Isn't There a Real Problem Somewhere for These People?
Here in Montgomery County, we saw a small group of radicals, originally calling themselves RecallMontgomerySchoolBoard.com and then Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum, nearly succeed at imposing their perverted will on the majority. They opposed a new sex-ed curriculum, largely on the basis of made-up and exaggerated reports of what was going to be taught.
That was not an isolated phenomenon, of course. The Family Blah Blah groups have extensive email lists, and newsletters that fly under the media radar; they are able to plan noisy campaigns that get written up in the press and sometimes even result in policy changes, even though it's a small group of people.
This last year, the CBS show "Without a Trace" had a scene with a teen orgy in it -- you can see the scene HERE. Pretty wild, huh? Uh, yeah, sure.
Thousands of people complained about the show, and the FCC fined the stations that showed it millions of dollars.
Now the stations are saying, hey, wait a minute, we shouldn't have to pay those fines.
It turns out that nobody who complained actually saw the show -- it was just another Family Blah Blah letter-writing campaign.
Do you think the stations should be fined? Turn it around: not only had nobody who complained seen the show -- nobody who saw the show complained. Was the show itself offensive, or did people complain about the idea of the show? What do you think?
And think, the first time they showed it, without the astroturf [=fake grassroots] campaign -- big fat zero complaints.
Have I used the word "hypocrite" recently?
People pretending to be outraged -- what are they trying to accomplish, really? Why would you complain about something that you didn't even see?
Aren't there real problems in the world that these people could get involved in?
That was not an isolated phenomenon, of course. The Family Blah Blah groups have extensive email lists, and newsletters that fly under the media radar; they are able to plan noisy campaigns that get written up in the press and sometimes even result in policy changes, even though it's a small group of people.
This last year, the CBS show "Without a Trace" had a scene with a teen orgy in it -- you can see the scene HERE. Pretty wild, huh? Uh, yeah, sure.
Thousands of people complained about the show, and the FCC fined the stations that showed it millions of dollars.
Now the stations are saying, hey, wait a minute, we shouldn't have to pay those fines.
It turns out that nobody who complained actually saw the show -- it was just another Family Blah Blah letter-writing campaign.
Virtually none of those who complained to the Federal Communications Commission about the teen drama Without A Trace actually saw the episode in question, CBS affiliates said as they asked the agency to rescind its proposed record indecency fine of $3.3 million.
All of the 4,211 e-mailed complaints came from Web sites operated by the Parents Television Council and the American Family Association, the stations said in a filing on Monday.
In only two of the emails did those complaining say they had watched the program, and those two apparently refer to a “brief, out-of-context segment” of the episode that was posted on the Parents Television Council’s Web site, the affiliates’ filing said.
“There were no true complainants from actual viewers,” the stations said. To be valid, complaints must come from an actual viewer in the service area of the station at issue, the filing said.
“The e-mails were submitted ... because advocacy groups hoping to influence television content generally exhorted them to contact the commission,” the CBS stations said. CBS Stations: Indecency Complaints Invalid
Do you think the stations should be fined? Turn it around: not only had nobody who complained seen the show -- nobody who saw the show complained. Was the show itself offensive, or did people complain about the idea of the show? What do you think?
Parents Television Council says it relayed 11,679 complaints about Without a Trace to the FCC through its Web site. The CBS stations in their filing said they examined complaints the FCC produced to satisfy a request filed under the Freedom of Information Act.
About 8.2 million people saw the Dec. 31, 2004 broadcast, which was a repeat of an earlier airing of the same episode that drew no indecency complaints. E-mails about the episode began arriving at the FCC on Jan. 12, the same day the PTC sent an alert to its members, the CBS stations said.
And think, the first time they showed it, without the astroturf [=fake grassroots] campaign -- big fat zero complaints.
Have I used the word "hypocrite" recently?
People pretending to be outraged -- what are they trying to accomplish, really? Why would you complain about something that you didn't even see?
Aren't there real problems in the world that these people could get involved in?
posted by JimK at 8:14 PM
24 Comments:
"Virtually none of those who complained to the Federal Communications Commission about the teen drama Without A Trace actually saw the episode in question, CBS affiliates said..."
"CBS affiliates said..."
"CBS affiliates said..."
