ChildCare Action Project:
Christian Analysis of American Culture (CAP)

Entertainment Media Analysis Report
MAR-0048
The Cable Guy, (1996) PG-13
CAP Score: 59
CAP ID: 0.77

Thomas A. Carder
CAP President


ALERT: To fully understand this report you should first visit the topics suggested by the CAP Home Page Table of Contents.


The Cable Guy CAP Thermometers

The Cable Guy  was, on the surface a light-hearted comedy about a cable TV cable installer latching onto one customer to become his friend. With shades of Play Misty For Me,  the cable guy became bad company in the worst way. The deeper the viewer traveled into the movie, the more distasteful it became. Wanton Violence/Crime (W) revealed a few instances of unacceptable behavior: extortion, physical violence, and threats to kill. Impunity/Hate(1) (I) suffered due to the usual foul language. The movie was as thick as molasses in January with sexual material of one type or another: suggestive wording, explict wording, and visual. Thus the Sex/Homosexuality (S) score was zip. The viewer heard vulgar sex talk typically associated with X-rated movies (which I will not repeat herein), and a youthful voice speaking of scratching someone's back and sex. Jim Carrey even pressed his bare breast against the glass separating a prisoner from the visitor while whimpering like a masochistic dog in heat. Drugs/Alcohol (D) exposed drinking while driving, and drink as a social communication tool. Offense to God(2) (O) uncovered a slew of using God's name in vain, with and without the three/four letter word vocabulary, plus a couple satanic entities. Murder/Suicide(3) (M) could dig up nothing.

There is little if any wholesome entertainment value in The Cable Guy. Only once instance of good value was noted: when Carrey knocked out the cable signal in one of two attempts to commit suicide, one TV watcher gave up on watching TV and picked up a book instead -- and started to smile!

Other examples of unacceptable behavior included:

Below is the table showing the scoring in each of the Investigation Areas plus the Final Score drawn from the actual CAP Report. In addition, the number of examples per hour of unacceptable material in each of the Investigation Areas is provided.

The Cable Guy CAP Scorecard

In accordance with the comparative baseline data, The Cable Guy was equivalent to R-rated material in Impunity/Hate, Sex/Homosexuality, and Offense to God. It presented material equivalent to PG material in Wanton Violence/Crime. The movie presented material equivalent to G-rated movies in Drugs/Alcohol and Murder/Suicide. Thus, The Cable Guy was equivalent to the comparative baseline data corresponding to 50% R-rated material, 17% PG material, and 33% G-rated material.

(1) As noted in CAP Special Report-0001, "Investigation Area and Scoring Trend", of the six CAP Investigation Areas, Impunity/Hate was the strongest presence in all four movie classifications. It has a strong revelation about the entertainment media.

(2) The use of the three/four letter word vocabulary is incorporated into the Impunity/Hate Investigation Area. The use of God's name in vain with and without the three/four letter word vocabulary is incorporated into the Offense to God Investigation Area.

(3) Only portrayal of successful murder or suicide are incorporated into Murder/Suicide. Presentation of attempts to commit murder or suicide, deaths by police action, and deaths by war are incorporated into Wanton Violence/Crime.


Please remember we believe that if even one of the six Investigation Area scores for a movie is equivalent to the CAP comparative baseline databse scoring range for R, PG-13, or PG material, the entire movie should be regarded as so rated.  For example, if only Wanton Violence/Crime earns a score equivalent to R but all other Investigation Areas earn a score equivalent to G, THERE IS R-RATED MATERIAL IN THE MOVIE AND YOUR KIDS WILL SEE IT AND HEAR IT IF THEY WATCH THE MOVIE!




Additional reviews of this movie may be located at "Movie Review Query Engine at Telerama."



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Thomas A. Carder
President
ChildCare Action Project: Christian Analysis of American Culture (CAP)

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