Dealing with Annoying Complaints

I don't know how many people still watch Family Guy or if it is even as popular as it once was.  I usually catch myself watching old episodes on either Fox or Adult Swim and generally get a kick out of its satirical matter, double meanings, and their "edgy" content (edgy enough to be on broadcast television).  Either way, it is an enjoyable cartoon to watch when you pass by it while channel surfing.

The Federal Communications Commission harbors over broadcast television, radio, and a number of other technological communication devices.  They have a set of defined rules that those in broadcasting must abide by and generally most follow them, unless you're Howard Stern or Don Imus (otherwise known as hot talkers in the industry).  The one rule the FCC has not been able to clearly get a grasp on is what is obscene on television and radio.  Decades have passed since they first passed a rule stating broadcasters cannot use indecent or obscene material.  Every time they try to update the rule, the one question that people ask is "what is indecent or obscene"?  I certainly don't know where you draw the line.

Nevertheless, the FCC's definition of indecency is about as vague as you can get: 

• An average person, applying contemporary community standards, must find that the material, as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest;

• The material must depict or describe, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct specifically defined by applicable law; and

• The material, taken as a whole, must lack serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value.

When I had to take Broadcast Law last year we had this exact discussion, "what is indecent or obscene"? Well, apparently some special interest groups think they have the answer to that question as they bombarded the FCC with complaints about a certain Family Guy episode that crossed a line.  The only problem, is that they found a loophole in the system  sending out multiple complaints from locations that just did not exist with it all being traced back to the same post-marked address from Miami, Florida.

If you're letting your child watch Family Guy then maybe you like things a bit on the inappropriate side

Look, I get why people get upset by what is being peddled on television.  Some of it isn't exactly intellectually stimulating.  Why do you need to cheat a system that is clearly designed to help you?  This situation with Family Guy will always boil down to how far freedom of speech on television and to an extent radio can go.  People in the media give entertaining stuff for ratings obviously but I'm a firm believer if something is popular then just let it be and if it doesn't suit your tastes watch something else.