Posted on 09/22/2005 9:34:56 PM PDT by dannyboy72
As a DirecTV subscriber with DVR and a parent of thre small children, I often scan the movie channels for children's movies to tape for my children. I rarely allow the to watch broadcast television due to the content of commercials. Several weeks ago, I TiVo'd "Finding Nemo" on the Encore Channel for my two youngest children, age 3 and 4. What I got along with this RATED G movie was surreal.
When the movie was over and the credit began to roll, Encore does what it always does and cuts the screen in half to run promos for other movies or the next film, etc. In this case, the "promo" was for "Midnight Movies" and a celebration of counter-culture to the main-stream culture. Included within the several minute long promo includes a cross-dressing male shaking "her" boobs and sticking out their tongue, two women face to face with tongues "kissing", several interview segments with gay men, including very suggestive content. There was also horror movie cuts, blood, and other extremely, EXTREMELY, offensive content - not suitable for the G-rated audience.
I have this taped on TiVO and I will save this to allow for further action. This promotion would make an adult blush, and made a parent's jaw drop as I raced across the room to find the remote. This was a "G" rated movie and within the movie (during the credits) they start rolling this footage - clearly an intentional placement with the intent to deceive, to expose children at the very earliest ages to their "counter-culture" lifestyle. My 10 year old was in the room and his eyes nearly bugged out. I spent the evening trying to explain this to my children.
I do not know what steps to take next and I know that there are attorneys as well as public interest groups who sim this site. I would like to know if this is a violation of the ratings system, if this is actionable and if the Starz & Encore channels can be punished for exposing me 3, 4, and 10 year old children to content that would be nothing short of an R rating - this was built into a G rated movie for God's sake.
Please excuse the grammatical errors, I was extremely livid while writing this as I have had this taped for weeks and have just let it get to me more every day - that my children were intentionally exposed to this filth at 3 or 4 years old - there is no doubt that this was a way to get "R" content into the minds of "G" audiences.
Well, I hear your pain... but what can you do about it? Stop watching Encore I guess...
I recommend throwing your television in the dumpster and introducing your children to literature.
>>>I do not know what steps to take next
Put your TV on the curb come trash day.
Quit watching Encore.
See if your public library has DVDs.
I noticed the same thing happening with "On Demand". Maybe not the same movies, but other adult-rated movies, are previewed in the half screen. When we click on the Kids Programming, the half screen is not viewable, but unfortunately the sound is still playing.
Luckily, for some reason, it all goes over my kids' heads.
:-)
Why not write a complaint letter to Encore? Or start a petition online and have other parents sign it, then send it to them?
I dumped my TV a long, long time ago and haven't looked back. Frees you up and gives you a lot more time to do constructive stuff with the kiddies. Think about it.
You don't have kids, so it I'll cut you some slack.
We aren't talking about "free markets", so the appropriate response to the problem is NOT "don't watch".
It is inexcusable that ANYTHING of the kind described be aired immediately following a childrens program.
In the long term, YES, don't subscribe to the channel.
In the short term, RAISE HELL.
I hate to be unhelpful, but the previous suggestions were right on the mark. The only way to affect this is to stop watching; enough people do this, and their advertising sales will drop and they'll have to figure out why.
I live off the grid now in the middle of Los Angeles... Do not miss tv one bit...
Off grid, huh. Cool. You use a generator or PV's?
"Encore does what it always does and cuts the screen in half to run promos for other movies or the next film, etc."
I believe that you might have a case for a viable lawsuit here, against Directv ( I personally hate those SOB's), and possibly Encore. Good luck, give them Heck, and I hope you win. ( I am not a lawer.)
"I live off the grid now in the middle of Los Angeles... Do not miss tv one bit..."
Self sufficient with electricity and water in LA?
How do you get internet access?
Interesting, but hardly breaking news...
No - it was careless programming.
But what can you do about it? Stop parking your kids in front of the TV. Either get them to read, read to them, or teach them to read. Yes, 3 years old can read. I and my brother both were readers at that age.
Finding Nemo is brain rot with an anti-American bias. I'd rather subject my 3 year old kid to the 5 minutes of previews of counter culter stuff that goes over their heads rather than two hours of a cartoon.
Holy cow! Do you have kids? I would never chose that crap over a "cartoon" (which Nemo ISN'T) Kids are little sponges. You may THINK it goes over their heads but they are far more observant that a lot of people give them credit for. While they will not understand the full implications of what they saw, as an adult would, that garbage is now in their brains somewhere. I also never got any anti-American bias out of that movie. I think it's one of the most kid friendly movies I've ever seen.
I agree that it was intentional.
I feel for you.
Am I the only one who notices the same thing about the TV Guide Channel? I'm not against adult comment at the right time, but TV Guide shows VERY racey, adult-oriented stuff, usually all day. And that's the channel most people, including children, would watch very often, to see...uh...what's on TV!!
Hey, man, cartoons are the greatest art ever invented. Movies are the second greatest art. A combination of the two is wonderful for kids. Adult-oriented advertising--not so much.
My children do read and my children watch movies that I select for them. Finding Nemo is a cute litle movie that entertains them and makes them laugh. I do not believe that you cannot have a balance in raising your children. Movies and visual arts are one of the primary reasons our children are more advanced than we were.
I work diligently to review and select only material that meet MY APPROVAL - no one elses. That being said, it is absolutely unacceptable for a network to bury this crap into a G rated movie - thus taking away my ability to manage the content they view. I find it offensive that programming companies, knowing full-well that most conservative parents police their children's television and movie exposure, would promote this kind of content WITHIN a G-rated feature.
I have discontinued my subscription to Encore and Starz and I have written them. I guess that's all I can do.
I especially warn my family NOT to go over to Encore or Bravo since they are just QUEER & GAY channels.
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