TV Radio Mirror (Jan - Jun 1955)

Sergeant Friday Speaks (Continued from page 59) "There is more teen-age trouble today than ever before. More important, the proportion of teen-age crime is increasing." Why is this problem growing? Though, as Jack repeats, he is no authority, he does have the unique position — as producer and star of Dragnet, with its documentary treatment of police problems — to help him formulate an opinion. Some of the reasons he lists as follows: "That major pitfall," says Jack, "is that the kids are not far-sighted. They can't see the consequences of a spur-of-themoment action. Thoy don't understand, for example, that the very friends they choose to run with are setting the patterns of their own futures. "I remember, for example, a young man in high school who was a fine athlete. But he made the wrong kind of friends. During the first year of the war, he wanted to join the Air Force. He qualified physically and mentally, but they kept him out, I later learned, because of his character references — a result of his failure to look to the future." The decision between right and wrong is always up to the individual: When teenagers select their friends they make just such a decision. When Jack Webb was a high-school student, the local malt shop was a breeding ground for teen-age trouble. In his three years in school, Jack never set foot in this corner store. Not that he was prissy — but he knew that the malt shop's hangers-on could only reflect ill on him. In short, he was looking ahead. "Experimentation on the part of the teenagers," says Jack, "is another reason for the increased crime rate. They want to know what it's like to drink, to smoke, to carouse. Why do they experiment? For many reasons: Because they want to know what it's like; because they don't want to be left out — they want to feel they belong to the crowd; because their emotions are on their sleeves — they change with the wind; because, since they are youngsters, they think they are not being watched; or because they think they can get away with a 'first time.' "What they have to learn," says Jack, "is that experimentation, presumed pleasure for a fleeting moment, can rob them of the permanent things in life. One drink in a speeding car can kill. One affair can destroy an entire family forever. Our society allows no quarter for the first large mistake — the first mistake is often the last. And the growing crime rate shows these mistakes to be increasing. "Learn without experimentation," says Jack, "is the thing we have to get across to the kids. There are many ways for them to learn. Books, magazines, newspapers, all tell them in plain terms the drastic results of alcoholism and narcotics. Their teachers can show them what alcohol does to their insides. The schools, with their auditorium calls, the churches with their educational films, and the parents, too, can explain and, in many cases, show the results of dope addiction or sexual delinquency. "We are obliged to show them the consequences of this behavior. Then they have to use their own judgment. The decision is theirs — and the future is their future." Why doesn't Jack show the consequences of teen-age alcoholism or dope addiction on Dragnet? "Because," he says, "it is not entertainment." His descriptions are a convincing argument. There's no enjoyment watching a youngster in the process of wrecking his life; there's no fun watching a future flame up in the fiery ARE YOU "ALL MOUTH" -AND NO EYES? If you use lipstick, you r\eed MAYBELLINE eye make-up to accent your eyes — for real beauty is balanced beauty. Your eyes are your most important feature! Don't leave them "washed-out looking" in contrast to a vividly made-up mouth. Make your eyes truly lovely today — quickly and easily — with PREFERRED BY SMART WO/WEN THE WORLD OVER EYE SHADOW • EYEBROW PENCIL AT LEADING VARIETY STORES Tie Bows Likelfe! > -4 Z: a < THE GIFT TIE THAT "CURLS Get these two "HOWTO-DO-IT" Booklets Buy the King-Size Spool and make Bows for every occasion Tells you how to tie dozens of bows and special effects Tells how to make a variety of expensive-looking gifts with Crinkle-Tie ,., ^ jjfe^V^l^«G VAR|t,H * , ^CRINKLE-TIE***** 2300 Logan Blvd., Chicago 47, III. ( ) Send me booklet on tying beautiful bows. ( ) Send me Crinkle-Tie Cralt Booklet. I enclose 10c in coin lor each booklet. your hair needs LOVALON For gayer, brighter, more colorful looking hair, be sure to use LOVALON after each shampoo. Lovalon removes dull film, blends in off color or graying streaks and softens the appearance of dyed hair. Not a permanent dye, not a bleach — Lovalon is a rinse made in 12 hair i shades. Select the shade for | your coloring. 10c for 2 rinses 25c for 6 rinses A