February 3, 2001 Townhall.com by Brent Bozell

Youthful casualties of culture

In Fort Lauderdale, Fla., 13-year-old Lionel Tate has been found guilty of the grisly killing of 6-year-old Tiffany Eunick. Lionel, who caused injuries to Tiffany that a prosecution witness claimed were "consistent with [the effects of] falling from a three-story building," was a pro-wrestling buff. His attorney had put forward a "wrestling defense," arguing Lionel was innocent because he had been adversely influenced by, and had emulated, the brutal antics he regularly watched his TV wrestling heroes perform. "Like Batman and Superman," the attorney said, "they were his heroes. He loved to play."

The court rejected that defense. The 13-year-old was convicted of first-degree murder and given life without parole. His only hope is an extraordinary intervention by the governor of the state to commute the sentence.

You can just hear the entertainment industry celebrating. (ITAL) We told you we are not to blame! We told you we don't influence children's behavior! (ITAL)

Yet all around us there is evidence that the opposite is the case. It's no longer the bizarre, isolated report here and there. Children committing brutalities to others -- or themselves -- while influenced by various forms of entertainment media is becoming a regular feature in the news. Consider the events in the past two weeks alone:

-- The Associated Press reports that in New Philadelphia, Ohio, a 16-year-old boy, imitating a popular pro-wrestling stunt, plunged 18 feet from the roof of his house onto a flaming card table. He caught on fire and ended up with burns over 20 percent of his body. The boy's stepfather, who allegedly was right there and witnessed the incident, was arrested and has been charged with child endangerment.

-- According to another AP dispatch, a 13-year-old Torrington, Conn., boy, aided by a friend, "poured gasoline on his feet and legs and lit him[self] on fire while imitating a stunt on MTV's ... 'Jackass.'" On the "Jackass" episode, which the boys had seen earlier that night, the show's star, Johnny Knoxville, "donned a fire-resistant suit hung with steaks [and] lay across a makeshift barbecue while his castmates shot lighter fluid onto the grill." At last report, the boy was in critical condition, suffering from second- and third-degree burns. In the wake of this tragedy, MTV issued a prepared statement saying merely that the "Jackass" audience is warned not to try such stunts and wishing the boy a "full and speedy recovery." MTV has further stated it does not intend to tone down its act.

--The British paper the Guardian reported that the family of a teenage girl murdered in California in 1995 is suing the heavy-metal act Slayer and its record company, Sony-affiliated American Recordings. The family believes the band's music helped inspire three teenage boys to commit the crime.

The boys choked and stabbed to death 15-year-old Elyse Pahler. They later returned to the scene and had sex with her corpse. According to the Guardian, one of them said that "the three had often stayed up all night listening to Slayer and taking drugs. He said [the music] 'started to influence the way I looked at things.'" Each boy is serving a 25-years-to-life sentence after pleading guilty to the murder.

Slayer's albums have such titles as "Hell Awaits" and "South of Heaven." The group's most recent LP, "Diabolus in Musica," contains a song that goes, in part, "Absolute reign a malevolent mind/Conceptions so vile in this bottomless soul/Shooting up hate, nothing beats the rush."

As for the lawsuit, the Guardian says, "Both the band and the record company argue that they are protected under the First Amendment."

-- An article in the Daily Mail of London concerned an inquest into the suicide of 17-year-old David Hurcombe last September. The suicide note he left behind contained the lyrics of the rapster Eminem's track "Rock Bottom."

With characteristically British understatement, the coroner who handled the boy's case called the words to that song "rather depressing." They include, "Right now I feel like [I] just hit the rock bottom/ ... I'm screaming like those two cops when Tupac shot 'em/[I'm] holding two [guns], I hope your doors got new locks on 'em." References to violence and death are a mainstay for Mr. Eminem. Hurcombe printed out the lyrics "Cause when we die we know we're all going the same way. It's cool to be a player, but it sucks to be a fan," then added his own words: "Anyway, got to go, miss my train. See y'all in hell."

Shortly thereafter Hurcombe threw himself in front of a train. His body -- what was left of it -- was identified through dental records.

Eminem sees his music in a different light, of course. "Anybody with a sense of humor," he has said, "is going to put on my album and laugh from beginning to end." On Feb 21 millions of children will watch Eminem on national television. CBS is hosting the Grammys, and Eminem has been nominated for four awards.

------------------------ ©2001 Creators Syndicate, Inc.

-- (Paracelsus@Pb.Au), February 03, 2001

Answers

Always, always the "THEY made me do it! So THEY are to blame and THEY should be punished or censored."

Where is the personal responsibilty for their own violent tendencies, stupidity or viciosness? I would worry about this except for the fact that it is THEIR problem and noone else's.

-- Jack Booted Thug (governmentconspiracy@NWO.com), February 03, 2001.

"Violence is as American as cherry pie"

--H. Rap Brown, 1967

-- (LeonTrotsky@WWF.gala), February 03, 2001.

Actually, JBT, I'd lay the blame squarely where it belongs -- RIGHT ON THE PARENTS.

