Last week’s two-hour episode of “Las Vegas” is almost certainly the series finale, but that’s not stopping conservative watchdog group Parents Television Council from launching an indecency campaign against the show. The PTC said they filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission over NBC’s Feb. 15 broadcast of the “Vegas” season conclusion. In the episode, three shadowy naked women are shown on a casino’s security monitor. The complaint comes a day after ABC appealed a $1.2 million FCC fine levied for a nude scene in a 2003 episode of “NYPD Blue.” “Vegas” typically airs at 10 p.m., but the PTC noted the show runs at 9 p.m. in the Central and Mountain time zones.
I suppose it was just a matter of time before PTC found something to wax indignant over. After watching the clip…well, yeah, the women are naked, but it’s not as if there’s anything titillating about it. The shots are all long-distance and indistinct, and while it’s clear that the women are sans culottes, the viewer is never afforded the opportunity to see if the carpet matches the drapes. It’s just not a big deal. If you find the clip to have any sexual value at all…well, it’s probably been a LONG time since you’ve had a date, hasn’t it?
I have a difficult time understanding what PTC could possibly find offensive about this scene. There’s nothing sexual about it, but it seems these folks are so ashamed of the human body that even the barest him of nudity is to be feared as something that just might turn our children into irredeemable sex maniacs.
Hmm…methinks perhaps some folks might be taking themselves just a wee bit too seriously….
You raise some good points in your post. Here are some facts that you might find interesting. An overwhelming majority of Americans (91%) object to government deciding what they are able to watch on television. When activists talk about protecting children instead of parents—here’s what they’re talking about: sixty-eight percent of the country’s 110 million television-viewing households do not include children under age 18 and households with children have different challenges to face due to the varying ages of kids within each family. Currently, there are 11 million households with children age 6-11, 15 million households with children age 0-5 and 9 million households with children 12-17.
TV has come a long way from the days of three channels and rabbit ears antennas. Today’s TV audiences are putting to use broadband, DVRs, TV video on demand, iPods and cell phones to greatly expand their choices about what, when, where and how to watch TV. New technology means consumers have more selection than ever and more control than ever over what they see on TV. We all have more choices and parents have more tools to ensure their kids only see what’s right for them. Let’s let parents decide—not government, for all of us.
There is more information to be found at www.TelevisionWatch.org
I hate it when the robo-poster is right... ;)
There is absolutely no justification for the FCC's power to control content on the airwaves anymore. But they were given that power decades ago when the broadcast industry was in it's infancy, and will not give it up voluntarily.
This is yet another example of government control and power outliving it's usefulness.
This reminds me of the whole Married with Children incident but the PTC and every other parent organization needs to remember that this is late night viewing. Las Vegas is after 9pm central and mountain time which means that it is time to put the kids to bed. Late Night Primetime is meant for adults and possibly responsible teenagers not for elementary students that are going through sex-ed.
P.S. What ever happens on the show, Las Vegas stays on Las Vegas!