LOS ANGELES (August 25, 2014) – The
Parents Television Council issued the following statement in reaction to MTV’s “Video Music Awards” special, which aired last night.
“MTV seemed to have toned down the VMA broadcast this year – at least compared to last year’s cringe-inducing mess. The MTV broadcast standards team effectively muted out the most explicit profanity, and for that we are grateful. But that’s not to say there weren’t some real concerns and problematic content, especially with how women were portrayed,” said Tim Winter, president of the PTC and the organization’s “
4 Every Girl” Campaign, which seeks to call attention to and reverse the sexualized media messages that are having a devastating impact on young girls.
“It is perplexing that a performance would include, on the one hand, strong, positive written messages above the stage about honoring and respecting young women and ending gender-based double-standards; while on the other hand the female performers are on stripper poles with backup dancers in flesh-toned bikinis, and with female backup dancers wearing next to nothing while the males performers are mostly clothed.
“MTV showed the world that it can act responsibly when it wants to, knowing that children – and especially young teens – are in the audience. The brightest spot of the broadcast may have been the
Truth’s “Finish It” anti-smoking campaign which reminded us all of the tremendous power of celebrities to influence behavior for good, or for bad. When celebrities endorse products or behaviors, young people are influenced. MTV should follow the lead of Truth and empower young women by helping to combat these sexualized images and messages that it promotes on the VMAs and on its programming.”