I guess we must answer a few questions.  Just me in my little devils advocate costume here.

1. Does the FCC control what the the Whitehouse says?  I don't think they do...and if anyone in that administration ever said, "Hey, Saddam is a fuckin' threat to fuckin' national security.  Have a look at my ass!" and then they drop trow...I can see how that would get picked up as a problem.

2. Are bold face lies obscene?  I think they are.  But it all depends on what the FCC deems as obscenity.  So, a mammary gland is obscene. Talking about all manner of sexual things on a show is obscene (apparently) but statements that might lead a country to war are not.

I think where the FCC is trying to clamp down is keeping an "obscenity" out of an environment where you wouldn't expect it.  I'm fairly smart, so when I turn on MTV, music shows in general, I expect some form of "risque" material.  So, if my kids are around, I won't have that kind of thing on.  I stay away from morning radio stations except for NPR.  This is self regulating of the trash.  There are certain images that I try to keep my children from, violence for example.  So, you don't see me watching the news with my kids around.  Even the superbowl, it wasn't on in my house this year because I just didn't want my two little ones exposed to the brutality of the game, the over the top marketing and the MTV halftime show.  But not everyone puts this much thought into the "ON" button on the television. Lots of folks think, "it's a football game, what can happen?" 

I feel the same thing with press conferences.  At that point, it's no longer as much of a shock. I would be shocked if GWB went on TV tonight and said,  "I'm sorry.  I did what I thought was right for this country but it's gotten out of hand and I won't run for a second term." I would need to be rescussitated.  BUT, it aint going to happen.

If the FCC is going to fine anyone, I would like to see them fine the idiot that lets the tube be a baby sitter.  The one that sets the 8 year old boy down in the living room to scan through the late afternoon trashfests while he goes and zones out on another TV in the other room.  I say fine the dipshit that let's the thirteen year old girl watch the parade of misogynistic music videos and doesn't remind the young lady that there's more to life than being objectified by MTV's flava of the week.  If Bono slips and says he's fuckin' excited Yeah...he needs to learn the same lesson's I learned that you have to think before you speak.  I don't cuss in church, court, or staff meetings.  I do cuss around my friends, during band practice and when my kids aren't around...it's just not that hard to learn. 

I guess my proposition to healthy media is this:

1. Create the awareness at the "viewer" level.  That way the individual with the idiot box can discern whether the content coming out of said box will be appropriate for the audience.  The awareness should include that the purpose of the idiot box is 1. to sell you shit and 2. to provide information. The idiot box is not there to improve your life or help you.  It is there to get you to spend money. 

2. Let the people who send you the info through your idiot box know that you are NOT stupid.  When you buy a cable package, let your provider know that you intend to switch off whatever you think is vile or pernicious and therefore, that will cut into their ad revenue indirectly.

3. Understand that if you're older than 35 or under the age of 12, the folks who send you the information through the idiot box don't give a damn what you think because you are not in the spending demographic.

4. Teach your children about those three points. When they know about product placment and all of the other hooks to get their money, they'll be more apt to go play outside.

I'm ramlbling.

In one sentence...The Media: Don't Encourage It.

PRH