Family Guy doesn’t just cross the line – it obliterates it

By: American Decency Staff

Fox TV’s Family Guy doesn’t just cross the line – it obliterates it.  If you are one of our regular readers, you know from our alerts that this is one of network television’s most concerning shows.  Episode after episode of this animated sitcom is filled with profanity, sexual situations and dialogue, and the foulest of themes. Whether it’s the innocent sounding name, “Familyâ€Â Guy, or the fact that the show is a cartoon, many parents, I fear, are oblivious of what their children and teens are actually watching and taking into their hearts and minds.  It’s not only troubling, but down right frightening, to learn that Parents Television Council reports that Family Guy is one of the most watched shows by children 6 to 11.  This show is not fit for family viewing – or any viewing.  And the fact that it’s animated seems to make the producer, Seth MacFarlane, think that there no limits – no matter how crude, lewd, or lascivious.  Believe me, this is a long way from “The Flintstonesâ€Â.  And Fox TV gives free rein, choosing to air the most vulgar content imaginable. The following is one nauseating example from the May 2 episode. Without giving example of the incredibly vulgar dialogue, this episode dealt in large part with eating feces and vomit, where Brian the dog, who speaks and acts like a human being, is convinced by Stewie, a baby who also speaks and acts like an adult, to eat the feces out of his diaper and lick his rear end clean.  This is all depicted in stomach-turning detail. Of course this would never be shown on a non-animated network show.  Why does Fox seem to get a free pass at it thumbs its nose at federal Indecency Law? This is what the FCC regulation states regarding the legal definition of indecency and what is not allowed on network TV: Indecency is defined as language or material that, in context, describes or depicts, in terms patently offensive as measured by contemporary community broadcast standards for the broadcast medium, sexual or excretory organs or activities. Indecent programming contains patently offensive sexual or excretory references that do not rise to the level of obscenity. As such, the courts have held that indecent material is protected by the First Amendment and cannot be banned entirely. It may, however, be restricted in order to avoid its broadcast during times of the day when there is a reasonable risk that children may be in the audience. As such, broadcasts — both on television and radio — that fit within the indecency definition and that are aired between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. are subject to indecency enforcement action. This law does not apply to cable programming, but Fox is a network station – not cable – and Family Guy is aired at 9 pm Eastern (8 pm Central.) It sure seems to me that this episode blatantly violates that law pertaining to offensive “excretory referencesâ€Â. The FCC needs to be urged to enforce the law regarding the blatant violations of Family Guy.  The FCC has a reputation of doing nothing in regards to indecency complaints. However, this type of material should not be aired over public airwaves when it is very likely that children are in the viewing audience.  You can file a complaint with the FCC by clicking on the following link:  http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm Click on “broadcast TVâ€Â and follow the link to file a complaint against “broadcast programs showing obscene, profane, and/or indecent material.â€ÂÂ  You will need to give specific examples of the show’s content which you believe violates indecency laws.  To assist you with this, email lisa@americandecency.org for transcribed information from this Family Guy episode. In addition to violating not only federal law as well as intrinsic moral law, Fox regularly likes to take aim at God’s Law by blaspheming the Lord and ridiculing Christian beliefs.  It did so again in this episode with a song which mocked God.  Some of the lyrics, which referred to God as “a big fat pigâ€Â, go on to state:  “god’s real flabby with an a—so wide, his arms look like pillows with cake mixed inside, god’s man boobs are flabby and they hurt when he jogs, and the back of god’s neck looks like a pack of hot dogs.â€Â As a Christian this mockery outrages me!  Would Fox ever air such a slap in the face regarding other religions – especially Islam?  And this is coming from the company that owns Fox News Channel which, as Fox obviously knows, has millions of Christians as viewers. In addition to holding the FCC accountable, the corporations which sponsored this offensive show also need to be targeted.  One of those advertisers is Yum Brands (KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Long John Silver’s, A&W), which once again sponsored this episode of Family Guy with an ad for Taco Bell.  Yum Brands has a very long history of sponsoring trash TV.  Other sponsors include McDonalds, Subway, and Chili’s. Please take action and speak out against this foul show.   Contact the sponsors of this offensive episode of Family Guy by clicking on this link: https://americandecency.orgtake_action_form.php?msg_id=30 =============================================== Your support is important to our ability to make a difference: donate online at: https://secure4.afo.net/ada/donate.php American Decency Association Bill Johnson, President P.O. Box 202 Fremont, MI 49412 ph: 231-924-4050 www.americandecency.org http://www.twitter.com/billwjohnson

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