OCR Text |
Show in Lehi Free Press New Utah! - ji - !inil - -- in high-profil- family-oriente- d n Paramount films. But it's hard to see where Paramount has any legal footing with regard to Sunrise Video's editing of videotape copies of Titanic that have been purchased by the individuals who are requesting the editing. The videotapes in question have been purchased for home use only. Once purchased, the individuals who own the videos can have them altered any way they wish. While Paramount maintains control over the product it distributes, the studio loses control of individual copies once it decides to sell, those copies on the mass market. In addition, Paramount would be in this circumstance d to make claims of artistic integrity. This film will be edited more than once for distribution in the future. The brief scenes of nudity and implied sexual activity which are being snipped in Sunrise Video's editing room may be excised for distribution to airlines, and will certainly be trimmed when Titanic appears on commercial television as the Movie or Movies of the Week. So, while g the legal may satisfy some need for the studio to generate more publicity about its favorite current film, it's hard to see where Paramount has the legal standing to tell people what they can and can't do with copies of videos they have purchased or who they can ask to do it. If Paramount and other Hollywood studios were paying attention to what is happening in American Fork, they might learn something important about the current state of their business This is the lesson: There is a group of people in this country who are interested in entertainment that is devoid of nudity, profanity and strong sexual content. These folks don't buy the videos of films that include such content but given a chance to purchase a video and ' then remove the objectionable content, they will do so. In its offer to "edit your Titanic for $5," Sunrise Video has tapped into an unexplored market for modern video entertainment and received a response that has literally spanned the globe. If Paramount wants to make a big splash, it might want to consider creating and selling its own version of a sanitized Titanic for that sector of the market. That would be much more productive than just making waves for one small video store in American Fork, Utah. mass-markete- sabre-rattlin- d What's news and what isn't I was working late last Monday night (In fact, I work late most Monday nights), so about midnight I figured I'd run down to Blockbuster and get pictures of people waiting to get their copies of Titanic the minute it became available. In fact, about 50fpeople or so had lined up to purchase the double video of this very successful movie. I was not surprised that most of them were women. I didn't purchase a copy of the video. I had seen the film and enjoyed it, but I couldn't imagine sitting through it again and again while the ship sank and sank and sank some more. I took a few pictures and came back to the office to keep getting ready for the Tuesday crunch. That night I drove home past Sunrise Video and noticed their sign reading: "We will edit your Titanic for $5." "That's interesting," I thought. Then I went about the business of putting out a newspaper without mentioning the fact that a local video store was offering this unique service. You see, what I thought was just interesting was really news. And as a newspaper editor, I should have known the difference. The result is we missed one of the biggest stories of the year, in terms of state and national interest. I'm embarrassed to admit it is my fault, but I feel I should break with national policy here, and take full responsibility for this particular blunder. Actually, we are trained to recognize news from our first days in the newsroom. Somebody has even figured out what determines if a story is news or not. If a story has impact on its readers, it's news. That's why newspapers routinely cover city council stories. What those men and women decide in that meeting often determine important things 'ike where you can build a home and how much you will pay in fees and taxes. That's impact. If a story is unusual or if it is about S" (ISSN No. (U.S.P.S. No. 8750-4669- A 1 309-500- ) zine make too much of prominence in determining what is news. The other recognized news values are conflict, proximity, timeliness and currency. The Sunrise Video and Titanic story is a great one because it has several of these elements. Certainly it was timely, since the editing was coupled with a video release of one of the most popular films of all time. But the fact that in happened in American Fork added the element of proximity. The issue of censorship versus individual rights adds currency to the list, as well as impact. In addition, the story is unusual in a Utah sort of way. And once Paramount Studios jumped into the picture with a legal protest of the editing of their film, conflict is added. Hey, six out of seven ain't bad. If only Leonardo DiCaprio would make a statement about the editing of Titanic, the picture would be complete. When you look at this story in this context, it s pretty easy to see why the New York Times is calling the owners of Sunrise Video to get some quotes. This is news. Maybe I was a little too close to see it. Or maybe I was asleep at the wheel after working a late night. Whatever the case, it has served as a refresher course for what makes news. If it works, we won't miss the next big story that falls into our laps. member ol Tie annum- NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION NATIONAL 59 West Main American Fork, Utah 64003 & According to a recent U.S. News & World Report cover story (June 15, 1998), babies are born with an amazing ability to learn language. In fact, language seems to be a gift we are born with. "An infant's brain, it turns out, is capable of taking in enormous amounts of information and finding the regular patterns contained within it." And we're not talking about just one language! For example, every one of some 6,000 languages use an assortment of sounds, called phonemes, which combine to make syllables. According to one study, "The brains of babies respond to every phoneme