Parents Group Threatens CBS Over Shatner’s “$#*! My Dad Says” May 20, 2010
by Anthony Pascale , Filed under: Celebrity, Shatner , trackback
The announcement of William Shatner’s new sitcom $#*! My Dad Says is only a day old, and already it is stirring up controversy. CBS is touting the show as a "family comedy" and putting it on at 8:30 on Thursdays, but a parents group is denouncing CBS for its choice of title, and has announced a campaign to go after affiliates who air the show and advertisers who sponsor the show.
The $#*! hits the fan
Ever since the it was announced that CBS was considering a sitcom inspired by the popular twitter account @shitmydad says, featuring the profane musings of a curmudgeonly father, there was a question as to what they would call the show. "Shit" is one of words forbidden from broadcast television by the FCC. At one point the show was being called "Bleep My Dad Says", but yesterday CBS officially announced the title would be "$#*! My Dad Says", with the "$#*!" part bleeped out in any network promos. You can see that in action with the behind the scenes preview released yesterday (below).
Even though the word "shit" will never be heard, the Parents Television Council, a watchdog group which professes to be the "nation’s most influential advocacy organization protecting children against sex, violence, and profanity on television", issued a denouncement today against CBS stating:
CBS intentionally chose to insert an expletive into the actual name of a show, and, despite its claim that the word will be bleeped, it is just CBS’ latest demonstration of its contempt for families and the public. There are an infinite number of alternatives that CBS could have chosen but its desire to shock and offend is crystal clear in this decision
The PTC is also promising to take action if CBS does not change the name of the show, vowing an "unrelenting campaign" against the advertisers and any affiliates that air the show before 10 PM.
CBS contends that the show is suitable for family viewing and responded to PTC in a statement:
The program is inspired by the wildly popular Twitter phenomenon, which now has more than 1.5 million followers and also has spawned a best-selling book of the same name. It will in no way be indecent and will adhere to all CBS standards. Parents who choose to do so will find the show can easily be blocked using their V Chip.
It is hard to say at this point if the PTC campaign will have any affect. Media expert Brad Agate tells THR "Certain marketers won’t have a problem with it and some may be a little bit skittish".
In an interview with Zap2It yesterday, Shatner discussed how you can’t say the real name of the show on TV “only think it”. Watch that below
Star Trek and controversy
The Star Trek franchise is no stranger to controversy and dealing with groups concerned about how the various shows were undermining the morality of children and society. Some episodes in particular garnered complaints or even some stations holding broadcasts or altering them to make them more acceptable. Famous examples are the interracial kiss in TOS "Plato’s Stepchildren", the graphic violence in TNG’s "Conspiracy", the same sex kiss in DS9’s "Rejoined" and T’Pol’s butt in ENT’s "Harbinger".
Star Trek has run into it’s own controversies over the years
Gene Roddenberry often had to deal with issues of keeping his TV shows in line with FCC guidelines. On a track from his album "Inside Star Trek" Roddenberry spoofs the what it was like dealing with network censors, listen to it below.
POLL: Give a $#*! about Shat’s show?
So what say you? Will you be following Shatner to the sitcom frontier?
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Comments»
The Shat needs to tell these overly straight laced people to “Get a Life”!
the graphic violence in TNG’s “Conspiracy” ??? Really?
I’m a Christian Conservative, and I approve this show… As long as it does not get to raunchy with the sex jokes.
The biggest little secret of the Parents Television Council is that it’s only a few members. Really, they’/re so small that even the FCC doesn’t take them seriously.
And like Seth McFarlane (creator of Family Guy) says, receiving criticism from them is “like getting hate mail from Hitler.” You can’t say that guy’s not blunt.
CBS is digging a hole for itself on this issue. Uh … exactly HOW is the network going to promote the actual name of this series in its own TV ads? And, I’ve read the CBS press where the network is pushing the concept of “family show” for this program but, y’know, that idea just doesn’t fit with the title. Come up with a better title, and the “family show” description would clearly be accurate and would cause no objection from anybody … and CBS would actually be able to, you know, SAY the show’s title during on-air promos.
And how is anybody on radio supposed to say the title of this series? That’s also going to be a hurdle in promoting it.
