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Parents Television Council - Because Our Children Are Watching

 

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 16, 2005

 

MTV's Defense of its Offensive Language is Offensive

LOS ANGELES - As reported by Broadcasting & Cable (August 12, 2005), MTV responded to the Parents Television Council's new study of MTV original programming that revealed expletive-laden programming—both partially-bleeped and non-bleeped obscenities—occurring approximately once every three minutes with no language warnings to parents.

Here is MTV's formal response: "We don't air vulgar language."

"According to MTV, none of the language used on the network is vulgar, and therefore it doesn't warrant content descriptors. One must wonder whether MTV executives actually watch what they're broadcasting," said L. Brent Bozell, president of the Parents Television Council.

Of the 136 shows and 71 hours of programming reviewed from Jan. 3 through July 19, 2005, the PTC's study found 938 partially-bleeped swear words and 542 non-bleeped swear words for a total of 1,480 uses of inappropriate language. The types of language include:

  • 938 Partially-bleeped (but discernable) swear words: fuck, shit, asshole, motherfucker, pussy, tits, cum, bitch, cocksucker, cock.

  • 542 Non-bleeped swear words: ass, bitch, piss, suck, whore, balls, crap, bastard, screw, son of a bitch.

"Obscenities included hundreds of uses of partially-bleeped F-words and just about everything else under the sun. If MTV isn't vulgar, then Colorado doesn't have mountains, and the pope isn't Catholic," Bozell said.

MTV routinely re-runs its original programming, creating multiple opportunities for kids to hear foul and adult language. A typical episode of Real World is re-run more than a dozen times with no L TV descriptor.

"Parents beware—the MTV network says that it wants you to rely on the V-chip and ratings system to help you make viewing decisions, but yet laughs in your face at the evidence that it's airing obscenities without warning to you and your children," concluded Bozell.

The PTC is contacting members of Congress and the FCC with its latest report on MTV, along with MTV's ridiculous response.

NOTE: To view an example of MTV's vulgarity, visit http://www.parentstv.org/mtv.

The Parents Television Council™ (www.parentstv.org®) is a non-partisan education organization advocating responsible entertainment. It was founded in 1995 to ensure that children are not constantly assaulted by sex, violence and profanity on television and in other media. This national grassroots organization has over one million members across the United States, and works with television producers, broadcasters, networks and sponsors in an effort to stem the flow of harmful and negative messages targeted to children. The PTC also works with elected and appointed government officials to enforce broadcast decency standards. Most importantly, the PTC produces critical research and publications documenting the dramatic increase in sex, violence and profanity in entertainment. This information is provided free of charge so parents can make informed viewing choices for their own families.

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