ge." (McKay). Children are imitating programs, causing injuries and in at least one case, an accidental death. Scenes of wrestlers pouring gasoline on one another, the crowd shouting at villains, wrestlers using crowbars and chairs, and a porn-type invitation into a wrestler’s bedroom are pushing far beyond the limits. Kids in schools are using the same vocabulary, doing the same gestures as TV wrestlers. School administrators are agreeing that the problems are escalating. Kids are being discouraged from wearing wrestling T-shirts to school because of provocative and inappropriate messages. (Graydon). Next, a look at how television attempts to shock the unshockable viewer shows that competing with Cable TV, Internet, and R-rated movies is really not a fair fight. There is really a double standard between Smith 9 cable and the networks regarding content, one that allows cable to go further in terms of language, violence and nudity than over-the-air networks, which are governed by the Federal Communications Commission. As networks lose viewers, more people at home don’t make the distinction between cable and networks, they are all just channels coming through the box to them. The press shows praise on cable shows which really push the limits (like "Sopranos" and "Sex in the City" and "South Park". But, if networks approach the same levels, they get burned by critics. (McGuire). Networks want to expand the boundaries of the programs they air because they are responding to what they perceive as new competitive realities. They want to win back the defecting viewers. They think the audiences are demanding them to be relevant and to keep on exploring and experimenting. Sometimes, they push to outrageous limits, just in order to allow room for compromise. One of the things that threw viewers way beyond shock, was ...
