Parents Television Council Wield Their Pitchforks at Gossip Girl

I consider my self to be a very conservative person, but the censorship of free speech and choice bugs the hell out of me. There is no reason to censor this episode. This council never said boo when these kids were drinking in restaurants at 16, so why is this worse? What about the violence on shows like 24. The same is true of all these shows, if you don't like it don't watch it. If you don't want your kids to watch it, block the channel at that time, or just tell them "No, you can't watch that" and then enforce it. Don't Infringe on my rights to choose whether or not I want to watch it or let my teen watch it. Especially since this show, while controversial at times, usually has consequences for their decadence and debauchery.

PTC can kiss my ass, but not until 10 pm and only on a cable network.

What about the violence on shows like 24.
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Society has always been much more tolerant of violence than sex. I went to school with tons of kids who wouldn't watch a movie or TV show because of sex scenes, but Braveheart was their favorite movie.

Thanks, PTC, for ensuring that my TV will be on the CW at 9PM Monday! Don't they have books to burn, or something?

Good for them for standing up for what is merely an attempt to gain viewers. There is enough smut on tv without having trash like that on a show. WEll, I know it's coming... let the basing of a conservative like me begin.

Richlan, I am not going to base you, as you put it. I just don't understand why the way you feel should ruin my enjoyment of an entertainment venue that hurts no one. It is just a TV show.

Jamey, I know violence has always been more tolerated, but that doesn't mean its better.

I don't need to bash anyone. You're free to voice your dislike of something, and I'm free to ignore you.

I absolutely agree about the whole violence issue as well. I guess as an educator I have seen how downhill the morality of the students have gone. When you are finding kids in the bathroom having sex and mom and dad don't understand why they are suspended from school and send in the family lawyer, we have a problem.

All of television is "merely an attempt to gain viewers". If someone doesn't want their children to watch, then all they have to do is parent their own children, but don't try to tell me what I can look at in my house, where I pay the cable bill. The article said that The CW's median audience is actually in the late 20's. The PTC members should police their own households better and stop worrying about mine.

Oh I wasn't saying violence is better. In fact, I think it's much, much worse, which is why it perplexes me that no one ever goes after violent shows first.

Violence is macho! So, it's acceptable.

As for sex, people are just hypocritical.

"Let the bas[h]ing of a conservative like me begin."

Must be hard to be a professional victim...

I would think that violent shows are much worse than sex on television. I wouldn't let my kids watch either but as for me I don't want anyone telling me what I can't watch. I have no problem with the show. These people need to monitor their kids and watch they are watching. Their kids can see promiscious(sp?) activity anywhere it just doesn't have to be on a television. They can't blame everything on one t.v. show.

Well, I'm not looking forward to the threesome very much eithier, mostly because I know it's just for ratings and has nothing to do with actual plot, but I don't think these idiots should habe the right to dictate what's on our televisions.

I don't understand why this group even exsists. If you don't want your kids watching Gossip Girl or any other show that may be inappropriate for them, then don't let them watch it. It really is that simple. Many televisions now have this thing called 'Parental Control', where you can set what your kid is able to watch. If you don't have that, then monitor what your kid is watching! Again, it's that simple!

josstheguy Said:

"Let the bas[h]ing of a conservative like me begin."

Must be hard to be a professional victim...
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I don't think thats very fair. Quite often, when it comes to these issues, on the internet, 90% of the times any conservative opinion is treated as though it was just some bile spewed out and is treated as if the idea and the person who says it is garbage. I know this because I am in that conservative opinion most of the time.

Now, in this instance, I don't agree with his opinion either, but name calling is unneccessary, and childish.

Jamey you hit the nail on the head. I am currently writing a paper on free speech v censorship for my English class and it features that point. I am all for parents parenting their own kids but when those parenting styles interfere w/my rights I get pissed. Do what you do in your house but don't tell me I can't watch late 20 somethings playing late teens to early 20 yr olds playing out a threesome story.

Jamey,

Aren't these the same people that tried to get Married With Children off the air, and in trying that gave the show so much publicity that it went from being a low ratings challenged sitcom into a hit that stayed on the air for over 10 years. I say let them do what they want, it will never work and may end up helping the show in the end. There just doing this to feel relevant, and if all they cared about was what it was doing to their children then they would make sure they didnt watch it and that would be the end of it.

Scobot,

Please. Anyone who comes out and states that s/he expects to be bashed is trying to be a martyr. The poster was not concerned with arguing the points of whether the episode should air but wanted focus attention on him/herself.

BTW, being a "professional victim" is a turn of phrase that the cool conservative kids often use to describe women and minorities who speak out against discrimination.

As for conservative opinion being treated as if it were "bile." That's completely subjective. Go to Redstate.com, MichelleMalkin.com, Instapundit.com, etc. and 98% of the "bile" being spewed is viciously anti-liberal.

Ann Coulter has made a career out of labeling progressives as "slanderous" or "treasonous" or calling them "f-gs." Rush Limbaugh famously attacked Darryl Strawberry for his drug addiction while Rush was a huge addict himself.

