Posted on 11/14/2014 4:34:44 AM PST by Kaslin
Editor's Note: This column was co-authored by Tim Graham.
While Obama's Federal Communications Commission obsesses over liberal concerns like the under-regulation of the Internet and whether "Redskins" is a profanity, broadcast television is sleazier than ever.
As The Hollywood Reporter recently noted, "Nearly two months into the fall, it's clear that explicit jokes and boundary-pushing storylines are changing the definition of what sexual content is acceptable in primetime."
For example, the Sept. 16 season premiere of the Fox sitcom "New Girl" featured star Zooey Deschanel repeatedly muttering "sex fist" as a motto for five friends all succeeding at casual sex after the last wedding of the summer. "Multiple fisting jokes followed," they reported.
"We got away with murder," executive producer Brett Baer told the Reporter after the premiere. "We've given broadcast standards a run for their money." The real question is whether there are any barriers to sleaze, or merely a ban on saying "Redskins."
Over on Fox's "The Mindy Project," nearly an entire episode focused on star Mindy Kaling and her boyfriend debating whether he "slipped" into anal sex. That led to discussions of sexual positions, including the "necktie," the "ascot" and the "bagpipe."
They also mocked the Catholic Church. The boyfriend said he had no intention of going "back door." When he added, "Even if I think about that ... " she shot back, "They promote you to cardinal?"
That's not to say this smutcom approach works for Fox. Both half-hour shows often come in fourth place, far behind the brand new hour-long CBS drama "NCIS: New Orleans."
But producer Shonda Rhimes is dominating ABC on Thursday nights with a trio of hour-long shows. "Scandal" and the new show "How to Get Away With Murder" are currently the top two network dramas among viewers 18 to 49 (and "Grey's Anatomy" is not far behind).
The Hollywood Reporter noted that "Scandal" opened the season with star Kerry Washington and her boyfriend "in an explicit entanglement on the beach." On Oct. 16, Rhimes brought the sex position "Eiffel Towering" -- a threesome move -- to primetime when the daughter of the President of the United States was "caught on tape performing a lewd sex act that many had to Google."
"I have no intention of changing what's happening on Scandal at 9," Rhimes announced in July. "That will be interesting. I look forward to being censored." Except she hasn't been.
On Oct. 30, ABC rankled the Parents Television Council and many others by airing a "Scandal" sex scene just seconds after the "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" Halloween special ended. In the good old days, there were two minutes of commercials between programs. Now they just blur into each other.
At 10 p.m., the Rhymes show "How to Get Away With Murder" has aired almost-weekly gay sex scenes, including one where a character announced after a casual office sex encounter, "He did things to my ass that made my eyes water."
Openly gay executive producer Peter Nowalk told the E! network, "I knew I wanted to push the envelope, especially with the gay sex." It's designed "to right the wrong of all of the straight sex that you see on TV. Because I didn't see that growing up, and I feel like the more people get used to two men kissing, the less weird it will be for people."
The FCC is intentionally irrelevant, and so broadcast TV never stops pushing, pushing, pushing the envelope further into every sexual position and fetish and orientation. They're not trying to protect the children watching Charlie Brown. Tinseltown's libertines want to "educate" the children that every twisted turn of sexuality should be embraced and welcomed.
I have cable, so I can choose between a large number of channels...one does not have to watch something that is offensive.
Every TV is equipped with a channel selector and an off switch.
Other than a couple of sporting events, I don’t watch broadcast TV any more.
I like it. A whole new meaning to “network programming.”
I agree. Let the viewers be the judge of what they find inappropriate or not. In terms of children, unless you have a TV from the early 80’s, there are parental control tools to block it.
The gays are firmly entrenched in Hollywood as writers, producers,etc.
There are probably a way disproportionate number of them in these fields compared to the general population.
TV sitcoms are an open sewer today.
Not even remotely funny, but every show has a gay character or introduces a gay theme, usually out of nowhere.
Someone told me about Black-ish, so I found it on demand and watched the first show.Within the first minute or so of the very first show, the father walks in on his young pre-teenage son masturbating.
Big laughs.
Really? How is the portrayal of that not child abuse of a 12 year old boy actor?
hese gays have no grounding in the real world, and love to tear down everything we consider good and decent because they have such a warped view of things.
This was just after the intro scene with the mother and father going through old stuff in the garage and finding a baby sleeper emblazoned with something pro-Obama, with one of them saying,”We made it to the White House! days”.
Oh, blechh!
Crap-pish would have been a better name.
Sadly, even watching sports events is risk-taking what with all the ED and now “feminine dryness” products being advertised. I thought beer and Hardee’s ads were age-inappropriate.
Norman Lear was pivotal in the destruction of traditional values. He is an enemy of good. He embraced and promoted evil, and he laughs about it to this day.
He has lived too long on this planet.
Watch Ned’s speech to Howard Beale in “Network”. You’ll forget about Deliverance.
Right.
A couple months ago, the news had a list of something like 50 cancelled shows. I had never even heard of 90% of them. No loss.
Shark Tank, Blue Bloods and occasionally NCIS.
There wasn't the time for the parents/kids who were watching an annual Charlie Brown holiday special...
Some things are inappropriate. The days of "standards and practices" at networks are gone (unless that means saying "Washington Redskins" on the air or taking a pro-life position on abortion...).
I had to look it up, too. And yes, it's stupid.
For me it is “Walking Dead” (bonding with my son), “Big Bang Theory” (watch with wife - no jokes!), and “Sleepy Hollow” though SH has gone downhill this season, a little too far out.
Those examples are nothing compared to what the Sons of Anarchy show aired this week. How about a nude sex scene showing a guy in prison buggering another inmate?Or in the same show a scene showing a guy and a transexual (without the operation) having sex. Plus some assorted nude hetero sex scenes.
I haven’t ever seen anything else like it on cable or network.
The fact that there are rules for broadcast stations on what is and is not allowed is disturbing to me. Why should my viewing choices be limited because someone decided to procreate?
In fact I would do away with all restrictions. Also I dislike school zones!
;)
There are “standards and practices” regardless of kiddos. Today they push global warming memes and homofascism.
Where your outrage about the paid propaganda that is inserted into today’s program without “counter arguments” tolerated in the MSM (news or entertainment programming)?
same thing... Change the channel.
Enjoy your scatological comedies in the family hour on broadcast tv. Apparently that seems to be the best (and only?) place it can be found.
Do as thou will shall be the whole of the law. Now I wonder where I heard that philosophy before...
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