Vagina Monologues, Puppetry of the Penis, Orgasms, Pieces of Ass.

What to these four titles have in common?

They’re plays that have hit L.A. since I’ve been here. And these titles really do catch your attention. When I’m driving down Wilshire or Hollywood Boulevards — theater marquis jump right out at you. The radio is just background music until your hear something like Pieces of Ass broadcast loudly.

Now the Vagina Monologues are famous. Everyone’s heard of Eve Ensler’s play — it had a long run with various celebrity guests in New York and Los Angeles.

But the rest? Sex sells — at least if Janet Jackson’s bare breast is any indication.

I was shocked to watch a ‘news’ clip of some Hollywood folk’s reaction to the Janet Jackson — Justin Timberlake bodice ripping moment. On one hand they produce and mount plays with seductive titles and implied nudity — and on the other hand they’re appalled that their children may have seen a flash of bare breast on television?

In my best John Stossel fashion — “Gimme a break!” All the talk I hear is about networks censoring more and more and they wonder why folks flock to cable? Life is full of swear words and breasts. As the popularity of these plays and shows like Sex in the City truly show that people are interested in television that’s more interesting than sterile, sickly sweet family comedies and dramas.

One of the indications of the TV ratings system was to ostensibly allow more adult and mature programming — and a V-Chip for parents to filter it ou. TV-M — we rarely see, however. Instead cable/satellite has a huge saturation in people’s homes — no one monitors this medium — yet they’re all over the CBS switchboards with one little nipple showing.

Perhaps, one day TV will enter the real world where making a puppet with your penis is the mode of the day.

(more…)