Think of the children! The horrors! Television is corrupting the youth of America, according to Brent Bozell and the Parents Television Council. To counteract these forces of sex, violence, and the un-American way, Bozell and his cadre of puritans are single-handedly changing the definition of indecency and the way the Federal Communications Commission operates.
The general idea of the Parents Television Council (PTC) makes sense to me. They're an advocacy group that warns parents about shows which have adult content. They also are lobbying for ?? la carte options for cable television, so parents don't have to buy MTV along with the Discovery Channel. I agree; shows like "Real World," which are replayed during the daytime, shouldn't be shown to kids too young to understand what an unrealistic farce the program has become. If parents want to pay for "Sponge Bob," but not "Date My Mom" they should have that right.
What ticks me off is when the PTC starts forcing the whole country to adhere to its definition of "indecency." According to a report in Mediaweek, 99.9 percent of FCC complaints against violations of the government's restriction on broadcasting "indecent material" come from the Parents Television Council.
Even though literature on the PTC's website disputes the FCC's account of where complaints come from, the organization still proudly announced that they have filed the "overwhelming majority of indecency complaints." It's the great American ideal that any one person can make a difference in the world. Brent Bozell is living up that ideal - but to what extent should one man be able to ruin the lifestyles of everyone else?
With Congress' recent passing of the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act (H.R. 310,) under which fines will be increased to $500,000 for "indecent" television and radio broadcasts, it will soon become financially unsound for networks to air edgy or bawdy content. I love edgy and bawdy shows, but if Bozell has his way, there won't be any of them left for me to watch. Even worse, the PTC takes aim at local stations who definitely can't afford fines of half a million dollars or more.
Take for instance, the PTC's recent failed attempt to fine WTTG-5, the FOX affiliate in Washington, DC, for airing an episode of my favorite show, "Arrested Development." The following is verbatim from the FCC report:
"PTC complains about several scenes in the episode. Specifically, according to the Complaint, 'There are multiple scripted bleeps, and some sexual innuendo dealing with homosexuality.' In particular, the episode contains a reference to 'making corn-holes' and then 'corn-holing' (which the Complaint describes as 'slang for anal sex'), within the context of discussions of a corn baller, an implement for making popcorn balls."
First off, their implication that homosexual innuendo is "indecent" is horrifying and only perpetuates the stereotype of the homophobic right-winger. Secondly, any child who understands the sexual reference to "corn-holing" cannot be that pure, and most likely has been corrupted by some other source. "Arrested" draws much of its humor from double entendres; essentially all the lines delivered by David Cross' character Tobias have unintended sexual meanings.
Around six to seven million Americans watch "Arrested" each week. I highly doubt that the FCC received more than a handful of complaints. This is just one sad example of how the PTC is trying to impose their value system on its fellow Americans.
One of the highest-rated programs on parentstv.org, the website for the PTC, is "7th Heaven." Apologies to ex-Jumbo Jessica Biel aside, I can't stand this show. I find it a demeaning, sanctimonious and incredibly unrealistic depiction of a family. The Camdens, led by Reverend Eric, are surprisingly dysfunctional: Simon, the son of the preacher man, committed vehicular manslaughter, and older daughter Mary also turned rotten at some point.
I could go on, but the fact remains that I think that "7th Heaven" is a bad show. But I realize that many families look at the Camdens as role models and enjoy watching it; it was recently renewed for a 10th season. Instead of getting angry and trying to push the show off the air, I came up with a revolutionary alternative: I don't watch it.
Howard Stern calls it "The Knob." Others refer to it as the "up or down arrow" on a television remote. The greatest way to avoid "indecent" programming is to change the channel or turn off the tube entirely.
I doubt anyone would dispute that television programming has become increasingly racy and coarse. It's understandable that parents may not want their children watching a threesome on "The Real World" or a bloody corpse on "CSI." Instead of picking a fight with the networks who broadcast such shows, boycott their sponsors. Even better, don't watch the show.
Concerned parents everywhere: please, stop infringing on my right to enjoy whatever television programs I please. As long as I can have my Bluths, you can have your Camdens. Until Bozell and the PTC keep their conservative agenda to their own personal remote controls, the First Amendment rights of every television viewer remain in jeopardy.
