Let FCC know your outrage of S.B. Half-Time X-rated "Show!"

[danamco]

Parents Television Council E-Alert February 2, 2004

Take Action Against CBS' Outrageous Super Bowl Stunt

Millions of Children Watch Bare-Breasted Half-Time Performance

During last night's broadcast of the Super Bowl on CBS, more than 140 million Americans, including millions of children, saw pop-star Janet Jackson's exposed breast during her half-time performance with Justin Timberlake.

The Parents Television Council - America's most influential advocacy organization protecting children against sex, violence and profanity - is calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to levy a hefty fine for every affiliate that aired the egregious half-time show.

We need your immediate help to flood the FCC with thousands of indecency complaints. The FCC must know that CBS crossed a line and they need to be held accountable for it.

Please take action today by:

1) going to http://www.parentstv.org/ptc/action/superbowl/main.asp and filing an official indecency complaint with the FCC;

2) writing to your lawmakers on Capitol Hill by going to http://congress.org/congressorg/dbq/officials/to let them know that something must be done today to stop this flood of indecent material coming into our living rooms on a nightly basis. We have a form letter that you can use up at http://www.parentstv.org/ptc/action/superbowl/formletter.htm;

and

3) forwarding this message to everyone in your address book.

Together we can make a difference! As a direct result of your action, for the first time in years, the FCC is starting to get serious about enforcing broadcast decency laws.

Below is a statement issued today by PTC President Brent Bozell in response to this latest outrage by CBS:

"Despite promises from MTV that the live half-time show would feature something outlandish, CBS took no steps to prevent Justin Timberlake from exposing the breast of mega-pop-star Janet Jackson during the live performance. The performance, including the offensive material, was obviously scripted. In fact Jackson's people promised that there would be "shocking moments" in the performance. We find Justin Timberlake's apology and explanation to be dishonest and disingenuous.

"We do not accept the apology of CBS, nor do we accept the statements of regret by MTV. It is absolutely reckless for CBS to claim that it had no prior knowledge that such activity was likely to take place. MTV is known for exactly this type of conduct. MTV and CBS are both owned by Viacom. Whether or not CBS executives did or did not know in advance is irrelevant; Viacom executives had the duty to know.

"To those who insist that a parent's sole remedy for such filth is to simply 'turn the channel,' we ask this: Does this mean that parents shouldn't allow their children to watch football games anymore?

"Advertisers who bankrolled this insult to every parent, every woman and every child in America, deserve to have their money refunded in full by CBS. And in fact every advertiser deserves to have their sponsorship dollars refunded in full so long as indecent material is included in live network television programming. Perhaps then the networks will take broadcast decency standards seriously.

"The FCC is absolutely correct to launch an immediate investigation into yesterday's live broadcast of the Super Bowl. Chairman Michael Powell accurately stated that "Our nation's children, parents and citizens deserve better." We urge the FCC to leave no stone unturned in its investigation. We urge the FCC to find notices of apparent liability. We urge the FCC to impose the maximum fine allowable under the law to every CBS affiliate airing this offense. And we urge the FCC to consider license revocation as a real option should this outrage ever be repeated."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Media Appearance Alert

PTC spokesmen will be making a number of TV appearances tonight to discuss this incident, including:

PTC Founder & President L. Brent Bozell will be appearing on:

ABC World News Tonight, 6:30 p.m. ET http://abcnews.go.com/

CNBC - News with Brian Williams 8:00 p.m. ET http://moneycentral.msn.com/Content/CNBCTV/TV_Info/GuestList.asp

CNN - Lou Dobbs Tonight 6:00 p.m. ET http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/lou.dobbs.tonight/

[farmfriend]

I'm sorry, I would rather be outraged that our property rights are being stolen. I would rather be outraged that The Sierra Club and Nature Conservancy get away with their protection rackets. I would rather be outraged that the Republicans no longer act like it. One bare breast in the sceme of things seems rather minor.

[geege]

Unable to submit right now.....getting error message after
trying to send signed petition.....will try later.....

[Ronzo]

I didn't even see it and I'm outraged. But it wasn't just Janet's little flash of nipple medalion, but the whole stinkin' half-time show was just in really BAD TASTE, not to mention many of the commercials.

I think it's time we bring back censors...I'll volunteer...

