'Bigger, Badder and Grosser'

The bisexual dating “reality” show that proved to be a hit for the struggling MTV network last year makes its season two debut tonight.

MTV will air A Shot at Love 2 with Tila Tequila tonight at 10 p.m. EST.  According to the NY Daily News [1], “the pint-sized temptress is promising viewers a bigger, badder and definitely grosser season.”

Including ingesting animal genitalia.  Last year contestants had to eat bull penises.  Apparently this year it will be the genitalia of a female pig.

Seriously.

Besides the revised culinary challenge, another big change will be that all of the 30 contestants, 15 men and 15 women, will know Tequila is a bisexual.  In the first season of Shot at Love, Tequila's sexuality was a secret. 

Tequila, who got her shot at fame on MTV because she allegedly had a million “friends” on MySpace, told the Daily News:

Since everyone already knew, I was a lot more guarded and aware of who was there for me and not just trying to be on TV.

Perhaps Ms. Tequila really does believe that she will find real love on this show. MTV is surely more concerned about whether she titillates voyeurs and rakes in another six million viewers like she did last year.

MTV in promoting the show [2] is very explicit.

During season 1 of A Shot at Love, Tila met a bunch of sexy straight guys and luscious lesbians and had to decide if she wanted to be with a guy or a girl. …
During season 2, emotions reach an all-time high and the ultimate battle of the sexes gets even more intense. …Think you saw it all last season? Think again. This new crop of guys and girls are willing to do whatever it takes to win Tila Tequila's heart. There's sure to be crazy cat fights, serious sucker punches, super-dramatic showdowns and, uh, even a d--- in a box. Oh yeah ... and let's not forget threesomes. There's definitely going to be at least a few of those! All's fair in love and war, right?

Taking things to a whole new level, A Shot at Love 2 pits men against women -- separating the studs from the duds and the babes from the bimbos. …From bangin' bods to mind-blowing brawls to smokin' hot hookups, Tila Tequila is always right smack in the middle of all the best action. Screw body shots -- it's time for A Shot at Love 2!

No, it's really time to turn off the TV and start connecting some dots. 

We have social science that shows very strong correlations that media consumption affects behavior.  The entire advertising industry is based on this knowledge.  We have reports from the CDC that tell us one in four teenaged girls is infected with a sexually transmitted disease. According to a study [3] by the Parents Television Council, quoting Nielsen Media Research, MTV is watched by 73 percent of boys and 78 percent of girls ages 12 to 19. And we've got MTV promoting a show that is all about doing “whatever it takes” to win Tila Tequila's heart, including “smokin' hot hookups,” “threesomes” and a bed for 30 people.

Last week during his visit to America, Pope Benedict XVI connected the dots.  In his remarks about the sex abuse scandal that has rocked the U.S. Catholic Church he said that the problem had to be addressed “within the wider context of sexual mores.” The Pope said, “We need to reassess urgently the values underpinning society, so that a sound moral formation can be offered to young people and adults alike.”  He added that it was the responsibility of society to do this. “All have a part to play in this task – not only parents, religious leaders, teachers and catechists, but the media and entertainment industries as well.”

“All have a part to play.”  It is clear which part Tila Tequila and MTV are playing.

Kristen Fyfe is senior writer at the Culture and Media Institute, [4] a division of the Media Research Center.