God Damn

See? You saw that title and flinched, even a little bit, didn't you? "G-D" seems to be the last taboo on television, for some reason. I've noticed that shows that like to bray about "pushing the edge" (ie. NYPD Blue, et al.) still avoid that one. Now, I don't have cable (SHOCK!HORROR!) so I can't speak to shows over there, but I suspect it's true on cable too.

Why is that? Seems these days that nearly anything is good to go, moreso on cable. But no one touches the "g word." Can it be that we're a more religious people than television would allow you to believe? That crossing that line would really cause trouble? That maybe there are still enough God-fearing Americans to make a real difference?

So, why don't these self-same folks get wound up over language, dialogue, situations, sexuality and violence? Now, yes, some folks already do. But I suspect that the numbers of protesters would be a whole lot higher for the show that regularly introduced the "g word." Why don't otherwise God-fearing Americans seem all that worried about the other nine Commandments?

That, I'm afraid, I don't have an answer to. At least not yet. I only have the question. America is still a very religious country, as polls continue to show, with a vast majority proclaiming themselves as practicing, believing Christians. We hear regular calls for some kind of religious presence in our schools and public life.

Yet porn is the only profitable part of the Internet. Television gets more and more base; movies continue to pander. Our casual life is also degrading.

I don't guess I have a point to this post after all. I just started with the realisation, the other day, that you never hear "God damn" on TV. It seemed important at the time, emblematic of something, but now I can't see what that is. There's some disconnect, some fearful dissonance occuring that I'd like to understand better.