Concerned Women of America Blasts Fox Over Playboy Special

Newsmax ^ | 5/2/02

[areafiftyone]

Fox Broadcastings plan to air a racy special on Playboy magazine's notorious centerfold is drawing fire from conservative groups.

The network is due to air a two hour show, "The Girl Next Door: The Search for a Playboy Centerfold," at 8 p.m. on May 10 and organizations such as Concerned Women For America (CWA) want Fox to reconsider showing the program.

"It's men victimizing women for the sake of money and ratings," Jan LaRue, chief counsel of Concerned Women for America told the Associated Press (AP) which cited CWA as one of seven groups, including the Christian Coalition and Focus on the Family, that wrote a letter of protest to Rupert Murdoch, chairman of Fox's parent News Corp.

LaRue told AP she was concerned the special would encourage men to treat women as sex objects and sends a dangerous message to girls.

"It communicates to 12- and 13-year-old girls that this is what you have to do to be attractive to men," she said. "It dehumanizes, it objectifies and it is a gateway to hard-core pornography."

A Fox spokesman, Scott Grogin, brushed off the complaints, telling AP yesterday: "We respect all of our viewers' rights to their opinions. If this is a show they don't like or feel is appropriate, please don't watch."

The planned show will feature a dozen women who are flown to Los Angeles in hopes of becoming one of the magazine's celebrated centerfold models. They're housed at Playboy founder Hugh Hefner's infamous Playboy Mansion, and are filmed while "sunbathing by the pool (and) primping for photo shoots." After being given Hollywood shopping sprees and evenings out at restaurants and clubs, one of them is chosen by Hefner to be featured in a centerfold shoot wearing little or nothing.

The AP described the show as a cross between ABC's popular "The Bachelor" series and its Victoria's Secret fashion show aired last November which sparked a Federal Communications Commission investigation that found that it didn't violate broadcast standards for decency.

Fox has drawn fire from some of the same groups protesting the Playboy show who filed complaints with the FCC last month about Fox's "Boston Public," show, charging that the classroom drama is loaded with sexual topics, particularly for a program airing it what used to be known as television's family hour, the AP reported.

Fox defended "Boston Public" and series creator David E. Kelley, saying "we're proud to have it on our air.

[HELLRAISER II]

Pleasssssse, it should read "Ugly women of America Blasts Fox over Playboy Special." First of all there won't be any nudity, 2nd of all if they don't want to watch it there's another 150 channels to choose from. I realize that everybody out there that disapproves of this isn't ugly, but alot of these people that I see on T.V. complaining are alway Butt ugly and the only reason their like that is because no one pays attention to them. As for Boston Public, it merely points out the realities of our current school systems. You can't blame Fox for the truthfulness of their broadcasts.

[HELLRAISER II]

That 70's show is the funniest though.

[RicocheT]

If these mothers don't like it - the remote control is there for them to use

NEVER give up your remote to a woman !

[r9etb]

These kind of "moral/social conservatives" are the reason we don't win. Why are they causing trouble for the only news network which opposes the commie agenda and isn't anti American

I seem to recall hearing something along those lines back in the late '90s -- something Bill Clinton....

[\/\/ayne]

To whom it may concern...

http://www.victimsofpornography.org

o o
\___/

[ThomasMore]

Ditto!

[Askel5]

"Malcolm in the Middle"

I love Malcolm in the Middle.

With the exception of old movies before bed or cooking shows on weekends, Fox's Sunday line-up 6-9 is my last connection to television. Get all my food for the week and laundry done. =)

[Askel5]

First of all, Newsflash, we have the White House and the House of Representatives and would have the senate if a turncoat didn't switch sides.

Newsflash: If they weren't "OURS" we'd be free to blast the hell out of them like the traitorous bastards they are.

[wardaddy]

Well ....I'm a right wing extremist and I plan on watching...if my wife will let me that is.

[HELLRAISER II]

I like the way you think A51. It's a business with willing employees, if there is any moral delimmea it's with the ladies deciding on whether the money's worth it or not. It's not for us to decide whether it's moral or not, Playboy doesn't accidentally hit everybody's door step. You have to order it to see it. I'll tell you another thing, have you ever seen Porky's? Where the Preacher & the School principals had to watch a porno movie they found in school. Twice just to make sure it was filthy. That's about how I feel most of these people are that shout the loudest about how obscene things like this are.

[Big Bunyip]

What's wrong weith being in it for the money. Prayer and purity and might no be enough for you, but money is the only reason the rest of us get out of bed in the morning.

Also, Rupert is a naturalized U.S. citizen and his Australian holdings are small vs. those in the US and Britain (and europe, asia, antarctica, calathumpia and ....)

[areafiftyone]

Well ....I'm a right wing extremist and I plan on watching...if my wife will let me that is.

LOL

[ContentiousObjector]

This is FOX we are talking about here, what do you expect a televised evengelical christian revival?

Rupert Murdoch is the cultural equvilant of Bin Laden

[PetroniDE]

The ONLY shows I watch on FOX (ABC, CBS, and NBC) over the air TV is NFL football, college football, and major league baseball. All other shows from those networks are prohibited in my house.

[PetroniDE]

I am just waiting for an un-edited version of "Showgirls" to appear on FOX. Then watch the **** fly.

[DittoJed2]

I mighty also add that it exploits men. Pornography is a prison for many and the pornography industry deliberately targets Christians.

[wardaddy]

that's a stretch!

[HELLRAISER II]

What? I think that Pornographers are an equal opportunity employer & publisher, they don't care if your male, female, atheist or christian.

[RAT Patrol]

Do you really think the GOP would be better off without social conservatives? (or the Country for that matter?) We have a right to protest. The GOP would win the hearts of some if they trample on social conservatives but they would lose much more than they would gain. A party that speaks for everyone speaks for no one. How about we sell-out YOUR key issues just to gain more support from the left? I didn't think so.

[areafiftyone]

I saw Porky's when it first came out in the movies. Funny picture. Most of my TV time is taken up with the news anyway. I am a news junkie. And then I tend to watch comedies like "That 70's show" - Fraiser and Raymond. I couldn't care less what Fox is doing. If I find something that offends me I just turn it off.