Stop the FCC!!!

[birdman204]

http://www.stopfcc.com/

Sign it people, send it to everyone you know too. I spammed about 47 people this morning... Forget those, "buy gas on tuesday" chain letters.... Get our airwaves back!

[NaH2O]

Hmmm....

Thanks for posting this. However, I do have some issues with what is played on television (I'm talking standard broadcast not cable channels) .... especially when it comes to things the kids could see during family viewing hours.

[birdman204]

Well of course they aren't going to be played during Saturday morning Cartoons.... And I do agree that there are common lines of decency, But to tell adults what they can and can't watch, see , or listen to? That is a sad day for america, the constitution , and the beliefs this country was founded upon(not saying JJ's Piercing is one of those things ).
Ultimately it is up to the consumer to decide what is appropriate and inappropriate. I mean, understandable when someone in the car next to you is playing a porno on their DVD screen for example, I believe that is even unlawful...
But for them to say a Radio station ( something the listener can change / turn off ) cannot talk about sex , drugs, or other controversial subjects is not , IMO , up to the government. ESPECIALLY in situations when the parent, guardian, teacher, whomever the "parent" figure is, can "selectivley censor" the material, or teach your loved ones what is appropriate. (Hopefully in this day and age, we can all talk to our children about right and wrongand things of decency by the age of 5 or 6. There are sick people out there, please protect your children by making them aware of that without scaring them {tall request, i know}) If you find something offensive , you turn it off right... But what about those who don't , should they be deprived of said offense?
I personally do not drink liquor, and do so without saying , " Hey , there's always beer here at the bowling alley/baseball game/ grocery store. I don't think that should be allowed since I do not like it. "
My point is that things are being taken a little too far, and most of it is due to ni99legate (can I type that?). Those who feel that they deserve the right to choose should definatley take the 2 minutes to complete the form. Thank you.

[ReefLady]

I signed it. I detest censorship. Live free or die, that's why I live in NH.

Like Nikki, being a parent, some of the things on TV concern me. Broadcast TV, late afternoon/early evening broadcasts.

Adult-rated commercials on Nikelodeon p*ss me off.

Sports broadcasts - touting it as a "family" sport (yes, I'm a huge NFL fan) - but then they play all the Coors light "twins" commercials - yeah, that's what I want my 6 & 10 year old boys watching.

I'm not a prude. I watch TV *with* my children. What's on after 9pm should be completely adult viewing choice. But ... it's hard to make wise decisions, and then have the networks/commercials sabotage your best efforts.

Anyway (enough blathering) - censorship won't fix that. Do NOT tell me what to say, watch, wear, eat, drink, etc.

We wonder why the lines between 'right' and 'wrong' have blurred so much. Well, if we keep making everyone's choices for them, how (and why) will people ever police themselves?

[NaH2O]

Good points. I agree that parents need to monitor what is on TV when children are watching. Where does that leave the children whose parents do not turn off the tv at inapporpriate times? Also, I have a real problem with the Clairol Herbal Essences commercial. Nothing like explaining to a child why a woman is screaming from washing her hair.....and the commercial is run during all hours of the day.

[birdman204]

"Why present a puritannical set of standards towards what you can and cannot display but allow things that follow the letter of the law but are blatant, obvious attempts to get around it and thumb a nose at the FCC? One example would be those orgasmic Herbal Essences shampoo commericals. One of them even simulates [group sex] for pete's sake! The lady is going all "ooo ahh" and getting ["attention"] from like 10 dudes crowded around her. " *edited for content*

Taken from another reef site I posted this on.

I agree there are waaaaay too many inuendos everywhere...

Sounds like These herbal essence commercials could be stopped if we sent a few letters to some church and family rights groups. Those people are so organized, those things will be off the air by next tuesday

Again, it is tough to raise a child in this day and age, I don't remember commercials like that when I was young... Again, it is ultimatley up to the reciever to act as a filter. It also helps us bring issues up and discuss them with our children.

You could always get them into staring at your reeftank with you, the toughest thing in there to explain would be a floating fish, or a pair of mating seabunnnies.

[Witfull]

there are many problems with the system we have. the biggest one im sure we all can figure out. MONEY. thats about what it boils down to. lobbyists donate to congess and the senate, that gets them precidence, companies buy air time for commercials that keeps the stations on the air. we buy products and talk about commercials (just look at this thread) thats more advertising (be it good or bad the product name has been spread)

next comes Americas jadedness. thhere are so many channels to watch now days that advertisers need to try and lock you long enough to watch the ad (ever wonder why those Nike commercials are so weird? you watched to try and figure out whats going on) also, if you are engrossed into a show and are not going to change channels, you are getting a drink, going to thr potty or letting the dog out. if you have a surround sound system notice how loud the commercials are on all 5 speakers? trying to get your attention.
now to the programs themselves, same issues apply, the show has to get viewers, that way commercial time is sold during that show. so many channels they will do anything to get viewers.

see the problem growing? without control things get out of control. and in many instances money cannot work as a control. im not saying that what we have is good or bad, but something has to be done.

[ScottT1980]

Don't forget Clear Channel...soon they will be dictating what is going to be on every radio station and in every venue in the country...

[birdman204]

Scott, Clear channel has stopped Howard stern here in Long Beach, and In Los Angeles, KROQ has been forced to stop it's SexUniversity, which touched on topics of birth control, and monogamy as well as some other controversial issues, but it was never a public forum to pretend they were helping people. they truly were offering advice. It is all very sad.
Wit, You sound like a control freak control for control doesn't mean controls control ....... The commercials are the tip of the iceberg, the volume going up and those other devices are marketing devices, meant to "suck you in" And them buying time on the waves is their desicion, similar to sponsors on reef sites... It is their decision where to sponsor, but the site or station ( and the channels in this case ) has the ultimate choice of what they will or will not air. Right, I mean you guys wouldn't have an ad for sexual toys am I right(you guys being RS.com )? The stations have control of their programming and choose to play these commercials, yes the money they offer is influential, But the stations have the final say. Look at the difference between CBS and Fox.... They can choose for themselves.. We don't need the government deciding what is and isn't decent. According to the bill of rights, that is our choice.

[ScottT1980]

While my enjoyment of Howard Stern's humor was lost some time ago and many times I see him as a cry baby, I do think he is being specifically targeted (who isn't) thanks to the JAnet Jackson incident. However, my issue with Clear Channel goes well beyond Howard and essentially stems around their monopoly on our air waves. I am not to fond of every generic pop or country station playing the same thing...

Ah well, thank goodness for NPR

Take er easy
Scott t.

[birdman204]

True, I actually have Never, yes never, listened to , or liked howard stern, but think his talk show was a huge movement towards a free speech society. I agree.... enough with Ryan Seacrest..