uttered in languages as diverse as Hindi and Nthlakampx, a sounds. "Most adults could not imagine making speedy progress toward memorizing words in a foreign language just by listening to somebody talk... but that is basically what babies can do." They learn individual words even before they know what they mean. If that isn't amazing enough, infants also seem to have an ability to determine the abstract rules of grammar, "which give every human being who can speak (or sign) the power to express an infinite number of ideas from a finite number of words.... Nobody has to teach kids that words like dog and telephone are nouns while go and jump are verbs; the way they in-bo- rn Editor: I spoke with a client from Pennsylvania this week. "American Fork has sure been in the news a lot lately" he said. "Would you like your copy of 'Titanic' edited?" I chuckled. "No, seriously," he insisted, "It's great that some people in this country still stand up for good old fashioned family values." Thank you, Towne Cinema and Sunrise demonstrating the kind of moral leadership this country desperately needs. Video, for -- Kirk Magleby American Fork Display ' : Bezzant Haddock Russ Daly Marc City .Editor Subscription Later, the other man took a turn, and he came back with some esoteric beer, which to me looked more like iced tea, complete with a slice of lemon. The first man gave it a questioning look, as if "real men don't drink beer with lemon," but took a sip anyway. To offset his discomfort with drinking this draft of a different color, he kept practicing until he got it down. Did somebody say McWater? On the other end of the Ridiculous Continuum, we have the McDonald's, which strives to promote health even as it promotes clogged arteries. First they added garden salads to their menu, a healthy alternative to the calorie-lade- n Big Mac, with its two patties, special sauce, cholesterol ever-popul- all-be- ef double date. The absurdity of McWater reminds me of some fun my wife and I used to have when we were dating. We would go to the Dee's Drive In near the BYU campus and order several of the hamburgers, with one order of fries and a large drink to share. Each time a car would come through the drive-u- p window, we would laugh at the orders we'd hear: "I'll have 15 hamburgers, two orders of fries, two drinks and a chocolate shake," for example. We could have a similarly good time today with the water. "I'll have a Big Mac, a Quarter Pounder with extra cheese, a Super Size fries and a McWater to go." Did somebody say McBizarre? Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack instead. There's nothing like a ball game, a sport slow enough to provide ample time to watch the real attraction the fans. 19-ce- nt use such words in sentences demonstrates that they know the difference.... Ninety percent of the sentences uttered by the average are grammatically correct." Studies suggest babies begin picking up grammar even before they know what sentences mean. So why is this so fascinating? In LDS theology, it makes me think of several relationships. As one would expect, these scientific studies are based on the assumption that language evolved from simple to complex. (I wonder what science would be like without the handy peg of evolution to hang everything on?) However, the studies clearly indicate that tiny babies have intellectual abilities unknown (or at least unused) by their parents. Somehow, in my mind, that doesn't quite fit the evolutionary model. In Moses 6:4-- 6 we are told that Adam and Eve kept a book of remembrance (their scriptures) and that "children were taught to read and write, having a language which was pure and undefiled" (from the very beginning). In 3 Nephi 26:14, Mormon specifically added that Jesus ministered "unto the children of the multitude... and he did loose their tongues, and they did speak unto their fathers great and marvelous things, even greater than he had revealed unto the In 3 Nephi 17:17, the multitude understood language they could not speak or write. Could these studies give us any clue about how the spirit may momentarily unlock the gift of tongues and interpretation of tongues? Enos blessed his father for, among other things, teaching him in his "lan-;- i guage." Here I think Enos was referring specifically to the language of their scriptures. We naturally think, for example, that children will have a difficult time with King James English, but what if they started hearing it when they were very young? Among the conclusions made by this U.S. News article, is that children need especially from input very early their mothers. For example, the vocabulary of toddlers is largely dependent on how much Mom talks to them. However, I'm sure that is just the tip of the iceberg. "The window of opportunity for acquiring language begins to close around age 6," the article says, "... Children who do not learn a language by puberty will never be fluent in any tongue." Obviously, the best time to learn a foreign language is in the preschool years. All of this points me back to D&C 29:48, where it says, speaking of little children, "For it is given unto them even as I will, according to mine own pleasure, that great things may be required at the hand of their fathers." Mommy and Daddy, speak and read to your children; speak and read what you want them to learn; don't worry about overdoing it; while they are very young, they can process enormous amounts of information they will learn far more than you can tell. price S24 per year Periodicals Postage Paid at American Fork. Utah POSTMASTER: Hnd addrtsi change to 59 West Mala American Fork, Utah 84003 Advertising Advertising . .Tuesday, Monday. 2 Missionaries Monday. 2 Community Calendar Letters to the Editor Obituaries noon Monday. 