The antics of the sultry Mae West

Those Days When SIN Was Not "In"

. . . public disapproval of celebrity immorality extended to the content of films themselves. The Hays Code was voluntarily implemented in 1934 by the movie industry in response to public outcry over the antics of the sultry Mae West. The Code stated, "No picture shall be produced that will lower the moral standards of those who see it. Hence the sympathy of the audience should never be thrown to the side of crime, wrongdoing, evil, or sin." The Code remained in force until the early 1960s. The Hays Code has been derided since its demise as quaint and oppressive, but it is no coincidence that the greatest movies ever made were filmed during this period.
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For a long while after the demise of the Hays Code, Americans accepted celebrity scandal and movie immorality. The erosion of traditional moral standards in the 1960s made Americans more tolerant of immoral behavior on screen and off.
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But perhaps Americans are beginning to wake up to the degradation of our culture by celebrity worship and Hollywood . . .
- - an excerpt from this article - -
"Fighting the Michael Jackson culture"
Ben Shapiro on http://www.townhall.com/
June 22, 2005
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