FCC to lift ban on f-word and female nudity

[Pemberley]

I hope it's okay that I post here. Please do forward on as much as you can.

 

This should warrant our attention...AND our action:

http://action.afa.net/item.aspx?id=2147534194

 

I "snopesed" it:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/sexuality/fccban.asp

 

 

FCC set to drop ban on f-word, nudity on television and radio stations nationwide

 

They are seeking public comments; make your voice count!

 

April 8, 2013

 

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced it is considering dropping current broadcast decency standards that ban explicit profanity and "non-sexual" nudity.

You can read the press release from the FCC here.

Specifically, if enacted, the new FCC policy would allow network television and local radio stations to air the f-word, the s-word and to allow programs to show frontal female nudity, even during hours when they know children will be watching and listening.

It is accepting comments on the proposal from the viewing public until the end of April.

Current broadcast decency law prohibits expletives and nudity, even if brief or "fleeting." The Supreme Court has upheld the law as constitutionally enforceable by the FCC, despite lawsuit attempts by networks NBC and FOX to overturn it.

TAKE ACTION

Submit your comments to the FCC, urging it to reject any changes to the current policy.

The FCC will not accept general email comments. To be valid, you are required to file a formal comment via the FCC's website.

Please follow these instruction carefully, to insure your comment is accepted by the FCC:

1. Go to http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/upload/begin?procName=&filedFrom=X.

2. Enter the code "13-86" in the "Proceeding Number" box and fill out the few remaining required fields.

3. Enter your comment in the text box provided and click "Continue."

4. From there, review your comment and click "Confirm."

Here is a sample comment you may submit:

I oppose any changes to the current FCC indecency standards that would allow television and radio stations to broadcast expletives and nudity on the public airwaves, even if brief or "fleeting."

The Supreme Court has confirmed the FCC's authority to enforce policies regarding expletives and nudity, especially during times when children are likely to be watching or listening.

Relaxing the current policy would not serve the public interest and I urge the FCC to reject all proposals that would allow for the broadcast of expletives and nudity on FCC-licensed stations.

[AnIslandGirl]

Eh, we're all naked under our cloths. I don't really see the big deal. In television and print around the world, nudity is prevalent and is not seen as just a sexual outlet. Bodies are beautiful.. if you don't like it, don't watch it.

As for the vocabulary, times change. I remember when my grandmother would blush if the word hell was spoken out loud, now it's just another word. Words only have as much power as you give to them. Certainly if you don't agree with something make your voice heard. There are plenty of other people though that are perfectly fine with it.

[stripe]

The rules certainly ARE inconsistent, but I am not sure this will magically fix that.

 

 

What about male nudity? Or is that too risque? Is there ever a non-sexual reason to show a male organ? I am just asking.

 

I have to say, I was once watching a show about breast cancer and one topic was reconstruction, and I realized they showed the nipple. It was a non-sexual context but it was informative, at least for this topic. I personally am not enthusiastic about nudity on tv, but I think to make female nudity OK but keep male frontal nudity obscene is a bit, well, amusing.

[nmoira]

What about male nudity? Or is that too risque? Is there ever a non-sexual reason to show a male organ? I am just asking.

 

Laughs, à la Life of Brian. :D

 

But that's an exception. The double standard is nuts, when I couldn't begin to enumerate the female buttocks I've seen, but Dr. Westphall's from St. Elsewhere are etched in my mind (and are indeed almost my entire list for the other side).

[Arcadia]

What about male nudity? Or is that too risque? Is there ever a non-sexual reason to show a male organ? I am just asking.

 

There were nude protestors in San Francisco recently regarding the nudity ban in public places. They had to "censor" the news on television. So yes, there is a political reason for male nudity.

[stripe]

There were nude protestors in San Francisco recently regarding the nudity ban in public places. They had to "censor" the news on television. So yes, there is a political reason for male nudity.

I was trying to be funny. (Medical reports is another.) I once saw a photo of a poster that showed how to insert a catheter into a male, hanging on the wall of a hospital in a conservative country. It had all the relevant parts blacked out. I wondered why even bother to have such a poster up??

