The Parents Television Council, states they are a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that promotes moral, family-friendly programming on television. Critics disapprove of using one group’s definition of what is objectionable to apply to everyone regardless of whether they have children or what the maturity level of a specific child watching may be.
They have been frequently criticized for inaccurate reporting and using broad terms to define what is and to what degree a topic is considered offensive. Some subjects are more likely to be subjected to criticism than others. Although most Television programs were faulted for sexual content or language, their only major complaint of violence on Television was made against wrestling. It has encountered some controversy over its actions which some believe advocate censorship.[1]
Super Bowl Halftime Show
During the Super Bowl controversy Janet Jackson’s breast was shown for 9/16th of a second. The nipple was covered by a large star shaped silver nipple shield. The incident received extensive coverage on news shows afterwards, sometimes being shown in slow-motion and thus reaching a wider audience than on the original broadcast.
Wrestling
As part of a settlement agreement, the PTC paid WWE $3.5 million USD and Bozell issued a public apology.[2] The apology stated that it was wrong to blame WWE or any of its programs for the deaths of children. It was also said that the original statements had been based on what was later found to be false information and that this information may have been designed by people close to the Lionel Tate case to pin the blame for the death of Tiffany Eunick on WWE.[3]
In 2001, fans of the show launched their own campaigns calling for boycotting advertisers who stopped advertising on SmackDown at the request of the PTC.ref>WWF Fans Speak Out</ref> In addition, SmackDown! established a faction called "Right to Censor", abbreviated RTC similarly to the Parents Television Council's "PTC" abbreviation, mocking the PTC.[4]
Seth MacFarlane and Family Guy
Seth McFarlane, creator of the FOX network animated sitcom Family Guy, a show that PTC has criticized frequently, also accused the PTC of homophobia. in a January 2008 interview with the LGBT magazine The Advocate.[5] Several days after the interview was circulated throughout the Internet blogosphere, former PTC president Bozell explained that the PTC "simply wants to restore a sense of decency" to television.[6]
Brief history of dramatic expression
UCLA film professor Richard Walter:
The tradition of dramatic expression has always been ugliness and violence and sexuality. In the ancient Greek tradition of drama, there was murder and blood lust. In Shakespeare, Hamlet ends with nine corpses on the stage. It's part of the very nature of dramatic expression.[7]
Texaco Star Theatre which has been credited with selling television sets, had a re-occurring joke of Milton Berle dressed in drag which would have drawn attention from the PTC if the group had been in existence in the 1950’s.
Influence on indecency regulation
According to various standards and practices executives, prior to the case over the content of George Carlin’s Filthy Words stand-up comedy monologue, the FCC handled mostly technical issues including radio and TV stations interfering with other channels or frequencies. Complaints and fines were extremely rare before this.[8][9] Carlin may be gone, but the flap over his seven words isn't http://www.mcclatchydc.com/226/story/42068.html</ref> [10]
Lack of context of objectionably material
Some do not believe in the view that a show depicting the downside of a topic should be categorized with the same negative rating as another show glamorizing the same subject.
In March 2006, PTC complaints led to 111 CBS affiliates being altogether fined $3.63 million USD for airing an episode of Without a Trace about teen orgies, titled "Our Sons and Daughters". The FCC citied that the "explicit and lengthy nature of the depictions of sexual activity, including apparent intercourse, goes well beyond what the story line could reasonably be said to require" and "the scene is all the more shocking because it depicts minors engaged in sexual activities".[11]CBS argued against the fine, stating that the plot to be "socially relevant...warning parents to exercise greater supervision of their teenage children" and that parents could easily prevent their children from watching the program, given that Without a Trace was aired at the last hour of prime-time and parents could use the V-Chip to prevent their children from watching the "TV-14" show-rated program.[12]
V-Chip and parental supervision
The development of the V-Chip and the introduction of a television ratings system have given viewers greater control over choosing to restrict for themselves what can be viewed by children while allowing adults to still watch mature content.