I’m not eager to have my 7-year-old kid in the room when the title of Shatner’s program comes on my TV and I get asked “What’s that word mean?”
I have to admit that scene in TNG was shocking.
I think the only way to get it passed censors was to have “Remek” not be completely human. It reminds me of a scene from Robocop..Fans of robocop know which scene I’m referring to. “Don’t touch me man!!”
The TNG episode ” Symbiosis” comes to mind as contraversial as well regarding narcotics.
It’s not a word.. it’s symbols. They are really just wild cards so make up any word. CRAP, STUPID.. whatever. Re-interrupt it for whatever fits your family’s need. Seriously, it’s not that hard.
Or how about this, if you don’t agree with it. DON’T WATCH IT! Turn the channel! I mean really is this to hard of a concept for people who are offended by something?
I understand cbs position-besides they paid to base the show on the tweet site with the popular title-maybe change title to shat my dad says heh
I understand the the motives of the PTC, but in this case they are wrong. I would imagine that anything on MTV these days is more deserving of their attention. Like how “Jersey Shore” features people acting like jerks and guys punching women in the face. But that’s just me.
And I’ll say this yet again: There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with the word SHIT! Nobody complains about “poo” or “crap”, so why is there still people offended by “shit” when it has the same definition as “crap” and “poo”?
And obviously there are a lot of people who don’t know how to use a remote to change the channel when they see something they don’t like.
As for the PTC, while their motives are honest, they also shouldn’t be under the illusion that they speak for everybody. They don’t.
They’re calling it a family comedy, not a family-friendly comedy. There’s a big difference there!
Go ahead and protest, PTC. Just like every other high-profile protest, they will only bring publicity to the show. And as a fan of ‘The Shat.’ that’s something I will never complain about!
An “unrelenting campaign”? Is that like “the mother of all battles”? Free tip for parents: turn off the TV when something you don’t want your kids to see comes on. Unless your TV is “stuck” powered on and tuned to CBS and none of the buttons work and the power cord has fused with the wall outlet, I don’t think this should be too much of a burden for you. ‘
#5: Re: “Symbiosis”, not so much. The episode was vehemently anti-drug from start to finish, so what was there for the type of people who get offended by such things to be offended by?
As for “Conspiracy”, yeah, that was MAJOR nightmare fuel when I was 6 years old. I’ve gotten over it in the intervening years.
I think it is a stupid title, but I don’t think it’s worth reacting so strongly. Why not just say like “crazy stuff my dad says” or “Things My dad says” “My dad says crazy stuff” Ok, maybe that isn’t the best of titles, but it could have been reworded. And at least it is bleeped out or replaced by symbols.
And yes, there are a lot more things in the media to complain about besides this.
As for the other stuff they talk about, I was probably 15 or so when I saw the kirk/uhura kiss, so was not anthing to even think about to me. I think Remek blowing up was pretty cool actually. I didn’t care much for the episode with Dax and her past hosts lover. I think that was just a way for “how can we have 2 chicks kiss and explain it?” And as far as T’pol being naked, I though that was pretty stupid too. Give me a good plot line and some action, not T’pol’s butt.
And is anyone else offended by that recording of Roddenberry?
Oh please, there are worse things in a world to cause a stir over. It’s TV, and there are plenty of worse things for a kid to watch. If parents are concerned, don’t let them watch it. Besides, anyone who’s not old enough to face the ever-so-fearsome censored expletive should be asleep before 8:30pm anyway.
Long live this show, long live the Shat!
And a nice touch with Star Trek controversy – those episodes and many more can fit in. It’s a nice touch.
Stuff My Dad Says…. see… easy, Just tell your kids thats what it says.
Stupid ass people get all butt hurt over the stupidest things.
how ridiculous. CBS should have called it Stuff My Dad Says and then they’d not have these weirdos harassing them.
I’m a parent, and I can’t wait for this show!
Yeah, I wondered how they were going to do that. And I’d forgotten about T’Pol’s rear end. Wow!
Well, shat my mouth….
Dad’s say the darndest things?
