This is BEYOND DISGUSTING!

While I have less than no interest in seeing people drink horse urine or semen, I have no problem with someone else watching it. It's a free country and I'm sick of adults having to worry about what children see. Their parents should be monitoring what they see and if they aren't, there's probably bigger problems than watching some repugnant reality/game show stunt.

That being said, I'm sure NBC will chicken out and bow to pressure from people who don't know how to change the channel and think that their feelings should dictate what other people see.

If only there was a way for someone to "change the channel" when something they didn't like came on television.  If only there was a way for parents to "monitor" their kids' viewing habits.

 

If only...

Isn't it more likely that NBC will bow to pressure from the people who DO know how to change the channel?

This seems like a rich-people problem.    Having grown up on a farm, I have to tell you, this isn't the worst thing I've ever heard of.   Ever watched a cow get slaughtered?   Or rung a few chicken necks?   Spend a day around some hogs.   All that said, we still love hamburgers, bacon and chicken.

 

While Rocky Mountain Oysters aren't everyone's taste, there are lots of people who do enjoy it quite a good deal.  The contestants accepted a check, they are getting paid.   If they decide they don't want to do it, they don't have to do it.  The network isn't forcing them.  

 

As far as being offended, it's hard for me to "be offended" I mean, no one is doing anything against their consent and all that.   I find the show gross, I have no interest in ever watching, and wonder about people who do enjoy it.   But I guess I'm not morally outraged

I'm not into banning content that bothers me, but I have to wonder about what sort of person finds this stuff entertaining. I mean, if you're reduced to watching people eat and drink disgusting things to amuse yourself, maybe it's time to turn off the TV and do something else.

I do agree, however, that broadcast networks should tone down the programming in the 8-9 pm hour as a general rule (not that I think the government should be mandating that or anything). Lots of kids are up and watching TV at that time.

I barely even knew Fear Factor was back on the air, and now you've completely put the show on my radar.

 

There's no such thing as bad publicity.

That's exactly what NBC wants. While there's no way that they're going risk FCC fines for actually playing it, they've got free press and people talking about the show just by saying that they will. Anyone who really wants to fight this should just not talk about it because out of sight is out of mind.

Thats the spirit.

 

If you dont like something, try to have it banned, so no one can watch, read, hear,  or do it.

 

 

 

PS I have never watched Fear Factor, nor will I ever. Actually I can't even remember the last network television show I watched.

Sometimes when someone is looking for undue attention, the best thing to do is ignore them.

The PTC is as desperate for media attention as NBC. They just go about it in different ways.

Fortunately, very few people take censor groups like the PTC seriously.

You know what I find beyond disgusting? Someone trying to shove their views down my throat. I'm sure if I tried, and not very hard, either, I could find something that you like which I don't. Shall I go on a rampage to get that banned? So you have no choice and have to do what I think is best?

You know what I do if I don't like something on TV? I don't watch it. You know what I do when I think something is inappropriate for my children to watch? I don't let them watch it. It's pretty simple, really. With all the choices people have on TV these days I can't imagine it would be very hard to change the channel to something else that you deem better. Or turn it off altogether. Read a book, maybe. So many options . . .

Based on the replys so far, it seems I'm not alone. The OP, however, seems to be, but is either blissfully unaware or truly just seeking attention. For the record, I think the whole show is disgusting and always has been, and had no interest in watching it. Now, though, I almost want turn this episode on just so I can say "screw you, PTC!"

Not that he needs me to speak for him but having read William's many posts here over the years, I can say that he's a good guy and I think his heart is in the right place. That doesn't mean that I agree with the specifics of what he wants though.

Well, if I ever need to find a band of freedom-loving crusaders to defend the rights of shallow morons to chug-a-lug donkey pee on television, I know where to find them.

Those of you attacking the OP's statement, would you mind pausing for just a moment to think about what you're defending? This is not "Huckleberry Finn" being banned in school libraries.

I know we're in an 'anything goes' society and pop culture now, and heaven forbid anyone dare pass judgment on anything as wrong or inappropriate, hence they risk condemnation as a bigot or some religious weirdo out to shove their morals down someone else's throat. But really, it is perfectly acceptable to point out that a series featuring people drinking donkey semen on a major network at what used to be called "the family hour" (ah, those less enlightened times) is irresponsible and - wait for it - disgusting and stupid.

Tonight, I will delve into my vast tv-on-dvd collection and enjoy episodes of Bewitched, The Lucy Show, That Girl and The Donna Reed Show. Sure, there's not a lot of donkey pee -related content, but I like them anyway.

While I whole heartedly agree that kids should not see this, it's not like if some do that they are going to rush to find donkeys and repeat the stunt.



Your post is acting as if people here are encouraging this and can't wait to watch it and looking at the posts, that is definitely not the case. I know you're only doing that to support your point but it's disingenuous. I only speak for myself but I'm pretty sure that most here agree that drinking donkey urine and semen is wrong and it shouldn't be shown on TV or done anywhere at all ever. I will also say that doing that is repellent and anyone who does that should immediately seek mental (and probably medical) help. That being said, I don't need or want some self-appointed moral guardians telling me what I'm allowed to watch on TV. I'm an adult I can make my choices and I choose to never watch something as repugnant and indefensible as someone drinking donkey urine and semen but if, for some strange reason, I wanted to watch that, I don't need anyone hassling me about it.

