Monzo
Telly Talk Enthusiast
Every week, a question time is held in the plenary session of the German Bundestag, during which each member of parliament can submit up to two questions to the federal government in advance. This is exactly what Bundestag member Hans Wallow from the opposition SPD party did in December 1982 in what was then the West German Bundestag. His two questions to the government, consisting of the CDU, CSU and FDP parties, were about Dallas:
By what means does the federal government intend to convey the virtues mentioned in the government declaration, such as 'love, trust, tolerance, consideration, willingness to make sacrifices and shared responsibility' in the family, in view of a total of 92 episodes of the family series Dallas, which makes egoism and venality the central message for an audience of millions.
How does the federal government intend to address the crisis of meaning identified in the government declaration among young citizens, in view of 92 episodes of a television series Dallas, in which, according to the Free Berlin broadcaster and the Bavarian Broadcasting Corporation, total egoism and interpersonal meanness must serve as role models for young people?
The West German government answered both questions as follows:
In its policy, the federal government will once again clarify the importance of the family as the most enduring form of human coexistence and as the foundation of our society and our state, strengthen the cohesion of the family and support it in carrying out its tasks. Furthermore, the Federal Government does not believe that a significant number of German families will use the television series Dallas as a model for their own family life.
Based on human dignity, the Federal Government will make the basic values of freedom, solidarity and justice the basis and standard of its political actions. It will engage in discussions about the question of meaning and thus help a new value orientation of politics in the Federal Republic of Germany to break through. The Federal Government does not believe that the "portrayal of total egoism and interpersonal meanness" that the questioner considers to be characteristic of the television series Dallas has a chance of being accepted as a model, especially by critical young people who question the meaning of life. Rather, television series such as Dallas are probably partly responsible for the significantly lower consumption of television programs, especially among young people. The Federal Government would, however, welcome it if, when purchasing television series, broadcasters took greater account not only of possible ratings, but also of youth and family policy issues.
Member of the Bundestag Hans Wallow was not satisfied with the answer and countered:
Is it possible for the Federal Government, within the scope of its area of responsibility, to have a scientific study carried out on the value-related effect of the television series Dallas with regard to developing norms among young people, and if so, is it prepared to commission a corresponding study?
The Federal Government also answered this question:
The Federal Government is aware that the German Research Foundation DFG has decided to set up a focus on research into the effects of the media, from which findings on the effect of entertainment programs such as Dallas on young people, among others, can be expected. The DFG is already funding a ‘qualified pilot study on the reception of the US series Dallas as a symptom of contemporary mass culture’, the results of which are expected to be available in the summer of 1983. The Federal Government will follow this research closely and incorporate its findings into its work. It currently sees no reason to commission scientific studies on the subject in question itself.
If you want to read everything in detail, here are the sources:
https://dserver.bundestag.de/btp/09/09137.pdf#P.8561
https://dserver.bundestag.de/btd/09/023/0902373.pdf
Was Dallas also an issue in the parliaments of other countries or was it a purely (West) German phenomenon?
By what means does the federal government intend to convey the virtues mentioned in the government declaration, such as 'love, trust, tolerance, consideration, willingness to make sacrifices and shared responsibility' in the family, in view of a total of 92 episodes of the family series Dallas, which makes egoism and venality the central message for an audience of millions.
How does the federal government intend to address the crisis of meaning identified in the government declaration among young citizens, in view of 92 episodes of a television series Dallas, in which, according to the Free Berlin broadcaster and the Bavarian Broadcasting Corporation, total egoism and interpersonal meanness must serve as role models for young people?
The West German government answered both questions as follows:
In its policy, the federal government will once again clarify the importance of the family as the most enduring form of human coexistence and as the foundation of our society and our state, strengthen the cohesion of the family and support it in carrying out its tasks. Furthermore, the Federal Government does not believe that a significant number of German families will use the television series Dallas as a model for their own family life.
Based on human dignity, the Federal Government will make the basic values of freedom, solidarity and justice the basis and standard of its political actions. It will engage in discussions about the question of meaning and thus help a new value orientation of politics in the Federal Republic of Germany to break through. The Federal Government does not believe that the "portrayal of total egoism and interpersonal meanness" that the questioner considers to be characteristic of the television series Dallas has a chance of being accepted as a model, especially by critical young people who question the meaning of life. Rather, television series such as Dallas are probably partly responsible for the significantly lower consumption of television programs, especially among young people. The Federal Government would, however, welcome it if, when purchasing television series, broadcasters took greater account not only of possible ratings, but also of youth and family policy issues.
Member of the Bundestag Hans Wallow was not satisfied with the answer and countered:
Is it possible for the Federal Government, within the scope of its area of responsibility, to have a scientific study carried out on the value-related effect of the television series Dallas with regard to developing norms among young people, and if so, is it prepared to commission a corresponding study?
The Federal Government also answered this question:
The Federal Government is aware that the German Research Foundation DFG has decided to set up a focus on research into the effects of the media, from which findings on the effect of entertainment programs such as Dallas on young people, among others, can be expected. The DFG is already funding a ‘qualified pilot study on the reception of the US series Dallas as a symptom of contemporary mass culture’, the results of which are expected to be available in the summer of 1983. The Federal Government will follow this research closely and incorporate its findings into its work. It currently sees no reason to commission scientific studies on the subject in question itself.
If you want to read everything in detail, here are the sources:
https://dserver.bundestag.de/btp/09/09137.pdf#P.8561
https://dserver.bundestag.de/btd/09/023/0902373.pdf
Was Dallas also an issue in the parliaments of other countries or was it a purely (West) German phenomenon?