The Parents Television Council cranks out press releases like lonely fans used to crank out fanzines: Lot’s of them, with poor quality, and no resemblance to reality. It’s former head, L.Brent Bozell, is the son of the former speechwriter for Sen. Joseph McCarthy, of all people, so he learned how to smear and distort the truth at his father’s knee, all in the name of “doing what’s right”. The organization, and it’s leadership, care nothing about quality or truth, and everything about getting publicity and screaming “the sky is falling”, with about the same level of intellectual scope.
In other words, they, and their message, is pretty much worthless, and not of use to anyone AT ALL…. and best ignored completely, so they’ll dry up and blow away….
The only time that I found Trek offensive was the stuff going on between Trip and T’pol. Not that it wasn’t hot- it was! But because it was just cynically done to garner ratings. But then I guess thats why sex is usually used!
As for that clip- dammit and s*’! i can’t view it in the UK. It makes me wana curse out loud!
So this council wants to protect everyone from a word they hear in everyday life? Idiots.
This family message is brought to you by Ted Haggard, Roy Ashburn and George Rekers
I just don’t get all the hand-wringing. “My kid’s going to have questions.” Yeah? So? Answer them. That’s a parent’s job. Be glad if they ask you and not some kid on the playground. If a parent thinks their child will be severely traumatized from hearing the word “shit”, they might want to take a long look at their parenting style.
I don’t advocate gratuitous profanity; but, I for one, don’t look forward to explaining the words “war” or “famine” or “murder” to my kids. Those words are truly profane.
Hi, I am from Germany and don’t know too much about American television. I have got a question: Is it really a problem, when somebody says “shit” on TV? I mean, it’s not such a “hard” word. There are many more words with let’s say more sexual content. And in Germany there often isn’t a problem with saying them as well. I really would like to know.
I mean it’s the same with naked butts or kisses between two women or two men. You can see them all the day on tv, no matter which time of the day.
Greetings,
Stephan
That would surely have been obvious. If they didn’t think that title was going to offend anyone then they have their heads stuck in a bucket.
Here’s the thing with swearing. If the show is good then having a title without swearing won’t lose one person who doesn’t care.
On the other hand…
I would have thought appealing to the largest market would have been the goal.
If it’s just intended as cheap marketing ploy for initial notice then i think that is a pure insult and lack of acknowledgment to the sheer audience pulling power of William Shatner.
I remember how confusing the ending of Conspiracy was when I first saw it: the BBC cut the ending of the episode, so we see Picard and Riker shoot at Remek, then cut to Picard’s captain’s log.
Great scene, though! I was disappointed we never got as gory again, although the Borg’s first appearance was downright creepy!
It is obvious CBS chose this title FOR the controversy (and thus interest) it would generate – now they have to deal with that….
Bill reminds me of my dad (RIP). Count me in!
The offending word in the title is never going to be said – It will just be a bleep sound. And the word will not appear either.
I like Roddenberry’s cynicism of the censors.
Why is GR’s name in quotation marks?
If the PTC has their way, they can always rename the show to “Shat: My Dad Says”. ;)
Well, any publicity is good publicity….
Follwing the Big Bang Theory, I really don’t think promotion is going to be a problem. The whole thing is absurd. Are they going to form a newspaper group and launch a campaign against comic strips next? Lord knows we can’t have Beetle Bailey’s Sarge yelling $@!!&!….it’s just so offensive!
This show sounds like high concept sh**, but really as the Shat said “Get a life!” Some of these same people wouldn’t bat an eye their kid watching violence or playing a violent video game, but they flip out over a bleeped out expletive. Granted swearing is overused as an attention getter, but you can’t shelter your kid forever. If you don’t like it vote with the dial. Truly, get a life. There are a lot bigger issues that should be getting people batsh** out there than piffle like this.
@32 – I like it ;)
Just watched the preview thing, and I for sure will try and catch that show. It looks awesome!
Okay, so I’m a bit off base as I missed the part over the PTC and violence, but as for many parents who get upset by this piffle, I stand by my statement. I’m shocked by what is often okay and goes without restriction, while parents get all loco about stuff like this.
South Park said SHIT uncensored HOW MANY times? in one episode… well over 100. They did it to show that the more times you say something the less it means.
PTC should go over to England and watch TV for awhile.
Pfffft- anyone with a website and 10 bucks to put out a press release can protest whatever they feel like. Boring.
