Freaky Fundie Alert: AFA's knickers in knots over CBS' "Swingtown"

[marmar]

Sex, group sex and marijuana! Oh my! :scared:



http://capwiz.com/afanet/issues/alert/?alertid=11463081&type=ME


File a complaint against your local CBS station
"Swingtown" violates community standards for broadcast television

Last night, your local CBS station violated its license obligation to "serve the public interest" by airing one of the most offensive programs ever on broadcast television.
In the opening scene of Swingtown, the storyline sends an airline stewardess home with a pilot for 3-way sex with the pilot's wife.

Your local CBS station also aired these scenes from Swingtown:

· Teenagers smoke marijuana as they drive away from school

· Two young boys get caught looking at p*rnogr*phic magazines by one of the boy's father. His response was, "Don't let your mother catch you with this" and hands the magazine back to the boy.

· At a party in a neighbor's home, one woman continues to ask the host and another guest for "coke" (heroin).

· The host offers Quaaludes to her guest to "loosen her up" for group sex.

· Several party guests are shown smoking marijuana.

· One scene shows an orgy going on in the basement.

· Two married couples have sex together.

Your local CBS station could have chosen to reject the network show. Instead, they aired it in your community, knowing full well, children would likely be watching.

TAKE ACTION

File a complaint with your local CBS station manager. Tell him to refuse to air future episodes of Swingtown on your local station.

Enter your ZIP code and click "GO" to e-mail your local CBS station manager. You will have option to select other media. PLEASE only select your local CBS station.

[YOY]

1. "p*rnogr*phic"

They don't want to write the word "pornographic"? Jesus fucking christ... I hate fundies.

[Gman]

6. Sometimes they'll even write G*d for God

I'm not sure if it's sarcasm or if they've convinced themselves that it's illegal to mention God. I think it's the latter or else they have one less thing to bitch about.

[Mr. Blonde]

13. It is the latter

Some people consider it a show of disrespect to the Lord to refer to him by his name. I guess kind of like calling an elder by their first name. Most of the times I have seen it done it is by those of the Jewish faith though, and not as much by Christians.

[RoseMead]

30. Which might make sense if "God"

was God's name. But it's not.

[SpiralHawk]

2. Hmmm - I guess they want equal time for "Diaper Sex with Hookers"

Which is apparently an approved christo-republicon activity...since they uttered not a peep about it when Republicon Senator David Vitter got it on...

[atreides1]

3. I just change the channel

It's a hell of lot easier and doesn't take up time.

If they don't want to watch it then don't watch it, it's that easy.

[LibDemAlways]

7. If the ratings suck, it will be gone in no time anyway. You're

right. Anyone who finds it offensive should vote with their channel selector.

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

4. Now I'm sorry

I missed it . . .

[panader0]

5. When I was a teen

I smoked grass on the way to school.

[devilgrrl]

8. It looks like a stupid show, period.

Yeah, it was so like that back in the 70's :sarcasm:

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

12. It wan't for you?

I know I spent the years between 1974-79 in a naked pile of sweaty, naked, well-oiled bodies while whacked on Gorilla Biscuits. I still don't know how I ever got anything done. Sure saved on gas for my car, however. :eyes:

[Blue_Tires]

23. so that was YOUR letter i read in Penthouse Forum!

cool!

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

36. You mean the one with...

Pipewrenches, rubber gloves and cold creme?! You saw it??!!

[BuddhaGirl]

26. I thought the show was kind of interesting

"Yeah, it was so like that back in the 70's" - yeah, well it's TV...it's not really meant to be representative of real life now is it? :-)

Personally, I would like to see more shows of an adult nature on network TV. Some of us are child-free and don't have to worry about it!! :thumbsup:

[MotorCityMan]

29. I found the first episode interesting, also...

I read an article about the show; it was originally offered to HBO and Showtime, but they passed. CBS picked it up. The show had to drop the four letter words and the nudity, but left in pretty much everything else.

Within two minutes of the show, I figured the fundies were really going to get their knickers in a knot over this one. Anything with a refreshingly adult look at sex just sends them over the edge.

I enjoyed the first episode to give the show a try. As for it being an accurate portrait of the '70's, I was only 11 in '76 (when the show starts), and I wouldn't have known about such things back them... :blush:

[devilgrrl]

31. I was going on 13 in '76, I remember my neighbors, the thought of them swinging?

:puke::puke::puke:

[fudge stripe cookays]

48. We actually DID have some neighbors who swung.

I was only around 8 or so, but my brother did carpentry work for this contractor who lived across the street from us. I played with his daughters.

At the time, I knew my parents didn't really care for the guy and his wife and another couple, but I had overheard my dad saying that he couldn't stand Mary's "Jungle Gardenia" perfume because it gave him a headache. I thought it was because of that. Wasn't sure about the other two.

It wasn't until years later when I was in my late 20s that my mom told me that my brother had shared that little tidbit with her. Evidently, after work, over a couple beers, Stanley had opened up about the whole "swinging" thing. And looking back, yeah...I can totally see it.