If they don't teach their kids the difference between right and wrong, and leave it up to tee vee and moveees (and of course now it's the Internet).....well, what the hell does anyone expect to happen?

They have no one to blame but themselves.

-- (PatriciaS@lasvegas.com), February 03, 2001.

music is a powerful tool for good & evil!! satan know's how too use it!!

he was the 1st=worship-leader. it,s called=spiritual influence!

-- al-d (dogs@zianet.com), February 03, 2001.

I read that the XFL was created by a combination of NBC and WWF.

What is the World Wildlife Fund doing starting a football league. I have an umbrella with WWF all over it. *<)))

Cheers,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), February 03, 2001.

Vegas rocks and I'm enjoying it so far...hell, a guy broke a first down marker in one of the most painful tackles I've ever seen. How cool! :-) I sheepishly admit..WOOHOO!

-- kritter (kritter@adelphia.net), February 03, 2001.

Do you have any idea how weird it was sitting there rooting against a NY team that wasn't the Yankees or the Islanders?

-- go Outlaws! (PatriciaS@lasvegas.com), February 03, 2001.

"Jackass" is something of a guilty pleasure for me. After every commercial break, MTV airs a STRONGLY worded caution against replicating these stunts. Moreover, you see the preparations these people go through on the most dangerous stunts (like Johnny Knoxville putting on a fire retardant suit).

"Jackass" airs a lot of funny stunts that aren't dangerous at all. For instance, one episode involved a skateboarder dressed as an Ommpah Loompah and a man dressed as Santa Claus getting a high colonic (BTW, they weren't doing the same stunt). Another featured an SUV driver who put a life-sized doll in a car seat, put the seat on top of the car, and tried to drive away. Yet another episode featured a man diving from a step ladder into a kiddie pool filled with animal waste. Where's the outrage? If it's "monkey see, monkey do," how come there hasn't been a rise in the number of teenage boys dressed as Santa Claus going in for high colonics?

-- Tarzan the Ape Man (tarzan@swingingthroughthejunglewithouta.net), February 04, 2001.

I've never heard of "Jackass" (I'm going to look for it now), but it sounds alot like that show about that stunt guy, Super Dave. He always did one stupid stunt (or an unreasonable facsimile) in each show. The one that is the most clear in my mind is that he set up a "piano lounge" on top of a bus. There was a piano, a couple of tables and some chairs. He sat at the piano and began to play, "King of the Road" and the bus is rolling merrily along.....and then goes through an underpass, knocking "Dave" (which was by this time a blow-up doll), the piano, tables and chairs to the road below.

Talk about "guilty pleasures"; that one scene, stuck in my mind all these years, still makes me LOL.

-- (PatriciaS@lasvegas.com), February 04, 2001.

I don't know what the hell the XFL has to do with Enima er eminmem but.....

I think the XFL rocked.No million dollar crybabies ready at anytime to strike or walk out when they don't get their way or owners grubbing for every dime they can squeeze out of the fans.

The guys from the XFL *really want* to play football,not just draw a check and be pampered,screw the NFL.

And quoting a guy in the newspaper"the XFL Cheerleaders make the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders look like Amish girls",that quote is definetly on the money,I agree kritt WOOHOOO!!!

-- capnfun (capnfun1@excite.com), February 04, 2001.

It was a hit, btw, so we're not alone, cap! :-)

-- kritter (kritter@adelphia.net), February 05, 2001.

Considering they've only been practicing together for a month, it was pretty damned good. Bet NBC wishes they had shown the Orlando/Chicago game though. Definitely more competitive than the NYNJ/LV game.

And I liked the 'coin toss'......(too bad that one dude separated his shoulder before the clock even started!).

I'll be watchin' it fer sure........now about them 'cheerleaders'...:)

Deano

-- Deano (deano@luvthebeach.com), February 05, 2001.

It was like watching minor league baseball in the sense that these guys really want to play the game. It seemed to have nothing to do with money, and everything to do with love of the game and the fans. These guys were accessible; not like the NFL or other "professional" sports.

-- (PatriciaS@lasvegas.com), February 05, 2001.

Tarz: Ot, but I LUV the show jackass....didcha see the one where they dropped the coffin?

LMAO thinkin bout it

-- sumer (shh@aol.con), February 05, 2001.

Deano, they actually cut away at the end of the third quarter to show that game instead, and never came back cause they KNEW it was better. I appreciated that..since the Orlando game had a great fourth quarter. Smart on their parts. And yes..I like the way the players talk and you can hear the coaches and it feels like FOOTBALL...WOOHOO

-- kritter (kritter@adelphia.net), February 05, 2001.

Yeah, I caught that kritter. They had figured Chicago to be among the leagues worst teams and Orlando to be among the best.

I about lost it Sunday during the San Fran Demons game. Ya gotta love that 'pitchfork' the fans were making with their fingers!!

I think if they give these guys time to gel, it'll be a decent brand of football all the way around.

Deano

-- Deano (deano@luvthebeach.com), February 06, 2001.