A Dangerous Babysitter

Our society discourages affection and emotion in males. It is evident everyday, when we hear phrases such as: "Big Boys Don't Cry" and "What are you, a Mama's Boy?"

How do our boys get to be violent men?

All boys start out with the same basic needs - food, shelter and affection. As they get older day by day, they learn the ways of the family they are born into. Some are lucky and when they communicate, they are responded to with affection and security. Some are not so lucky and are left to self-soothe, learning quickly that crying gets them nothing but scorn. As they grow, some are monitored for exposure to violent or cruel things while others are exposed to whatever the popular Media-hyped, gotta-have-it toy of the month is regardless of the message it speaks.

When they reach school age, or the society-controlled age that they are to be ready for independence, they are sent to school. Then other boys mercilessly taunt them until they learn not to show emotion. They pull into themselves and bury that child who can express his emotion. They grow into men who cannot begin to express rage with words. They cannot tell you why they feel what they feel inside, they have been taught not to. They can, however strike out at the world and others when they feels strong emotions that that they don't know what to do with. They can, however, watch a movie where everyone gets killed and worlds destroyed without thought of the sheer number of dead. They can cheer for the hero who wins because he has brutally killed all of his opponents. Of course, they have seen it all so many times that is doesn't even register as alarming. They have been brought up on television.

On children's TV and children's movies, the characters talk cruelly to one another and play mean tricks - just for a laugh, they vomit on each other and pass gas, throw rotten food and beat one another with sticks, rocks and bricks - all the while laughing maniacally and screaming at the top of their lungs. Heads are ripped off, lungs are ripped out, air is choked off and all the while, hysterical laughter. This is not Friday night at 11 p.m. This is children's cartoons.

If this was disturbing to read, Why is it ok for our boys to watch?

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