Just when one thought it was safe to turn on the television once again –
maybe that sentiment should be reconsidered.
Just when one thought it was safe to turn on the television once again –
maybe that sentiment should be reconsidered.
The use of foul language on television shows in the past five years has increased
dramatically on nearly every network and in nearly every time slot, according
to a study by the Parents Television Council.
That includes the so-called “Family Hour” from 7 to 8 p.m.
The recently-released report examined all prime-time entertainment series
on the major broadcast television networks from the first two weeks of the 1998,
2000 and 2002 November sweeps periods, analyzing a total of 400 program hours.
Foul language increased by 94.8 percent during the Family Hour between 1998
and 2002. This includes curses, offensive epithets, scatological language, sexually-suggestive
or indecent language and censored language.
During the 8 p.m. time slot, such language increased by 109.1 percent. And
ironically, the smallest increase (38.7 percent) occurred during the last hour
of prime time – the hour when young children are least likely to be watching.
In other words, when the kids are watching television, they are hearing much
more than many parents may wish them to hear.
The study indicates Fox was the only broadcast network to show any real improvement
during the Family Hour, as profanity on that station decreased by 25 percent.
But the improvement was overshadowed by a 75.3 percent rise in foul language
during the second hour of prime time on Fox.
Offensive language on ABC decreased overall by 17 percent – and profanity
increased during the Family Hour by 61.7 percent.
During the Family Hour on CBS, foul language increased by 471.3 percent. It
went up across the board on NBC in every time slot, increasing 114.7 percent
during the Family Hour.
On UPN, offensive language increased by 104.7 percent during the Family Hour
and 538 percent in the second hour of prime time. The WB network had a 188 percent
increase in foul language during the 1998-2002 period. In the second hour of
prime time on WB, such language increased 308.5 percent.
“Its easy to be dismissive of foul language on (television), but
it does have an impact,” a Parents Television Council statement noted.
“Ultimately, the entertainment industry needs to get serious about reducing
the flood of vulgarity coming into the family home over the broadcast airwaves.
Barring that, the (Federal Communications Commission) needs to get serious about
enforcing broadcast decency laws and punishing broadcasters who violate those
laws.”
As the Parents Television Council report points out, the connection between
media violence and real life violence has been well documented. Mounting evidence
also points to the fact that highly-sexualized images on television can shape
teenagers attitudes toward sex, leading to promiscuity. Also, studies
suggest that non-smoking children are influenced by screen idols seen smoking
in films.
“Given this growing recognition that all areas of a teenagers life
can be influenced by behavior they see modeled on the screens large or small,
it should be obvious that the way characters talk on (television) can affect
the way teens communicate in day-to-day life,” the report says.
In addition, once prime time television pushes the envelope on something,
it becomes a stamp of normalcy. Many viewers can recall the nationwide shock
when Ellen DeGeneres character on the television show “Ellen”
made her homosexuality known. Just a few years later, homosexual characters
on television shows abound.
“Once the initial taboo is broken and the shock value wears off, more
and more curse words fall into the category of acceptable language,
and (television) must try to up the ante by introducing new words to prime times
obscene lexicon, the Parents Television Council statement said.
P.M. Forni says cursing is the language of aggression, the precursor to violence.
“Very often, rudeness and cursing are the beginning of an escalation toward
violence,” said Forni, co-founder of the Civility Project at Johns Hopkins
University. “Words – our words – are like our hands. They can
soothe and heal, but they can also strike, which means they can hurt.”
The council study cites an earlier survey that shows 72 percent of men and
55 percent of women admit to swearing in public.
And the practice seems to be more widespread among younger generations.
Despite the growing use of profanity on television, obscene speech is not
granted First Amendment protection, the report notes. In 1978, the Supreme Court
ruled that broadcasting has the most limited First Amendment protection, it
adds.
The court said broadcasts extend into the privacy of the home, and it is impossible
completely to avoid those that are offensive. The broadcasting also is uniquely
accessible to children, even those too young to read, the recent study points
out.
Therefore, the Federal Communications Commission has the power to sanction
television and radio stations that engage in obscene, indecent or profane broadcasting.
However, to this point, it is failing to do so, the recent study asserts.
(BP)
(For a copy of the Parents Television Council study, go to www.parentstv.org)