VH1 Does It Again

More Murderers Get Free Nationwide Publicity

Bill O'Reilly notified his viewers the other day that VH1 is airing another "Music Behind Bars" featuring convicted murderers, this time from West Virginia:

.... A few weeks ago, VH-1 broadcast a program called "Music Behind Bars" that featured two convicted killers playing in a rock band. More 40,000 Americans e-mailed that network in protest of the program. And all the companies that sponsored it issued statements they had no idea of the show's content.

Now VH-1 has done the same thing again, featuring a concert with two more convicted murderers. And this time, we're going to hold the sponsors and the host accountable.

First the facts. In 1982, 18-year-old Lisa Mosbrook was stabbed to death by Tony Morrison, who was sentenced to life in prison in West Virginia. In 1995, 21-year-old Michael Hart was shot in the back by Jason Henthorne, also in West Virginia. Hart died. Henthorne was sentenced to 15 years to life.

Fast forward to this week, where VH-1 has this posted on its Web site. "Tony and Jason are two inmates serving life sentences for murder. Tony's R&B band Midnight Love and Jason's country band, Dakota, are among the 14 musical groups at the Mount Olive Correctional Complex in West Virginia. In this episode, the two men must get along and combine styles when the musical director asks them to collaborate and create a song for VH-1's upcoming concert." ....

There is some good news: O'Reilly has said several times that nearly all of the show's sponsors have "bailed". So, at least somebody is paying attention.

I would like to clarify something: O'Reilly takes a harder line on this than I would. I gather that he doesn't think inmates should be able to form and play in bands. I don't think I'd go that far: I just don't want them getting free nationwide publicity. That ought to be reserved, if for anybody, for people who have done some good with their lives, not for murderers.

On today's show, O'Reilly noted that a newspaper had come out editorially in defense of VH1. When he said it was The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, I was not surprised. And when he said that Michael McGough was the editorialist, I was not surprised again. Here, I think is the editorial in question.

Actually, I don't find it objectionable in every respect. But I do think the following paragraph is risible:

.... That request, which VH1 has refused, might be reasonable if television exposure were somehow ennobling. But the incarcerated head-bangers in "Music Behind Bars" are anything but glamorous. The prisoners' chief claim to fame is moral failure. An extended life behind bars is hardly the stuff to attract groupies or impressionable kids....

The editorialist himself answers the question of why these "head-bangers" ought not to be given free nationwide publicity: their chief claim to fame is moral failure. As to attracting "groupies" or "impressionable kids" — I'm sure the murderers featured on "Music Behind Bars" will get more groupies and "impress" more kids than they would have dared to dream.

McGough needs to get out more and spend some time away from his comrades at the PG.

P.S. From what I can tell, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is run by bobos.

Lane Core Jr. CIW P — Thu. 11/14/02 10:09:34 PM
Categorized as Media.