PTC won't let the FCC be?

December 7, 2004 7:54 AM

The mice that roar."According to a new FCC estimate obtained by Mediaweek, nearly all indecency complaints in 2003—99.8 percent—were filed by the Parents Television Council, an activist group." We already know what a few people can do to your television viewing... is this man effectively in charge of the FCC's indecency monitoring?
posted by XQUZYPHYR (15 comments total)

This really doesn't surprise me a bit. The PTC is so far to the right it's not even funny. And yes, they will complain about anything and everything they find offensive. And, oh yes, they find damn near everything offensive; including the fact that I just used the word "damn."

If you're looking for a really good rebuttal to the PTC and their complaints, and you'd like an entertaining read while doing it, dig on Foley is Good: And the Real World is Faker Than Wrestling by former pro wrestling superstar Mick Foley. (Aka Mankind, aka Cactus Jack, aka Dude Love. ISBN 0061032417.) Contrary to popular belief, pro wrestlers aren't stupid. Quite simply, you can't be stupid and do what they do. Mick Foley has a college degree in communications. A lot of wrestlers have college degrees. He's a tremendous writer and very dedicated to writing. (He delivered his first book, Have a Nice Day!, ISBN 0061031011, to his editor and publishers in a stack of spiral notebooks. He had a computer phobia and wrote every single word in ink, longhand.)

Anyway, he offers a rebuttal to complaints about wrestling issued by several groups, but most notably the PTC. It's well written, superbly researched, and spot on. He's not a spokesman, he's an insider, someone who lived and breathed pro wrestling for years. So, unlike the PTC, he knows what he's talking about.
posted by GreatWesternDragon at 8:12 AM on December 7, 2004

Well, yes, Brent Bozell Bozo and Mistah "Tom" Powell are in charge of the FCC's indecency monitoring.

Got a problem with that? :-)
posted by nofundy at 8:14 AM on December 7, 2004

They're not going to write less complaints, so I guess the rest of society just has to write more.
posted by smackfu at 8:30 AM on December 7, 2004

Brent is a great figure in American Insanity. He's William F. Buckley's nephew, and has spent the last 5 or 6 years trying to destroy PBS.

Of course, He Knows What Is Best For All Of Us. I'm just glad people like him are around to make my decisions for me, because I can hardly tie my goddamn shoes.
posted by zerolives at 8:36 AM on December 7, 2004

Yeah, I'm with smackfu. How can we cast some of PTC's pet issues as 'obscene'? If the FCC recieves (and acts on) as many complaints against their purposes as for them, I think we'll see them a little less supportive of the entire process.

I don't know though, call me wishy-washy, but I'm a little wary of involving myself in a bullshit censorship process for any reason. Anyone have any ideas how we could balance these concerns?
posted by Embryo at 8:38 AM on December 7, 2004

Christ, can we avoid the racism, nofundy, you asshole?

Mistah "Tom" Powell?

It's one thing to call Powell out for being a regulator who selectively regulates, a sexist afraid of a female breast, a crony, a stooge, an unqualified idiot who got his job because of nepotism, or any number of other things, but you had to go racist on it?

Is there any other possible explanation of calling him Mistah "Tom" Powell? Is that his middle name, perhaps? Were you, perhaps, speaking deferentially by calling him "Mistah?"
posted by swerdloff at 8:47 AM on December 7, 2004

From what I can tell, anyone whose met the man thinks he's insane.

As for solutions, well. Boycott people who support his group. Start writing letters to the FCC telling them why the things the PTC hates are actually pretty cool.

The PTC is powerful because of their hidden numbers. You rarely hear about them on TV, you don't see shirts and bumper stickers. Like any crazy cultist group, they're dangerous because they actually believe their treacherous bullshit.

The scary thing is that they do represent a sizeable part of the population.
posted by zerolives at 8:48 AM on December 7, 2004

Some oil for this squeaky wheel, please.
posted by rushmc at 8:59 AM on December 7, 2004

Perhaps a massive DOS attack on the FCC, with enough random, BS complaints (as opposed to the targeted BS complaints by the PTC) would bring the system to a crawl.
posted by pjsunray at 10:09 AM on December 7, 2004

It would be nice to have a campaign to complain to the FCC for every little thing on the teevee. Naked feet. Husband and wife in the same bed. Images of meals with too many carbs. Cartoon characters without pants. That sort of thing.
posted by effwerd at 10:14 AM on December 7, 2004

Hit them where it counts. Eventually somebody's going to put The Passion of the Christ on television. Organize and write letters to the FCC when that happens. Protest the imagery of this horrific voyeuristic spectacle of sadism at it's worst. Think of the children!
posted by substrate at 10:31 AM on December 7, 2004

The PTC is annoying, but they've been really smart and extremely well organized. The problem is that there's been no organization on the part of people who think the PTC is absurd.

A friend of mine (okay, okay, my sister) just started a site to organize people with common sense. She's going to generate letters from citizens to the FCC that say "Hey, thanks for allowing free speech," and "Gee, my TV has an off-button." Well, more professional than that, I think.

Anyway, she's rallying the opposition. It's about time -- we all need to start doing instead of complaining. (The site is speakspeak.org.)
posted by mudpuppie at 11:03 AM on December 7, 2004

Christ, can we avoid the racism, nofundy, you asshole?

Should I wear that asshole moniker as a badge of pride? :-)

I'm not racist, Powell has earned every ounce of my contempt.
Do you have any idea of the color of my skin? And don't call me nigger unless I say its OK you asshole!
posted by nofundy at 12:25 PM on December 7, 2004

They're not going to write less complaints, so I guess the rest of society just has to write more.

Dear FCC,

I am putting forward a complaint regarding PAX TV. There are not enough disembowelings, prostitutes, junkies, or hot orgies on this network. Please use your massive regulatory apparatus to penalize PAX for their programming decisions, which are obviously far out of kilter with True Americans' interests. If Americans wanted less of these supposedly-horrible things, I am certain that programs which carry images of them such as Law and Order and The NBC Evening News with Tom Brokaw would have lower ratings.

Sincerely,
Horace Bywater (dec'd)
posted by jkilg at 12:33 PM on December 7, 2004

HEY! PTC!!! GET OFF MY DAMN INTERNETS!!!
posted by Debaser626 at 2:09 PM on December 7, 2004