So the self-appointed media watchdogs of the Parents Television Council released the results of their latest study today. Like most of their output, this one comes with an alarmist title (literally: "The Alarming Family Hour…No Place for Children") and some authoritative-sounding pronouncements: After reviewing 180 hours of recent network programming during the so-called "Family Hour" (8 to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday), the PTC’s crack analysts recorded "2246 instances of violent, profane, and sexual content… or 12.48 instances per television hour." Terrifying! Hide the kids! But as usual, a closer look at the PTC’s data (link leads to a pdf document) reveals that they’re riddled with statistical tricks and misleading labels.
The PTC’s shameless manipulation is most obvious in the "foul language" section of the report. It cites a whopping 815 instances of supposedly inappropriate dialogue; that includes 195 uses of the word "hell" alone, plus uses of other relatively tame or double-entendre-ready terms like "suck" and "screw," which the PTC helpfully identifies as a "euphemism for f—." (Because if Hugh Laurie blurts "Screw this!" on House, he’s obviously talking about raunchy sex.) But that total of 815 instances also includes lots of network-censored swear words ("bleeped f—," "bleeped goddamn"), where audiences were of course unable to hear the offending syllables. Unbelievably, they boosted their numbers still further by citing 54 instances of what they call "bleep (unknown)" and 9 of "pixelated/obscured mouth." If even the PTC’s experienced smut-spotters admit they couldn’t decipher these words "by context or lip-reading," how exactly are they supposed to be harming young viewers? Best of all: Even with their absurdly broad definition of "foul language," the PTC’s total actually dropped by 25.4 percent since the last time they unloaded one of these studies, in 2001.
The other categories aren’t any more honest. What were the the 677"sexual scenes or spoken sexual references" cited by the PTC? Well, acartoon character on Fox’s American Dad (pictured) once sanga satirical song including the lyrics "We like each other’s butts! Andbig old spending cuts… We like to pack fudge and heat!" Then therewas the time on The Office when Steve Carell had "his arminserted down the front of his pants and his finger sticking up and outthrough his fly… then [made] his finger go limp as if it were hispenis losing its erection." We’re not exactly talking about hardcoreporn here, but apparently the kind of juvenile potty humor you’ll findin any elementary school lunchroom is enough to scar America’s mostvulnerable TV fans. And violence? I’ll just note that the worstoffender was that notoriously bloody gorefest, The Simpsons, with "30 instances of animated violence per hour." Somebody lock up Itchy and Scratchy before it’s too late!
I’m of the mind that parents who want to protect their kids from themenace of adult-oriented TV are free to go rent a family-friendly DVDor, God forbid, read them a book. But regardless of what you think onthat much-debated topic, it’s pretty clear that the PTC is cooking thenumbers to suit its prudish agenda. (Of course, don’t try telling thatto Reuters, which reportedon this study without the slightest attempt to examine the data — theirarticle might as well have been a PTC press release.) All in all, thissmells to me like a fat, steaming pile of "bleep (unknown)" — but doesanyone want to defend the PTC’s unusual methodology?
UPDATE: Reuters has since posted a revised story which fleshes out their initial, one-sided take with a brief comment from an industry advocacy group criticizing the PTC’s flawed methodology. It’d be nice to see them actually going into what those suspect numbers refer to, but that’s still an improvement…
Comments (1-30) of 39
No, I will not defend the PTC, their methods, or their goals. I like my TV sexy, violent, and paint-peelingly profane.
Thanks but no thanks. I can decide whats worth my valuable time without the thinley veiled pious insights of a group of neo-cons.
“bleep (unknown)” the PTC! They can go *bleep* themselves from *bleep* to *bleep* *bleep*.
First they don’t like airplane movies, now this. I know parents want to protect their kids, but it’s getting ridiculious. Watch a DVD!
Just a thought…I would not want to explain to a child what “pack fudge” means. But instead of looking at “family hour” (What does that really mean? No one ever told me there was some pre-ordained time I was supposed to sit down with my family in front of the TV.) shouldn’t PTC be focusing on shows that are actually marketed at kids? I know Family Guy, American Dad, and the Office aren’t. These shows are aimed at adults, wo why does PTC even care about them?
