Ohiocore

Activists Dominate Content Complaints:

Nearly all indecency complaints in 2003 -- 99.8 percent -- were filed by the Parents Television Council, an activist group. This year, the trend has continued, and perhaps intensified.

Through early October, 99.9 percent of indecency complaints, aside from those concerning the Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction" during the Super Bowl halftime show broadcast on CBS were brought by the PTC, according to the FCC analysis dated Oct. 1.

I should point out that Chairman Powell (Colin Powell's son) has claimed "a dramatic rise in public concern and outrage about what is being broadcast into their homes" forced the proposal and implementation of newer, bolder forms of content control, aka censorship and stiffer penalties. This now appears to be bogus. The article cited generously characterizes him as having been "unaware" of the manufactured form-fed redundant spammish quality of this "dramatic rise".

Notably, the FCC received over a million indecency complaints so far this year: 1,068,767.
However, of those, over half were Superbowl/Jackson/Tittiegate complaints: 540,000. Doing the math, that leaves only about 530 unique non-Booberbowl complaints. That seems consistent with the baseline annual totals of previous years:

• 2000: under 350;
• 2001: under 350;
• 2002: __140,000;
• 2003: __240,000;
• 2004: 1,068,767+.

But why does the number of complaints matter at all? Because complaints initiate investigations, and justify punishments, typically fines, but with the possibility of ultimately losing broadcast license(s). Interestingly enough, MediaWeek cites a specific case where the number of complaints was disputed legally:

The agency on Oct. 12, in proposing fines of nearly $1.2 million against Fox Broadcasting and its affiliates, said it received 159 complaints against Married by America, which featured strippers partly obscured by pixilation. But when asked, the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau said it could find only 90 complaints from 23 individuals...

And Fox, in a filing last Friday, told the FCC that it should rescind the proposed fines, in part because the low number of complaints fell far short of indicating that community standards had been violated. “All but four of the complaints were identical… and only one complainant professed even to have watched the program,” Fox said. It said the network and its stations had received 34 comments, “a miniscule total for a show that had a national audience of 5.1 million households.”

Somebody please figure out what part of this last citation is the sickest:

• the Man's Math -- that 23 individuals were represented by the government as 159 complaints;
• the Show itself -- "reality" TV where contestants marry the mate chosen by the viewing audience;
• that 5.1 million households watched it;
• that I feel compelled to side with Fox's legal position, just after having blogged their nasty ClearChannel partnership;
• or that it puts me on the side of a clearly and characteristically craptastic program, despite likely sharing the same objections as its detractors.

Well, ego and grudges, bedamned, it not acceptable for any branch of government to cite a number of public missives in policy or punitive formulation, and then not be able to produce them. That just don't jive.

PTC is an interesting case. On many points, including opposition to corporate broadcast consolidation, and believing that FCC regulations should have teeth, I agree with them. However, their site is immediately mockable. Case in point, the "PTC store," with material organizationally approved for your family's viewing. Apparently the same oligarchic corporations they complain churn out objectionable crap by virtue of their unassailable chokehold on American media, also turn out their favorite productions (Warner Bros., Buena Vista, Universal, etc.). And oh what a bounty they are. We're talking:

• Steve Allen's 75th Bday Celebration Live;
• The Carol Burnett Show on DVD;
• Jazz Lesson w/ Steve Allen;
• Billy Ray Cyrus in the television show Doc;
• Steve Allen's Private Joke File;
• The Judds' Greatest Hits;
• Vulgarians at the Gate by Steve Allen;
• Girly girl matieral like Princess Diaries (I & II), A Cinderella Story and the extensive American Girl doll series of promotional entertainment; and
• 3 separate VHS titles by DORF.

No really, I think they need more Steve Allen. I like that Braveheart and Gladiator are both included as "clean films", complete with little halo logo. I wonder at that. These movies involves intimate battlefield violence, executions and disfigurement at length. For example, when arrow shafts rain down on aged and purile soldiers, piercing the arse of one who had been mooning the archers.... Or in at least one massive scene, when blood actually strikes the camera lens. Execution combat w/ Tigers as public spectacle... Apparently, that's clean. But Janet Jackson's boob, OMG WTF!

Ah well, what do you expect from people who put this on their t-shirt.