Ratings for Commericals...

[King of the Americas]

...it seems like I heard or read of someone discussing this idea here some time ago, but I would like to revisit the concept before I draft a letter to the FCC.

Television sets all across America have been fitted with V- chips, mechanisms that allow televisions to be set to censor unwanted sexual material by their 'Rating'. If you don't want your kids watching R-rated Cinamax shows, or PG stuff on HBO, then you just set the V-chip to only recieve and play G-rated stuff. The chips are locked into a setting by a password, and presto you kid only sees the 'good stuff'...

Moved by the this Monday Night Football scandle, I thought why not have commericals and previews 'rated' in such a manner that you could program your Vship to block out things you don't want your kids (or yourself) subjected to?

For example, Beer commericals with half naked women wrestling in mud or one advertising Boner Juice/Viagra Pills gets an R-rating, or maybe even an NC-17 one. While Dancing Elmo commericals get the G-rating. This way when a bad commricals comes on, the t.v. goes to a blue screen...

You could even double sell commerical segment, such that if a t.v. blocks an R-rated commerical, the station has a G-rated one on the ready to broadcast. This way the stations don't lose revenue.

Now can you guys help me put some make-up on this pig, so that the letter I draft is taken seriously?

 

[Dorian Gray]

If you don't like a commercial, or a show, turn off your set. If you don't like smoking, leave the bar. If you don't like nudity, step away from the mirror, turn off the TV, leave the theater, steer clear of the strip clubs. If you don't like abortions, don't get one. If you don't like guns, don't get one. If you don't like gay marriage, don't marry a person of the same gender as yourself. If you don't like seatbelts or helmets, don't wear them - just take responsibility for yourself, pay for your own medical care and don't sue anyone because of your stupidity.

In other words, if you don't like something, don't do it. Just don't tell me or anyone else that WE can't do it, and take responsibility for your own actions. It's YOUR fault you spilled coffee, fell, dropped the hair dryer in the tub, stuck a fork in the toaster, etc.

 

[TragicMonkey]

The government won't interrupt commercials. That's where the industry gets their money. You know those very irritating commercials and things on DVDs that can't be skipped or fast-forwarded? It's buried in a provision inside the latest copyright bill:

McCain has held up consideration of the Family Movie Act over a provision added to the bill that would prevent playback devices from skipping commercials. The Judiciary Committee (news - web sites) twinned the camcorder legislation with the Family Movie Act as a way to force the studios to give up their opposition to the content-filtering legislation.

While the studios opposed the Family Movie Act, language was added to the bill to make it clear that the technology must not add content, edit commercials, change the underlying work and that the measure applies only to home viewing.

McCain would abandon his objections to the bill if that language were stripped, but Rep. Lamar Smith (news, bio, voting record), R-Texas, the chairman of the House's copyright subcommittee, is still pushing for the entire package.

The industry very much wants you to see commercials, and will buy any number of politicians to make sure you do.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20041118/media_nm/media_copyright_dc_1

 

[King of the Americas]

To Dorian Gray:

Hey, I am all about accepting the fact that I live in America, and that sincere Freedom means being Free to be subjected to other people's stuff. I am NOT suggesting that I have 'not to be offended' when I go out into public.

However, what I AM suggesting is that Citizen Parents SHOULD be able to limit and or monitor what kind of media comes into their 'private homes'. I mean can you imagine if movies didn't have their current ratings system? You bring home a cartoon covered thing expecting to see a wholesome family thing, and you get "Debbie Does the Lower East Side".

What I am suggesting is that there is a lot of complaining being done, and we have the tools already built in to be able to shut them up...

We can't fix all the complaining...there are ALWAYS going to be the folks out there trying to close down a strip club too close to a daycare center, but that said I think we have the tools readily accessible to help quiet these same moralists while at the same time finding further use for an underused technology.

 

[King of the Americas]

To Tragic Monkey:

Indeed, you ARE right, lobbists for whichever group has influence over what some politicians do or do not stand for...

