It’s getting harder to find clean television programming that doesn’t contain offensive language, according to the New York Times in the article More Than Ever, You Can Say That on Television.
Ever since George Carlin laid out the “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television” in 1972, television writers and broadcasters have been digging more deeply into the thesaurus, seizing on new ways to titillate, if not offend. And while the word “douche” is neither obscene nor profane — although this usage is certainly offensive to many people — it seems to represent the latest of broadcast television’s continuing efforts to expand the boundaries of taste, in part to stem the tide of defections by its audience to largely unregulated cable television.
I added the emphasis on that last sentence.
Rather than striving for better quality entertainment, the broadcast networks are striving to keep up with their cable counterparts by competing in the art of pushing the boundaries of bad taste. They are actively trying to offend, in order to garner more attention.
I’m all for freedom of expression — in the right context, and in the company of adults, movies and television programs can be raw and realistic.
The 10:00pm boundary should be respected so that parents can make a choice. If you don’t want your kids being subjected to offensive language and suggestive or explicit images, knowing that television is safe before 10:00 would be comforting. A firm boundary lets parents set limits. If you don’t want your kids soaking up that stuff, then you have an “off by 10:00pm” rule.
Music and radio isn’t really much better. I’ve filed complaints with the FCC in the past over local pop radio stations that my kids in middle school had been listening to. Songs with offensive lyrics and morning DJs that talked openly and joked about celebrities and sexual themes. Yeesh! I was driving my pre-teens to school for Christ’s sake!
What are your strategies for combating these offensive onslaughts?
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