I'd like to discuss the Violence and Language on the show, The Shield.

[trumad]

First off, I love the show, the characters, the writing and the acting. It's a sit on the edge of your seat full hour of the most intense shit you've ever seen. It's as real as any show that I've ever watched. The show is on Tuesday evenings at 10pm on FX.

Last nights episode featured things that I have never witnessed on my home TV. Number one: The use of the word Shit is common in the show,,,, Number two, Nudity.... Number 3, Violence...and mean downright terrible turn your head away from the tube, violence.

One part,in my mind, was the most violent scene in TV history. The Captain of the Police, David Aceveda was briefly taken hostage in a house and was forced by gunpoint to perform oral sex on the hostage taker. It showed the dude on his knees in front of the bad guy and his head was bobbing big time... It didn't show the penis but it got close. AND it was at least 5 minutes.... Ya had to see it to appreciate how violent it was.

Now as I said above, I like the show because it's real. Violent yes, but real.

I gotta ask: What difference is seeing and hearing all this vulgarity at 10 pm on this show as opposed to hearing curse words like shit on Radio after 10pm. Or better yet, on The Daily Show? The Daily Show is constantly bleeping words off and that show starts at 11pm. The folks on Air America always have to watch what they say even the the show is after 10 pm.

I understand that we should watch what happens on Radio and TV before 10pm...Kids are up and were trying to keep them from this... AND I applaud that a show like The Shield is actually treating their viewers like adults and expanding into the real world. What I don't understand is why that show can do it but others after 10pm can't?

[handywork]

1. I'm pretty sure

that if a show is on cable they can really do anything they want. It's up to the network to decide what to edit out or decide to show. I think the point with AA is that it is on the public airwaves not cable which you have to pay for.

[truthspeaker]

2. broadcast vs. cable

AirAmerica is broadcast on the airwaves and has to abide by FCC standards.

There are no federal rules governing content on cable TV because the people don't own the cable infrastructure. I assume it's up to each individual network to decide what they're going to bleep and what they'll leave on. They have to worry about complaints from viewers and from the municipalities they have contracts with. The Shield always starts with a warning about explicit content; I don't think the Daily Show does.

Last night's wasn't my favorite episode, but DAMN. I almost wanted to use mouthwash myself. I'm not complaining; sexual violence against women has been portrayed on TV and in movies for a long time (including on The Shield) and I'm all for parity.

[leesa]

3. Turn it off if it offends you. I doubt it does though. Americans love

violence.

[sendero]

4. The FCC...

... gets to regulate the "public" airwaves (stations using them are supposed to operate in the "public interest" but that has all changed since the 80s) but cable is not similarly regulated since it uses private infrastructure.

Of course, the FCC is working on a plan to begin regulating cable also, or so I've heard.