That said this influence is not absolute. Public opinion and the screaming mob still has a say, and if the right thing is said or worded it IS possible to over ride what the corporate media world wants to do.

Name some right, and put it on a plater with a side of melted butter and the masses will consume it like so much lobster.

I understand that the media monster needs to be fed, and that's why I am suggesting that they could 'double sell' each time slot. Such that if the chip stopped certain commericals, that the station could have a secondary-less offensive commerical waiting in the wings.

I think in this case there is a better way to serve the community AND not undercut corporate profits altogether, all just by using what we already have available to us in a slightly different manner.

 

[TragicMonkey]

Re: To Tragic Monkey:

I understand that the media monster needs to be fed, and that's why I am suggesting that they could 'double sell' each time slot. Such that if the chip stopped certain commericals, that the station could have a secondary-less offensive commerical waiting in the wings.

That's also headed for controversy. TiVO is going to start having popup ads that appear when you fast forward a commercial. The viewers won't like it, because they're trying to escape commercials. The original commercial's maker won't like it, because not only are they not getting their exposure, but the viewer is being exposed to competitor's commercials. And if you have "double-sell", that means the advertisers are going to have to pay twice.

It's more likely that they'll simply tone down all commercials to whatever the mutable FCC standards happen to be, reducing everything to the blandest possible so that nobody will complain. It would be cheaper than making two commercials and buying the time slot twice.

Me, I find I'm watching TV less and less and sticking to the Internet, DVD box sets of old shows, and, of course, books. No ads in books....yet.

 

[King of the Americas]

To Tragic Monkey:

I still watch t.v., some not a lot. I listen to music (CD's), and talk radio in the background whilst I do other work.

I have just heard a lot of complaining about commericalism as of late and how smuty it is getting. It is the same argument that is ages old, things are always getting worse...

Rating commericals and using tools such as the v-chip give people a sense of empowerment over this slippery slope downward into hell.

That said, this media monster of commericalism seems almost all powerful, and its appetite insatiable.

I was take aback the last time I went to the movies and instead of being treated to movie house popcorn commericals and movie previews, I had to sit through an actual commerical just like one that would appear on t.v.

I was like, "I came to the movies to get AWAY from these damn things!"

We consumers are or have to fight the incoming tide of this commercialism sunami attempting to cover us all.

We can fight against it or relent to it...I choose to fight.

 

[Grammatron]

Re: Re: To Tragic Monkey:

That's also headed for controversy. TiVO is going to start having popup ads that appear when you fast forward a commercial. The viewers won't like it, because they're trying to escape commercials. The original commercial's maker won't like it, because not only are they not getting their exposure, but the viewer is being exposed to competitor's commercials. And if you have "double-sell", that means the advertisers are going to have to pay twice.

It's more likely that they'll simply tone down all commercials to whatever the mutable FCC standards happen to be, reducing everything to the blandest possible so that nobody will complain. It would be cheaper than making two commercials and buying the time slot twice.

Me, I find I'm watching TV less and less and sticking to the Internet, DVD box sets of old shows, and, of course, books. No ads in books....yet.

As a TiVo owner I would not like this because I am paying a fee for the service. If they remove the fee, I would be ok with it.

 

[Crossbow]

Well, I for one am all for giving the really sexy commercials a special rating.

That way I could configure a DVR, or some such thing, to automatically record them. Now that would be some good entertainment!

 

[King of the Americas]

To Crossbow:

I don't have TiVo, but I often record stuff and fast forward through commericals with my VCR.

What does Tivo do that my VRC can't?

---

So, rating for commericals, and the use of the v-chip to keep unwanted drug and beer commericials intended for adults, out of sight from kids, is a good idea?

I have been internally wroughting a letter to the FCC, that I'll pass along to several media outlets as well, and I only posted the idea here to ask like minded thinkers for a little make-up to put on this pig.

Do you have any helpful thoughts on the matter?

