PTC Delivers Thousands of Broadcast Indecency Complaints to the FCC

Fox's comedy The Mick met the definition of indecency. The Parents Television Council has hand-delivered nearly 3,000 broadcast indecency complaints to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over content found in Fox Broadcasting’s The Mick. The PTC called for concerned citizens to file complaints over the April 25th episode that aired at 8:30 pm Eastern/7:30 pm Central, and which centered on a teenage girl 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. “We are urging the FCC to help protect the publicly-owned broadcast airwaves from indecent content such as what was aired on The Mick,” said PTC Program Director Melissa Henson. “The t-word has historically been considered off-limits for broadcast TV, as was affirmed in the FCC versus Pacifica Foundation case. Even comedian George Carlin once joked that it was one of the words you could never say on television.” “The FCC should issue an indecency fine to send a message to Fox Broadcasting and to the broadcast TV industry that indecent content is unacceptable. As long as Fox is licensing and profiting from the use of a public resource – the broadcast airwaves – they must abide by the law. “Additionally, not only did Fox allow a minor to say the indecent word, Fox enabled the minor to be sexualized by centering the entire episode around her breasts. Children must be protected from indecent content.” To view examples of content from The Mick, click here.