It seems every day, the organization that calls itself the Parents Television Council is up in arms about a television program that it deems to be too offensive to be on television. Basically, these guys comb through hours of television until they find something they do not like, and then they go nuts about it on their website. They complain about things ranging from partial cartoon nudity on Family Guy, their most hated of all shows, to (…gasp…) an uncensored utterance of the word “shit” on The Today Show circa 7:30 A.M (and we all know how much kids love their Today Show). Now if this were the extent of the PTC’s activity, then I probably would not even be taking the time to voice my disgust. In addition to being some of the biggest whiners in the business, they are also actively campaigning to get all of the shows that they have a problem with off the air. To give you an idea of just how high their standards really are, the only shows currently on prime time network television that they don’t have a problem with are Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Deal or No Deal (What!?! Those models holding the cases give such an unfair standard of beauty for our young girls). This would leave television fairly boring to say the least.
To make matters worse, the PTC has also taken it upon itself to make sure that their most hated shows on cable TV get removed as soon as possible. Perhaps someone should inform these kind folks that whatever indecency laws do apply to network television hold no bearing whatsoever on privately owned cable networks.
If the PTC was a group that simply went around and pointed out to parents which shows had content that might be deemed offensive, then I would not have the slightest problem with them. I mean, I’d almost definitely still make fun of them, but I wouldn’t have to dedicate a whole post to it. The fact is, saying that the network or the government have a duty to protect us from inappropriate material is completely ignorant. I would like to see where in the United States Constitution it says that we have a right to not be offended. On the other hand, I’ll be happy to point out where it says that we have the right to freedom of speech.
To make matters worse, the PTC has also taken it upon itself to make sure that their most hated shows on cable TV get removed as soon as possible. Perhaps someone should inform these kind folks that whatever indecency laws do apply to network television hold no bearing whatsoever on privately owned cable networks.
If the PTC was a group that simply went around and pointed out to parents which shows had content that might be deemed offensive, then I would not have the slightest problem with them. I mean, I’d almost definitely still make fun of them, but I wouldn’t have to dedicate a whole post to it. The fact is, saying that the network or the government have a duty to protect us from inappropriate material is completely ignorant. I would like to see where in the United States Constitution it says that we have a right to not be offended. On the other hand, I’ll be happy to point out where it says that we have the right to freedom of speech.
Family Guy: Arch Nemesis of the Parents Television Council
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