TV Censorship
 

Curious how everyone felt on the topic? Personally, I think that parent activists should take responsibility and deal with their problems they are having in their homes and quit making it everyone else's business... if the government controls TV, then TV will not be the same. Glad that there are groups like TV Watch who are out there to protect our shows...thoughts?

I think parents need to take responsibilty for their children, but parents can't watch their kids every second of the day and TV keeps pushing the line further and further. As an adult, I can handle what I watch, but I don't think little kids watching shows like The OC, etc, can handle the cursing, sex, and violence.

The OC?!?

Personally, when I have a child, he will be well prepared for lesbian scenes supported with cheesy Ben Gibbard musical numbers, performed by 30 year old "high schoolers" - and he will LOVE IT.

LOVE it.

Oh yeah, apparently he will be a dude too.

Parents can't do that job if they have no idea what's coming next on the screen. While I don't think that things should be removed the air because of their content, I am glad that there are ratings for TV so that I can oversee what they're watching. I can use the SuperBowl incident as an example. I wasn't quite ready for my kids to witness something like that, and neither were they. I didn't expect it and wasn't pleased about it.

Consorship in broadcasting is illegal. It's one of those First Amendment things.

Control of content by making rules and regulations regarding the retention or loss of a broadcast license isn't, and the FCC has done it for years.

Special interest groups have tried to do it with boycots, letter writing campaigns, etc. with some, but not a lot of success.

It is much more difficult to do to cable programs, because they do not broadcast on the "public airways," and the FCC has much less clout.

Things like the "V Chip" are supposed to allow parents to set schedules so their children can't watch programs with certain ratings.

Bottom line is, though, I don't think parents can control what their children watch in all cases.

It's a sticky situation.

Aren't most tv's equipped with that V-chip now so parents can monitor what their kids can or can't see based on the tv codes when they are not around?

Dzfan, the standards for programming were way more stricter in the past than they are now. Do the research and you'll be quite surprised at how far they've come.

The problem I have is that the ratings do not provide enough detail. Because the standards are self-made the borders between ratings is a slippery slope. There are some programs that should be adult rating get instead PG-13.

Again parents are the ones who should control the tv.

Yes. I don't remember the date, but all sets produced past a certain time were required to contain the "V Chip" technology.

I am sure that most TV are but I think that most parents don't know how to set them but I was looking through the TV Watch site and it looks like it is pretty easy. It is as "easy as toast" :)

http://www.televisionwatch.org/site/...C49F7}&notoc=1


Speaking of TV Watch, anyone a member?

Oddlly enough, I turned in my senior thesis this morning on this very topic. Some stuff should probably not be on tv. But who am I to draw the line for anyone but myself and my family? I wrote alot on it, but really, no conclusions.

Congratulations, you've gotten about as far as Congress and the FCC.

So TNPHiMU, I agree that there is some inappropriate things on TV nowadays but I don't think that it is up to the government to decide whether what we can and cannot watch...thoughts? As I have said before, I think it is up to the parents to take on this responsibility themselves and set parental controls that is why there is tv ratings out there

I don't think the goverment should dictate what is "OK" for us to watch, either. It is part of a parent's responsibility to monitor what his/her child watches on TV. I know some may argue that parents can't be around every single moment, but keeping an eye on your child's television viewing isn't impossible. My parents did it. I'm talking about young children here...by the time I was a teenager, it really didn't matter what I watched. It wasn't really about morals...my parents didn't want me watching certain things when I was little not because they thought it was "bad," but because I wasn't emotionally or psychologically mature enough to handle it. Now, if parents are really concerned about their child watching something they feel is inappropriate, they need to learn to use the v-chip or something like that.

I completely agree! My parents did it too -- they would constantly come in and see what I was watching... I remember I was not allowed to watch MTV, Roseanne or the Simpsons-- they set strict rules about it and I obeyed. Back then the V chip was not around and my parents were still successful. I agree that some shows are inappropriate for some ages but that is the parents responsibility to monitor.