[Prime Choice]

Let FCC know your outrage of S.B. Half-Time X-rated "Show!"

Does anyone else think we look a bit silly claiming something is "X-rated" when such a spectacle wouldn't even get more than a PG-13 rating if it'd been in a movie?

Sure, I'm outraged by the rubbish I saw in the Superbowl halftime and all that. But "X-rated"? Please...

[thoughtomator]

Were it one bare breast, there would be a day or two of furor and it would die down. This isn't going to die down, because it's about a lot more than that one moment. It's even about more than the bare breast, the flag ripped open so it could be worn as a poncho, the groin-tugging, the rape and violence lyrics, and all the other garbage we were treated to that day.

What this is about is that the Superbowl was turned into "Coming Out Day" for the culture of pornography. Over time, a person not wishing to partake in the degeneration of our culture has been less and less able to avoid having disgusting, crass lewdness shoved in his face. The halftime show was a major statement by the entertainment industry that as much as Joe Decent may try, there is no escape from this civilizational demoralization.

I don't blame people for fighting back. The breast-flashing was simply the final straw that broke the camel's back - it is a misunderstanding of the situation to believe that that alone is the sole cause of the reaction. The reaction we are seeing now has been building slowly over time under the enormous pressure of the race to the bottom in the entertainment industry.

Of course, the question remains: Where is the market for morally decent entertainers that can displace the obscenities that currently dominate music, cinema, and television?

[danamco]

(Isaiah 55:10, 11)
The rain falls abundantly and of its own accord, and in a familiar but mysterious way produces plants and useful crops, evidently for the purpose of supplying people's needs - the divine purpose in this is applied figuratively to the Word of God, to distinguish if from fallible human thoughts and plans!

[sauropod]

It is...

[Central Scrutiniser]

Doncha think that whining to the FCC over something like this makes you look like a big time pro government type. I mean, do you really need the state to legislate and tell people what to watch and what not to watch? You are part of the free market, exercise your powers by not watching, and writing to the networks about your displeasure. If you really want, you can have the Feds spend tons of money making sure that the networks tow the government line, but then you may end up with American Pravda.

Be careful what you wish.

[Dan from Michigan]

Here we go again. Running to government. How WEAK.

The market should decide. Not a bunch of unelected bureaucrats.

[danamco]

I agree!
However, NFL should know better. As Rush says: "A Tiger is a Tiger" so should NFL/CBS also know: "MTV is MTV!" and that's only what they could expect coming from a channel of cesspool that include nothing but human indecency and garbage!

Well, GWB said he was a sleep, so yes what does he know!

[flashbunny]

Bread and circuses. Keep the masses distracted with nipplegate while our rights are being stripped away - because that doesn't matter as much. The media hypes stuff like this while real issues languish, because this sells and the other one interferes with their agenda.

[Paleo Conservative]

ctrl-z

Since Feb 7, 2004

Bye!

[Glenn]

Thanks for your input, Idiot. Back on the Prozac with you.

[farmfriend]

Doncha think that whining to the FCC over something like this makes you look like a big time pro government type.

Exactly! I might get behind a boycott of the sponsors etc. Let the market decide. Having the government fix what is morally wrong is more a Democrat thing. If we think this was bad and immoral behavior, and I do, then tell the sponsors that you will not buy their products and don't. That is the conservative Republican way to ensure it stops.

[farmfriend]

Right. Lying about reasons to kill Iraqis - Okay. False figures to show economy is booming and unemployment is down - okay.

You need to go back and read the transcripts of that SoU address. And you also need to recheck your economic news. You seem to have some wrong ideas and they won't fly on this forum.

[SoDak]

I'm outraged that I was working, and paying outrageous taxes, and unable to witness the outrage as it unfolded. Outrageous.

[Paleo Conservative]

The market should decide. Not a bunch of unelected bureaucrats.

Really? CBS was the only broadcaster allowed by contract to show live video feeds from the Super Bowl. That makes them a monopoly. It's not as if there were a Fox feed, an ABC feed, an NBC feed, a PBS feed, a CNN feed, and a C-SPAN feed.

[jedwardtremlett]

I demand my right to see
buns and hooters on tv
skin is no real sin for me
let's outlaw the FCC

doh-de-oh doH!