 

ame='nmoira' timestamp='1365694549' post='4889992'][/size]

 

Laughs, à la Life of Brian. :D

 

But that's an exception. The double standard is nuts, when I couldn't begin to enumerate the female buttocks I've seen, but Dr. Westphall's from St. Elsewhere are etched in my mind (and are indeed almost my entire list) for the other side.

The double standard is nuts, is it? ;)

I have the buttocks of Dennis Franz imprinted in my mind. And there is a male nude scene in Room With A View, too.

[msjones]

We should note that the FCC is only considering this. It hasn't yet enacted any new standards, as the OP's thread title suggests.

 

Just pointing that out.

[Butter]

The female nudity would be for non-sexual instances only. Things like medical shows and accidental showing of a breast on a reality show. I think the double standard is there because feamle frontal nudity (in this case at least) are breasts. Men's breasts can already be shown. If below the belt parts are shown (not medical shows) it's almost always sexual, male or female. I'm on vacation in Ireland right now and I've noticed that birth shows show *everything* when the baby is being born. In the US all too often they fuzz stuff out. I could totally get behind allowing everything to be shown for medical shows, male or female.

 

Allowing the f word is NOT an outright lift on the ban. It would still be banned on regular, scripted shows. This would be a lift only for occasional, accidental, one time use. This consideration comes from a lawsuit because a network was hit with a big fine because two performers on an award show used the f word. The lawsuit contended that they should not be held responsible for a "slip" like that. The FCC is considering allowing that they re correct and so there would be no fines for stuff like that. This is not saying that prime time can have the f bomb dropped willy nilly.

[nmoira]

I have the buttocks of Dennis Franz imprinted in my mind. And there is a male nude scene in Room With A View, too.

 

And most early Ewan McGregor films (though even EM in the buff couldn't have saved the Star Wars prequels).

[stripe]

 

And most early Ewan McGregor films (though even EM in the buff couldn't have saved the Star Wars prequels).

I do think most nudity is intended to distract the viewer from a poor quality of film.

[MBM]

I don't mind nudity to an extent, but what is shown on TV is rarely an accurate portrayal of what is seen in real life. Frankly, I don't think nudity should be shown on children's television.

 

Since Macy's took over Marshall Field's in a shopping mall near me, the middle of the aisles are now full of male torso mannequins or large posters of men donning just their underwear. I spent years drawing and sculpting from nude models and the mannequins do not represent real life. (I can pretty much undress people with my eyes nowadays. No need for x-ray glasses for me.) I have to wonder if young men will feel inadequate because they're not as buff and endowed. Maybe Calvin Klein should use these instead:

 

http://www.hansboodt...stic/uglys.html

 

And here is that *large* size 12 mannequin that H&M is using:

 

http://www.abcaction...y-online-debate

[kiwik]

We have always had more relaxed laws than you guys but as a general rule such stuff is kept for after 8.30 pm when it is decreed that adult programming may begin. We don't have nudity and swearing in kids shows.

[mommymilkies]

I do think most nudity is intended to distract the viewer from a poor quality of film.

 

 

I agree for many movies it does seem to be the case. "Look at our crappy new movie! There are boobs!"

[Aslana]

I'll dissent and say IT'S ABOUT TIME.

 

I'm so tired of watching a movie where they black out someone's body or bleep out a word. And no, I'm not joking. I'd rather have the f-bomb and full frontal nudity and be able to turn my tv off if I did not want to see it, then be watching a good movie and be hit with bleepbleepbleep every time they open their mouths or some obstructive blank blob ruining the scene of the movie.

[IrishMum]

And most early Ewan McGregor films (though even EM in the buff couldn't have saved the Star Wars prequels).

 

Wash your mouth out! Of course EM in the buff would have saved them if they needed saving, I loved them! Ha!

[stripe]

I'll dissent and say IT'S ABOUT TIME.