I do not agree or disagree with this report as I haven’t personally read it.I will say however that I do believe network tv has no believable “family hour” anymore. We are talking about a supposed “family hour” aren’t we? Not ” adult oriented ” tv. Believe it or not there are behaviors and vocabulary that should not be acceptable in a time slot marketed at young kids. There are plenty of families who would appreciate it, who only want their kids to be able to watch a clean show with no GROWN UP ( not true juvenile ) potty humor, double-entendres, or plain old everyday cussing. Call us old fashioned, prudes or whatever lame term you want to give us. I see a red flag in your over the top tirade on this report. Are we on TMZ? Just use those journalistic basics you learned to disagree with it and can the rest. Name calling is not a virtue or a response for someone who has a genuine argument.
PTC can go straight to *bleep* for all I care.
What a bunch of prudes.
BTW- anyone who’s watched tv at anytime in the last i don’t know, 40 yrs. knows that the 8-9pm slot on networks has been supposedly set aside as an hour to watch with the whole family. Of course this has been seen less and less over the last 10 yrs or so.
I agree with Vicki. I’m not what you’d call conservative and I even work in TV, but these are still not words, actions, etc, I would want my kids seeing/hearing. Mostly because they will repeat them without realizing the effect or meaning. I certainly wasn’t allowed to hear, say or mimic these sorts of things when I was a kid. I don’t think the definitions described in the article are out of line at all, and I am glad to hear that the incidence has dropped 25% in recent years. Family hour is supposed to be an time when content restrictions are tighter, but content guilelines have loosened so much over the years that it almost doesn’t matter anymore. I do agree that if we want our children sheilded from this content, it’s our responsibility to use the parental blocks on our cable boxes or the V chip in our TVs. I don’t know why we try to have a “family hour” anymore. If it isn’t truly a family hour, why bother?
Also, I think it’s sad spend “family hour” watching TV. Um, no conversations or games?
I don’t think the PTC is fudging their numbers; they simply have much more broad definitions of what is offensive. Many things the culture at large finds completely acceptable, these conservatives find offensive. So they’re not trying to be misleading, in my opinion.
Can we get a similar, self-appointed group together to do the opposite of what the PTC does? Like, the Childless Television Viewers Council. We could watch TV and make note of when it doesn’t go far enough, like when Hurley says “screw off” on “Lost.”
Sorry, Vicki, I don’t agree with you. I was a pre-teen in the early 70s, when there was a clearly defined family hour of t.v. viewing. From 8 to 9 p.m., we’d watch family-oriented programs like The Waltons, Little House on the Prairie, One Day at a Time, and Good Times. At nine, if I could get away with it, I’d watch all the cop shows, like Starsky and Hutch. The difference between then and now, of course, is that the violence is a lot more graphic now than back then. A show like 24 wouldn’t have been on the air back in 1974. But my mom would send me to bed if she caught me watching shows she deemed unfit for me to watch. Parents today need to do the same thing. I realize it’s a lot harder to do today, with cable, internet and violent video games, but that’s our responsibility as parents. Passing the buck and expecting t.v. executives to clean up their act won’t work. If we don’t want our kids to watch certain shows, it’s our job to stop them from watching them.
It would be nice to put on a TV show that comes on in prime time and sit down with your kids, but those days are long gone. I can only put on DVD’s. It is not just the language, which I find less worrisome, it is the violence. How many shows on TV feature some police lab with everyone standing around a mangled dead body? I do not want to desensitize my child to violence. There are also some very graphic depictions of sex, that cause you to jump for the remote to change the channel. I guess I am one of those “neo-con prudes”.
Nickelodeon, The N, ABC Family are a few channels w/o the things ppl are complaining abut. I find it hard to believe that there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING else on at 8 besides violent shows
The family hour was created when most people were still watching the broadcast networks. Everyone now has multiple TVs, DVDs, DVRs, and dozens of channels for kids. I hear the PTC isn’t sold on the whole color TV thing either.
The author of this story needs his head examined. Okay, so there were ONLY 195 “Hells” and 815 “Sucks”.. Remind me to stay the hell away from your freaking dumb-ass rude children who will soon be speaking like ME.
