PTC Calls for FCC Indecency Inquiry of Fox’s “The Mick”

The Parents Television Council is calling on concerned citizens to file FCC Broadcast Indecency complaints regarding this week’s episode of Fox Broadcasting’s “The Mick.”

This week’s episode of “The Mick,” which aired on April 25^th at 8:30 pm Eastern/7:30 pm Central, centered on a teenage child, 17-year-old Sabrina, and her desire to get breast implants. The minor tells her guardian that “…you're working the room like you're mayor of tit town.” Not only was an indecent word used in a sexual context, but the dialogue was delivered by a minor. Furthermore, the entire episode included graphic sexual dialogue and double-entendres, yet it was rated by Fox as appropriate for viewing by children as young as 14 years old. [To view some of these scenes, watch here.] “You’d think that the network programmers and broadcast standards staffs at Fox, the media company facing tremendous public criticism over allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct, would avoid airing a broadcast TV sitcom that so blatantly sexualizes a 17-year-old girl. Beyond being grotesquely irresponsible, we believe the content violates the broadcast indecency law,” said PTC President Tim Winter. “George Carlin’s infamous comedy routine about the seven words you can’t say on television is still an unofficial guideline the FCC uses to determine whether language is in violation of Federal Indecency laws. At times of the day when children are likely to be watching broadcast TV, ‘tit’ is one of those words. If Fox wanted to air this program just as it was produced, it could have done so after 10pm or it could have moved the show to one of the several cable networks it owns. “The industry’s tedious excuse that concerned parents could have used the V-chip to block the show doesn’t work here. The network rated the show TV-14, suggesting to parents that the program content was appropriate for children despite that the entire show focused on a teenage girl’s breasts. “We urge the FCC to act and to help families protect their children from indecent content, just as the Congress has instructed and just as Chairman Ajit Pai has pledged. As long as Fox is licensing and profiting from the use of a public resource – the broadcast airwaves – they must abide by the law.” It has been over two years since the PTC last filed a formal indecency complaint with the FCC. That filing was in February 2015 regarding an episode of Fox’s “Family Guy” and, to the best of PTC’s knowledge, the complaint was never adjudicated. The following are just a few of the several scenes/segments containing sexual dialogue from “The Mick”:

• Mickey: “You're not getting a boob job.”

Sabrina: “My mom bought them for me. They're my 18th birthday present.” Mickey: “Well, you’re 17.” Sabrina: “I’m going to hit the ground running.”

• Dr. Goodby: Right, breast implants.

Dr. Goodby: Well all you have to do is choose a size. Sabrina: Well, what would you recommend. I don't want to go freakish with it. I just want to look more mature. Then again the last thing I want is to think I didn't go big enough. How do you think a D would look? Mickey: Like a broom with cantaloupe taped on to it. Mickey: What do you say, want to walk a mile in these boobs?

• Sabrina: “Yeah maybe it's because you're working the room like you're mayor of tit town.”

Mickey: “You wanna pop 'em on? This is gonna be you from now on.” Sabrina: “No mine will be attached to my body, not Frankensteined into my bra.” Mickey: “I'm just gonna hang back here and have humongous boobs.” Mickey: “One thing I'm noticing, all the women hate me. You picking up on that?” Sabrina: “Yeah, I am, it's because you're eye-banging their husbands.” Mickey: “No, I'm not. That's what’s bugging me. I'm trying to eye-bang their husbands but I can't seem to make eye contact with any of them. Too busy staring at my tig old bittys.” Sabrina: “Just give me the boobs.”

• Waitress: “And she had these huge crazy fake boobs.”

Mickey: “Give me the boobs.” Sabrina: “What? Why?” Mickey: “Because I feel more confident with them, alright.” Sabrina: “You love 'em.”