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SecretMethod70 · 03-21-2004, 01:30 PM

Let it be clear that I could care less about Howard Stern and, while I don't care about Oprah either, I'm more indifferent to her than anything else.

Here's the thing though....Howard Stern wanted to play this clip from the Oprah show on his show, because he knew the FCC was watching him. He was stopped because all the higher-ups that he works for thought - and probably rightfully so - that he would have been fined for airing the clip from the Oprah show. His point was if they fine him, they have to fine her too.

The idea of getting Oprah fined is not to do something bad to her or anything like that, but to point out a certain hypocrisy in the FCC. Were Oprah's intentions educational - sure. Was it appropriate for a 4PM time slot so kids could learn how to do all these things? No.

Fact is, as much as Oprah would love to scare you into believing, I'm positive that these things are not as prevalent in adolescent culture. The person she was speaking to spoke to *50* kids. Hardly a large sample group. As someone who has many adolescent cousins that I speak to, I know for a fact that if I were to ask them what a rainbow party was they would have no idea. That's not to say it doesn't exist, but it seems to me Oprah fails to account for the fact it's likely a regional phenomenon.

So, Oprah educates kids - whom there is nothing to say shouldn't be watching the Oprah show - all about how to throw sexually gratifying parties, about oral anal sex - which many probably had never even thought about, about new slang for HIV - as if adolescents all over were getting HIV as if it were the next pokemon, and so forth. And, for all of this potential exposure to kids, nothing from the FCC. When Howard Stern wants to air the clip from her show - on a show which it is understood, and I'm sure mentioned (although I don't listen to it so I'm not positive) that it is made for adults and that kids shouldn't be listening, he's stopped because it's almost certain the FCC would fine him. Thus, the hypocrisy.

So, it doesn't really matter if you like Oprah or not, or even if you think what was on her show was fine. The point is, the FCC is targeting people they don't like and looking over people they do. That is wrong.

03-21-2004, 01:30 PM	#12 (permalink)
SecretMethod70 Human Administrator Location: Chicago	Let it be clear that I could care less about Howard Stern and, while I don't care about Oprah either, I'm more indifferent to her than anything else. Here's the thing though....Howard Stern wanted to play this clip from the Oprah show on his show, because he knew the FCC was watching him. He was stopped because all the higher-ups that he works for thought - and probably rightfully so - that he would have been fined for airing the clip from the Oprah show. His point was if they fine him, they have to fine her too. The idea of getting Oprah fined is not to do something bad to her or anything like that, but to point out a certain hypocrisy in the FCC. Were Oprah's intentions educational - sure. Was it appropriate for a 4PM time slot so kids could learn how to do all these things? No. Fact is, as much as Oprah would love to scare you into believing, I'm positive that these things are not as prevalent in adolescent culture. The person she was speaking to spoke to 50 kids. Hardly a large sample group. As someone who has many adolescent cousins that I speak to, I know for a fact that if I were to ask them what a rainbow party was they would have no idea. That's not to say it doesn't exist, but it seems to me Oprah fails to account for the fact it's likely a regional phenomenon. So, Oprah educates kids - whom there is nothing to say shouldn't be watching the Oprah show - all about how to throw sexually gratifying parties, about oral anal sex - which many probably had never even thought about, about new slang for HIV - as if adolescents all over were getting HIV as if it were the next pokemon, and so forth. And, for all of this potential exposure to kids, nothing from the FCC. When Howard Stern wants to air the clip from her show - on a show which it is understood, and I'm sure mentioned (although I don't listen to it so I'm not positive) that it is made for adults and that kids shouldn't be listening, he's stopped because it's almost certain the FCC would fine him. Thus, the hypocrisy. So, it doesn't really matter if you like Oprah or not, or even if you think what was on her show was fine. The point is, the FCC is targeting people they don't like and looking over people they do. That is wrong. __________________ Le temps détruit tout "Musicians are the carriers and communicators of spirit in the most immediate sense." - Kurt Elling