People are complaining about “family hour” hu? Answer me this: when was the last time 8-9pm was referred to as “family hour?” I haven’t heard it called that since I was a kid. And for all of you parents out there that are upset that you can’t sit your kids down infront of a television and turn them into zombies (even family values zombies), all I can say is that you are lousy parents. If you want “family hour” then turn the tv off, sit down with your kids, and play a game, or talk, or do whatever you think is “morally acceptable” for your kids. Stop ruining tv for everyone because you are a poor excuse for a parent. As for the PTC, well, they can *bleep* my *bleep* while I’m *bleep*ing my *bleep* with a *bleep*……*bleep*
Family hour, 8-9?? That makes no sense. What family sits in front of the TV then? I’m too busy getting my kids ready for bed or finishing up their homework.
I live in Canada where, at say 4:30, if you turn on CBC, you may have the pleasure of hearing the ‘f’ word or any of those others cited. I envy you guys for at least having somebody trying to look out for these kids. The TV moguls in this country could care less.
I can’t stand PTC because they have an agenda, which has nothing to do with children. It’s all about trying to restrict content they cannot deal with when all they have to do is simply not watch TV or change the channel. That being said, I’ve long gotten over them. I mean, does anyone even pay them any real attention? Are networks really worried about losing that coveted under-12 audience?
I find it interesting that “fundies” go off the deep end about sex and yet rarely seem to be as concerned about the violence that is on television morning, noon and night.
Parents shouldn’t let their kids watch shows that aren’t meant for kids, no matter what time they’re on. If you let your little kids watch “Family Guy” or even “The Office,” it’s your own fault if they see adults-only material, because those shows are meant for adults.
Anyway, I agree with those who say, god forbid if your kids can’t watch TV from 8-9 every single night! It’s not like there aren’t 1000 other more worthy things they could be doing. Read a book, take a walk, play a game, watch a DVD you picked out together rather than just randomly turning on the TV.
It’s nice to see that some people remember family hour on TV. I also remember watching shows like Little House in the evening with my parents. I have young children and I limit their tv viewing time and only let them watch the kid channels on our satellite network. Most of the stuff on regular network channels, including the news, scares the pants off my kids anyway. I watch television with my kids, but it is almost always kids shows, and it would be nice if there was something that is appropriate for kids and appeals to adults at the same time. I don’t think there is anything wrong with tv programming that caters to adults, but it would be nice to balance that out with some family shows too.
I agree, there is no such thing as “family hour” anymore. Parents have to be responsible for what their kids are watching at any time of day. One of the network affiliates where I live shows Jerry Springer at 11 am. In fact, all day long I can find programming on broadcast television that I wouldn’t want my kids to see. So you know what I do? I don’t let them watch it! Problem solved. No help from the PTC required.
So does that mean the people who sat there and were tainted by the foul language and the sex are going to hell? Is there some kind of pre-absolution for this?
Good points Sally. Problem is parents don’t ‘parent’ these days. The TV becomes the parent to most kids these days. It entertains, teaches and motivates them to be overweight, foul-mouthed and lazy. And I forgot to mention, violent.
Three cheers for TV!!
The PTC has always consisted of alarmist distorters of the truth who actually provide clips of what they consider to be the foulest moments on TV. They then place links alongside to provide do it yourself FCC complaints. Consequently, the FCC knows that complaints from them are suspect, to say the least. That said, Rod Gustafson’s parenting column is very well written (unlike the laughably alarmist L. Brent Bozell III’s rantings).
Forgetting the PTC, it would be nice if there were more family oriented shows on the air, like ‘Heroes.’ I’m not in favor of censorship at all, but it just would be nice. But as has been said here, kids should also be encouraged to read more; too much television leaves you morally AND mentally bankrupt.
Aren’t the PTC people the ones who claimed Dungeons and Dragons was satanic? I don’t put any stock or faith into PTC’s sensationalized reports, which by their own standards show that tv has become MORE family friendly in recent years, yet that they themselves refuse to acknowledge.
Who said anything about kids watching tv EVERY single night or not doing any other activities.Parents SHOULD monitor what their kids are watching and how often they are watching tv. I’m talking about a CHOICE. It’s the hour when kids and their parents COULD sit and watch tv TOGETHER before the kids go to bed if not choosing something else to do. Yes,there are other channels now, thank God, because the networks have let us down again and again for finding something appropriate to watch.But the report we’re talking about references network tv at what has been labeled family viewing time.Maybe the people who wrote the report are stating what we all know to be true, it doesn’t exist anymore and you can’t tell me some network channels don’t still talk about that time slot,still trying to get families to watch.It’s interesting that the people who are the most critical of parents or others who complain and say not to raise tv zombies are example A of the argument.
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