If these “social watchdogs” believe that simply keeping the poor, innocent children from seeing or hearing a so called bad word on TV will keep them safe, they must have a SHITstorm (ha, see what I did there?) whenever their kids go out into real life (like in their own households, school, the bus stop, stores, etc). I mean, life has all sorts of bad things. Children get exposed to these things because, hey, IT’S LIFE. I can promise you every single child has heard profanity a dozen times a day (at least). Please, these folks beed to get off their high horses before they fall off… and into shit.
Too bad it couldnt be called Shat My Dad Says…although I’m sure that line’s already been mentioned
well they better go with SHAT my dad says as I said a few days back….just makes sense!….make it so
“Felgercarb My Dad Says” just doesn’t have the same ring.
Oh wait, wrong franchise. ;-)
#42 several hundred times since the show was announced. ;-)
It doesn’t get any funnier either.
@13 – No.
The world will be such a better place to live in when people quit living in fear of words.
Perhaps they should rename the show “$#*! EVERYONE SAYS, INCLUDING MEMBERS OF PARENT GROUPS, THE HYPOCRITES”…
13. Capt.Roykirk -
“And is anyone else offended by that recording of Roddenberry?”
Exactly what is there to be offended about? Everything he mentions IS in the Bible, it’s not like he’s making anything up. Good point made by GR concerning the double standards of these type of organizations.
I think this whole thing is ridiculous. “Shit” is a very harmless word and as pointed out, it’s not even mentioned.
Btw, did the PTC ever complain about the term “frack” being used in Battlestar Galactica?
^38. South Park doesn’t have to deal with the FCC’s indecency standards. The FCC can only regulate indecency on broadcast TV because the radio spectrum is licensed public property. Basic cable usually mimics broadcast standards but only for commercial reasons, to be non-controversial and not scare advertisers.
49 – No, because the FCC has much more limited authority over cable television shows (and really no authority over premium channels like HBO or Showtime) than they do over over-the-air networks.
The PTC is pretty much full of sound and fury, but signifies nothing. They will deluge the FCC with hundreds of thousands of form letters over something they find objectionable.
From everything I’ve seen, the FCC treats them like that fly that buzzes about your ears.
They want to get their knickers in a twist, fine. Other than the 1-day story, nothing will come of it.
#13. I’m as religious as they come, and even *I* found it humorous. He wasn’t ridiculing the Bible, just the small-minded perceptions of network censors.
#49. “Btw, did the PTC ever complain about the term “frack” being used in Battlestar Galactica?”
Or how about Picard saying “Merde” in TNG? $#*! by any other name…
Folks, calm down. This is great free publicity. The Shat’s new show is on everyone’s lips because of the so called controversy. The protestors were probably paid off by CBS to do this. Everyone is gonna want to see this show at least once, just because they’ve heard about the controversy. If the show is good, they’ll become loyal viewers. If its re-hashed sitcom material, it’ll be over and forgotten about by 2011.
call it “She, it ! My father says
Guys, parents just want the best for their kids. Think about it: who wants a kid who swears every minute of the day when they are only 6 years old? No one!
What they don’t realize (not meaning to be pessimistic here, but) is that their kids will find out what s*** means, and probably what a whole lot of other worse words mean at school.
No matter how homeschooled, sheltered, and prisoned you keep them, no matter how many parental controls you put on the internet, not matter how many blocks you put on the TV, the fact is: If they interact with other human they will eventually find out. (If you don’t let them interact with other human being you are cruel and a horrible parent and your kid will most likely turn out to be a psychopath.)
I was reading about a study once that said that kids who have been kept completely away from all the “bad” (I mean like not knowing about it at all) will be more susceptible to give into the “bad” when they grow up. Of course, I have to admit this was talking about drugs, but I guess it would probably make sense for swearing too (I don’t mean giving your kids drug so they find out about it, I mean simply telling them that stuff does go on like that in the real world. They deserve to know. They live here too. )
and, a lot of parents are gonna hate me for saying this, but, if your kid is a good kid and obeys you, then when you say “yeah s*** is a bad word, its not polite to say it” they will listen. Everyone makes mistakes, but they will try to be good.
And is they don’t listen, and swear their heads off all the time, you’re screwed.