The PTC offers a guide as does any other ratings system . A guide not a rule.

So what If a kid watches that episode.

What's it going to do to him, cause him to want to do it himself? 
If it does, who's fault is that?
I'll tell you who's fault, the kids parents not the tv show.

If I want to let my kids watch a show like this who is William or anyone else 
To try and change that.

This show has people eating live bugs and swimming around in cow blood and 
Bobbing for cow hearts in a swimming pool of blood. 

Jeez people trying to censor things as unimportant as this really burns me up.

Really William, change the channel and leave it alone. Let people sit and watch whatever they want even if it is pig guts for dinner and change the channel if YOU dont want to watch it.


This kind of mentality only makes me want to watch it more then if before.

I record Fear factor and watch it every week. If something is going on that I don't want to see I hit the ff button.

I've never watched FF and don't intend to, but is this really worse than kids watching sadistic serial killers on Criminal Minds? Or wife swapping shows? Or the killer of the week on Alcatraz? Or NCIS at 8:00? Honestly, I understand the intent of the OP, but if people debasing themselves by drinking donkey urine is an outrage because kids might be watching, but all the above mentioned shows and a lot more isn't, then frankly I don't see the point. Seems rather subjective to me, which is precisely why I don't like the idea of people trying to decide where that line is, for me.

Is this thread for real?  So it's not okay for your kids to watch some stupid pointless stunt show, but it's okay to take your kids out of school to go to an amusement park (and lie about it)?  Yeah, that's logical.

The more I see in this topic the more it becomes obvious that William is trolling.

I don't know about trolling but it definitely seems to be some kind of put-on.

Unless it's April 1st it is pretty much the same thing.





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I've decided not to add any more posts to this topic in hopes that it just dies.
Hopefully everyone else will stop too and just like a bad tv show, pass right by it and not turn it On.
I've decided not to add any more posts to this topic in hopes that it just dies.
Hopefully everyone else will stop too and just like a bad tv show, pass right by it and not turn it on.
Edited by TonyD - 1/28/12 at 12:27pm

Censorship, the American way. How about not watching it? Or not allowing your children to watch it?

What's next? Censorship of websites? Movies? Music?


"You are fined one credit for a violation of the Verbal Morality Statute."

Ah, the old 'slippery slope' argument. The problem with that is, if you don't say 'no' to some things, you're saying 'yes' to everything. So what's next? Animal abuse? Snuff films? Are those cool with you as well, or would you actually step in at that point and impose some of that dreaded censorship?

And by the way, movies and music do have ratings systems, as ineffectual as they sometimes are. At least there is an attempt being made to advise parents that some material may be inappropriate for children. Will we see the same on that family-hour episode of 'Fear Factor'?

It's not hard to see that you can't refute the legitimate points made in this thread so you have to resort to making ridiculous analogies.

TV also has a ratings system, and a V chip.   Parents can turn it on as they wish and program it.  It's been there for a decade now.

our examples of snuff films and animal abuse re in different categories.. they constitute viewing illegal acts, and as such, they would never air.   That's a strawman.   What happened on Fear Factor may be gross, but it's neither illegal, forced, etc.   After all, Anthony Bourdain has devoured some pretty sick stuff on his travels, and that show is well regarded.

 

It grosses you out.  It grosses me out.  I think the show is terrible - always have thought it was terrible - but I'm not sure if it needs a protest.   I think the lack of viewers is enough to drive it off the air, it doesn't need the media attention to how cutting edge it is.   Sometimes, picking a fight with something is just giving it the attention it wants.

If you say so. I was just curious as to whether there was any point at which you would step back from your anti-censorship stance. While the comparisons I made are extreme, it's not like that material isn't out there (see: movies like "Cannibal Holocaust", and any number of websites that feature videos of real people getting their heads chopped off, etc.).

And Matt - you said these sorts of things would never air on television. And I say that 20 years ago, we would never have imagined that people would be drinking donkey semen on an NBC prime time program. Maybe this isn't the perfect place to take a stand, but shouldn't there be some point where people with healthy functioning minds can agree that a certain type of program is just wrong? Or have the concepts or right and wrong become so antiquated that everyone should be allowed to judge for themselves what is and isn't appropriate, for themselves and their children?

There will always be some people who are drawn to the dark and depraved, but in an earlier time they at least had the good sense to be ashamed of it, and society had the moral obligation to make that material more difficult to find.

Most people express their distaste by not watching it. Shows that get poor ratings don't continue to air. I certainly won't be watching "Fear Factor", but I'm not willing to substitute my values for the values of those who do. What your argument boils down to is: I don't like certain content and don't want to watch it, and I don't think anyone else should be able to watch it either. Speaking for myself, I don't like "Fear Factor" and won't be watching it, but I could give a rat's ass whether the rest of America does or not.