“The Parents Television Council and its members want to know the names of each and every advertiser that chooses to associate its products and services with excrement. The Second Edition of the 20-volume Oxford English Dictionary contains full entries for 171,476 words in current use; yet CBS decided to use the ‘s-word’ in the title of this show, putting its blatant contempt for children and families front and center,” said PTC President Tim Winter.
“Unless or until CBS chooses a different title for this program, we are urging advertisers to avoid sponsoring such an abomination purported to be lighthearted fun. The advertisers have two options. Either they can be complicit in the effort to serve up excrement in front of children and families, or they can choose not to associate their products and services with excrement.
“We have read media reports stating that there will be no harsh profanity in the program content itself, and for that we are comforted. The premise of the show offers potential for good entertainment. The question is why CBS feels the need to shove harsh profanity into the faces of Americans through the program’s title. And the program title is being promoted at times throughout the broadcast day. Their reliance on symbols as a veil is feeble at best.
“Beyond a port-a-potty, a laxative or a roll of toilet paper, most corporations don’t want their customers to associate their products or services with excrement. I certainly hope advertisers agree that their hard-earned brands are worth more than this raunchy attempt at humor.
“We have requested a response from all 300 advertisers by August 15 and will inform our members and the public which advertisers want viewers to associate their corporation with excrement,” Winter concluded.
