| NEW YORK (27 August 2003): Robert Peters, President of Morality in Media, had the following comments regarding tomorrow’s onset of the third season of FOX TV’s Temptation Island.
“When I first heard about FOX TV’s Temptation Island, four thoughts came to mind: sleazy, exploitative, mean spirited (or sadistic), and playing with fire. Now in its third season, Temptation Island’s sleazy, exploitative and mean spirited nature needs no further comment from me. The program speaks for itself on such standard-for-reality-TV matters. “It’s the ‘playing with fire’ aspect that has kept me busy during the past two years or so—because there is hardly a week that goes by when I don’t clip and file at least one article from a local newspaper about someone killing or attempting to kill someone over a broken relationship. “Back where I grew up, boys settled their ‘differences’ in a less drastic fashion called the ‘fist fight.’ The excuses for such nasty but rarely life-or-limb threatening combat were varied, but one common cause was girls. And for the life of me, I can’t imagine any sane, responsible adult organizing an event at which young couples who were ‘going steady’ voluntarily exposed themselves to a selection of good looking males, whose assignment was to try to steal the affections of the girls. “But that was back then; and this is today when despite allegations that there have already been two murders associated with distraught lovers who appeared on reality TV, FOX continues to endanger foolish young adults—all for the sake of higher ratings and the ensuing financial gain. Without further comment, here are excerpts from some of the most recent clippings: “A Harlem teen has been arrested and charged with stabbing a 13-year-old boy to death during a melee…which centered around a girl.” Newsday, ‘Charges in Death of a Boy,’ 8/23/03 “After discovering his girlfriend in bed with another cook, a Hamptons chef beat the stuffing out of his rival, cops said.” NY Post, ‘Going Cook-OO,’ 7/24 “A teenage was killed…when gunfire erupted at a Bronx playground early yesterday during an argument over a girl, police said.” Daily News, ‘Teen Shot dead,’ 7/19 “An upper West Side doorman carrying a torch for his male prison paramour was arrested yesterday after he tried to hire a hit man to rub out his beloved’s girlfriend, authorities charged.” Daily News, ‘Doorman slammed in hit plot,’ 7/12 “A Brooklyn newlywed pleaded not guilty…to fatally stabbing her hubby…Authorities have said the newlyweds started arguing when [he] became enraged that his wife was instant-messaging someone in a chat room…” NY Post, ‘Slain over butt crack,’ 7/4 “A…teen was clinging to life yesterday after he leaped from an overpass…[H]e got into an argument with his sometime girlfriend, law enforcement authorities said. Sources said the argument may have been because [his] parents disapproved of their relationship. The argument may also have been the breaking point for [him].” NY Post, ‘Party teen in parkway plunge,’ 6/27 “A jealous man…burst into his ex-lover’s…diner…and mercilessly gunned down the mother of three before blowing his own brains out, police said.” NY Post, ‘Jilted lover delivers death,’ 6/15 “A Queens man was charged with choking his wife to death and cutting off her head with a handsaw because she told him she was leaving him for another man, police said.’ Newsday, ‘Charges in Grisly Murder,’ 6/13 “A Bronx man was arrested yesterday after he allegedly shot his girlfriend, then ran over her with his van because he thought she was two-timing him…” Newsday, “Bronx woman shot,’ 6/12 “A Long Island woman who was kidnapped and raped by her obsessed ex-boyfriend helped cops nab the fiend.” NY Post, ‘Hi-tech trap for rapist,’ 6/10 “A courageous Bronx man answered the screams of a woman being stabbed by an ex-boyfriend…[They] had been a couple for 18 years until about a month ago, when [she] threw the suspect out of their apartment.” Daily News, ‘Bronx hero stops knife attack,’ 6/2 “A hip city DJ pushed his stripper girlfriend out the window of their fourth-floor apartment…after she announced she was ditching him for someone else.” NY Post, ‘Stipper hurled,’ 5/26 “A brilliant Brooklyn honor student was admiring two women in a passing car…when a man in their car shot him between the eyes, cops said.” NY Post, ‘Car ogle deadly,’ 5/19 “The warning signs had been accumulating…a teenager’s jealous rages, his frequent threats to kill his girlfriend…But until [he] leapt to his death in front of a train last week, apparently in the mistaken belief that he had just killed his girlfriend….” NY Times, ‘Teenager Lost Control,’ 5/14 “They poured into the Brooklyn church to say goodbye—many of them young, attractive, vital and starry-eyed about the future. Very much like their friend…the 22-year-old aspiring actress whose life and dreams were snuffed out…by the fiancé she had dumped.” NY Post, ‘Loving goodbye,’ 5/1
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| Author: MIM 08/27/2003 |