 

[BPSCG]

Some years ago, the whole family went out Christmas eve to see some movie. Which one escapes me, but it was good, wholesome G-rated family fare, since we had kids who were 11, 9, and 6 years old along.

Of course, before the movie came the obligatory previews.

"Oh, a movie with Julia Roberts."
"Hmmm, looks like it might be a romantic comedy of some sort."
"Hmmm, she's in the bathtub..."
"Hmmm, the music's getting threatening..."
"Hmmm, there's someone in the house..."
"Hmmm, she has an ex-husband stalking her..."

Preview was for "Sleeping With the Enemy."

 

[Dorian Gray]

But it was approved for all audiences!

I agree, there should be restictions on where strip clubs can be located, and what can be shown in theaters where kids are concerned. It should fit. Cigarettes fit with liquor, so if I go to a bar and I don't like the smoke, I can leave.

You would think that cities would band together and designate a specific sin zone where all decadent stuff can happen. It would make it easier to patrol, easier to tax, it would keep all the extreme deviants in one spot, and would be easier to mark on a fraternity weekend activity map. It would have a zone around it of, say, half a mile, and nothing would interfere with it and vice versa. It would literally not be in anyone's backyard.

 

[Jocko]

You would think that cities would band together and designate a specific sin zone where all decadent stuff can happen. It would make it easier to patrol, easier to tax, it would keep all the extreme deviants in one spot, and would be easier to mark on a fraternity weekend activity map. It would have a zone around it of, say, half a mile, and nothing would interfere with it and vice versa. It would literally not be in anyone's backyard.

Such things exist. They're called red light districts. But then they lead to outcries over disenfranchisement of people who live there (everything's in someone's backyard).

Then when the city moves to clean up the area, there are cries of unfair gentrification, usually focused along minority lines, forcing the poor to move because they can't support the taxes demanded by better neighborhoods.

Then the poor move and create a NIMBY situation with the current residents, who leave becase the blacks/hispanics/gays/portuguese have moved in down the block.

Property values plummet, and the sin merchants move in to take advantage. They bring bars, clubs, strip joints and more. That's called a red light district.

Then it all happens again.

 

[TragicMonkey]

Not to mention the broader issue: you're letting city government decide what is and isn't "decadent". My own city successfully beat all challenges to their ordinances forbidding tattoo parlors in the city until a couple of years ago. Apparently tattoos are on level with prostitution and cockfights.

There are a lot of cities that would like to create these "ghettos of sin"....and would place gay bookstores, Hooters, and the Christian Science Reading Room inside.

I'd sooner deal with property value problems than let government decide what's decent.

 

[Art Vandelay]

Re: To Crossbow:

I don't have TiVo, but I often record stuff and fast forward through commericals with my VCR.

What does Tivo do that my VRC can't?

I don't know about your VCR, but mine cannot:
Replay a recorded program and record a new one at the same time;
record two different stations at once;
pause, fast forward, and replay live television;
store programs in random access, digital form;
anticipate my recording choices;
offset while fast forwarding (this can be both at advantage and disadvanteage; when you stop fast forwarding, it jumps back a few seconds to compensate for reaction time);
make cute "boop, boop" noises whenever I fast forward.

It's not the revolution that it they tried to make it out to be, but it's definitely more convenient.

 

[Crossbow]

Re: To Crossbow:

I don't have TiVo, but I often record stuff and fast forward through commericals with my VCR.

What does Tivo do that my VRC can't?

---

So, rating for commericals, and the use of the v-chip to keep unwanted drug and beer commericials intended for adults, out of sight from kids, is a good idea?

I have been internally wroughting a letter to the FCC, that I'll pass along to several media outlets as well, and I only posted the idea here to ask like minded thinkers for a little make-up to put on this pig.

Do you have any helpful thoughts on the matter?

To clarify, my posting was an attempt at being facetious since I do not think that rating commercials will do any more good than the ratings that are used for TV programs, computer games, record albums, or movies.

 

[Ed]

I'm sorta curious. What is there on commercial TV that would cause one to watch it enough to be bothered by commercials?