NIXON’S ADMINISTRATION ATTACKS TV MONSTERS!
United States Surgeon General Jesse L. Steinfield on January 17th stated that a panel of 12 behavioral scientists have “detected a link” between TV violence and behavior.
Surgeon General Steinfield said his panel found “fairly substantial experimental evidence” shows a “short-run causation of aggression among some children by viewing violence on the screen. These children,” he added, “are those who are already “predisposed” toward “aggressive behavior,” due to “heredity, parental environment and other factors.”
The study, called the Scientific Advisory Committee on Television and Social Behavior, was started two years ago and made no actual recommendations, though it stated some interesting things about TV violence:
That violence on TV does not allow people to “let off steam.”
That a show called “Doomsday Flight,” scripted by Night Gallery’s producer, Rod Serling, about airplane bombings, triggered off five airline “bomb threats” within 24 hours.
And that girls are more violent than boys.
The study deliberately avoided commenting on news shows, which report of riots, bombings, murders, and war, “for First Amendment reasons” involving Freedom of Speech and Press.
THE MONSTER TIMES feels called upon to ask a few questions of the Surgeon General and anyone who takes him seriously:
First, what does this ominous report really say? Does it imply that the Federal Communications Commission will soon take action to reduce “violence” on TV? Will Nixon’s Surgeon General Steinfield and the FCC apply pressure to suppress or censor some of these shows?
And what about these “findings,” anyway? Rewritten by our Monster Times copywriters, they say (using all the government study’s facts and news releases):
“Surgeon General Jesse L. Steinfield said today that he THINKS there’s a link between violence on TV, and violence in real life, although the real-life people who are violent may be so, because of their environment, or (because of heredity), they were “born violent” in the first place; and maybe TV didn’t make them violent at all. The Surgeon General of the United States also revealed that as many as five cranks can make bomb threats to airlines on the same day that plays about airplane bomb threats are shown. He thinks that TV violence doesn’t let people “let off steam,” and that girls seem more violent than boys. To top it all off, the Surgeon General said he didn’t dare say anything about violence in real life causing violence, as with news programs, for that would interfere with Freedom of Speech and Press-a right guaranteed in the First Amendment, but which seems a right denied producers of television fiction shows.”
There you have it-in 164 words, rather than the 275 pages which the committee’s report took.
Monster fans beware! Our President’s Surgeon General doesn’t like monsters, it seems to us. Are we soon to see little signs flashed on our TV screens: “WARNING! Watching This Monster Movie May Make You VIOLENT!”? Instead of just violently ill.
Chuck
CHUCK R. McNAUGHTON: Almighty Editor. JOE KANE: Managing Editor. ALLAN ASHERMAN, PHIL SEULING, STEVE VERTLIEB: Associate Editors. BRILL AND WALDSTEIN: Art Direction. BILL FERET, DENNY O’NEIL, C.M. RICHARDS: Columnists. ALLAN ASHERMAN, JESSICA CLERK, DAVE IZZO, DEAN ALPHEOUS LATIMER, ED NAHA, C.M. RICHARDS, STEVE VERTLIEB, JIM WNOROSKI: Contributing Writers. JACK JACKSON: Contributing Photographer. LARRY WALDSTEIN: West Coast Correspondent. JESSICA CLERK: European Correspondent. RICH BUCKLER, ERNIE COLON, CARLOS GARZON, DAN GREEN, STEVE HICKMAN, JIMMY JANES, JEFF JONES, MIKE KALUTA, GRAY MORROW, B.B. SAMS, LARRY TODD, BERNI WRIGHTSON: Contributing Artists.
1 THEM!
The giant ants who drove James Arness back home on the range.
6 BUGS-HEROS IN COMIX:
A survey & checklist of “buggy” comic book heroes.
9 IT CRAWLED FROM OUT OF THE WOODWORK!
Special NEW MT foto-comix horror film… a load of laffs?
10 MONSTER TIMES TELETYPE:
Facts and fantasies about what’s new.
12 THE EMPIRE OF THE ANTS:
A rediscovered classic horror story by H.G. Wells.
14 HOW TO SELL A GORILLA:
Part Two of Steve Vertlieb’s Kong Khronology.
16 MONSTER TIMES COLORFUL CENTERFOLD:
A recreation of one of the thrilling original KNOG POSTERS used in the original campaign.
19 THE CARE AND FEEDING OF YOUR PET VENUS FLYTRAP:
Now you need never be alone! …And an answer to a letter!
20 COMES THE GRAY DAWN:
What happens when bug-men really do inherit the earth?
22 MUSHROOM MONSTERS PART II:
Don’t go away!
It’s time to play! – END OF THE WORLD!
25 VIRGIL FINLAY:
A book review.
He was SF’s Norman Rockwell!
28 STAN LEE AT CARNEGIE HALL:
The opinions expressed by The Latimer are not necessarily even HIS!
THIS ISSUE’S COVER: is based on “THEM,” conceived and executed by an illustratress named Wendy Wenzel, a MONSTER TIMES delineating discovery. 24-year-old Winsome Wendy comes from a family of illustrious artists. “I love crawly bugs,” says Wendy, whose cover bears out this statement.
THE MONSTER TIMES, No. 3, March 1st, 1972 published every two weeks by The Monster Times Publishing Company. P.O. Box 595, Old Chelsea Station, New York, N.Y. 10011. Subscriptions in U.S.A.: $ 6.00 for 13 issues, outside U.S.A.: $10.00 for 26 issues. Second-class mail privileges authorized at New York, N.Y. and at additional mailing offices. Contributions are invited provided return postage is. enclosed; however, no responsibility can be accepted for unsolicited material. Entire contents copyrighted (c) 1972, by The Monster Times Publishing company. Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Subscriber change of address; give 8 weeks notice. Sand an address imprint from recent issue or state exactly how label is addressed.