I’ve always been fascinated how, in our culture, certain words are forbidden, while other words, words that mean the exact same thing, are acceptable. We can say crap, but we can’t say shit. We can say “poop”, but shit is is out the question. We can say “doody”, but shit is evil.
So, in the end, it’s not the actual meaning of the word that is offensive, as all the above reference feces. Instead, its just that one particular way of expressing it.
Amazing and confounding, all at the same time.
3rd title…..
Shat My Dad Says
- W -
* I’ll pick that one *
#58- Yeah! Oh! Shat!!!…..HAHAHAHAHA!
Here is were the word shit comes from.
Ever wonder where the word “shit” comes from. Well here it is:
Certain types of manure used to be transported (as everything was back then) by ship. In dry form it weighs a lot less, but once water (at sea) hit it. It not only became heavier, but the process of fermentation began again, of which a by-product is methane gas.
As the stuff was stored below decks in bundles you can see what could (and did) happen; methane began to build up below decks and the first time someone came below at night with a lantern. BOOOOM!
Several ships were destroyed in this manner before it was discovered what was happening.
After that, the bundles of manure where always stamped with the term “S.H.I.T” on them which meant to the sailors to “Ship High In Transit.” In other words, high enough off the lower decks so that any water that came into the hold would not touch this volatile cargo and start the production of methane.
F*ck the PTC
Wow, that’s a little crazy. Why didn’t they just title it “Stuff my Dad Says” or “Crap my Dad Says” to appease these people? I’m not really sure what I’m supposed to call the show when I’m telling my mom about it.
“Hey mom, William Shatner has a new show on TV…”
“Oh yeah, what’s it called?”
Should I “bleep” myself, which is painfully lame? I have no idea.
The PTC thinks this is helping children?? They should go home and watch what their own kids are watching/listening to. Much bigger issues out there than this, trust me.
Or go out and clean litter off the highway. Seriously. Something that will add value other than expelling their own hot air.
My kids hear me say “shit” all the time, I just don’t allow them to use it. Double standard? Sure! But so what!
As a parent, I have no problem with my kids reading the word “shit” as part of a TV show title, since they will not even want to watch it.
That parents group is ridiculous.
Gordon Ramsay, the stuck-up English chef and entrepreneur uses the s-word freely to get his points across on TV, no bleeps. That’s not in defense, it’s just the way people speak in real life. And, sorry, parents, your kids will also learn and use that word as soon as they can. It’s our responsibility as parents to make sure they do so as discretely and politely as possible.
Looking at the preview for Bill’s show, I can’t imagine how a “family” organization can complain about a show where a dad has an active relationship with his two adult sons. Hello? Check your mission statement.
We all already call it “Shat” My Dad Says anyway … so if they really feel the pressure, they can go with that and get a laugh or two, make light of the family watchdog shrews, and that’ll be that!
60 – Actually, according to Urban Legends, that is a pile of shit.
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl-s-word.htm
:-)
Dear PTC
∫µ©€ OFF!
I thangguoo
The choice of the title is quite simple really: The suits at CBS felt that “petaQ my dad says” was a little too obscure.
@ 60 cdp
That’s amazing! I always wondered how that came about. It doesn’t really explain how an acronym became a profanity, but facinating nonetheless!
#65 “That’s not in defense, it’s just the way people speak in real life.”
Well, to be fair, that’s the way SOME people talk. There are others that use a little restraint. My grandparents never swore like a sailor and I have to say, hearing a woman talk like that is a bit of a turn off as is hearing young parents talking like that around their young kids. Its not about them hearing it, it’s about setting examples. Now yelling out when you burn you finger is one thing, but tossing profanity about every other word is a bit annoying and there is just something distinctly trailer-trash about the whole thing.. A little class goes a long way.
But TV isn’t about class. It’s about ratings. Television is a business and that is totally expected. But this whole uproar over the “inferred” meaning of a censored word in a TV show title is crazy. Surely these people can find worthier things to ruin their sleep at night.
Why call it something that will offend even 10 % of your audience? I don’t care about the name but I know many won’t even give it a chance now because of the name.
Do they think they’ll win more people over because of the name than those they’ll lose?
Maybe I’m too much of a capitalistic pragmatist. I want to make money and the way you do that in tv is to have the biggest audience. This doesn’t make a lot of economic sense.
