Questions of decency - CBS vs Abu Ghraib

[BR_Parkway]

<snip>

In an unintentionally (one hopes) phallic analysis, the FCC says, "We find that the material meets the first prong of the indecency test. While no nudity is shown, it is clear, as detailed above, that the scene depicts numerous sexual activities." The problem, though, is not really the "indecency." No, the problem is that the "shocking and titillating" material was broadcast at 9 p.m. in the Central and Mountain time zones. "Therefore," says the FCC, "there is a reasonable risk that children may have been in the viewing audience and the broadcast is legally actionable." Of course, had not the Parents Television Council and other right wing groups not "alerted" their members to something that probably a good many of them hadn't even viewed, there would not have been the number of complaints and no one would give a damn.

As noted above, the episode was originally broadcast on November 6, 2003.

On the evening of November 7, 2003, over in Iraq, Corporal Charles Graner was beating new prisoners at Abu Ghraib and forcing them to strip off their clothes. In the course of the night, Graner, Lynndie England, Ivan Frederick II, Sabrina Harman, Jeremy Sivits, and Megan Ambuhl would slap, punch, and jump on the seven prisoners. They'd force them to make human pyramids, make them pretend to give each other oral sex, and more. There's photos of it. And video. The soldiers were giddy with power, smiling and giving the thumbs up sign. They believed what they were doing was fine, that no one would care, for, indeed, most of the time, one who believes he or she is committing a crime does not take photos or video of the crime.

One wonders how many of those who complained to the FCC about the televised pseudo-orgy on CBS gave more than a passing thought to what went on at Abu Ghraib, one wonders if they bothered to write letters or make phone calls about that indecency. Perhaps they did; more likely they did not. But, then again, the torture of the prisoners in Iraq that night took place after 10 p.m., after the family hour. And then it can't affect the children, can it?

http://rudepundit.blogspot.com/2006/03/questions-of-decency-episode-of-cbs.html

[meegbear]

1. As a black comedienne once opined ...

Why is it that when they show a white women's breasts it's pornography, but when they show a black women's breasts it's anthropology?

[BR_Parkway]

2. Probably same reason they had wet nurses back when