The benefit of TV

When I was younger, my father used to tell me television would melt my brain.
I didn’t understand how something so beneficial to my life as the happenings of Doug Funnie could cause such a gruesome effect.

Didn’t he have any idea how important his journey to win Patti Mayonnaise’s heart was?

While my father didn’t buy my argument then, today I’m smart enough to realize the effect the show had on me and the valuable lessons it taught the kids of the ’90s.

Doug dealt with his anxiety of being the new kid in  town by utilizing his imagination, and he befriended kids of all colors — orange, blue, green and purple.

Cartoons aside, television has changed our society, just as society changes television. Some aspects, like increased exposure to violence, may appear negative. But our history of television has done a lot of good for our society.

Perhaps most importantly, it allows people to become more comfortable with unfamiliar ideas. This has been extremely beneficial in reducing opposition to same-sex marriage.

Television shows like “Will and Grace” and “Modern Family” have effectively decreased prejudices among viewers.

In the 1960s, when women were still expected to be behind the kitchen counter rather than a work desk, Mary Tyler Moore took the nation by storm. Only 32 percent of television characters were female, and most of them never left the home.

She helped the country understand that women were intelligent enough to do more than just cook and introduced the feminist idea of a single woman supporting herself, devoid of a man.

I’ll readily admit that not all television presents positive ideas nor causes viewers to question their prejudices. Perhaps sometimes, this can be a good thing.

During the summer, Aaron Sorkin’s “The Newsroom” caused heated criticism with his portrayal of weak women in the workplace.

Similarly, Lena Dunham’s show “Girls” received criticism for showing white girl problems and only white girl problems. Yet these stereotypes and prejudices were heavily discussed, not ignored.

Television, good or bad, causes discussion, which can push people to second guess their prejudices and reassess their opinions. When is that ever a bad thing?

Opinions seem to be moving in the right direction, despite conservative tendencies to stay with the prejudices of the past.

In the last week, Ann Romney ironically told reporters that her favorite show is “Modern Family,” in which one of the starring couples is gay.

Her husband has been adamantly anti-gay and, according to the new Republican platform, plans to ban gay marriage.

After Ann Romney’s interview, the creator of “Modern Family”, Steve Levitan, wonderfully tweeted the following: “Thrilled Ann Romney says ModFam is her favorite show. We’ll offer her the role of officiant at Mitch & Cam’s wedding. As soon as it’s
legal.”

­— crshelle@indiana.edu