Whipped cream stunt may cost Fox $1 million

LOS ANGELES, California (Hollywood Reporter) -- The Federal Communications Commission is said to be preparing to levy a fine of $1 million or more against Fox Broadcasting Co. and its affiliates for running afoul of indecency regulations in April 2003 with an episode of the reality show "Married by America," sources said.

But sources said the content in question involved lascivious banter among "Married" contestants and a segment that involved contestants licking whipped cream off each other's bodies.

Television Week reported that the fine stemmed from a complaint lodged by watchdog group the Parents Television Council. The scrutiny of "Married" comes less than a month after the FCC formally issued its $550,000 fine against CBS for Janet Jackson breast-baring incident during the Super Bowl telecast in February.

CNN.com

hmmmm will it ever stop ?

Mod edit: fixed BB code in URL

[edit on 12-10-2004 by Spectre]

It sounds like they may be going a bit over the line, but I want to point something ironic out. And I hope nobody here minds me doing this, because I'm trying to make a point.

I grew up in a very conservative, rural and christian environment. My father is a deacon in the church and my mom has been a sunday school teacher most of her life. When I was a little girl in the 70's there were alot of LPs left behind by my older brothers and sister.

Apparently, this one from 1965



Which was a Herb Alpert and the Tiajuana Brass album called Whipped Cream and other Delights

wasn't deemed risque enough to be trashed...lol.

I don't know enough to comment on what was aired on this program, but sometimes I wonder if we're not going backwards in our attempts to control.

[edit on 10-12-2004 by Valhall]

Since when did they pass a law prohibiting people from changing the channel or turning off the TV?

Oh thats right, no one is responcible for living thier own lives, we need rules to make sure everyone is only exposed to thing deemed decent by a small group of people.

I don't get laws or regulation that control decency or morality if it doesn't effect others.

Its all just control.

Originally posted by elevatedone
hmmmm will it ever stop ?

Will what ever stop? The fines, or the sluts and gigolos on TV being sluts and man whores?

This is getting so stupid already. Some banter on a show last year will result in a million dollar fine? Come on already.

Here's the deal: Either the government should declare its intentions to make us all Puritans again or back off.

These reality shows are supposed to reflect REALITY aren't they? That sometimes (for most of us) includes kidding around and that sort of thing. Sometimes the subjects are more adult than todays weather, it happens. The point is, how is anything going to reflect reality if the television programs are forced to become Barney & Friends?

I'm all for keeping children away from adult content. I'm also for ratings and disclaimers: I think people should know EXACTLY what to expect when watching a program. But enough with the censorship crap already. The government is essentially saying Americans are too stupid to choose what to watch on their own. If i see a disclaimer saying "Adult Conversation" i'll make up my mind whether to watch it. NOT YOU.

Val - You're fined 100,000 ATS points for posting that obscenity..

J/K


I have to ask, have you ever listened to that album ?


Things are getting out of hand. I agree that there are some things that don't need to be seen on TV and heard on Radio, but come on people..

for example.... last night I was watching two and a half men on CBS..

They were talking about cars... and all of a sudden the Hummer was mentioned... the automobile...

When it was then said... Charlie - you're familiar with hummers aren't you...

if you watch this show, you know that they we're not talking about cars that time.

I don't have a problem with that... however, my gal was in the room and thought that was a little much for prime time tv...

what do you think ?

I'm all for keeping children away from adult content. I'm also for ratings and disclaimers: I think people should know EXACTLY what to expect when watching a program. But enough with the censorship crap already. The government is essentially saying Americans are too stupid to choose what to watch on their own. If i see a disclaimer saying "Adult Conversation" i'll make up my mind whether to watch it. NOT YOU.

Very well said. I agree with you 100%. Enough with the fines and the censorship, it is getting out of hand.

Jemison

for the record... I agree too, that....

it's up to the individual what they watch and allow minors or others in thier homes to view and hear....

I'm not for all these fines and stuff.

