Walt Mueller is the president of the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding, and I think he has written a good post called Random Thoughts on the VMAs…Britney’s Back…What Did You Think? wrapping up the Video Music Awards that were aired on MTV last night. I think Walt does a good job identifying the trends and messages being communicated to our kids of “what is right” according to the culture surrounding them. I watched the VMAs “off and on”, and what I did see of it was very interesting, especially when it comes to the issue of my previous post on who is going to tell our kids about sex and sexuality. It reinforces that if we are not talking to our kids about sex, someone is!
Here is an excerpt from his post:
Unlike past VMAs, this show didn’t present a one-sided message on sexuality. . . . although it looked like it might from the beginning. Between Russell Brand’s mocking commentary on the Jonas Brothers and their Promise Rings, to the overt visual and lyrical titillation of many performances, a do-anything culture was promoted (Kid Rock singing about his own adolescence in northern Michigan). But then there was my favorite moment of the night. . . Jordin Sparks. . . and her brief, unscripted, to the point commentary on Promise Rings and sexuality. Gutsy and great! Our kids desperately need voices that speak God’s wonderful life-giving sexual ethic into the culture. I found it interesting that Russell Brand came out soon after and, well sort-of, issued an apology.
I think this illustrates how we cannot have our “head in the sand” when it comes to sex and messages out there. We need to be informed and be able to speak back to the culture, as Jordin Sparks seemed to do. (I did not see this portion of the show, but I wish I did.)
