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Saturday, February 12, 2005

Bad First Impressions


I just got off the phone. And I'm not a happy camper.

The phone rang, and the "person" asked for me. When I said, "this is she," there was a pause. (hmmm... wonder why...) The "person" on the other end of the line started in.

"Hello, this is Rob from the Dove Foundation. We're conducting a brief survey..." He went on, so quickly that I couldn't get a word edgewise. Then he came to the first question. "Do you have a child or grandchild between 3 and 18 that you have rented a movie or taken to the movies in the past two years?"

"Yes." Another pause. Brief, but a pause none the less.

That's when it hit me. It's a voice-prompted recorded survey. The whole asking for me by name was just a hook to get me to listen. (hey! It's early. Haven't had all of my coffee yet. Cut me some slack here.)

So, I just waited. Didn't say a thing, because, if it had been a real person, they would have said something. "Ma'am?" Something. But, no. Silence. So, I hung up.

Now, I'm not a happy girl. They tricked me, and they're tricking other people. So, I went to their web site, clicked on the "contact us" link, and (politely) told them what I thought of their little survey. I don't dislike automated surveys. And I don't dislike live surveys. I do deeply dislike this deception, no matter how minor it was.

After I did that, I looked around their site. That's what made me even madder. They're a Christian organization. No, they don't say it- "pro-family" is the term they use. But their logo is a dove. Only two types of groups use the dove as a symbol- anti-war groups... and Christians. And they did this. I'm about to have a Dean moment.

Then there's this from their web site:
THE DOVE FOUNDATION is a non-profit organization established to encourage and promote the creation, production and distribution of wholesome family entertainment. The Foundation, free from commercial pressures, awards a blue and white Dove Seal to any movie or video that is rated "family-friendly" by its film review board... The Dove Foundation is working with the entertainment industry to help them identify and serve people who are eager to watch high quality, wholesome movies. The Dove Seal makes it easy for customers to identify titles that are safe for family viewing. Consumers are casting their votes for "family-friendly" movies by choosing titles that display the Dove Seal.
At first, this sounds really good. Before we take the boys to see some movies, we'll hit the Screen It site and check out their description of the movie. (They're a little obsessive- they catch every nitpicky detail.) So, having reviews of movies sounds like a really good thing, right? Well, then I found this on their product page:
Clean Up on these great films that have been edited to remove graphic violence, sex and language. Each of the DVDs in this category has been awarded the Dove "Family Edited" Seal of approval.
That is just wrong. For whatever reason, the film makers put that stuff in there. I'm not a "let's support the arts- no matter what" kind of person, and many films are far from art, but... how would certain bloggers (who shall remain nameless) found out that someone had taken their posts, editted them to take out all of the colorful invective, and then reposted them (but gave the original writer credit- while pointing out their implied moral inferiority by editting their work)? I'm thinking there would be much wailing and nashing of teeth. I'm very surprised that the studios allow them to sell edited versions of the films. (Oh, wait... it's about money. Film makers will care, not the studios. Oh, well...)

That isn't going to change the movie industry. They'll just keep making the movies with graphic violence, sex and language. And you'll keep buying them, editing them, and reselling them. Nothing will ever change.

What about financing good quality movies for kids? How about supporting the films that Hollywood makes that are good and wholesome and worth seeing? If Hollywood sees that there is a market, they'll make more. It's the way the marketplace works.

OK, all that being said, I did find one good thing on their site- the Children's Hospital Movie Channel.
Most people agree that daytime network television consists mostly of "soap operas" and adult-theme talk shows. It is also generally acknowledged that this type of programming is unsuitable for young children. Recently, Dick Rolfe, Chairman and Founder of The Dove Foundation was quoted on the front page of USA Today, calling for the television networks to "clean up their houses." Most parents can screen what their children watch in the home. However, there is a very large population (800,000) that is a captive audience of this programming, with few options to choose from; the children in our nation's hospitals.

Entertainment is an important escape for these unfortunate youngsters, especially during such trying times. Hospital staffs rarely have the time or resources necessary to protect the children from unsavory television programming. While many hospitals offer alternatives such as premium cable channels, they are usually available to patients for a fee not covered by insurance. The program content on many of these cable channels is also questionable where children are concerned, leaving them in need of more appropriate programming. In some cases, where video libraries are available, hospital staffs complain that the tapes and VCR’s are frequently lost, stolen or damaged. Videos are occasionally donated by well-meaning family members or friends. These tapes are usually not screened, and are often unsuitable for their intended audience; sick, traumatized young children.
So, the Dove Foundation started the CHMC " To provide wholesome, uplifting movies to patients in every children's hospital in America. This entertainment is free to the patient and will be shown on a dedicated channel on the TV in their rooms." We've all seen the trash that passes as daytime TV, and I'm even including talk shows like Oprah in that. Kids don't need to be watching that. So, to me, this is a very good thing, something I could support (as long as they don't show the edited movies, but I digress.)

But, it still bugs me that this organization, which does a lot of good for kids, had to resort to such deceptive means for their survey. And, I can't help but wonder (my glass-half-full-and-filling attitude abruptly ends when it comes to telemarketers, door-to-door salesmen, and anyone who says "I'm not trying to sell you anything.") if, at the end of that "survey," there wouldn't have been a pitch to buy some of their videos. I'm glad I hung up when I did. That would have not been pretty.



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