Several St. Louis area colleges and school districts fund a thing called HEC-TV. Most of the programming involves video tapes of classes. On Saturday night, though, I happened upon a program call Playback.
The first homemade short featured two freaks, one tall and thin with long hair and a beard, one short and fat with mutton chops and a tie. They were near a river among trees. The tall one carried a rifle. He dropped his pants, stuck the rifle between his legs like a prosthetic penis and pretended to masturbate for the camera. The story seemed to be a glorification of murder.
Next, a black-and-white short begins with a woman being dragged into an abandon building and raped. Of course, though, she enjoys it once penetration occurs.
Each of the schools that fund this trash receives tax money. The Rockwood School District, which is licking its wounds of failure of a bond issue for luxuries like astro-turf for its football fields, spends my tax dollars on this filth. My 12 and 14 year old sons witnessed the first of the episodes.
I have written to each of the sponsoring schools and to HEC-TV to complain. In particular, I complained to Dr. Craig Larson, superintendant of Rockwood. While the universities are a lost cause, I expect better of districts who teach kindergarteners.
UPDATE: The only “sponsor” of HEC-TV to respond so far has been the chancellor of Washington Univeristy–by far the most prestigious school on the list. It’s very encouraging to think that this gentleman took time on a Sunday morning to respond personally.