MTV Joins the Fight to End Violence Against Women

We all have our guilty pleasure TV shows, and these days they're probably all reality shows. One of mine, I hate to admit, is Jersey Shore on MTV. Full of everything you can expect from an MTV reality show, but there's one thing that I didn't expect.

Following an episode-ending bar fight in which Nicole "Snooki" gets punched in the face by a guy at the bar, MTV not only blocks out the punch and the majority of the fight, it concludes the episode with a little PSA : "Violence against women in any form is a crime"

**clap clap clap**

I can't say that MTV is a channel full of moral or ethical shows, shows of values or positive messages. For the most part, it's the exact opposite; and teens and young adults across the country eat it up. Some may argue that MTV and its provocative reality shows is an example of the "media that's ruining America." That may be the case, but the fact that it is taking ownership and adding these types of messages at the end of the show at least shows some level of responsibility and, dare I say, some class.

Similar messages have been spread across the TV after Real World: San Diego, when a cast member attempted suicide; other seasons of the Real World forced the network to address eating disorders; and anti-drug and Trojan ads have always been splashed between reality shows. But the addition of an add to combat violence against women still a huge step forward.

Not only does it say it is a crime, it offers websites and hot-lines for those who know someone in a violent relationship or for those who are in one themselves.

Kudos to you MTV!