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We find it pretty difficult to work up much enthusiasm for a campaign, now under way in Little Rock, against the television show, ‘Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.” Rev. Dennis Tyner, pastor of Grace Baptist Church in North Little Rock, has started a petition drive to try to force KARK-TV, Channel 4, to stop televising the show. Rev. Tyner says the show is ‘‘pure filth.” He said he is opposed to it because of “explicit references” to sex and perversion. Rev. Tyner also had this to say: “If we as decent people stand still for this t of program, there will no doubt be others to and if possible they may be even worse. It's time that Christians took a strong stand to this type of programing and if we don't do it now it may be too late.” Rev. Tyner’s crusade gives rise to several ts. Nearly all television sets have an easily operated on-off switch, and anyone who doesn't angee at home ana Censorship of any type is a very dangerous caret tasty and deep eet one study and deep presumptuous in claiming to know what Christians in general might think about this scular TV show. Shares S 30 worthless =e television, Tyner or anybody interested in taking a look. ( Trash of a sexual nature seems to be of more concern to Rev. Tyner, but one can find other types of junk on the tube most any day.) We must admit that we have seen only part of one episode of “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.” We found it to be more boring than shocking, and definitely not what you'd call a quality TV show. It is supposed to be a satire on daytime soap operas, and we understand-from the publicity generated by Rev. Tyner that the show concerns a husband who is impotent and a grandfather who is an exhibitionist, among other things. If these are the best topics that modern-day TV writers and producers can find to make jokes about, then perhaps someone ought to re think the whole theory of television in America. We have been told, by persons who have seen a lot more of ‘“‘Mary Hartman” than we have, that the show is no worse than others that are offered on the tube every week. Perhaps Rev. Tyner will want to add some of these others to his petition. They say that “national critics” have praised “Mary Hartman, ’ which confirms our suspicions about television critics. Additional study of the matter would probably convince us that we are in agreement with Rev. Tyner as to the value of poor old Mary Hartman—although for different reasons, no doubt. “We are in total disagreement with him, yes when it comes to censorship of programing, or any other form of epee a main wien
Newspaper Details
Benton Courier
Benton, Arkansas, US
Fri, Feb 06, 1976
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Jessica M.
