Saturday, October 25, 1997

I'm not going to let popular opinion think for me

By Joy Thompson

Knight-Ridder Newspapers

A reader recently called to say she enjoyed my columns because I am so "old-fashioned."

Honestly, I had mixed feelings about that description. I'm 30 years old, and I consider myself a hip, modern sort of chick. However, as a Bible-believing Christian, I do have strong opinions about right and wrong. And I have little problem with expressing those opinions in public.

Perhaps, that is what makes me seem old-fashioned. I am not afraid of expressing an opinion that goes against popular opinion. The willingness of people to make value judgments about what they see and hear has almost become a thing of the past. People today fear that they will be dismissed as backward, out of touch or politically incorrect. This is a free country with free speech. So, I say bag those fears!

Some groups want government to speak up for them, instead. They claim we need more government censorship because of the immoral content in our books, on television and on the Internet. I feel that we, as individuals, are our own best censors. Use good judgment; don't be pressured into an opinion.

What got me thinking about the topic of censorship was the release of the new movie "Boogie Nights." The film examines the people involved in the pornography of the 1970s and '80s. I have no interest in seeing this film. However, I was interested to find out what motivated the director to make it. I also was interested in hearing what the critics thought about it.

In a interview with Paul Thomas Anderson, the director of "Boogie Nights," a reporter noted that the film neither endorses nor condemns pornography. Anderson just portrays the industry as it is. Anderson is quoted as saying, however, "It's said that nobody in show business had a happy childhood, and absolutely nobody in the porn business had a happy childhood." You get the impression that the film won't glamorize the porn industry.

As an individual and an artist, it is Anderson's prerogative to be a detached observer of the porn industry. As an individual with personal moral standards for art, it is my prerogative to reject pornography as obscene. Anderson has the opportunity to express his views in a medium that will be exposed to millions of people. He gets to be interviewed by the national media. I get to express my views in a column running in a medium-sized local newspaper. More often, my opinions go no farther than a small circle of friends and acquaintances.

But that's OK. Just because my views are not the most popular doesn't mean I should reject them. And just because others chose to withhold making value judgments doesn't mean I have to.

It's ironic that people today bristle at the concept of being submissive to another person. Yet, many of these same people will allow themselves to be cowed into a submissive attitude by the politically correct crowd. They will subjugate their own opinions and views for the opinions and views of the collective. Or they will remain silent, which is just as bad. This is especially true when it comes to popular culture.

The highest accolades often are given to those artists whose works are the most rude, crude and morally offensive. Be it the fashion designer who dreams up the concept of a see-through dress, or the film-maker who decides to explore the world of incest, or the singer whose idea of entertainment is insulting and cursing his or her audience.

"Daring!" "Bold!" "Honest!" "Cutting edge!" the headlines read. And woe to the person who disagrees.

I read the previews and reviews, shake my head and laugh. What some people try to pass off as acceptable strikes me as absolutely ridiculous. Then, should these books, magazines, films, etc. be banned? No, that's unconstitutional. I feel we as individuals can do a better job than any government censor. If I don't agree with it, I won't watch it, read it or buy it. And if you ask me why not, I'll explain it to you. And perhaps, after hearing me, you'll agree. Perhaps, not. Either way, I am not going to allow popular opinion to think for me. Nor should you.

(Joy Thompson is an editorial writer for the Long Beach Press-Telegram. You can write to her at 604 Pine Ave., Long Beach, Calif. 90844.)

(c) 1997, Press-Telegram (Long Beach, Calif.).

Visit PT Connect, the World Wide Web site of the Press-Telegram, Calif, at http://www.ptconnect.com/

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