Author Description

Do you know what your kids are watching on TV or hearing on the radio? While channel surfing, they may come across an episode of Sex and the City, in which the leading ladies light-heartedly compare notes on penis size; the cartoon series South Park, with its talking piece of excrement; the brawling of dysfunctional families on the Jerry Springer show; the latest sex-purveying, women-hating, and violence-inciting rap video on MTV; or the rantings of radio shock-jock Howard Stern. As the creator and first host of the Tonight show, and a key player in TV's Golden Age, Steve Allen remained a significant contributor to television, film, music, and radio for more than six decades. But, in recent years, he grew increasingly troubled by much of what we seen and hear today. Though quick to applaud the few good shows now airing, he became dismayed that these small islands of quality are almost lost in the sea of mediocrity and outright vulgarity the characterizes current television fare. Whereas talent and quality were the benchmarks of the early years of television and radio, pandering to the lowest common denominator in pursuit of advertising dollars and audience share is the main focus of today's programmers and performers. The fundamental question, as Allen sees it, is this: What kind of a society will we leave to our children - one dominated by media conglomerates that push anything for a quick buck, or one that reflects the highest standards of our heritage? It's up to us to do something about it, to raise a chorus of protest that echoes the words of the TV anchorperson from the movie Network, "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore!"--BOOK JACKET.