And around, around, around we go. It just gets old listening to people who attack others or believe that its okay to oppress others pretend to be victims when those whom they oppress fight back. Yesterday, gay people in Maine lost the right to be married. That's awful. I feel terrible for them. What if someone wanted to have a referendum to strip Jews, blacks, Arabs, or Asians of their right to marry?

Conservatives there took their religious beliefs and imposed them on gays. Thank God that people in the 1960s didn't have the ability to use referendum to repeal the Civil Rights legislation.

Look at the statements being made here about censoring Gossip Girl. It's being done by "conservatives," who don't want ideas expressed that go against their values. How often do you hear about liberals demanding that books be banned from libraries or holding book burnings?

Have you ever visited Redstate, WorldNetDaily, or a host of other conservative sites?

These people [the Family Council] like to complain to the government about *anything* they this is morrally unfit and have been doing so for many years. They even managed to get Britany Spear's character changeded from an Evangilical Christian on Will & Grace. I think they'll keep complaing no mmatter what, so it's up to the people in charge to stop listening to them.

The CW must be loving this. This is exactly the publicity that Gossip Girl needs. The ratings are going down, this season hasn't exactly been on fire. I'm sure the CW couldn't be happier about this free publicity they are getting.

Personally, I expect a pretty tame threesome based on the much hyped gay kiss a couple of episodes back.

Right wing Americans are OBSESSED with what other consenting adults do in the bedroom. Keep preaching your homophobia, your mentality of 'survival of the fittest' and self serving thinking covered by a book written by men 2000 years ago, and THE REST OF SOCIETY WILL KEEP MARCHING FORWARD TO EQUALITY FOR ALL.

You know I feel these people are making such a big fuss over this so they have an excuse to watch it AND DISCUSS IN PUBLIC with their friends.

Like Troy said i am sure this will be a tamed scene. I for one don't give a damn what people watch. The under age children who watch this, well.. what of it. Just because they see three characters in the same bed naked does not mean they are going to go out and have sex with two other people just to mock GG.

Parents who do not want their children to watch it make sure they don't- hell when the hell will people learn to take care of themselves and their own damn lives.

If you want to worry about this American society how about being worried about issues that will help all.

There's so much that's going wrong in the world right now...the unemployment rate is through the roof, people are struggling to keep their homes and avoid forclosure, and the healthcare debate keeps getting more and more drawn out, while millions of people still are without proper healthcare in the most industrialized nation in the world...Why can't these idiots focus on that stuff?....Gossip Girl is what it is, it's a fictionalized over inflated look at the unrealistic activities of made up characters, and if it's to risque for you, don't watch it, but don't judge me and everyone else for the fact that we enjoy it!!! Long live Gossip Girl, in all its absurdity and jaw dropping stories, and let the buzz surrounding this farce give more viewers to the CW, after all Gossip GIrl and the CW in general can use all the viewers they can get...One also has to wonder if the people behind this campaign have actually watched and episode, or are just latching on to the threesome issue, and exploiting it for all it's worth...Again I digress...lol

Wow, the bigotry and narrow-mindedness is breathtaking. No, I'm not talking about the PTC - I mean those of you who who presume to know what ALL center-right people think, feel and believe based on the actions of a very small group of people.

It's the same difference as saying that all people who watch daytime TV are fat lazy slobs, or all people who watch Gossip Girl are empty-headed ditzes. It's JUST as narrow-minded and every bit as offensive.

You think you're oh-so-tolerant and enlightened, but in reality you're just as bad as the PTC. They don't believe that people can think for themselves and turn off the TV ... you don't believe that people can think for themselves unless they belong to your political party. And you're both wrong.

GG needs the controversy. This season has been lackluster, so far.

[quote=myworld]You know I feel these people are making such a big fuss over this so they have an excuse to watch it AND DISCUSS IN PUBLIC with their friends.
Good point, myworld. I bet that's exactly what they are doing!
ANd just to make a point, I'm against what these people are doing, *not* all Republicans.

When I referred to the internet I was not speaking of Political websites. I am talking about social and entertainment websites, like this site, TVGuide.com, EW.com, Facebook, Myspace. Places like this, conservatives are treated like lepers, and if you agree with us, you will catch it.

As for the defense that Conservatives do it too, that doesn't mean that they aren't just as childish for namecalling, it just shows that you are using another childish tactic. "He did it first!"

I just hate going onto these entertainment sites for some fun and relaxation and having it turn into a big playground fight. You can state your opinions without acting like your 14. And judging by the knowledge of soap history I have seen from you in many other posts, I think that you are at least close to my age (late 20s).

Joss, typically I like you, and often I agree with your posts, so I don't want this to keep going back and forth. I just want to keep the argumentativeness to an adult level. I want to sound like Obama vs McCain at a debate, not Rush Limbaugh vs Keith Olberman on a daily basis who also sound like they are on a school yard most of the time.