Shock Jocks

I thought I’d toss in my two cents worth after hearing of yet another case of Shock Jock hogging the head lines. I won’t even link to the many current stories listed when I Googled the term “Shock Jock” to find all the various articles on them. I will note that to my surprise Rush Limbaugh is listed as a Shock Jock, fancy that.

Perhaps the loose fitting definition of Shock Jock should be examined; from Wikipedia, the all knowing and never mistaken source of wisdom, I found the following:

“A shock jock is a slang term used to describe a type of radio broadcaster (sometimes a disc jockey) who attracts attention using humor that a significant portion of the listening audience may find offensive. The term is usually used pejoratively to describe evocative or irreverent broadcasters whose manners and on-air behavior is offensive to the listener.”

I suppose Rush might actually be the premier Shock Jock since his programming offends almost anyone with whacko liberal left leanings; but that wasn’t the kind of offensive broadcasting I was thinking of. Political talk show host’s spectrum of offensive broadcasting usually keeps to defining differences between liberals and conservatives; which in itself might be offensive but constrained to only acceptable language devoid of profanities and vulgarities. No, the broadcasters I’d target and label as Shock Jocks would fall into the area of “unacceptable public behavior”; those who thrive on sexual depravity, profanity, hate and other generally despicable forms of human debasement.

Here in Houston I know of at least one morning radio station, which I stopped listening to, with a pair of rude pranksters who would call people up with the intent of getting under their skin. These guys would get a tip about some dispute that was on going in a person’s life; contract issues with their landlord, home owner association issues or any number of situations which make blood pressure go through the top of the measuring device. These two jerks then pretend to be involved, leading the unsuspecting listener down the garden path, each step more steeped in anger, veins popping as the tension mounts and after preparing just the right moment these clowns spring the truth of the matter and let the targeted individual in on the joke. Some joke, creating a heart attack situation for the listening audience, “Ho-ho, ha-ha; that sure was funny listening to that poor sap sucking wind for thirty seconds while he looked for an ax to bury in somebody’s skull.” I’m sorry; but creating all those feelings of hate and anxiety isn’t funny, isn’t entertainment and shouldn’t be part of the morning commute.

Those prankster type Shock Jocks pale in comparison to the more popular, the nationally syndicated super Shock Jocks. These guys have no problem reducing the human race to its lowest common denominator. A steady stream of vulgarity, profanity and sexual depravity seems to be the ticket to stardom. The FCC has rules of engagement, a list of words which are not to be uttered over the air waves; but, what about satellite transmissions which are technically not part of the “public air waves”? In the past couple of weeks there have been a number of extreme cases brought to the public’s attention, instances which have gone far beyond anything which could be considered fit for public consumption.

I’m not endorsing any form of government intervention, nothing which would or could be considered trampling of Constitutional “rights”, to include freedom of expression through speech or any other God given rights. Quoting from an article I posted back in February, “Well, freedom of speech never included the right to offend your neighbor’s ear in public, no different than slapping someone in the face or spitting on them.” (link provided in title bar). What I’m concerned about is the ever increasing amount of pure trash that is being scattered around and consumed by the public, all in the name of “entertainment”.

I was going to put my opinion in on Rap music; but have decided that any comment I have would be misunderstood as a racially motivated “hate crime”. I can’t bear to be near the “stuff”; makes my blood boil as a steady barrage of profanity and degradation to the human body is pounded incessantly from some home boy’s stereo system at volume levels capable of reshaping sheet metal; sorry, I forgot that I wasn’t going to comment on Rap. I don’t listen to Rap stations and I couldn’t tell you what kind of remarks a disc jockey would have to say leading up to or following that kind of filth; but I would hasten to add that in all probability it wouldn’t be quotations from the Bible intended to lead the listener nearer to God.

Shock Jocks have their moment in the spotlight for now, taking home the bucks and wallowing in the cesspool reserved for such stardom; a cesspool with endless boundaries, one which will accommodate an entire culture if such is their desire. The only way to cut off their funding is to abandon their programming on an individual basis; stop supporting their sponsors, quit listening to them and they will vanish into thin air.

The next sound you hear will be the toilet being flushed. Howard, Howard who?

Recommended reading:

The State of American Culture and What can be Done about It
By Robert Bork
http://www.ldsmag.com/ideas/051027americanprint.html

Gosh and Oh My Heck
http://tfsternsrantings.blogspot.com/2006/10/gosh-and-oh-my-heck.html

Are we fully ripe with iniquity
http://tfsternsrantings.blogspot.com/2006/06/are-we-fully-ripe-with-iniquity.html

Senate Votes that Mormonism is the National Religion (snark)
http://tfsternsrantings.blogspot.com/2006/05/senate-votes-that-mormonism-is.html

The Freedom Collection
http://tfsternsrantings.blogspot.com/2006/02/freedom-collection.html

You won’t hear this being taught in school
By T. F. Stern November 5, 2005
http://www.americandaily.com/article/10057