Eeeeewwwwkk.

[devilgrrl]

52. Now that I think of it, my step-dad stopped hanging out with a few people.

Suddenly, we never saw them again. 20+ years later I found out why.

Ewwwwww is right :puke:

[BuddhaGirl]

33. LOL anything that gets the fundies' knickers in a twist

is good by me!

It will be interesting to see how the storyline of swinging among the two couples plays out...hopefully it will be a very positive portrayal, but I sort of doubt it because we just can't handle that now can we? LOL

[ET Awful]

9. Who was it that could turn coke into heroin?

:P

[Tesha]

16. Jesus H-for-Heroin Christ! (NT)

[BR_Parkway]

10. Sounds like my community (well, except for the Quaaludes - weren't

they over in the 90's?)

And they can't spell out the word pornographic? WTF!?

[izquierdista]

11. 'Ludes??

I thought those went out with the 80's. Some things come and go, some remain the same, like the American Fascists Association's interest in what goes on in other people's bedrooms.

[Bluzmann57]

14. This show may be a big hit now

I think it was Wildmon or AFA or someone like that who griped about nudity on NYPD Blue without ever seeing it and the show took off after that. I always thought that Dennis Franz and co. should have sent a thank you note to the fundies for the free pub.

[tularetom]

15. I guess they'd like it better if it featured things repukes do

like public restroom solicitation (Craig), propositioning underage boys for sex (Foley), diaper sex with hookers (Vitter) or fucking up everything (bush).

[alphafemale]

17. Ludes? Nudes? And Dudes?

Oh this is a show about the 70's.

Sounds a bit exaggerated. There was a good bit more casual sex and drug use though I think.

As far as the sex goes, remember, this was pre-AIDS.

People were a lot less prudish then when it came to the lives of others.

I don't think the Moral Majority even got cranked up until really late in the decade.

[fudge stripe cookays]

49. When did Anita Bryant start being an utter bitch, exactly?

'76 or so? I was young and stupid. Ya'll help me out here.

[Progressive_In_NC]

18. I'm not a prude by any stretch of the imagination but with two small kids (8 and 5).......

I cannot even watch TV anymore for fear of the promos for this type crap.

My chidren are sheltered from sex and violence as all kids SHOULD BE at this age. But we were watching something innocuous, and my kids are playing on the couch and sitting in my lap, and there comes on a promo for this show.

I don't care what adults watch, but what ever happened to decency laws and windows during which you can't show stuff like that. Most parents don't care, so we're going to end up with a bunch of pre-teens watching this stuff and being more confused than ever.

I will check it out, but most likely on DVR much later when my kids are in bed.

[wtmusic]

19. agree.

The solution? Turn the TV off, period.

[Progressive_In_NC]

27. That's pretty much where we are

I get to watch after 9:00 at night.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

28. my oldest is five and we probably saw the same promo you did

and to be honest I was shocked by the promo...and was not prepared for it.

We try to protect our little ones from this sort of material and there is nowhere you can turn for quality programming anymore without fear of this sort of thing popping up. I would like it if even promos for that sort of programming to be restricted...hell, just that ad would have been rated pg-13 in a movie theater.

Oh, well, DVR for all the kid shows seems to be the answer...and edit the commercials!

sP

[DemoTex]

20. Irony alert: Which AFA complained? American Family Association, or the other AFA?

The Association of Flight Attendants (AFL-CIO)?

:rofl:

[dawgman]

21. Every time I did it Coke was Cocaine not heroin.

:shrug:

[brooklynite]

22. I agree with the writer's concerns...

Perhaps the hour could have been better filled with an informative documentary on Vito Fossella, David Vitter, Larry Craig...

[magellan]

24. What time did it air? The next ep is at 10pm Thursday

Why are the complainers letting their kids stay up that late??

[NorthernSpy]

25. "P*rnogr*aphic"? Coke = heroin?

:dunce:


Aaaaand that was what happened, from beginning to end. For people who don't like that sort of thing, these morality crusaders sure didn't let themselves miss one second of the action.

[Toucano]

32. YOU HAVE A V-CHIP

Learn to use it. What's the problem with these people.


I watch VERY LITTLE television largely because every program is essentially the same.

All those CSI's are just Dragnet with a rock and roll soundtrack.

