You Can’t Make This Up

Hey folks,

In the You Can’t Make This Up category, we have this. From the AP as a big story? Nude buttocks may cost ABC $1.4 million

The Federal Communications Commission has proposed a $1.4 million fine against 52 ABC Television Network stations over a 2003 broadcast of cop drama NYPD Blue.

When was the last NYPD Blue on? Hasn’t it been off the air for a while?

The fine is for a scene where a boy surprises a woman as she prepares to take a shower. The scene depicted multiple, close-up views of the woman's nude buttocks according to an agency order issued late Friday.

This is NOT new. How many times did we see, not that we wanted to, Dennis Franz’s nude buttocks? This was one of their niches. This was what set them apart. They were the first to show as much skin as they did. But this is NOT what bothers me about this story.

ABC is owned by the Walt Disney Co. The fines were issued against 52 stations either owned by or affiliated with the network.

FCC's definition of indecent content requires that the broadcast depicts or describes sexual or excretory activities in a patently offensive way and is aired between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.

There is nothing wrong with nude people. Do I want Josh to watch them? No. But just because you have a nude person, male or female, does NOT "depict or describes sexual or excretory activities in a patently offensive way.” Have you ever walked in on someone changing or taking a shower? Have YOU every been walked in on? There is NOTHING sexual about the event. Depending on who it is and what FOLLOWS, that could be. But the event of someone walking in on someone is NOT sexual.

The agency said the show was indecent because it depicts sexual organs and excretory organs — specifically an adult woman's buttocks.

The buttocks is a SEXUAL ORGAN? Since when? The butt has nothing to do with sex. OK, OK, it can be used during sex, but so can your hand. So is your hand a sexual organ? Should we all wear gloves?

The agency rejected the network's argument that the buttocks are not a sexual organ.

That is true.
Peter