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.

[gdani]

How long before someone posts that they are horrified and surprised that the same people who run the Fox News Channel would allow this type of programming?

[weikel]

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

[My2Cents]

Fox is going to air the broadcast regardless of what anyone says. So why give it publicity by protesting it? I didn't even know Fox was planning to air a program on Playboy until I saw this post.

I watch Fox for sports, and for "Malcolm in the Middle" -- the most realistic American family on television. The rest of their trash goes unwatched.

[BikerNYC]

"It's men victimizing women for the sake of money and ratings," Jan LaRue, chief counsel of Concerned Women for America...

Who is this person, Catherine McKinnon?

[mhking]

"Malcolm in the Middle" -- the most realistic American family on television.

You got that right!

[My2Cents]

Opps...addendum. I've returned to "X-Files" for the final episodes.

[Phantom Lord]

The Simpsons is a pretty realistic family. And the towns people are far more realistic than any other on TV.

[areafiftyone]

Never heard of them before this but here is their website: CWFA

[justshutupandtakeit]

Put a cork in it Jan.

[Rodney King]

"It's men victimizing women for the sake of money and ratings," Jan LaRue

If you don't like it, fine. But this "men victimizing women" stuff is BS. They get paid a lot of dough, and they know what they are doing. Besides, I'd bet that a lot of the so-called victimizers here are women.

[My2Cents]

"The Simpsons" is an amazing show, considering its longevity, and the fact that after all these seasons it is still one of the most creative and funny shows on TV. It is great satire on the jaded aspects of our American culture. I've often thought that "Malcolm" was a "Simpsons" using real people.

[egarvue]

Besides, I'd bet that a lot of the so-called victimizers here are women.

If I recall correctly, the Playboy business empire is run by Hefner's daughter, not ol Hef himself anymore. Hmm, that must put the left in a tizzy - on the one hand, a successful woman executive, at the top of a multimillion dollar company; on the other hand, the company is Playboy.

[Inkie]

Aw, come-on gals.

BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

Sniffle Sniffle

[68 grunt]

These kind of "moral/social conservatives" are the reason we don't win.

Bingo - give the fella his prize!

[southern rock]

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."

Reminds me of that episode of "South Park" where all the parents travel to New York to protest "Terrance and Philip". The network executive says something like, "If anyone has any complaints about our programing, please feel free to direct them to that brick wall over there". LOL!

[areafiftyone]

Women aren't being victimized by Playboy. I am a female and I think alot of women do this because they can get an awful lot of money posing for Playboy. Believe me - with alot of women "MONEY TALKS". Also alot of them actually enjoy doing it. They see nothing bad about Playboy. Believe me if women felt like they were being victimized Playboy would have gone out of business years ago. Playboy does not put a gun to these women's heads - when are these organizations going to learn that! These women want to do it. If these mothers don't like it - the remote control is there for them to use.

[DittoJed2]

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
Oh pahlease! 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. Second, to say "these kind of moral/social conservatives" are a problem is absolutely idiotic! The reason we don't win is because we don't fight. You have "why can't we all just get along" RINOS in Congress who let the Dems run all over us and refuse to lift their limp little wrists to do a blasted thing! Finally, the day conservatives cease to speak out on issues of morality such as the exploitation of women by the likes of Hugh Hefner is the day that America ceases to be America. Our country was founded with the idea that there would be equal justice for all and that there would be mutual respect amongst its people. Promoting this kind of garbage is not an exercise of freedom but an abuse of it. You want to wallow in a cesspool of immorality? Go to Europe. As for me and my house, we will stand up and say we are not animals who have to cow tow to the sellers of sex every time they open their evil mouths, but we are men and women created in the image and the likeness of God and we will stand for the morality which He has instituted- a morality, by the way that far exceeds that of Hefner and Ailes.

[Vladiator]

Rupert Murdoch's hypocrisy is old news. He's just in it for the money. (US dollars go much further in Australia, you know).

[Corin Stormhands]

Never heard of them before this but here is their website: CWFA

You guys are interested in conservative politics and really have never heard of CWA? I'm not surprised because the media won't tell you they have as many, if not more, members as NOW.

These women delivered a lot of the vote for Ronald Reagan and for conservatives around the country. All I'm saying is don't write them off just because you disagree on this particular issue.