The Garbage Channel

There has been the ongoing question of whether our society is sliding downhill. Brian Lowry’s article leaves the reader with little doubt that it is, and that the producers and writers of TV’s so-called entertainment programs are straining at the leash to even accelerate its decline (“Adjusting the Off-Color Contrast,” Sept. 19).

If the quotes of their comments are only slightly correct, they seem to be whining that they can’t go further in their telling the viewers what they think life really is. We don’t need their telling us what life really is--we live it every day!

It seems that in their greed for larger audiences and, thus, higher advertising fees, they will persist in airing programs that imply, suggest and almost say outright that foul language and the constant emphasis on sex is OK, no matter what the cost. The cost in this case is our young people’s minds. This puts them on the same ethical level as tobacco company executives--pretty low.

JAMES C. BENJAMIN

Fullerton