L. Brent Bozell, president of the Parents Television Council, said that “Rather than these stupid legal maneuvers, CBS and Viacom should spend time pondering why it’s wrong to broadcast scenes of teen orgies in front of millions of children.”
The FCC in proposing the fines of $32,500 upon each of 103 CBS stations said they had “broadcast material graphically depicting teenage boys and girls participating in a sexual orgy.”
CBS stations said the episode included flashbacks aimed at portraying risky behavior that showed actors in “sexually suggestive positions.”
Monetary stakes for indecency findings are about to heighten considerably. Congress last week gave its final approval for increasing the potential penalty tenfold, to $325,000.
Why don't people act responsibly and decide what their kids can and can't watch? No one makes anyone watch TV. Who is making millions of kids watch teen orgies? Let's sue the parents who claim their kids saw this. Without a Trace is a detective show and seems to show violence regularly(like CSI, Law and Order and most other shows on network TV-when they aren't fake reality or bad amateur entertainers) so parents whose kids saw this are at fault- not the network.
Wowie, zowie! This is a big story. TV studios is fined for breaking the law and then says they didn't do it!
Here's another big story: OJ says he didn't do it either.
Here's another one: TTF says they never said anything against ex-gays.
Fifty Thrice
Show me where.
JimK
Fifty Thrice sais Here's another one: TTF says they never said anything against ex-gays.
___________
How can TTF or anyone speak against "ex-gays" when they do not exist? If anyone claims to be an "ex-gay" they are straight and always have been. Has TTF said anything against straights?
Gracie
"Wowie, zowie! This is a big story. TV studios is [sic] fined for breaking the law and then says they didn't do it!"
That's pretty nifty, Fifty. You managed to miss the entire point of the story which is: Thousands of people complained about a TV show they never saw because a Family blah blah group made up lies about it and told them to complain.
There's a link to this supposed "broadcast material graphically depicting teenage boys and girls participating in a sexual orgy." Did you bother to view it?
This story is very similar to the actions of the RECALLMONTOMGERYSCHOOLBOARD people who made all sorts of outlandish complaints about the revised sex education curriculum without ever reading it.
Aunt Bea
I know what is indecent on TV- Ann Coulter and Bill O'Reilly- that's filth to me. I hope the FCC fines them - although I don't watch them. Let me say again- What is on TV and on the radio and in magazines and in CDs and in movies-is a parent's responsibility to monitor. That is what good parents do. I guess Bozo- I mean Bozell -should be telling his followers to take care of their kids- not let the TV do it. What are children doing watching this show!?!?-again- let's fine the parents who complained that they let their kids watch this. If this is all the FCC has to do- let's disband it and give the FCC money to a real federal agency.
Pentagon Lists Homosexuality as Disorder
By LOLITA C. BALDOR, AP
WASHINGTON (June 19) - A Pentagon document classifies homosexuality as a mental disorder.
The document outlines retirement or other discharge policies for service members with physical disabilities, and in a section on defects lists homosexuality alongside mental retardation and personality disorders.
Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Jeremy M. Martin said the policy document is under review.
The Pentagon has a "don't ask, don't tell" policy that prohibits the military from inquiring about the sex lives of service members but requires discharges of those who openly acknowledge being gay.
The document, called a Defense Department Instruction, was condemned by the American Psychiatric Association.
There were 726 military members discharged under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy during the budget year that ended last Sept. 30. That marked the first year since 2001 that the total had increased. The number of discharges had declined each year since it peaked at 1,227 in 2001, and had fallen to 653 in 2004.
06/19/06 18:48 EDT
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press.
anon left out a few things in Pentagon story and only posted self selected items leaving out another 6 paragraphs. Anon practicing-----(Misconstrual)
Associated Press
Pentagon Lists Homosexuality As Disorder
By LOLITA C. BALDOR , 06.20.2006, 06:23 AM
A Pentagon document classifies homosexuality as a mental disorder, decades after mental health experts abandoned that position.
The document outlines retirement or other discharge policies for service members with physical disabilities, and in a section on defects lists homosexuality alongside mental retardation and personality disorders.
Critics said the reference underscores the Pentagon's failing policies on gays, and adds to a culture that has created uncertainty and insecurity around the treatment of homosexual service members, leading to anti-gay harassment.
Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Jeremy M. Martin said the policy document is under review.
The Pentagon has a "don't ask, don't tell" policy that prohibits the military from inquiring about the sex lives of service members but requires discharges of those who openly acknowledge being gay.