5 p.m. News Weddings dren's Hospital on Sept. 1. The police informed my son that Editor: they doubt the culprits will be caught. I would just like to say that I've What good is law enforcement if all it been a resident of Northern Utah can do is hand out traffic tickets and County for the majority of my life and not help those in true need? This have always felt safe here. Things are crime had no motivation that stemmed from gain or any other prodifferent now. On the evening of Aug. 31, vandals, ductive influence. This was a senseless act, heinous in the committing, that slashed my son's three tires on two different automobiles. My son and his was done solely for the amusement by e wife have jobs and needed to those whose only purpose is to become e weekend jobs to pay the chaotic element of society. acquire I am saddened about the protection the medical bills of their in our community and am extremely who leukemia. has must son, They now purchase tires with money disgusted and dissatisfied with the inefalready designated for medical bills. ficiency of the local law enforcement. Susan Fautin They were forced to borrow a vehicle Lindon to convey their son to Primary Chil full-tim- part-tim- five-year-o- ld We welcome letters to the editor. Deadlines Classified Brett Editor two adults. No-N- Safe no longer Moral leadership News Managing the shorter of the his own son, his friend and his friend's son what they wanted from the concession stand. He came back with a small assortment of items, including treats for the kids and brews for the guys. I watched him offer a beverage to the friend's son, only to be turned down. He told him it would be there when he wanted it. The dads however didn't stand on ceremony and proceeded to drink their beers. It wasn't long before the same man ascended the stairs again to forage for food and libation. He returned with another item for the kids, and another beer each for the time-out- , Reader's Forum Circulation Publisher The first two men politely asked game and fat on a sesame seed bun. (Would you like Bleu Cheese or Thousand Island with your rabbit cuisine?) Next I recall them adding McYogurt, another way for the health conscious to join their friends as they indulge and imbibe on of life. the But their latest menu choice has got to be the most Spring Water inane item yet, not because it is a positive choice that customers can make, but because they have labeled it with their own logo, pushing it off on the customer as though Ronald McDonald himself had tapped the purest artesian wells and bottled it at the source to guarantee its freshness. I wouldn't be too surprised if they started having Eddie the Echo order "Water, water" when he is out on his A child's amazing ability to learn language Telephone Numbers Advertising AttvtaliiVws ( irm,l What's in a name? I saw a couple of Salt Lake Buzz fans who did their best to live up to the team's name the other night. We went to see the Buzz play (and lose, unfortunately) against the Iowa Cubs. A mother and son sitting nearby seemed to have gone not to watch the Buzz but to get a buzz. I watched with both amusement and amazement as the son returned with 14 in all of brews for cup after cup himself and his mother. They both held their own, though, perhaps from years of practice. The man's wife did not look too happy about the situation, but I could not tell whether it was because our team was losing, or because she had to or because endure the mother-in-laher four children were obliviously running around instead of sitting in the seats they had purchased. Whatever the reason, her husband's swilling, did not help matters. The mother's face was the picture of disgust most of the evening. Her visible displeasure wasn't from the game, though, because she spent most of her time looking at the grassy area to our left, where the small children went to amuse themselves. Mother finally came alive in the ninth inning when it looked like the Buzz might be able to tie the game, and she particularly liked the raucous atmosphere created when the flashing scoreboard encouraged fans to make noise and dance in their seats. It made me wish the team had played better so we could have some extra innings to give me a chance to watch her really come alive. A few rows behind them sat two fathers with what appeared to be their two sons. Northwest American Indian Language..." that, to us, would sound like "a drop of water hitting an empty bucket." By the time babies are 10- months to a year old, they begin to focus on the phonemes of their native language and to ignore the foreign prominent people or organizations, it is news. Prominence plays too large a role sometimes in determining what's news and some publication, like grocery story tabbids and People maga- Published weekly by Newlltah! Page 2 a 1 Lesson of the Titanic hard-presse- 9, 1998 - Opinion There's new McBrew at the old ball XfegBrlAAjaafc, 'iagaaeL.j met There is a lesson to be learned from what is happening at Sunrise Family Video in American Fork, as throngs clamor to have the mom and pop video operation sanitize their version of Titanic. Unfortunately, the folks at Paramount Pictures, the movie giant whose executive are flexing their legal muscles over the editing of a few minutes from the most successful film in movie history, have missed the point. Instead, Paramount is opting for e a attempt to intimidate the owners of this small video business, which specializes in rentfilms. ing For Paramount, the role of bully is typecasting at its best. A few years ago the studio browbeat a small acting company in Salt Lake City after taking exception to some dead-oparodies of Star Trek, which is distributed by Paramount. Earlier this year, Paramount complained when American Fork's Towne Cinemas exhibited an edited version of Titanic to rave review from some local moviegoers who wanted to see all of the film except the parts that showed all of actress Kate Winslett. In this case, Paramount was within legal bounds, since the contract the theater has signed to show the film did not permit editing rights. But the studio's response became punitive when it terminated its contract with the theater, forbidding it to show any Wednesday, September lHi I pm. p.m Monday. 2 p.m Monday. 10 a m am 11am Monday. 10 Tuesday. All letters must include the'author's name (printed AND signed) and a telephone number. We reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, punctuation, taste and length. Letters are welcome on any topic. HOW TO REACH By Mail P.O. Box 7, American Fork, UT 84003 In Person 59 W. Main, American Fork US By Fax 756-527- 4 By editornewutah.com |