When I saw this previewed, I though "Boo! Another Desperate Housewives"

I started watching it and it was intriguing. It is insightful and well done. It has a historical context that is refreshing.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

35. the VChip does not screen promos

and when my five year old asks what is an 'open marriage' it is not fun to say, 'you aren't ready for that yet' and then the little insightful one asks, 'then why is it on TV?'

my house...seven thirty the other night...CBS...my tv...drugs...sex...pornographic magazines and permissive fathers...yeah...and i couldn't get to the remote fast enough...

sP

[BuddhaGirl]

37. "then why is it on TV?"

on the flip side - it's because there are adults watching TV without children who want to see these ads. :shrug:

[ProdigalJunkMail]

38. but why not wait?

the ads were a bit racey for a five year old...and when SHOULD they be allowed to watch TV safely? I have no desire to ban the shows...I have no desire to even curb what can be shown/said on air...but I would like to know when it is OK for my daughters to watch TV without the fear of them being exposed to something they are not ready for. Is waiting until 2100 to air these promos too much to ask? Heck, I will even shut them down at 2000 but they should be considered as well...hell, they won't even be able to watch Disney soon...

sP

[seabeyond]

39. i am just thrilled for my young boys to learn they need a pill to make their penis work so

women will enjoy having sex with them. i have reduced all but three channels for my boys. two are history channel and discovery channel. both channels continually have male enhancement commercials. love for the boys to be conditioned at such a young age that their penis just is not good enough.

the last commercial on discovery channel, a channel we actually encourage our children to watch was zencor, with a dorky 40 something yr old man, making dorky face expressions and had a young brunnette in the elevator implying they fucked only for her to get off as his clothes are untucked and disheveled.... and a young blonde walks in elevator only to have those stupid face expressions again and a fuck up the elevator.

but

all this is GOOD for our kids cause after all, if we dont allow them the adult sexual world we deny them sexual education? and are prudes and dooming them to a fundamental world.

[BuddhaGirl]

40. maybe you can tape or Tivo the shows they are allowed to

watch, and you can fast forward through the commercials. :shrug:

[seabeyond]

41. we are such a selfish people... in every way possible.

what a very sad answer buddha...... girl.

[BuddhaGirl]

42. maybe sad, but realistic

I don't think those ads are going to stop being shown during the shows your kids watch. Unfortunately that's the way it is

[ProdigalJunkMail]

47. i guess the question is...

Does it have to be that way? We are such a commercialized society that we cannot wait until MOST children are asleep before showing this stuff? I know it is just an ad...but the ad for Swingtown was a PG-13 to be certain (a few years back the ad alone might have pulled an R for the content).

Put whatever the hell you want on TV...latex covered transvestites with a high heeled boot fetish (ok...the boot fetish is mine) is fine by me...at the appropriate time.

sP

[ProdigalJunkMail]

46. i agree with you...

and explaining the need for penis-enhancement to a five year old girl is not something i am keen on doing. But, everyone else has to see this commercial (and the ones I have a problem with) fifty times per hour during prime family viewing time and on channels that should be 'safe' when monitored and to hell with the kids because WE needs us our penis pumps...

what a world we are rapidly becoming...hell...there are THREE commercial breaks in shows now (every 10 minutes) where once every fifteen used to be enough so now I can learn about penis pumps and explain it to my five year old even MORE often...on the bright side, she will be able to explain it to the three year old when she starts asking...

sP

[jmowreader]

43. Well, Seabeyond, I think it's time to teach your boys about male enhancement products

Here's what you tell them when they ask:

"The television companies make all their money advertising pills. Not everyone needs the pills they advertise. Some of them are for diseases not everyone has. Some are only for men, or only for women. Some have horrific side effects, and some will even kill you. And some of those pills just don't work, but they're the most expensive ones of all.

Pills like Viagra are what they call "male enhancement" products. They help you to have sex. Not every man needs those pills. In fact, there are two kinds of men. The first, we call Normal Men. They don't need those pills. Their penises are long enough and good enough for any woman. The other kind of men are called Republicans. They join the Republican Party because their penises are only a quarter-inch long, and if they don't take these pills they can't even find their penises. Now, is your penis only a quarter-inch long?" (Son will say no.) "Good. Then you'll never be a Republican and you'll never need those pills."

[Toucano]

50. Honest question.

Did your 5 year old actually ask "What is an open marriage?" after seeing the promo or were/are you concerned that he or she will ask that question?

If so, what is so hard about an honest answer? "An open marriage is where the mommy and the daddy date other people. I think there's a new Barney on. Wanna watch?"

Salacious promos are a missing target of the V-Chip technology and networks should be sensitive to the timing when the show the promos, but the AFA isn't complaining about the promos. They're complaining about aspects of the show that were not in the promos.

Do you recall what program you were watching at 7:30 when the promo aired?

[ProdigalJunkMail]

51. she really asked...right after mimicking

the "don't you?" line in that same few seconds. And the problem with answering that is that she is 5 and the concept of marriage is mommy and daddy (well, there is one couple we know that are daddy and daddy) and that is all she needs to know right now. We would like to teach our daughter on OUR schedule...not someone else's. She will learn what she needs to know...in due time.

My only beef was the time that this promo aired. It was around 7:30PM and we had just turned away from an animal planet show to a sports show that was on the local CBS affiliate...I got up to get a beer and a shot and a new porno mag...oh wait, that is after 9:00PM :-)...

sP

[LSK]

45. I do????????

:shrug:

[jakefrep]

34. So,...

Which "Swingtown" charaters are based on American Family Association officials? Maybe the show hits a little too close to home.

[Initech]

44. They actually censored the word "pornographic"?

:rofl: