"Diff'rent Strokes" actor pleads guilty to a lesser charge, landing him a fine, classes, and possible jail time
'Gossip Girl' Threesome Has PTC Peeved
The Parents Television Council is threatening to declare war on CW affiliates who broadcast next week's Very Special Threesome episode of "Gossip Girl."
In a letter to affiliates obtained by TheWrap, PTC chief Tim Winter blasts the scheduled storyline as "reckless and irresponsible" and claims the show is "expressly targeted to impressionable teenagers."
The head of the right-wing political action group says CW affiliates that air the episode will be "complicit in establishing a precedent and expectation that teenagers should engage in behaviors heretofore associated primarily with adult films."
Winter then makes it clear that local affiliates have the right to preempt programming that doesn't meet the interests of their community. And, most disturbingly, he warns the stations that they will "bear the financial burden of an FCC fine" should the government declare that next week's episode violates decency laws.
Of course, Winter hasn't seen the episode in question. He's only read press reports about the hour, including an initial online posting by Entertainment Weekly that stated the episode would feature "three major characters having sex. At the same time. In the same bed. Together."
CW insiders confirm the Nov. 9 show will end with three characters in a tryst. Flashbacks from their menage-a-OMG will air in future episodes.
The network isn't commenting on the upcoming storyline or the PTC missive.
But it's worth noting that The CW, despite Winter's claim, isn't targeted toward teens. The network's median age is 33, while "GG's" average viewer is 27. And fully 84 percent of "GG's" audience is over 18, which is why some affiliates have taken commercials for beer and liquor during the show.
Targeting teens wouldn't make sense for The CW, since there's far more money to be made attracting women 18-34 -- the network's declared demographic. Disney Channel and TeenNick are more likely targets for advertisers looking to reach teens and tweens.
What's more, "GG" airs at 9 p.m., outside of the old family hour (8/7 central) and carries a TV14 rating.
And, oh yes, a threesome is hardly a big deal for kids who easily access online porn. Or listen to Britney Spears coo about the joys of "3" in her latest top-10 radio hit.
The PTC, however, wants affiliates to boycott something they haven't seen, based on a brief item in a magazine.
Here's the full letter from the PTC:
By now you must be aware of reports in Entertainment Weekly and elsewhere that the November 9th episode of the teen-targeted drama Gossip Girl will feature major characters in a sexual threesome.
To include a story line like this on a program that is expressly targeted to impressionable teenagers is reckless and irresponsible. I appeal to your highest sense of decency, respect and common sense in urging you to preempt this episode.
Television is profoundly influential in the lives of children, especially when it comes to sexual decision making - it has even been described by one researcher as a "sexual super-peer" - signifying television's power to amplify, many times over, the peer-pressure teens are already feeling to engage in high-risk sexual behaviors.
When television portrays attractive, popular teenage characters as sexually active, it sends a powerful message to young viewers that they, too, should be sexually active and in fact, there might be something wrong with them if they aren't.
Teens are aware that television influences their behavior. According to one survey, a third of youths 12 and older say the media encourages them to have sex by making it seem like "everybody does it." At least half a dozen studies in the past few years have documented a strong correlation between exposure to adult media content in childhood and early onset of sexual activity among teens. Viewing of sexual media content has even been found to be predictive of teen pregnancy.
As one researcher who has seen these effects first-hand observed, "Children have neither the life experience nor the brain development to fully differentiate between a reality they are moving toward and a fiction meant solely to entertain. Children learn from media, and when they watch media with sexual references and innuendos, our research suggests they are more likely to engage in sexual activity earlier in life."
Gossip Girl routinely depicts teenage characters engaging in promiscuous and consequence-free sexual behavior, and that's bad enough. But will you now be complicit in establishing a precedent and expectation that teenagers should engage in behaviors heretofore associated primarily with adult films? Behaviors that not only increase health risks, but which are emotionally and psychologically damaging to participants, as well? I certainly hope not, and I'm sure members of your community and parents of children who watch your network expect more of you.
May I also remind you that it is the affiliate, not the CW network, that will bear the financial burden of an FCC fine should any of the content of the November 9th episode be found to violate broadcast decency laws.
Finally, you must ask yourself, how does airing this program serve your obligation to serve the public interest?
In a declaratory ruling last year, the FCC affirmed affiliates' ability to preempt any network programming that is "unsatisfactory or unsuitable or contrary to the public interest." The record on this is clear: contracts between networks and their affiliates may not legally prevent preemption of programming that does not meet LOCAL COMMUNITY standards. As a station manager you not only have a right, but an obligation to preempt programs like Gossip Girl that fail to meet that standard.
Please be advised that the PTC will monitor this episode very closely.
Comments
Karen Says
Gossip Girl is awesome and I just watched this most talked about episode with the 3 some. All I have to say is: Please! the PTC is ridiculousy lame! Get over it! The show has now moved the characters into college age mainly and the 3 characters that participated in this 3 some were college students and on top of it all - they didn't even show any sex. A few kisses - wow! call the police! and then a quick 5 second scene of the 3 of them sleeping in bed! It barely touched upon the topic of a 3 some and I think they portrayed it all in a very tasteful way and if the PTC is crying over this - I guess they never watched Nip Tuck!
PTC if you're this upset - don't have your children watching it, I remember when I was a kid - my friend wasn't allowed to watch the Simpsons (how funny is that?) lol - so, instead of blaming the tv - blame yourselves PTC - and start being parents! You're the adults here - who's watching your kids? - you or the tv, b/c I've heard how tvs have become the best babysitters, so get your heads out of your asses and maybe instead of having your kids watching this tv show and then spending all this time making a fuss about it - perhaps spend some time with your kids, it's called quality time.
Now, that I've said my peace - I love this show and I hope the PTC doesn't ruin it for all of us mature people who can "handle" watching this show! :)
BearDogg-X Says
TMACK, continue being a responsible parent, but by "boycotting" a show you probably don't even watch anyway, all you're doing is promoting it and getting more people to see what the big deal is.
TMACK Says
I, along with thousands of others am boycotting the show - I just saw the commercial tonight for the Nov 9th episode "3some" --- Being a responsible parent there is no way my family will be watching this show - what a TERRIBLE message to send to our youth. CW went too far this time!!!
- outraged & yes, very offended.
Kelsey Says
First of all, as someone who watches gossip girl, this show is not nearly as sexually as some of the others on tv. Second, if the parents would spend half the time parenting their children instead of standing on their soapboxes, then their kids could be trusted to watch the show and see it for what it is, a serial drama.
And Third, GG is Oh My F-ing God good.
Elizabeth Says
Organizations like the PTC are just way too conservative. Rather than parenting, they'd rather just get their panties in a bunch and huff and puff and blow shows off the air.
BearDogg-X Says
Al, One man's "trash" is another man's treasure. Take it from someone who actually watches the show, Gossip Girl is actually quite vanilla for a "teen show"(although I've never read the books the show is based on). Although I do agree that there needs to be more creativity.
Al Says
Looks like you are defending it also based on not seeing it.
Why should anyone wait to talk about it anyway. Trash is trash.
Perhaps the writers could just produce porn like they want to and leave shows for the people who can create.
Toscanti Says
You have to love these right wing freaks who seem to have nothing better to do than to attempt to wreak havoc on others. Perhaps they should exercise their right to tune out and Stop infringing on my right to view. I will watch what I want and they should monitor what their children watch. Get a life!!!!!!
BearDogg-X Says
The Parent Trash Cult and Tim Winter should just shut up as they're out of their element. The PTC should be making plans to pay those fines for the CW affilates since they're promoting the show much more than the CW is, which shows how low the PTC's I.Q.'s really are. There's a huge difference between being genuinely offended and looking to be "offended".
And considering that these people have had to pay Vince McMahon and WWE $3.5 million and publicly apologize to him for publicly lying about WWE Smackdown! "causing" Lionel Tate to cold-bloodedly murder a five-year-old girl half his size and lying that several companies had pulled ads from WWE programming when either they didn't or had never advertised on WWE programming to begin with, and considering that they haven't learned their lesson since they lie about the video game industry(see GamePolitics.com about their lies there), they really have no credibility.
Greg Andrew Says
The FCC does not fine stations for storylines, so the threat is an empty one.
And this in still network tv, so the message no doubt will be "threesomes are bad."
marc Says
DR,
Joe isn't defending this "stunt" as much as critiquing the PTC for attacking something they haven't seen. His point also being kids today have access to much worse and his Britney Spears comment reflected that one of today's biggest hits is an ode to the joys of a threesome and is barely clouded in innuendo - and is available on a commercial radio near you every hour and half. I understood his story to be less rah rah GOSSIP GIRL and more hey PTC be consisten or worry about something really important. But that's just how I understood it.
If you read him regularly I think you can see what a fair and consistent journalist he is
DR Says
CW shrewdly wins ratings-wise in duping the hapless PTC to call greater attention to this garbage. But Josef loses respect by so enthusiastically defending this stunt episode on the CW, which so obviously targets teens even if its demos skew older. MTV used the same double-talk back in the 80s, crying to advisory panels "we don't shape culture, we reflect it" and then bragging to advertisers "we own this generation, pay up." So what's your cut, Josef?
Music Questions From The Week Of 1/7-1/13 Says
Has the PTC not yet learned that if they really don't want something to gain attention, they SHOULDN'T call for a boycott. Everytime they do this, all they do is give more eyes and attention to something that in the world of GOSSIP GIRL probably wouldn't create much of a stir otherwise.
Second, GOSSIP GIRL has had pelnty of other storylines they could have objected to, oh like 17 year olds having endless money, power, wealth, absurd storlyines at their disposal, the list goes on.
Finally, menage-a-OMG- genius!