Here's a complaint to the FCC about the show:

Partial Excerpt

Married By America complaint
-- Two female strippers show up at the guys' bachelor party. They are wearing see-through lace dresses and thongs, and nothing else. They are shown removing their dresses, sitting on Tony's lap and fondling him and each other. The girls are sisters. Their breasts are partially blurred, but it's obvious that they are topless. Tony says, "They did manage to take my pants and my shirt off and, uh, got me on all fours." Tony is shown on his hands and knees in his underwear. One of the topless strippers (who is only wearing a thong) spanks him with a leather belt.
-- A female stripper joins the bachelorette party. She is shown removing her dress, and kissing Billie Jean on the lips.
-- Jill is sitting astride the female stripper's lap, facing the stripper. The stripper is holding her exposed breasts in her hands. Jill starts bouncing up and down on her lap.
-- Billie Jean: "So we were having a great time with the stripper, I mean, Jill was touching her, I was touching her. I licked the whipped cream off of her, and then it was Jill's turn and all of a sudden Jill just changes her mind."

That's just wrong for sisters to be fondling each other. I didn't mind the rest of it but you can argue that 9pm is too early for this of programming.

Originally posted by DeltaChaos
Will what ever stop? The fines, or the sluts and gigolos on TV being sluts and man whores?

Hahaha, thats awsome! Be it sarcastic or not.

But this raises a good point...

If you are a Conservative Christian and Libral Athiest are incontrol...do you want to get fined for talking about God or modesty because the social rule is that only sex and violence is ok?

If you are a Libral Athiest and Conservative Christians are in control...do you want to get fined for talking about sex or violence?

The issue isn't what is on TV...the issue is do we want to tell others they must live under our view of morality.

Quite honestly...I have no problem if the FCC fines people for talking about whip cream and sex as long as when the next libral swing comes 'round people don't complain when 7th Heaven gets replaced with Trashy Trixis Fun Time...

Its not about what people do on TV, its about people telling us what people can do on TV.

I'm conservative in my personal life... but I support other's rights to make and air unsavory things on TV...'cause if they lose that right, I might lose the right to hear someone say "Jesus" on TV.

France has the idea right. Just ban everything offensive to everyone and you all go without. (ie no religious symbols in schools)

Originally posted by elevatedone
Val - You're fined 100,000 ATS points for posting that obscenity..

J/K


I have to ask, have you ever listened to that album ?

YEP! I grew up listening to my big brothers' albums. This one and a lot of other Tijuana Brass albums, and I would listen to Fifth Dimension's Up Up and Away in my Beautiful my Beautiful Ballooooon. LOL I also listened to Dean Martin and the Turtles (no album, just the 45 of Umbassa the Dragon - I LOVE THE SONG!) and Bobby Goldsborough....which I will admit I never liked. - The Kings (my favorite was Jolly Green Giant).

That album cover was AWESOME!

I used to stare at it for hours while listening to old Herb at the age of 8.

Thanks for posting it.

What show would Jesus watch?

I wonder what people like Hannity and O'Reilly think of their network's choice of entertainment lineup? Stand tall and be puritanical on the news but deliver to the lowest common denominator for entertainment. Hypocrites.


Who cares? I was at the superbowl and I did not even know about the "boob" until the next day. No one at the stadium went into an uproar over the "boob"...... no one rioted or clawed their own eyes out! And Jesus didn't show up to smite anyone.



Here are some simple television and radio operating instructions:

IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE CONTENT OF WHAT YOU ARE WATCHING, TURN TO ANOTHER CHANNEL OR TURN OFF YOUR MEDIA DEVICE

It is not the goverment's job to santize the airwaves and it is not the television's job to babysit your kids.

IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE CONTENT OF WHAT YOU ARE WATCHING, TURN TO ANOTHER CHANNEL OR TURN OFF YOUR MEDIA DEVICE

Simple, but effective...

To that I would add...

AS A PARENT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT AND RESPONSIBILITY TO MONITOR WHAT YOUR CHILDREN ARE AND ARE NOT EXPOSED TO IN YOUR OWN HOME.

Most modern TVs are equipped with the V Chip....USE IT.

The funny thing here is that I can see the people who made complaints sitting there watching this entire one hour program and saying "This is so disgusting and immoral" but not changing the channel. Amazing.

This problem is a lot more widespread than just this show though. It's in video games, music, movies etc also.

"I don't want my 8 year old playing Grand Theft Auto".
Well then don't buy it for him you idiot.

"I'm offended by NYPD Blue's language".
How about that shiny "Channel up" key.

"Eminem's lyrics are disgusting"
No one forced you to pay $18 for his CD.