Just frustrating to think that my shows could be canceled one day or completely modified... good to know that there are groups out there like TV Watch who are standing up for what we believe in. I just signed up. You should check them out and sign their petition if you agree

http://www.televisionwatch.org/site/....BE7A/Home.htm

Oh I definitely think parents should take on the responsibility as well... it's just unfortunate that there are too many parents out there that don't take on that responsibility. And I wasn't saying I necessarily agreed that the government should have control over it... just that they do to an extent.

yeah, it is unfortunate that these parents are not taking responsibility -- they just need to be more educated about ways to monitor their kids tv watching and need to learn how to set parental controls...like that what I posted on from tv watch. Just wish parents were more knowledgeable on what to do so there would be less controversy over it, ya know?

When I was a kid, I was restricted from watching certain shows because my parents did not agree with them and it worked -- I didnt watch them. I think parents should take that approach on top of v-chips, etc

How was it when you were growing up? Did your parents monitor your tv watching?

Went to that link and laughed out loud when I read this:

The TV ratings system is an easy-to-understand guide to the content of all TV shows, and is the first place parents should look for information about shows their children are viewing.

The ratings are grouped into two categories: shows designed for children and general ratings. Shows designed for children are rated with a Y—TV-Y, TV-Y7 and TV-Y7-FV (fantasy violence). The general ratings are similar to the movie ratings: TV-G, TV-PG, TV-14 and TV-MA. While many of these programs may be appropriate for children, they are not designed specifically for children. A travel program, for example, might be rated TV-G.

In addition to these designations, the TV ratings include content descriptors that provide additional information for parents: V (violence), FV (fantasy violence), S (sexual situations), L (coarse language) and D (suggestive dialogue).

Not that the TV rating system is incomprehensible, but to say that it is "an easy-to-understand guide" is laughable. The movie rating system is easy to understand; the TV rating system is too complicated, especially when you're dealing with people who have trouble programming a VCR. Nor have I found the TV ratings to be very helpful or reliable. Not infrequently, I've found the rating and the reality of a show to be off the mark.

I'm all for parents having responsibility for what their kids watch, and Ms. MysticCat and I take that responsibility seriously -- starting by limiting "screen time" (TV, computer or video) period. But as a parent, I haven't found the TV rating system to be particularly helpful.

MysticCat81, I am so glad that you take serioiusly -- I think that it is really important to because there are a lot of parents out there who do not...

As for the downloadable guide,did you download it? I actually took a look at it and for someone who is not technologically savvy, I was surprised how easily it is to set the v-chip...I actually did not even know what the v-chip really was until recently which I think is the case for most adults nowadays...I just think that it is something that is overlooked by most parents, you know? :) Also, the rating system might be hard to understand but I think that most important thing for parents to do is screen the shows first to see if they are appropriate :)

Did your kids actually understand what was going on? If they did, HOW? I wasn't even sure what happened or what i was looking at. I thought hey, was just what I thought it was, but I wasn't sure and didn't think it was a big deal. You couldn't see anything really, it was far enough away. Unless you have some HUGE tv and Janet Jackson's boob was about 3 foot big, I really don't think you could really see anything that a normal kid would really notice.

All the media hype and coverage afterwards probably did more damage to the kids who saw it. They didn't notice it at the time, but since everyone went on and one about it, they think back and are like wow, I saw a boobie!!!!!

Yes. I don't thinks the V-Chip is that hard to understand. I think the ratings system is a combination of too complicated and not adequately informative. Admittedly, I'm not sure how create a system that is adequately information and not complicated, but the current system ain't it.
While I agree in theory, that is much easier said than done. Unless you record a show, and either view while it's recording or watch the recording first and then decide whether your kids can watch it, or you watch it and decide whether kids can watch a rerun (something almost impossible with anything but regular primetime shows, which my kids never get to watch), this is near impossible to do.
You'd be amazed at what kids will pick up on, especially when you think (hope?) they're not paying enough attention or have enough "ignorance" to let something slip by them. I constantly am.

Well, I think that V-chip is a start for parents but additionally, I think that sitting and watching tv with them is an ideal combo. Personally, after talking to my cousin about the issue who is a mom of three girls, she believes that the best thing to do is sit down and watch the shows that other kids their ages are watching with them. If something inappropriate comes up then she will explain to them how that issue is unacceptable or explain what things mean, etc...she says if her girls don't see it on TV they are going to hear about it from someone at school and she feels better to have been the one to explain to them instead of another 5, 7 or 8 year explaining to them. I dont know about you but I was always that kid in elementary school who was clueless about everything and getting the wrong idea about things -- overall just naive and wish my parents had talked to me about the current issues going on.

