shirt promos for "MTV Spring break"?

And what is proper etiquette for playing an Eminem song (where he fantasizes

about killing his wife, his mother or a homosexual) after you have broadcast

the show on being sensitive to others?

In the meantime, a kid is in

the hospital burned terribly and his friend is being charged with a crime.

For more details, check MTV News.

I know MTV can't be fully blamed

for others' stupidity, but to only gain more from this tragedy by reporting

on it is deplorable. Yet, even that could be expected, but to pretend

that the network is responsible and caring concerning the youth of today,

frankly, it makes me sick. MTV has gotten rich feasting on and fueling

the hormones of teens for too many years now to suddenly become "dignified."

We can only but turn it off.

[Visit Billy Murphy on the

Internet at www.ebilly.net.]