The Center for the Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military, at the University of California at Santa Barbara, uncovered the document and pointed to it as further proof that the military deserves failing grades for its treatment of gays.
Nathaniel Frank, senior research fellow at the center, said, "The policy reflects the department's continued misunderstanding of homosexuality and makes it more difficult for gays and lesbians to access mental health services."
The document, called a Defense Department Instruction, was condemned by medical professionals, members of Congress and other experts, including the American Psychiatric Association.
"It is disappointing that certain Department of Defense instructions include homosexuality as a 'mental disorder' more than 30 years after the mental health community recognized that such a classification was a mistake," said Rep. Marty Meehan, D-Mass.
Congress members noted that other Pentagon regulations dealing with mental health do not include homosexuality on any lists of psychological disorders. And in a letter to Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on Monday, nine lawmakers asked for a full review of all documents and policies to ensure they reflect that same standard.
"Based on scientific and medical evidence the APA declassified homosexuality as a mental disorder in 1973 - a position shared by all other major health and mental health organizations based on their own review of the science," James H. Scully Jr., head of the psychiatric association, said in a letter to the Defense Department's top doctor earlier this month.
There were 726 military members discharged under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy during the budget year that ended last Sept. 30. That marked the first year since 2001 that the total had increased. The number of discharges had declined each year since it peaked at 1,227 in 2001, and had fallen to 653 in 2004.
Copyright 2006 Associated Press
Gracie
"That's pretty nifty, Fifty. You managed to miss the entire point of the story which is: Thousands of people complained about a TV show they never saw because a Family blah blah group made up lies about it and told them to complain."
Actually, Norman, you're the one that doesn't get it. Mr TTF is just taking the word of the accused. That's the point. Mr TTF believes what he wants to. Or, at least, claims to. How does CBS know if the complaintants watched the show?
A more salient point though is that the FCC investigates claims- it doesn't just assess fines any time someone complains. This is not a totalitarian state, despite the wishes of TTF types. The FCC looked at the show and assessed a fine. There is hope to stop this cultural pollution.
"There's a link to this supposed "broadcast material graphically depicting teenage boys and girls participating in a sexual orgy." Did you bother to view it?"
I clicked on it because I wanted to check out the orgy and, as usual, Mr TTF's links don't. Just another falsehood- hoping no one will notice.
Nifty Ice
Nifty Ice
"I hope the FCC fines them -"
We already knew that Andrea. TTF's dream within a dream is to stop the conversation. You won't succeed though. The arc of history bends toward justice.
Nifty Ice
"anon left out a few things in Pentagon story and only posted self selected items leaving out another 6 paragraphs. Anon practicing-----(Misconstrual)"
Jim always gripes when someone posts a whole article. Anon was just excerpting the parts important to him. TTF does the same thing all the time. Is it "misconstrual" when TTF does it?
You should chill out, Kay. Hypocrisy has been shown to raise blood pressure.
Nifty Ice
Thanks for telling me the link didn't work -- I had cut the "h" off "http" when I copied it. Now it works.
JimK
Cool, man. I'm going to go check out that orgy.
Nifty Ice
Uh, Jim, I just watched it. It is pretty bad for broadcast TV. I think the fine was appropriate. The airwaves are public property. They belong to the community.
N I
Poor Wyatt looking for attention again. Never mind facts because Wyatt does not think they belong anywhere in any postings he does.
Anne
So silly- Most of network TV is crap(Yes, we still have no cable in our home)-violent, sexually inappropriate, and quite often, humorless-even when it is supposed to be funny. Why won't Wyatt address the issue of parents being responsible for their own kids in their own home? Kitchen knives are dangerous but we watch out how they are used. When I cut myself rather badly chopping onions, I didn't try to get Cutco fined by OSHA.
Stopping the conversation- no, O'Reilly and Coulter do that themselves. In any event- they are also just media whores- creating controversy to sell themselves. they are just entertainers to a certain audience- but my point about fining them was that I have never actually seen either of them on TV.
The PTC only claims 1 million members, yet it games the FCC system to make TV content decisions for Americans in 109 million TV households.
1 million out of 109 million plus. If that's democracy in action, I'd hate to live in a totalitarian dictatorship.
Check out TV Watch, at www.televisionwatch.org, for a common sense voice of reason in this debate.