I love that line in the preview where Shatner says how no one is good at impersonating him after his son does the Shatner-stagger-speech. Brilliant!!
I couldn’t hate the PTC anymore than I already do, but they keep trying to push me over that line.
First off, thanks for presuming I can’t raise, watch over, and protect my own children! I’m sooooo glad you are hear to do a better job then I ever could. I mean you aren’t just doing it for me you are doing it for every kid, everywhere!
What an arrogant and self righteous organization this is. Who are they to tell us what to let and not let our children watch?
Chances are if you don’t want your kids watching this show then you don’t need anyone to help you in that regard. As for hearing it….. well they won’t hear it on TV. If they hear it somewhere else….. well guess what? They were going to hear about that word in some context anyway.
I was going to say I can’t believe how prudish people are but after reading some of the the responses here I find that it is easy to believe. Has society degenerated to a point where a simple word cause this grief? I think they should just say it like it is. I’m certain everyone (kids included) has heard a lot worse.
This will hardly be a family show. “Shit” in the title, talk of lesbians, and William Shatner. “Stuff My Dad Says” would have worked fine. I’ll give this show a try for sure but my kids in their early teens won’t see it until after I’ve determined if it’s appropriate. I’m guessing it won’t but I’m still open.
There is no such thing as a family show any more. Writing on most shows is so base and in your face that the attempts at humor mostly fail. I enjoy occasional inuendo or discussions that require the audience to think but that’s not what sells any more. Movies are worse. most PG-13 films should be rated R.
mah Nana alwis used tae say that SHIT isnae a swear word but SHITE is.
Ah dinnae see wit aw the fuss is aboot.
P.T.C F.C.C E.A.T S.H.I.T!
#72 “capitalistic pragmatist… I want to make money” – god bless ‘em
“…the Parents Television Council, a watchdog group which professes to be the ‘nation’s most annoying advocacy organization protecting the entire country, children and adults included, against anything that might otherwise be interesting on television.’”
Fixed it for you. :-)
I can understand the need to protect children from exposure to material unsuitable to their age level, but organizations like the PTC don’t actually care about children as far as I can tell. They cite “children” because it sounds nice and it’s something lots of people can agree on, but they’re actually interested in banning content for everybody. Classic case of “I can watch this and it doesn’t affect me, but if my weak-minded neighbor sees the program he’ll go off and murder his cat.”
—
BTW is that T’pol but pic the full version or the cropped one that aired on UPN? I’ve only seen the episode on TV so was never able to compare.
hahahahah how sad. oh no a bad word! if my kids hear the word shit they might turn into god hating whores…
25 – Profanity in our country is pretty much only a problem on TV. An individual can overuse it and become obnoxious, but the worst that can really happen is this person be asked nicely to tone it down. On TV on the other hand, it’s a big problem because so many children (as some would have us believe anyway) are raised more by their televisions than by their parents. TV and movies have had a long history of censorship here ever since their creation. It’s relaxed quite a bit now, but broadcast TV and radio is still a big deal. And by big deal I mean people base their careers on counting the number of times somebody says “shit” and then filing complaints.
Also, if you’ll pardon my overgeneralization of your country’s culture, Germans seem much more comfortable around poo than Americans do, as a concept at least. I’m sure there are quite a few of you who think it’s gross and don’t want to touch it, but it seems there are also quite a few Germans who find it a great topic for humor.
#75
you do homeschool, right? Otherwise shit or not in the title your kids have seen and heard worse at school. What is it with puritans. on this site. This is not the future Gene tried to show us. give you a hint… If your religous, capitalistic or both then there is no place for you in the final frontier.
cont…
Well maybe on ferenginar
I’m still surprised the PTC are denouncing or threatening anything. It’s as though they think people take their insignificant, worthless little group seriously. News flash to the PTC: nobody does.
Damn I hate it when people think they’ve become some moral authority that others should follow. These people think others can’t take proper care of their kids so they try to tell them how to. What a bulls#*t organization. Much like PETA, just not quite as screwy in the head.
Anyway, I can’t wait for ‘S#*! My Dad Says’ this fall. I’m holding out hope that it’s as funny as the Twitter account. It probably won’t be, but I won’t diss it until I’ve seen it. :-P
80 (Jock McTroll) – Apparently the final frontier according to you is the old Soviet Union. Certainly something to look forward to….