 

I'm so tired of watching a movie where they black out someone's body or bleep out a word. And no, I'm not joking. I'd rather have the f-bomb and full frontal nudity and be able to turn my tv off if I did not want to see it, then be watching a good movie and be hit with bleepbleepbleep every time they open their mouths or some obstructive blank blob ruining the scene of the movie.

I am a fan of watching the mouth move and different words coming out. Like, "Yikes!" with a totally different mouth movement. I like dubbing in general.

 

I don't think I have watched a movie with anything blacked out. Sounds kind of hilarious, actually.

 

I think perhaps humorous options need to be explored. I speak as someone who rode past a giant mural of a Red Hot Chili Pepper's album cover for months on my schoolbus.

[MBM]

The only shows I've seen that blocked words are Jerry Springer and Maury Povitch. I do not watch those too often, though. LOL.

 

We also haven't had cable TV for over 20 years, but are words and images also blocked on those channels?

[stripe]

The only shows I've seen that blocked words are Jerry Springer and Maury Povitch. I do not watch those too often, though. LOL.

 

We also haven't had cable TV for over 20 years, but are words and images also blocked on those channels?

 

No. They show it all!

 

You're right -- Jerry Springer does have tons of bleeps! Haven't watched that for years!

[happyhomemaker]

I can't watch Hell's Kitchen because of all the beeping. I get a headache after just a few minutes. Of course, if they lift the ban and the f-word is flying everywhere, I wouldn't watch that either. Frankly, I don't want to hear any single word yelled every 15 seconds, cuss word or not.

[Snow]

I don't really care either way. But, it needs to be consistent between men and women. The double standard makes me want to go on a man-bashing rage...... I'll spare you...

[Violet Crown]

I would gladly swap cussing and nudity for the horrific death/violence/sexuality combos (generally female-centered) prominent in CSI and its thousand spawn. Tv was banished in our home back in the 90's, after then-tiny Great Girl watched in horror as a commercial (during a perfectly acceptable prime-time show) for The X-Files showed her a bloody half-skeletonized corpse. I would have vastly preferred she have been shown somebody's wardrobe malfunction.

[Snow]

I would gladly swap cussing and nudity for the horrific death/violence/sexuality combos (generally female-centered) prominent in CSI and its thousand spawn. Tv was banished in our home back in the 90's, after then-tiny Great Girl watched in horror as a commercial (during a perfectly acceptable prime-time show) for The X-Files showed her a bloody half-skeletonized corpse. I would have vastly preferred she have been shown somebody's wardrobe malfunction.

 

Yes, I totally agree.

[readinmom]

The rules certainly ARE inconsistent, but I am not sure this will magically fix that.

 

 

What about male nudity? Or is that too risque? Is there ever a non-sexual reason to show a male organ? I am just asking.

 

 

 

Sorry, but that will never happen. Too many insecurities.

[Element]

I hate the bleeping/blackout stuff too, unless it's Craig Ferguson. At least he makes it interesting.

[Tarreymere]

Personally, I'm tired of breasts being used to sell everything from cars to soft drinks. As an OB nurse I once actually caught two young male doctors snickering at the cover of a breastfeeding magazine that showed <gasp!> a baby at the breast. How ridiculous. Maybe if boobs are literally everywhere men will get over this obsession with them and we won't hear of people freaking out and harassing nursing mothers for daring to feed their kids in public.

 

As for the penis, as long as men have a say in it I doubt we'll see many of those on screen. At least we won't until science brings us a penis-enhancer that is effective, and then we'll have the fun of wondering if it's real or not.

[nmoira]

As for the penis, as long as men have a say in it I doubt we'll see many of those on screen. At least we won't until science brings us a penis-enhancer that is effective, and then we'll have the fun of wondering if it's real or not.

 

I used to suspect that Ewan McGregor's penis had its own agent. Seems it's gone into retirement though, since McGregor has become enamored of motorcycles. :tongue_smilie:

[stripe]

I heard Mark Wahlberg couldn't get a date after Boogie Nights (where he had a prosthetic of an unusually large male organ). Girls were apparently Not Interested.

[stoverdavid30]

Not good...