TOUGH TALK ON ENTERTAINMENT

EVERYBODY AGREES IT'S VULGAR AND VIOLENT. THE QUESTION IS WHY, AND WHAT SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT IT

De gustibus non est disputandum was the way the ancient Romans put it: there is no point arguing about matters of taste. But that was easy for the Romans to say; they -- and their children -- weren't awash in a tide of explicit films, TV programs and recorded music. We are. And the consequences of this condition -- even the question whether there are any consequences -- have spurred arguments that grow more intense as mass entertainment becomes more pervasive. In the aftermath of Bob Dole's latest attack on Hollywood, TIME asked some prominent people who produce or comment on...

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