This week Dad and Son reflect on the recent tragic shootings in Colorado and wonder about the influence our media and Hollywood have on us all. Dad also read Bruce Sallan’s column on the subject, Batman Rises and the Colorado Shootings: Hollywood Should be Ashamed.
.TY @VoogDesigns for another Because I Said So comic strip! Do take advantage of his special caricature offer in our ad section (scroll down a bit on the right)!
The recent tragedy in Colorado plus all such things that happen regularly in the world and occasionally in our own families was the topic of this week’s #DadChat on Thursday, July 26 from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. PT. How do we tell our kids about such evil? How do we explain death to them? When and should we protect them from “the news?” We explored this and more with special co-host, Gina Schreck. The homework for this #DadChat was the “A Dad’s Point-of-View” column, Batman Rise and the Colorado Shootings! For those who couldn’t make it or want to read all the tweets in this very fast-paced discussion, please refer to the Hashtracking #DadChat transcript – it was a very powerful evening!
#DadChat strives to be the best parent community on Twitter and I believe we’re succeeding because we are not afraid to tackle the tough subjects yet we are a wide-open forum and we do throw in the occasional joke and lighter moments.
No, I don’t blame Hollywood or The Dark Knight for the Colorado shootings. But, I do blame Hollywood for the deterioration of its product, the resulting desensitization of our kids, and the overall lack of concern for what it produces and the impact it has on our souls.
The following article was originally published in The Caucus for Producers and Writers Journal in the 1980’s.
A landmark day took place the fall of 1992 in the network television movie business. ABC, CBS, and NBC each began production, on the same day, with the same scheduled finish day, of a movie about the Amy Fisher/Joey Buttafuoco story. NBC had her rights, CBS had his, and ABC had “public domain.” Each competed to be the first to reach the public and to be the most “authentic” version of the story. NBC “won” by getting their version on the air first, December 28, 1992 and scored seemingly unbeatable numbers (19.1 rating/30 share) , garnering their highest ratings of the season for a television movie. CBS and ABC followed six nights later, January 3, 1993, running head to head. ABC touted theirs as the most critically appreciated movie and the one (they had “public domain”) that told the “whole story.” CBS was relying on its wonderful Sunday Night lead-in of 60 Minutes and “Murder She Wrote.” ABC ended up the complete winner with a 19.5 rating/30 share versus CBS’ 14.3 rating/22 share, to come up number one in the Amy Fisher race. Which was the better movie? Which told. the “true story? Does it matter?
I’ve been lazy updating this section, so don’t expect the latest here. But, it’s Saturday and I’m way ahead on my writing, vlogging, and comic strip scripts! So, I decided to start a new series for my Friday #SocialMedia and #Technology columns. It is called The Evolution of Technology. To be fair, it is not totally new as I created it for a website I co-created a while ago. But, they will be NEW to you and we will continue the series beyond the original five I wrote, several co-written with Professor David E. Weber. #DadChat was so fun and so huge this past week with Pam Moore aka @PamMktgNut when we discussed the future of Social Media and Our Kids. We had over 25 MILLION impressions, 200 participants, and over 1,300 tweets. Trust me, that’s fast and that’s what I call “Brain Exercise.” All else is cool as I’m preparing for my “Back to School” drive August 24th, when I am driving nearly 3,000 miles cross-country to take my son to college. FORD has given me a Flex for the drive and we are seeking other sponsors. You will read, see, hear, and watch the trip as I plan to “cover” it completely!
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Featured guests:
Wayne Levine (BetterMenCoaching.com) for “The Men’s Room.”
Pastor Drew Sams (DrewSams.com) for “Teen Rap.”
Special Guest, Dr. Jennifer Weberman (The Parenting Playground)
This show is loosely based on this week’s “A Dad’s Point-of-View” column, My Son Got a Tattoo.
