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Day 15

TV in Fiji

By Al Menconi

Despite hundreds of studies that say otherwise, the entertainment industry continues to insist that TV, music and motion pictures have no significant negative impact on society. It's just entertainment, it doesn’t affect anybody. However, I found an article in Newsweek (May 31, 1999) that should remove all doubt about what happens to "virgin territory" when television is introduced into another culture.

In the traditional culture of Fiji , the ideal body is robust, while "going thin"- as Fijians refer to weight loss - was cause for concern, not admiration. Then Cable TV introduced these robust people to the skinny actresses of shows like " Melrose Place " and "90210." Within a short time, the teenage girls of Fiji were not only adopting the clothing and hairstyles of Western women, many were showing serious symptoms of eating disorders!

A survey of 65 Fijian girls by the American Psychiatric Association revealed that girls who watched TV three or more nights per week were 50% more likely to feel they were "too big or fat." Almost 2/3 actively dieted the month of the study – an unbelievably high percentage considering the number of weight-conscience American girls is much lower. Most disturbing was that in 1998, 15% of the girls (average age - 17) said they had vomited to control their weight compared with 3% in 1995 (when TV first arrived on the island).

These teens cited characters like " Melrose 's" Amanda (Heather Locklear) as the inspiration for changing their bodies. "We try to lose a lot of weight to become more like them," said one.

There was no mention if sexual activity by teens had also changed to be like their TV heroes since television has been introduced. But if this weight-loss craze is any indication, we can probably expect a rash of sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned births very soon.

A spokesman for Spelling TV, which produces some of the programs in question says: "We're sorry this seems to be happening…our intention is to entertain…it's just fantasy." But in Fiji , and elsewhere, girls often take those fantasies to heart.

You may have noticed that Hollywood is quick to take credit for any perceived "good" their industry does, from such projects as Farm-Aid to AIDS Awareness. But when there are negative repercussions like the girls in Fiji or the random shooting at schools across the country, they are quick to disclaim any responsibility. Which is it? They can't have it both ways. Does the entertainment industry influence us or not? Well, let’s ask the people of Fiji .

Reflection: Since television can obviously influence the eating habits of its viewers, is it reasonable to assume that sexually promiscuous and violent TV programs can influence our behaviors, as well? What kind of TV programming would you normally watch today if you weren’t taking the Full Media Challenge?

Response: Once your media “fast” is over, a fun way you can watch TV is to play “Spot the Lie” with your family. Ask each family member to identify the “lie” in the program or commercial. The family member who finds the most “lies” for the evening can be presented with a small reward (for example, we used a candy or a quarter when we played this in my home.) This is an excellent way for your family to learn to evaluate and question the philosophies presented to them under the guise of today’s entertainment.

Verse of the Day: Proverbs 15:14

"A wise man is hungry for truth, while the mocker feeds on trash." (Living Bible)

Are you wise? Are you a person who wants to live for God? Over and over again, the Bible contrasts those who are faithfully seeking God and those who are only out for their own selfish pleasure. This verse indicates that you can evaluate your character by evaluating what you feed your soul.

In many cases, we are what we eat. The same is true for our spiritual lives. We are often a product of what we use to entertain ourselves. Music has been called food for the soul down through the ages. Entertainment reaches your emotions. That’s why some music gets you to tap your foot, or a movie may cause you to cry or laugh, and video games can get your adrenaline pumping. When you applaud someone’s performance, it is likely that it hit your emotions – your soul. What type of food have you been putting in your soul?

That’s why The Full Tilt Media Challenge is so important in helping the Christian understand his relationship to God. Sometimes we make poor entertainment choices and don’t even realize it. I encourage you to continue to completely eliminate entertainment choices that are against biblical values for a thirty day time period – if in doubt, leave it out.

And listen exclusively to Christian music – just for thirty days. It is our hope that Christian music will help wash your brain so you will be able to see your entertainment choices in a new light. Literally! It’s never just a song, or just a movie, or just a program, or just a video game. There is always an agenda based on someone’s philosophy of life. After your 30 day “challenge,” it is our hope that when you reevaluate your entertainment to see if it is in agreement with God’s Word or not.

Music that agrees with the Truth of God's Word truly feeds your soul. Music and entertainment that mock the morals of His Word will only feed your flesh and likely undermine your spiritual strength. You can feed yourself to death on that and that just ain't wise.

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