This issue is such an important issue and something that all parents should look at seriously...my only argument is that I dont think it is necessary for the government to come and cancel shows... I would just be heartbroken if some of my shows are canceled or modified, you know?

I thought the flap and fine regarding Janet Jackson's boob proved censorship lives?

Censorship, as it is used in a broadcast context, means precensoring a program.

The Janet Jackson episode would fall under lewd, obscene or pronographic programming.

As DeltaAlum said, in the sense of broadcasting it means "precensoring a program" which I do not believe should be left up to the government to decide... I fear that in ten years shows like Desperate Housewives, Family Guy, Nip Tuck, etc are not going to exist because the government does not approve of... yes I believe precensoring is a must but I believe that it is a must in one's house by the parents, you know?

I'll frankly be astounded if that turns out to be the case.

I agree, because I think Congress as a whole is smarter than that. I hope.

Re: TV Censorship
 

You make a very well thought out point.

I agree completey, you should be the president of television.

Re: Re: TV Censorship
 

Hey, that's the job I want.

Either that or King of America!

Congress is a lot smarter than that, I think -- politicians with any sense are not going waste their time or re-electability targeting a number one show like Desperate Housewives. Remember Dan Quayle and Murphey Brown? Popular culture wins over politics.

More to the point, however, Disney, Fox, Viacom and their friends are way too influential to sit by while the government "bans" shows like Desperate Housewives or Family Guy.

I have to admit that groups like TV Watch remind me of Chicken Little, warning that the sky is falling down. Of course, after seeing the movie with my kids, I know that it really was falling, so my thoughts deserve a grain of salt.

My favoirte fake "tease" when I was working in TV newsrooms was, "The sky is falling, film at 11."

I don't have too much faith in congress. They are more of a waste than matierals dumped into rivers.

That's not very optimistic.

Perhaps I should have been a little more specific. It's not that I have faith in Congress to do the right thing. It's more that I have faith in them to act in their own self interests, and any kind of "censorship" of popular shows on networks owned by powerful corporations is not in their self interests.

Oh. Alright.

Yeah you're right.

I still think everything will be ok though. I'm calming down, and taking one of those little white pills.

does the v chip also censor commercials? i have been watching family friendly shows before when risque' commercials aired during the break. how is a parent supposed to monitor those?

Not to the best of my knowledge. Only shows.

Actually, let me back up. The V Chip doesn't really "censor" anything. Just allows parents to choose programs their children can't watch.

That may seem like splitting hairs, but it's really a huge difference.

Remember, the government (FCC) cannot censor TV programming.

Thanks Optimist Prime, maybe I should...I think that I like that title :)

And MysticCat, I dont think that groups like TV Watch are overreacting and thinking that "the sky is falling"... they are out there to inform parents of other ways to censor kids television viewing without getting the gov't involved like setting parental controls, etc...yes, you might have faith in the government but it is groups like the PTC that is pressuring the gov't to make a change and they want these shows modified or off the air.

All I am saying is that yes there needs to be censorship but I think that it should be done in the home by the parents and not by the government. As Optimist Prime said eariler, I dont have faith in congress either because they could be really uptight and not want shows like Desperate Housewives out there, you know? TV programs have done so much already in fear of being fine...like the incident where "One third of the country wasn't able to watch Saving Private Ryan over Veteran's Day when stations declined to air it because of fears of action by the FCC."

Anyways, I think that we as americans have the right to watch what we want and not have the government telling us what we can and cannot watch and that is why I have signed tv watch's petition so if you agree, you should sign too :)

http://www.televisionwatch.org/site/....BE7A/Home.htm

I just signed the petetion. They better stay away from South Park. I will take to the streets along side black panthers and communists if they try to censor southpark. :D :)

Alright! Glad you signed the peitition...pass along to friends so we can be done with mess ;) And I hear ya, they better not mess with South Park or any of my other shows or they will not know what hit them ;) Long live south park....

And by definition, it's only censorship if it's done by the government.