Yesterday’s Democrat and Chronicle featured a story about the auditioning of Bishop Kearney High School students for the MTV show “Made”. The producers of this show were invited onto the Bishop Kearney campus by Pricipal Julie Locey. Principal Locey told the newspaper that “She keeps up with what’s cool to students, including watching Made and even peeking in on student’s MySpace”.

I know that MTV is a very popular channel with our young people today. Unfortunately, MTV is also a cesspool of morally objectionable programming. It continually promotes values that are at odds with Christian morality. For example, a recent study found that “In 171 hours of MTV programming, PTC analysts found a staggering 1,548 sexual scenes containing 3,056 depictions of sex or various forms of nudity and 2,881 verbal sexual references”(Parent’s Television Council, 2/05). MTV has also launched a “gay” television network called “Logo”. MTV is also responsible for broadcasting the blatently anti-Catholic program called “Popetown”. Popetown is an animated program that depicts the pope as an uncontrollable, infantile character who pogo-sticks around the Vatican populated by corrupt, money-grabbing cardinals.

It is unfortunate that a Roman Catholic institution such as Bishop Kearney High School has lent legitimacy to a network that is actively hostile to Catholic faith and morality. In an effort to be “cool” and relevant the school is encouraging its students to participate in an event that supports a morally deviant television network. It is no wonder that young people today are so confused about right and wrong. The very people and institutions that they rely on for guidance are, in many cases, just as confused as our younger generation.

I know many fine people who send their children to Bishop Kearney High. The presence of MTV on the high school campus should serve as a warning that something is amiss at the King’s Highway facility. I would suggest that concerned parents contact the school’s officers and register their concern about this incident.

A summary of the Parents Television Council’s study “MTV Smutpeddlers” can be found here. The full study can be found here. Warning: The full report contains very graphic content(as does MTV’s programming).