"The PTC only claims 1 million members, yet it games the FCC system to make TV content decisions for Americans in 109 million TV households.
1 million out of 109 million plus. If that's democracy in action, I'd hate to live in a totalitarian dictatorship.
Check out TV Watch, at www.televisionwatch.org, for a common sense voice of reason in this debate."
Paul
The ability to make a complaint is not the equivalent of "making decisions". The complaint was investiagted and found to be true.
Have you people completely lost your minds? The clips went on for about 30 seconds panning across a room full of naked youths rolling, rubbing and drooling all over each other, stopping occasionally to focus on individual acts. In one, a naked girl had her legs spread with a naked guy on top of her, thrusting his pelvis into hers. I guess they showed restraint by not focusing on genitals but its hard to imagine how else they could have gone farther.
I'm forwarding this post to the school board. I don't think even they realize how extreme the fringe group is that they've appointed to the CAC.
Shifted Spice
I'm forwarding this post to the school board. I don't think even they realize how extreme the fringe group is that they've appointed to the CAC.
Shifted Spice
_______________
TTF members should be shaking in their boots...NOT. Too funny as next TTF will be said to be suing like the suers.
Anne
SS
Do you understand? 8.2 million people watched this show, and not one of them complained. And that was the second time it was on -- we can figure a comparable number watched it the first time.
Let's say it was less. Let's say FIFTEEN MILLION PEOPLE watched this show, and understood that it's a TV show, this is a scene in a story, it's not real, etc. There really isn't any nudity or sex or anything, it's all smoke and lighting. It's a TV show, those are actors.
It is so interesting to see your reaction. Just like these people who filed the complaints without watching the show, you adamantly believe that NO ONE should be able to see something that offends YOU. Just like people who think that because they're ignorant about sexuality, everybody needs to be.
JimK
Jim, the Anon has been fairly successful in keeping this thread off topic.
The scene is pretty sleazy, though I have to say I saw more bras and bikini underwear than actual nudity. It was trashy. As Andrea pointed out, parents have to take responsibility for monitoring their kids' TV viewing. L. Brent Bozell, president of the Parents Television Council, ought to be as concerned about the parents of the millions of children he says are watching this show, which is not broadcast as family entertainment, as he is about the content of the show. The Parent's Television Council might want to consider counselling parents about how to make the TV an effective and minor part of their children's development, rather than assuming that parents are letting their kids stay up until 10 pm to watch a drama about the FBI.
That's not what you were writing about. You were, as usual, willing for people to make their own judgements about whether we think the scene should have been broadcast. Your point was that the FCC is responding to reports that don't seem to meet its own criteria for response; that the reports came from people who did not watch the show. The actual viewers probably didn't complain because they were the target audience - adults who are up watching a TV show that airs after the "family viewing" hours end. The anon doesn't want to go there because the procedural irregularities are inconvienent to him, as is Andrea's insistance that parents should monitor their children's viewing.
Tish, this is a situation where I don't want to impose or even discuss my own personal standards regarding nudity on TV or childraising techniques (though the occasional inappropriate chuckle might give me away).
We can thank Bill Clinton for the fact that every TV manufactured since January 1st, 2000, has a V-chip in it. Any parent can set their TV so that it blocks shows that exceed the rating of their choice. It shouldn't be hard at all to block the Teen Orgy Channel.
A theme through all of this -- MCPS sex-ed to gritty TV shows -- is that the puritan right is concerned about what other people do. How many sex scandals have we had involving these nosy nuts? The Family Research Council guy I blogged about the other day is a typical example. For a living, he goes around trying to control other people's sexual behavior, while personally he's trying to pick up young girls on the street for group sex.
I'm not saying whether this is a good show or not, I admit I never heard of "Without a Trace" before. Sometimes I watch Jon Stewart before bed, other than that not much TV. But I would remind you, this scene is taken entirely out of context -- one of the Family Blah Blah sites even has a clip, it's that bad. This scene is maybe 20 seconds out of an entire show, with a plot, characters, and everything else. And remember, the 15 million people who wanted to watch it did not complain.
JimK
Shifted Spice,
With all due respect, the PTC'a ability to make automated e-mail complaints influences the government's ability to make TV viewing decisions that parents and individuals are better qualified to make.
TV Watch has the answers - at www.televisionwatch.org.
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