# I set myself on fire but it's MTV's fault **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 30, 2001, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-set-myself-on-fire-but-its-mtvs-fault/52402 "2001-01-30T14:40:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2001, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-set-myself-on-fire-but-its-mtvs-fault/52402/41 "2001-01-31T14:41:08Z")
> [@](#): > > Next time, it could be your kid brother, or your son, who gets hurt. I understand the sentiments expressed in this thread, but have some heart, people. No, it couldn’t be anyone in my family because we’re all smart enough to know not to set yourself on fire just because you see it on TV! Better for the kid to snuff it now than wait till he’s an adult and decides to drive down a highway with no lights because he saw it in a movie, and ends up taking out another car’s occupants. Really, you could think of Johnny Knoxville and the cast of “Jackass” as Darwin’s elves, giving natural selection that extra nudge. ---
**Author:** ![shelbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@shelbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shelbo)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2001, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-set-myself-on-fire-but-its-mtvs-fault/52402/42 "2001-01-31T18:40:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Crunchy Frog \* > \*\*Yes, TV has some influence, but when TV’s “influence” overrides common sense (one DOES NOT set oneself on fire seems rather common sensical to me) I don’t blame the TV. . . .[DELETED TEXT] . . . > Bottom line is, barring some mental problem, you are responsible for your own actions. \*\* Just to further the discussion (because I basicially agree with you, but your last sentence brings up a point) - What about teen suicide? As I understand it, there is a clear correlation between teen suicide rates and depictions of teen suicide in the media. In fact, in a recent LA Times article on the media and society, a certain director/producer type, known for his violent movies, said that he wouldn’t do anything involving suicide, because of that correlation. The point is that there are a lot of people with mental/emotional problems (or who are just plain stupid) that might be (or, based on the topic at and, clearly are) put at risk from images on TV. Do we owe it to these people to monitor what’s put on the tube (or in movies/music, etc.)? Because the disclaimers clearly don’t cut it. As a society we’ve decided that we should look out for the less forutnate in many areas, to the extent that we install beeping crosswalks and braile ATMs for the blind, and reserve all of the world’s best parking spaces for those in wheelchairs. Should we similarly be more careful of what we put on TV to protect the mentally/emotionally weak? ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2001, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-set-myself-on-fire-but-its-mtvs-fault/52402/43 "2001-01-31T19:54:26Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by THespos \* \*\* \ Hello everybody. I’m Dan Rather. Please send all your disposable income to me, care of the network. Cashiers checks only, please. \ Does anyone seriously think this would work?\*\* In one of my worse jobs, I had to go to customer’s homes to renew their insurance premiums. Many people would tell me “I already paid that by mail!” at which time I would explain to them that what they paid for by mail was a _new rider_ on their policy and that we were collecting the _premium_. SO MANY people would tell me “I thought it was a bill so I paid it.” it made me want to just end bogus bills to half the country at random to see how much money I made. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2001, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-set-myself-on-fire-but-its-mtvs-fault/52402/44 "2001-01-31T19:59:16Z")
“ **S** end bogus bills” I swear the ‘s’ was there in preview! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-set-myself-on-fire-but-its-mtvs-fault/52402.md?page=2)