TV Parental Guidelines Rating Board - Media Power at its Worst

 I was curious how the self proclaimed TV Parental Guidelines Rating Board was doing in assigning ratings to TV shows.  The TV show  I chose was "How to Die Alone".  The rating TV MA, L.  In the Guidelines Rating Board language that stands for Mature Audiences Only.  The program is designed to be viewed by adults and therefore may be unsuitable for children under 17.  The "L" descriptor was assigned due to crude indecent language.  But from past experiences with Parental Guidelines approved ratings, I wanted to see if the show had addressed any presence of same sex material in the show.  True to Parental Guidelines Rating Board practices, the show had not properly addressed the sexual content of the show.  After some 15-20 minutes, a brief scene appeared of a scenes showing two males laying in a bed under covers engaged in sexual activity.  I think the program should have been assigned an S descriptor also.

There are several descriptors which could have been applied for an S - sexual situations descriptor assignment.  The scene definitely fit somewhere between some sexual situations, intense sexual situations, or explicit sexual activity.  On the Parental Guidelines Rating Board website, there are no definitions explaining  what is "some sexual" versus intense sexual" or "explicit sexual".  Is it up to the viewer to decide what fits each category?  Why are there no definitions shared with the public?  Probably because the Board wants you to stay out of their business of assigning ratings any damn way they want to.  Who asked you for your input?

If you go to the Board's website at http://www.tvguidelines.org/ratings.html you will notice that since 2021, the Board has not provided an update on how it carries out its mission.  The absence of definitions, shared with the public, is a major problem.  There are no definitions defining the differences between each level for language, sexual situations or violence.  For example, what is moderate violence versus intense violence?  What is strong coarse language versus crude indecent language?

There is a need to keep the ratings assigned in view for at least 30 seconds rather than the 15 currently required.  As a consumer you need to demand accuracy of the product that is being thrust out at you with inaccurate ratings.  Or do you normally accept people giving you anything and you just take it regardless of the quality of the product?

 

Covid Comes to Visit

 After ignoring me for over 4 years, Covid 19 finally paid me a visit.  It was an unexpected visit.  I had not extended Covid a personal invitation to stop by and stay awhile.  Covid brought with it a suitcase packed with high fever, congestion, runny nose, cough (that still persist) and aches and pains.  Covid did  not care that I had made plans to take a trip via a plane the next day for ironically a medical exam back home.  No, Covid just barged into my life and told me that it was staying at least a week, so adjust my life accordingly.

When Covid speaks, unfortunately, it has the power to back up what it wants done.  So the next week was spent reacting to the needs and demands of Covid.  Rest, taking fever fighting over the counter medications, cough syrup, and keeping facial tissue handy became my Covid support routine.  I had no one to go run errands to the store for food and medications.  I simply put on a mask and applied hand sanitizer to my hands before and after going into stores. 

I thought about when Covid had first visited people in 2020.  Many of those hosts did not survive the visit.  They became severely ill and many died.  Thousands and thousands of people of all ages.  I don't know if past vaccines I took, the last one was 2 years ago, prevented me from having a deadly reaction to my guest, Covid 19.  The worst part of the visit was the high fever Covid brought and feeling tired. I forced myself to eat to keep my strength up.  I had money to purchase food and the necessary medications I needed to feed Covid and keep its behavior semi constructive.  So, I thank God for having come out of it with just the lingering cough as a side effect.  I will find out what lingering impacts Covid's visit will have on my health.

Ironically, I got my yearly Flu shot 2 weeks after Covid visited me.  I added a Covid vaccine to my vaccination routine.  One visit by Covid is enough for me.  I have put out the No Vacancy sign for future Covid visits.  Lesson learned, to support maintaining good health, get your Covid vaccination.

A National Disgrace 45th President acts a fool.

 The performance by former President Trump was simply disgraceful.  He attempted to raise and appeal to fear by making claims that there are murderers crossing the border by the milliions killing Americans.  He is attempting to appeal to the fears of white people as politicians historically tried to do in raising fears about black people.

He simply made claims about how bad things are, would not answer questions, not address policy ideas. Who in the world would vote for him?

It's like asking the Jewish people in 1935, "Would you vote for Adolph Hitler if he promises to improve your ability to pay bills and live a decent life?"