Frederick S. Lane, author of the 2006 book The Decency Wars: The Campaign to Cleanse American Culture, and the organization Television Watch support such arguments:
decency is strictly a personal and parental responsibility, not of the government or PTC, and that the views of the PTC do not necessarily reflect the views of the majority of Americans.<[13]
TV Watch has argued that the majority of FCC complaints filed through the PTC website are filed by website visitors who have never seen the programming the PTC claimed to be inappropriate and that most polled Americans believe that parents should monitor their children's TV viewing, not the government.[14][15]
TV Watch also questioned the PTC's definition of "obscene" words in their study. The Progress and Freedom Foundation also questioned the logic of the PTC including households without children in their survey over V-Chip usage, as adults-only households would not sufficiently hold interest in the V-Chip.[16]
Homophobia
Advertising Age' columnist Simon Dumenco claims that the PTC is homophobic because of its criticisms in the past condemning homosexuality on television and media regarding the NBC sitcom Will & Grace and ABC’s “Ugly Betty” for featuring homosexual characters.[17]
The PTC has denied such allegations, claiming that they are "not homophobic", but simply opposed to "sexual references or innuendo (of any variety, hetero, homo or other) aired where children might be exposed to them."ref name="culture watch 12 26"/>
Other criticisms
Grand Theft Auto 4
During the PTC's campaign over the video game Grand Theft Auto 4, Phil Villarreal of the Arizona Daily Star newspaper revealed Dan Isett, public policy director of the PTC, was allegedly lying about certain features of the game.[18]
Inconsistent Message
It has been pointed out that some members of the PTC Advisory Board were not always as moral depicted by their current association with the PTC. Those cited include Susan Howard for her role in the 1980s soap opera Dallas that was known for its depiction of drugs, alcohol and sexual or violent content and Bruce Jarchow for his appearances in violent films like The Puppet Masters and the sitcom Married...With Children, which the PTC ranked[19] as the worst primetime program for family viewing in 1997.[20]
The Marketplace section of the PTC website sold WWF-related merchandise via PTC sponsor Toys "R" Us with a percentage of the sale going to the PTC. [21]
Lack of context of objectionably material
Some do not believe in the view that a show depicting the downside of a topic should be categorized with the same negative rating as another show glamorizing the same subject. In March 2006, PTC complaints led to 111 CBS affiliates being altogether fined $3.63 million USD for airing an episode of Without a Trace about teen orgies, titled "Our Sons and Daughters". CBS argued against the fine, stating that the plot to be "socially relevant...warning parents to exercise greater supervision of their teenage children" and that parents could easily prevent their children from watching the program, given that Without a Trace was aired at the last hour of prime-time and parents could use the V-Chip to prevent their children from watching the "TV-14" show-rated program.[12]
References
- ^ The Uproar Over Sex on TV http://www.popmatters.com/tv/features/051214-sexontv.shtml
- ^ "World Wrestling Entertainment Settles Lawsuit With Parents Television Council; Founder Brent Bozell Issues Apology" (Press release). World Wrestling Entertainment. 2002-07-08. Retrieved 2009-06-16.
- ^ [Parents Television Council’s Wrestling Moves Were Fake http://brian.carnell.com/articles/2002/parents-television-councils-wrestling-moves-were-fake], Brian Carnell – July 9, 2002
- ^ Oliver, Greg (2000). "Steven Richards on a career high". Canoe.ca. Slam! Wrestling. Retrieved 2007-07-10.
{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ "'Family Guy' Creator Seth MacFarlane Has Some Strong Feelings About the Parents Television Council". New York. 2008-01-30. Retrieved 2008-03-29.
- ^ Bozell, L. Brent III (2008-02-04). "Hollywood Hate Mail". MediaResearch.org. Creators Syndicate. Retrieved 2008-03-29.
- ^ TV for families http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9775550
- ^ http://www.dcbar.org/for_lawyers/resources/publications/washington_lawyer/november_2005/indecency.cfm
- ^ Rice, Lynette (2007-05-02), "No S---! TV Execs, Uncensored", Entertainment Weekly
- ^ http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/F/htmlF/federalcommu/federalcommu.htm
- ^ Kevin Martin; et al. (2006-03-15). "Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture - In the Matter of Complaints Against Various Television Licensees Concerning Their December 31, 2004 Broadcast of the Program "Without A Trace"" (PDF). EB-05-IH-0035. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
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(help) - ^ a b Finn, Natalie (2006-03-15). "CBS Fined for "Trace" of Indecency". Eonline.com. E!. Retrieved 2007-06-23.
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(help) Cite error: The named reference "eonline" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page). - ^ Aubree Bowling; et al. (2005-04-18). "The Ratings Sham: TV Executives Hiding Behind a System that Doesn't Work" (PDF). Parents Television Council. Retrieved 2007-07-27.
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(help) - ^ Parents Want Control of TV. TV Watch. March 15, 2007. Retrieved April 22, 2007.
- ^ Wanted: Better FCC indecency complaint stats http://arstechnica.com/media/news/2009/01/wanted-better-fcc-indecency-complaint-statistics.ars
- ^ Thierer, Adam (2007-03-26). "Distorting Numbers in the Debate over Parental Controls". Progress and Freedom Foundation. Retrieved 2007-08-27.
- ^ Gildemeister, Christopher (2006-12-26). "Culture Watch - Exposing Sex, Violence, and Language in the Media - for the week of 12.26.05 (part 2 of 2)". ParentsTV.org. Parents Television Council. Retrieved 2007-06-28.
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(help) - ^ Linde, Aaron (2008-05-08). "PTC Director Lies About Drunk Driving in GTA 4, Rejects Comparison between Games and Film". ShackNews. Retrieved 2008-05-12.
- ^ "Top 10 Best and Worst Shows on Primetime TV 1996-1997". ParentsTV.org. Parents Television Council. 1997. Retrieved 2007-06-03.
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(help) - ^ Christensen, Christian (2005-01-26). "Pixelate the Morality Police". CommonDreams.org. CommonDreams.org. Retrieved 2007-06-03.
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(help) - ^ Woods, John (2001). "ROCK & WRESTLING: SAME ENEMY, SAME FIGHT!". Rock out Censorship. Retrieved 2007-08-09.
See also
- Censorship
- Media bias in the United States
- Parents Television Council
- Right to Censor, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) parody of the PTC
- Television Watch, organization that has prominently criticized PTC