Have they gone too far?

I can see it now. There's a conservative family sitting around the TV with their trays all perfectly aligned. It's suppertime, and they're all eager to see the halftime show.

"Isn't this asparagus just to die for?" the grandmother asks.

"I like football, Daddy!" the young child exclaims as he eats his hot dog.

"This is gonna be a great game; I can feel it," the father says knowingly. Grandpa nods in agreement.

"All this gyrating makes me sick," Grandma says, disdainfully looking at the television.

Suddenly, the platter of asparagus drops to the floor. Gasps echo through the living room.

"Shiver me timbers!" Grandpa says, putting his glasses on. "That wasn't her ... was it?" Mom and Grandma rush over to cover the child's eyes.

But it's too late. Janet's done the damage.

This exact scenario (maybe without the asparagus) was what happened in millions of homes on that infamous Sunday night of Super Bowl XXXVIII. Sure, it may have been a great game, but let's talk about Janet's "wardrobe malfunction" some more, huh?

Let me just say, my reaction consisted of a mere "Ha ha! Did you guys see that?" End of story.

But my parents say that's because I'm so used to seeing things like that in the entertainment industry to begin with, that seeing it on national television did not affect me whatsoever.

And they're right.

Where do the people of Southeast Missouri stand? Do they care? Are they as shocked and disgusted with today's entertainment as are many other Americans?

"The entertainment industry, as a whole, is simply too full of itself," said 22-year-old David Serrell of Cape Girardeau. "Yes, the Janet Jackson fiasco was tacky, but I think things like this will become more and more common. Nevertheless, I don't care for it, but it's a sign of the times."

Sex sells, and people know it.

I believe my generation has become so immune to vulgarity by now, that it's scary to think what it would actually take for us to be shocked by something we saw in movies, TV and even magazines.

Abercrombie & Fitch is a popular brand name for a lot of teens and even kids in their preteens. So why is it that I found multiple Web sites, such as WorldNetDaily.com, protesting the sexual content of their advertising?

You'll also be glad to know that, as I continued to read, Abercrombie & Fitch promotes a line of thongs for 8- to 10-year-old girls that stick out of the low-cut jeans they also provide.

I'm basically stuck in the middle on this whole issue. On one side, I don't care because I've already seen and heard more than I should in my 17 years of life.

On the other side, it sickens me to think there are girls in the third grade wearing thongs.

Advertisements on television sometimes deliver subliminal messages of sex. Other times, there's no subliminal to it.

"If product advertisements have to resort to sex appeal to sell, their product probably isn't that good to start out with," Serrell said.

When I asked 20-year-old Shannon Seabaugh from Scott City about the matter, she said, "Some of what is on TV is too much, but they have devices to help stop kids from seeing shows they shouldn't watch."

This is true, but racy ads are on almost every channel at any time of the day.

So what are we gonna do, folks?

From the way I see, there's not much we can do. All I can say is that I agree with Seabaugh. There are devices to help kids: parents.

But don't worry too much, Mom and Dad. Abercrombie's slogan simply states, "We don't just sell clothes, we promote a lifestyle!"

And what a promising lifestyle it will be.

Sam DeReign is a senior at Oran High School. Contact him at sdereign@semissourian.com.