Prime Example....

The FCC is unwilling to grant temporary waivers to television stations who want to show the epic: Saving Private Ryan because the movie uses the "F word" among other obscenities.. Stations can be fined in excess of hundreds of thousands of dollars should someone come and complain..

ABC wants to put SPR out unedited for everyone, much like how someone put Schindler's List on one of the alphabet channels recently.. I personally don't have a problem with it because how all of this is used in the film is REAL (imagine that..) If I'm being shot at by a sniper at 300 yards, I doubt I'm going to say "darn.." No, I'm going to be cussing my ass off because I simply don't like playing the target game at carnivals with LIVE AMMUNITION!!!!

Now - anyone who knows what SPR is about knows that it's a very strong, powerful film that many argue comes as close as one can to accurately portray the landing at Normandy; the decisive military battle that showed the first active military initiative by the American government in World War II..

And -- Thursday, today -- is Veteran's Day.. Seems only fitting to provide some sort of tribute in the form of realism for those that have fought in our wars so that we can understand what sacrifice really is.. If we're going to start sugar-coating history as this administration is doing in Iraq and around the world - then what basis and foundation are we laying for us in 4 years?? We can't be stuck with rose-colored glasses on our heads when the *REALITY* says that things aren't always going to be "Leave it to Beaver.."

Now I noticed something rather strange.. The stations in question that are pulling the plug on Steven Spielberg's movie are almost all red states: Iowa, Georgia, Louisiana, Nebraska, and only one semi-blue state of New Hampshire.. I say it's strange because these states showed overwhelming support of our President in Iraq and yet - there's a rather strange departure if the F-bomb were ever to be used.. Exactly how preposterous is this?? Does the FCC really believe that our troops in Iraq are saying "darn," "mother-trucker" and "shoot??"

Now, I realize that the administration doesn't want to start to pick what may or may not be appropriate -- after all this administration is rock solid when it comes to consistency..... *rolls eyes*

So here's my rant for the day: the FCC should forget about it.. I don't care if Janet Jackson's boob comes popping out, or whether Howard Stern is having sex on the air.. I simply don't believe in govermental controls over what can and can't be shown.. Does the FCC really think that a 14 year old can't try and find a way in to see Saving Private Ryan in a movie theater if they really want to?? They have, and they will.. (Unless the FCC is actually considering what movies should or shouldn't be shown on our theaters.. *shudders*)

So once again it comes back down to the parents.. Why parents don't have the control to turn the channel, educate their sons and daughters, and otherwise BE PARENTS to them.. Reality is a good thing once in awhile.. I'm appalled that we're allowing the government to basically raise our children in a nice, sterile environment that maybe suitable for the posh country clubs of Maryland, but really don't have the same meaning in South Central..

Exactly when does the FCC think we should "educate" the children of the nation that "sometimes people say bad things, but that's only because they are being shot at or otherwise under great duress??" Why does the FCC care so greatly?? FUCK is a word that defines this generation and many others; as it is a colorful metaphor at its worst, aptly defined as: "Used in the imperative as a signal of angry dismissal.." That's why they make a big deal of it on HBO - because they can use the word while other cable outlets can't..

It's ironic that for $10.99 a month, one can hear the word fuck and yet for only $3.99 one can order an adult pay per view and see it in action.. :)

I digress..

Are we protecting children because we want to preserve some level of innocence and purity for as long as we can; because ultimately every parent knows it's impossible to keep children in glass jars on a shelf forever........

Or is the government afraid that if children have a voice, a conscience, an otherwise barometer in the world - that they will become liberals because they are allowed to see the violence, react to it, and possibly try and do something about it??

Fahrenheit 9/11 is propaganda??

Think again, people..


Edited post script From the parentstv.com website: "Context is everything. We agreed with the FCC on its ruling that the airing of Schindler's List on television was not indecent and we feel that Saving Private Ryan is in the same category. In both films, the content is not meant to shock, nor is it gratuitous. We applaud ABC for letting viewers know ahead of time about the graphic nature of the film and that the film would be uncut. Saving Private Ryan airs tonight at 8:00pm EST. It is rated TV-MA.

ahem..

Who is going to decide the context of things?? Considering the Janet Jackson thing was accidental, what is the context of that?? Why is there an apparent selective standard??