RESEARCH: MORAL PANICS

MORAL PANICS

"Moral panics then, are those processes whereby members of a society and culture become 'morally sensitized' to the challenges and menaces posed to 'their' accepted values and ways of life, by the activities of groups defined as deviant. The process underscores the importance of the mass media in providing, maintaining and 'policing' the available frameworks and definitions of deviance, which structure both public awareness of, and attitudes towards, social problems." - http://www.mediaknowall.com/as_alevel/mediaviolence/violence.php?pageID=moral

The 3rd of September, 2012, marked The Department of Culture, Media and Sport closing a three-month consultation that observers believed would end a loophole, which meant DVD's with titles like The Bitch of Buchenwald and Britains' Bloodiest Serial Killers can claim exemption from being given age guidance by the British Board of Film Classification. 

Things stand at the moment that, most sport, documentary and music videos can claim an exemption from classification. "The great majority of exempt video works are fine," said the BBFC's head of policy, David Austin. "They are not going to harm anyone, but there are a significant number of titles that are potentially harmful to children.'

The BBFC estimated that around 200 videos might be caught by a change in the law.

There have been many examples of videos that have claimed exemption but would have been classified. Some are much more serious than others. One of the more shocking is a documentary about the American heavy metal band Slipknot. It shows one fan who has carved the word Slipknot in to her forearm and another who has done the same in her belly, to which someone is seen pointing in admiration, which is entirely inappropriate for young children who are being introduced to many types of music such as Slipknot by the internet. Many videos are setting a terrible example for young children such as this one. 

There is a certain amount of freedom in the music industry these days, and this is positive in ways as it allows unique artists to express themselves, however I believe this needs to be monitored in order for the artists to avoid pushing the boundaries of what is appropriate and what is setting a good example. An example of an artist seen to be pushing the boundary, is Miley Cyrus in her new video Wrecking Ball, where she is seen swinging on a ball completely naked.

I think that music videos in general are definitely pushing moral boundaries by becoming more pornographic, extreme and violent. Miley Cyrus is an example of an artist who is believed to be verging on pornographic, and is considered inappropriate. Slipknots videos are an example of music videos definitely becoming too violent with scenes of self harm not setting a good example for young children who admire these people. 

Performers like Miley Cyrus really need to take into regard the appropriateness of their videos considering the young fans that she possess'. Some young fan will look at this video and want to follow the way Cyrus dresses' which is very inappropriate and setting a terrible example, with some young fans being so young following Cyrus all the way back from her days in the Disney show 'Hannah Montana'.