The Decency Wars: The Campaign to Cleanse American Culture / Edition 1

by Frederick S. Lane

Overview

Janet Jackson’s infamous "wardrobe malfunction" at the 2004 Superbowl precipitated a nationwide controversy. To judge by the hysterical reaction, one would think that nothing so shocking had ever been seen on television. Yet, remarkably, during the conservative 1950s, similar breast-baring accidents on television (by Faye Emerson and Jayne Mansfield) raised barely a stir. Is America on the verge of another puritanical era? Is this new Puritanism the result of something more than just concerns for public decency?
First Amendment and emerging technology specialist Frederick S. Lane examines America’s changing attitudes toward decency and the politics of decency in this timely book. He takes a strong and unequivocal position that it is inappropriate and dangerous for the government to try to regulate morality. He accuses religious conservatives of starting "decency wars" for motives no more noble than profit and political gain. As Lane astutely points out, such controversies generate a flood of books, speeches, and syndicated radio and television programs. More importantly, they fill the coffers of conservative politicians and "non-profits."
Lane first sets the stage for the current controversy by reviewing the history of the decency debate from the invention of the camera as the catalyst for public decency concerns, through the mixing of morality and politics by the Moral Majority and the Christian Coalition, to the recent activist stance by the Federal Communications Commission against perceived indecency.
He spells out strategies for combating the rising influence of the Religious Right’s puritanical ploys by emphasizing that decency standards are a private and personal responsibility, not a matter of law enforcement. He asserts that we must continuously educate the public regarding the ruinous effects of government censorship, watered-down textbooks, and homophobia. Moreover, he stresses the supreme importance of supporting existing and new organizations to counteract the propaganda from groups like the Christian Coalition and Focus on the Family.
Detailing the degree to which Fundamentalist religion has pervaded current politics, entertainment, and society at large, this compelling book is essential reading for understanding one of the most fiercely debated social issues of our nation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781591024279
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	08/01/2006
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	367
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Frederick S. Lane (Burlington, VT) is the author of Obscene Profits and The Naked Employee, among other books dealing with the media, society, and law. He has appeared on ABC’s Nightline, CBS’s 60 Minutes, NPR’s Marketplace, the BBC, and many other television and radio programs as an expert on legal and First Amendment issues.

What People are Saying About This

David T.Z. Mindich

"Frederick Lane's book starts with a 'wardrobe malfunction' but that is only the beginning. In a book about a controversial topic such as 'decency,' readers expect to get both sides of the story. But Lane gives us much more, presenting multiple and often surprising perspectives, a rich back-story, and his own incisive analysis. Lane has written a rich and important book."
—Author, Tuned Out: Why Americans Under 40 Don't Follow the News, Professor and Chair Saint Michael's College Journalism and Mass Communication

Anthony Lewis

"This is a highly entertaining and also an important book. It tells the story of attempts to make America comply with "decency"--as defined by genuine religious conservatives and by assorted puritans, busybodies and political hypocrites. The hero is freedom of speech. The struggle goes on, and Frederick Lane has given us an indispensable guide to it."
—Former New York Times Columnist

Sharon Lamb

"In The Decency Wars, Frederick Lane has written a fascinating and well-researched history of the battle over media decency in American culture. It is a provocative and compelling contribution to the essential debate over the proper balance between personal responsibility and government regulation. Lane's book is essential reading for anyone concerned about the growing role of religious fundamentalism in American politics."—author of Packaging Girlhood: Rescuing Our Daughters' from Marketers' Schemes, and Professor of Psychology, Saint Michael's College

Marty Klein

"The Decency Wars is a terrific, urgent, page-turner of modern history. Thoroughly researched and documented, Lane names names, both familiar and surprising, as he shows exactly who has been working overtime to suppress basic American sexual freedoms. This book is required reading for anyone who thinks that South Dakota's criminalizing abortion, the federal government's lying about condoms, or Alabama's banning vibrators are harmless anomalies. Elegantly and powerfully written, The Decency Wars shows that Americans are under siege by a group of people who want to dictate the way we all live."
—Ph.D, Policy Analyst and Author, America's War on Sex

Editorial Reviews

"This is a highly entertaining and also an important book. It tells the story of attempts to make America comply with ‘ decency ’ - as defined by genuine religious conservatives and by assorted puritans, busybodies, and political hypocrites. The hero is freedom of speech. The struggle goes on, and Frederick Lane has given us an indispensable guide to it." Anthony Lewis, former New York Times columnist

From the Publisher