Moral Outrage

Hillary Clinton is looking into a new cause. Apparently universal health care just wasn't driving the grinding wheels of political stardom fast and furious enough. Now she's looking into how to get those filthy violent video games rated correctly. Don't get me wrong - I'm no fan of "Grand Theft Auto - Anywhere," but this one just kind of reeks of photo-op to me.
Wasn't it Al Gore's wife, Tipper (still sounds dirty after all these years) who spearheaded (still sounds dirty) the Parent's Music Resource Committee all those years ago? Thanks to that effort, families are free to spend hours peeling off that annoying "objectionable lyrics" sticker to see what R. Kelly is really wearing. It was another shot in a neverending war - Elvis Presley and his gyrations, the Beatles and their haircuts, and that David Bowie - what kind of freak is he anyway?
Probably my favorite bit of unnecessary fuss about rock and roll centers around the song "Louie Louie." I quote from LouieLouie.net: "In the mid 1960s, many people considered this subject a very serious matter. Rock and roll was considered a subversive movement, and governor Matthew Welsh of Indiana actually used his powers to restrict airplay of this song. Of course, all of this controversy helped spur more record sales, as teenagers rushed to the record store to buy the record that shocked, or at least confused their parents. It was no accident that the extra notoriety contributed to the popularity of 'Louie Louie' as one of the greatest party songs of all time."
Just what is the upshot of the culture wars? Increased fascination and revenue, primarily. Now, finally "Grand Theft Auto" will get the rating it deserves: M. I can see the lines of outraged consumers waiting to return their smutty filth back to the smutty filth peddlers who peddled the smutty filth to them in the first place - but couldn't you show me how to get to the naughty bits one more time, first?
Here's one to ponder: Is society a mirror of culture, or does culture just follow in the wake of society? Are there things I don't what my son to see? You bet. Are there things I don't want to see? That list might be even longer. In the meantime, let's try and keep an eye out for some or the real bad guys.