There are more important things that threaten children. Talk about misdirected outrage.
These quasi religious groups are made up of typically 1 to 5 people who write letters and actually get attention.
They represent no one. They represent no values. And they do not buy any products that the advertisers of the show sell.
They are lazy coward cocksuckers who are worried more about a TV show rather than actually taking action and making real helpful change in the world.
I wish severe and irrecoverable illness upon each and every one of them.
Stuff my Dad says.
Unless it’s on NBC- they don’t care WHAT they put– how offensive it is in the 8 o’clock hour.
#83 (oregon tr$k freak) apparentally the final frontier you envision involves the starfleet corporation not FEDERATION. Face it, to make a future like star trek anywhere close to feasible will take a system of economics and industry far different to the ones we have now which are built up around money and making money and making more money. capitalism = greed… And dont even get me started on the religulous side of it :)
I love America and it’s people but i have to say here is a people who will get behind a 50 year old president that gets a blow job from a teenager yet has a melt down over seeing a nipple.
Not a judgement, just saying.
87 – Jockstrap, “The trouble with socialism is socialism. The trouble with capitalism is capitalists.” W. F. Buckley.
And to paraphrase Churchill, capitalism is the worst system, except for all of the others that have been tried.
89 (oregon trek geek) you seem like an intelligent guy/gal I will refrain from witty name calling. You had me beat with jockstrap anyway, way cool. Anyhoo, why is it the alternative to capitalism is always a system which has also been tried and shown to fail, ie: socialism, communism etc. The idea of creating a “vision of the future” would surely be helped by entering into a new system of social and economical change, e.g. http://www.thevenusproject.com...
… Your right with buckley too, people are the problem. Weird hearing the churchill quote cos I just finished watchin RealTime with Bill Maher and someone used the exact same quote, coincidence?
I think the potty mouthed defenders of a deliberately offensive program need to (1) apologize to the decent people that raised them and (2) wash their mouths with soap.
Some of you people are less mature than my sons who are still little boys.
And for those of you that are “confounded”, you wouldn’t understand. It’s a Christian thing.
For those that complain of “prudes” and “Puritan” all I will say is, You have 9/10th of the decadent, dying, diseased, First World, such as it is. Leave what little remains to us Puritanical Prudes. After all, we’re the ones that built it for everyone of you and, since we are the only ones interested in preserving both our people and our civilization, what difference does it make to you? You and your foul, narcissistic hedonism will soon be dead along with every other people that dared in the face of the laws of nature.
“Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die” eh? Also, “Surely you have your reward.” Leave the rest of us alone if only because you have [each] other[s] things to “do”.
Sincerely,
C.S. Lewis
@91. C.S. Lewis
Nice little history lesson there. Completely inaccurate of course, but very cute.
It’s a shame then that you haven’t (yet?) absorbed Roddenberry’s and Star Trek’s vision:
“In Gene Roddenberry’s imagining of the future (in this case the 23rd century), Earth is a paradise where we have solved all of our problems with technology, ingenuity, and compassion. There is no more hunger, war, or disease. And most importantly to the context of our meeting here today, religion is completely gone. Not a single human being on Earth believes in any of the nonsense that has plagued our civilization for thousands of years. This was an important part of Roddenberry’s mythology. He, himself, was a secular humanist and made it well-known to writers of STAR TREK and STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION that religion and superstition and mystical thinking were not to be part of his universe. On Roddenberry’s future Earth, everyone is an atheist. And that world is the better for it.” – Brannon Braga.
I think debates on censorship are so fascinating because they display the state of self-perception as well as contemporary fears of different societies so well. Often these are fears of societal disintegration, and since in many modern cultures the traditional family is seen as the core and root of society, lobby groups often argue like “The kids…” and claim to do the best for society as a whole at the same time. (This is also the reason why some people may accept alternative forms of individual sexuality but would never approve other forms of marriage or family. The argumentations may be religious, but in fact it’s usually about very modern fears of societal disintegration.)
Anyway, the great irony is that calls for regulation of communication have always been very prominent in modern times, yet consequent regulations have never worked, not even in the most authoritarian systems. Language is too dynamic. You can ban words, but people just find other words to get the same message across.
