telecom, US FCC Denies Will and Grace, Buffy Shows Indecent

WASHINGTON, Aug 9 (Reuters) - U.S. communications regulators have
denied complaints that TV stations violated indecency rules when they
aired episodes of NBC's "Will and Grace" and UPN's "Buffy the Vampire
Slayer" with fake lesbian and heterosexual sex, according to orders
released on Monday.

The Federal Communications Commission ruled that two women kissing and
faking sexual intercourse on "Will and Grace" did not violate
regulations that limit indecent material to late night hours and bans
outright obscene material.

- http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42997369

One wonders just what IS considered indecent ...

Oh, right. It's anything that Howard Stern says, or the display of a
female nipple on prime-time TV. Now THAT's scandalous.

Well, let's talk about sex.

Having watched both shows, I do not think of them as being "indecent"
as charged in this situation.

However, I feel there is a awful lot of broadcasts that I would
call "inappropriate" for children to see.

Using B/VS as an example, "appropriateness" standards dropped
considerably during the seven year run of the show. Toward the end of
the run, sex and profanity among the characters was very common.
Indeed, Buffy, instead of being the vampire slayer, was nicknamed the
vampire -- [without the "s"]. One episode had B and her boyfriend under
a spell and they spent the whole episode in bed having sex.

Basically, I wish this kind of fare would air later in the evening so
that younger kids don't see it. I think shows where profanity or
sexual situations are shown so loosely send a message to
impressionable kids that this stuff is ok. The networks like to claim
they show "safe sex" and proper situations, but it's still sex.

At one time TV did hold off its more risque offerings until later
in the evening.

I also think standard cable TV, now that it is extremely common, ought
to be under the same standards as broadcast TV. (Premium pay channels
like HBO could do what they want).

IMHO, the show B/VS was strongest in its earliest three seasons before
the characters became sluts. Buffy actually had sex with her first
vampire boyfriend but it was handled a lot better than the violent sex
shown in later seasons. In other words, it was part of the story
rather than being the story itself. Cheap sex lessened the show's
quality.

What is especially troubling is that whenever anyone suggests this
sort of thing, people get real defensive and scream "censorship!"
"imposition of religion!". That's ridiculous. No one is talking
about bringing back bland shows like "Leave it to Beaver" or make
every show nice and sweet like Full House or Seventh Heaven. On the
other hand, it seems like TV writers go out of their way to use
profanity and sex stories just because they can get away with it.

[But it is an interesting tell on how times have changed: Beaver could
take his new 13 y/o love interest up to his room, and June didn't give
them a second thought because most kids in those days were pretty
innocent. Today June would not be so comfortable. Back then Beaver's
new friend wore a full dress; indeed, she probably wore more underwear
than today's girls wear as their whole outfit. Look at "Summerland";
I think June Cleaver would've fainted.]

XXXX@XXXXX.COM (Lisa Hancock) writes:


This is what the v-chip is for. If you want to shelter your children,
turn it on. *

* PV something like badgers--something like lizards--and something
like corkscrews.

n article < XXXX@XXXXX.COM >, XXXX@XXXXX.COM
says:





It's all based on community standards. I hate that.

This country has such a sick attitude about sex -- it's why we get
people like Stern, or Janet's wardrobe malfunction etc. They all try
to push the envelope. If they didn't have that to push there wouldn't
be a problem.

In article < XXXX@XXXXX.COM >, XXXX@XXXXX.COM
says:






As I've said before, if it wasn't for the sick and twisted attitude
about sex that seems prevalent in the United States there wouldn't be an
issue.


Sounds like the writing staff must have changed.


Later would work. The networks are in it to make money, plain and
simple.



The answer is in almost every television set made since the mid 90's.
It's called the V-Chip. Every show that goes over the public airwaves
is flagged with a rating that the V-Chip understands.

There's also a way to change the channel, or even shut the television
off. There's an idea, instead of moaning and griping to the FCC be
proactive about it.

There are very few broadcast channels on cable now. It's almost all
non-broadcast that gets carried over networks like USA, etc.


You're wrong. It's you imposing your morality on everyone. That
offends me.


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: A couple years ago, Barbara Billingsley
was interviewed on TV Land about the old 'Beaver' series and she
said that as immensely popular as the show had been in those days and
the countless reruns of it now, there could never be a whole new
series 'built from scratch' these days which resembled it. People
just would never believe it, she said. PAT]