But now I kind of wish I’d seen her “Behind Closed Doors” episode because it was all about sex therapy. Apparently stations that ran the episode are under attack for not rating the show’s contents properly.
Last week, an episode of Oprah titled “Behind Closed Doors: Sex Therapy” was aired. According to the Parents Television Council (PTC), the show repeatedly warned viewers of the content of the episode before and during the broadcasts. However, the episode was rated TV-14, which means the episode was supposedly suitable for 14-year-old children.
Dan Isett, a PTC spokesman, says such instances are easily avoidable. “Occasionally, talk shows like Oprah and other shows of that nature do delve into these very adult-themed and oriented types of programs,” he explains. “But if you’re going to do that, at least rate the show appropriately so a parent can make a good decision and block that type of programming if it’s rated appropriately.”
The particular episode, according to Isett, should have carried a TV-MA rating for mature audiences.
Quick question, how many fourteen year old kids are able to watch Oprah in the middle of the afternoon? Aren’t most of them in school when it’s on? But I suppose there’s the home schoolers, and the TIVO and the web. Yeah, wouldn’t want them to get any smart information about sex and biology and sexuality from respectable people. The second you hear the word “sex” you have to take your clothes off and have some. Is the word that compelling?
Did they not see the commercial about it that said it was for mature audience with quotes describing what they were going to be doing? Did they not consider turning off the TV once they found out what it was about?
According to the PTC, that’s not good enough.
The default setting for broadcast television used to be family-oriented, while those desiring edgier, more explicit fare were free to seek it out. Today’s prime time television programming has become almost uniformly unsuitable for families, and often directly hostile to their values, making it very difficult for parents to shield their children and seek out alternative entertainment.
If you don’t like something on television, why don’t you just change the channel?
Television is the most public and powerful means of mass communication. It drives changes in social customs, speech, and attitudes, especially among youth. Because of its pervasiveness and persuasiveness, opting out is an entirely inadequate response to the dramatic rise in the amount of televised graphic sex, obscene and profane language, and gratuitous violence found on television today. These depictions affect everyone, including our children’s classmates and friends. Vulgar television means a more vulgar society; sex-saturated television means sexualized children stripped of their innocence; violent television results in desensitization to violence.
They encourage parents to write to television stations when they see stuff they don’t like. I think I can say I agree with their sentiment, though. There really is a lot of trash on television because trash sells. I suppose if enough people get annoyed by the lack of quality programming and really start to petition stations to change their emphasis from explicit entertainment, more wholesome shows might make the cut.
I know I’m coming out like a hypocrite after the last post, but yeah, I’d like to see less sex and raunchiness on TV, especially during the hours kids are more likely to be watching. I like that most shows want to deal with real life and real situations but I think people have forgotten how to be funny and engaging without resorting to blatant sexual content. The one-upmanship gets worse and worse as time goes on.
But do enough people want to go back to Leave it to Beaver or the Andy Griffith Show? Was our society really better off when sex was never mentioned and nobody was allowed to film toilets or double beds?
I dunno. Television and movie producers only give us what people seem to want. People want sex and blood and guts, I guess. They want wardrobe malfunctions and suggestive advertising. They want rude and crude and scandalous content and enough boobies and shots of leg to keep a person from flipping to another channel in case there’s more.
I wonder if anyone really cares about why.