I don't understand why this society has forgotten what Capitalism is based on. Ever been to economics 101? Supply and Demand. If this society is as righteous as the FCC and these advocacy groups would like it to be, then simply no one will buy the offending material, or watch the nasty shows, and they'll go off the air. But it hasn't happened? Why? Because some of us still enjoy freedom of speech. If you don't like it, switch it off or don't buy it.

But to levy mandatory fines because it doesn't fit your values? Now that should be unconstitutional. The government isn't your mommy. Learn how to be a parent and an adult.

Originally posted by Djarums
If this society is as righteous as the FCC and these advocacy groups would like it to be, then simply no one will buy the offending material, or watch the nasty shows, and they'll go off the air. But it hasn't happened? Why? Because some of us still enjoy freedom of speech. If you don't like it, switch it off or don't buy it.

But to levy mandatory fines because it doesn't fit your values? Now that should be unconstitutional. The government isn't your mommy. Learn how to be a parent and an adult.

The people who usually do the most finger pointing, usually have the most to hide.

ie. Jim Baker, Jimmy Swaggart, McCarthy, Edgar J. Hoover....... Even good ol' boy segregationist Strom Thurmond and his Black daughter. I wonder how many members of the FCC committee and advocacy groups own and watch porn......

Hypocrites.

Originally posted by Facefirst
IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE CONTENT OF WHAT YOU ARE WATCHING, TURN TO ANOTHER CHANNEL OR TURN OFF YOUR MEDIA DEVICE

Aside from the shouting,

Its too bad that people do NOT want to be parents instead rely on the babsitte...... I mean TV for all of thier childens enrichment. What ever happened to personal acountability?

I do not watch ANY the 3 Letter channels because they have gotten so trashy with their offensive, immoral, not even funny, tv shows. I pity the people who can't come up with anything GOOD to put on TV. I think these worthless shows are all part of Dumbing Down America. You can't tell me America isn't being dumbed down.. They have been lowering the SAT requirements, i forget when they did it, but it is recent enough even with my bad memory I remember it! Doesn't anyone have a life? Why do you have to watch something considered "Reality" on TV.. Of course it isn't reality, It is the Producer and Director who SHAPE WHAT THEIR REALITY LOOKS LIKE!

And you know what? The FCC regulated what you can and can't say on CB Radios. I know people who have been fined for being vulgar on the CB. It is public airwaves, I believe if anyone wants to be rude and crude, they should do so on a private or closed circuit channel. I believe the FCC has the right to control what is on TV. Most parents DO NOT CARE what their children watch... If they see something they probably shouldnt see, they will be glad to keep watching!

Whatever happened to the good old days... Even in the 90's we had better programming than what is on today. I am sorry, but TV sucks, if it weren't for my computer, I wouldn't have any entertainment! But on second thought, I will go out of my way to watch the old movies and shows that I like if they are on!

Basically, if people cannot and will not police themselves, unfortunately the government thinks it is their job to do so. I am not for that. We are already in a police state. Makes me want to move to the Cayman Islands... or Siberia... or Antarctica.

The liberals are good at poisoning society, and they are complaining that the govment doesn't want them to. I favor the fines, even though NO government should have THAT KIND of power. But maybe this will send a message to the networks to get some REAL programs going!

If you put a bowl of food in front of a pig, and it is poisoned, he can choose not to eat it.. but he will probably eat it. If you put bad programming on tv, your kids can choose not to watch it, but they probably will anyways.

Quality shows DO come on TV, but they aren't watched by the majority, so they're cancelled. There are some that do make it (CSI is one that comes to mind).

Why do you have to watch something considered "Reality" on TV.. Of course it isn't reality, It is the Producer and Director who SHAPE WHAT THEIR REALITY LOOKS LIKE!

Why is it that everyone thinks that Reality TV fans are all simpletons? Some of my favorite shows are Reality-based (Survivor, Paradise Hotel, Trading Spaces, etc.) I was even ON a Reality Show ("A Wedding Story" episode Wendy and Chris). I also think South Park (not reality) is one of the most clever/funny shows on. Yet I also enjoy documentaries on the History Channel, Learning Channel, etc.

Truly good shows were on in the 80's....great sitcoms, good sci-fi, etc.

Originally posted by FredT

Originally posted by Facefirst
IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE CONTENT OF WHAT YOU ARE WATCHING, TURN TO ANOTHER CHANNEL OR TURN OFF YOUR MEDIA DEVICE

Aside from the shouting,

sorry bout that. But you have to yell loud to be heard over all of the people screaming bloody murder over boobies.