Pedophilia Rated PG on The Real O’Neals

The Disney-owned ABC rates child molestation the same as Cinderella. Allegedly a family sitcom, ABC’s The Real O’Neals is actually little more than an excuse for a barrage of explicit teenage sex talk -- this week, including “humorous” references to child molestation. And what does the Disney-owned network rate the program? PG…the same rating it gives Disney movies like Cinderella and The Good Dinosaur. Dialogue on the Tuesday, May 3^rd episode included lead character Kenny saying, “They're gonna saran-wrap your balls to your face,” and his brother Jimmy urging him to “steal people's phones and take pictures of our junk.” Also included was dialogue by a Catholic school vice-principal about molesting his male students. Addressing the gay Kenny, Vice-Principal Murray says, “If you're not comfortable sleeping with all those boys because of your ... blossoming sexuality, you can sleep in here. Not with me, of course. I will be sleeping with all the other boys,” in a manner that makes light of child molestation. On the April 26th episode (also rated PG), the family's father, Pat, remarked, "I was married for 18 years. You know, there's so many new things out now. It's... I guess the sexting and the snapchat. I mean, I've never taken a picture of my junk,” while Kenny realized, “Oh my God, I've been making Mom porn.” Such content is typical of The Real O’Neals. In a study released back in March, the PTC found that the show contained an instance of adult content every 43 seconds. Eighty-three percent of all the adult-themed content was sexual (83.3%), and most of it involved the 16-year-old Kenny, a minor. The Real O’Neals airs Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT – only 7:30 Central/Mountain. Typically, the program is rated TV-PG. The same PG rating the ABC’s owner Disney uses for movies like Cinderella. How many parents who take their children to Disney movies rated PG would think that talk about testicles and child molestation merits the same rating? This stands as yet one more demonstration of the bankruptcy of the current TV Content Ratings System…and of the need for Ratings Reform. If you don't think this type of content should be rated PG, then make sure to sign the petition to "Fix the TV Content Rating System".