This looks like a moronic show anyways. Come on Shat, these “kids” of yours should really be your grand kids. I am getting “Shatted out” now — I think he is overexposeda and getting tiresome.
Just add a family dog and change the name to “Shih Tzu, My Dad Says”
@# 7. Ezytarget: ” Or how about this, if you don’t agree with it. DON’T WATCH IT! Turn the channel! I mean really is this to hard of a concept for people who are offended by something?”
Um, not that easily to avoid Ezytarget. You make it sound easy but it’s not easy to avoid when it’s advertised on TV. It lowers the bar for what’s acceptable. Not everyone wants their children being exposed to filth. Sure, a lot of people don’t care (like those on this board) but there are people out there that do have principles.
Think of the children. If they start using asterisks at a tender young age (or the pound sign! THE POUND SIGN!) the collapse of western society is surely imminent.
Anyone who disagrees is obviously an enemy of children and simply hates decency.
#96: “…there are people out there that do have principles.”
Yes there are. But it’s distasteful (not to say dishonest) to drape taboo in the cloak of principle. One is not the other, and in fact they are frequently (and in this case) opposites.
Go Billy go!
#93 said: “Anyway, the great irony is that calls for regulation of communication have always been very prominent in modern times, yet consequent regulations have never worked, not even in the most authoritarian systems. Language is too dynamic. You can ban words, but people just find other words to get the same message across.”
Dude, you are really naive. If you say things on your cellphone related to terrorism and national security that would threaten something, the NSA is listening, and and FBI agent would soon be in contact with you.
Oh for goodness’ sake. Just DON’T LET YOUR KIDS WATCH IT. I really wish parents would just monitor what their children do instead of blaming things on the shows themselves.
#88 Your mistaken. We weren’t behind Clinton. Its just that…….well…….we were all in line. Don’t judge us!!!!!!!
#92 That philosophy has been tried in the former Soviet Union, and you could go experience it right now in North Korea. If leaving my faith behind is right, then I’ll just have to be wrong.
@103. Lore:
Well, not exactly. There is no use of force in that philosophy, in the USSR/North Korea kind of communism (which isn’t actually pure teachings of communism but let’s say it is) however there certainly is.
I live in the most secularized country in the world – Sweden. Although we have been ruled by social democrats for most of the time (though not always and not currently so) we enjoy the same freedom of religion that you do. But we also have larger equality than in the USA for instance, probably due to the fact we have free education for all (amongst other benefits). This basically means that people in general are better educated here compared to many religious countries (which are usually more right-wing). My point with this? There is only one weapon to be used in the struggle for Gene’s vision. That is Education (and by that I mean REAL education such as science and history, not theology or creationism).
Where education prospers, religion suffocates :)
Some clarifications about my previous post:
Just to be clear, I wasn’t trying to say “my country is better than yours” because I believe that there is no perfect nation. Some are better on this, and others are better on that.
And I do believe that everybody has the right to believe what they want, as long as they are not imposing it on others (which is what so much of religion does unfortunately, that’s pretty much the problem with it). Having said that, it is preferred for human kind to believe in what for there is evidence, rather than superstition. Historically, all superstitions have turned out to be nonsense.
The Wildmon tribe strikes again.
104 — the “larger equality” argument of Sweden over the U.S. is ridiculous. When you have a homegenous population based on one single culture and race that disqualifies you from saying you have more equality then a country that is made of many races and immigrants. It is easy to say everyone is equal when everyone looks the same, has the same cultural background, and the same history…big deal, I am unimpressed.
“And I do believe that everybody has the right to believe what they want, as long as they are not imposing it on others (which is what so much of religion does unfortunately, that’s pretty much the problem with it).”
Perhaps the only thing more disingenous than a religious zealot trying to convert me is an athiest trying to convert me. Beware of athiests that try to hard, as they are most likely just as insecure in their beliefs and any religioius zealot.
I respect people who keep their religious or non-religous beliefs to themsleves.
the parent should worry more about the Disney film where someone dies in every flim. I find if I do not like something on TV, I change the channel. These people need to get a life and change the channel. No where does it state that 8:30 PM on thursday night that your childern and you must watch this program.
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