THE ISSUE
In most cases, the only barrier to getting
edgy and offensive content on television is finding sponsors that are
willing to associate with such content. Once that obstacle is overcome,
there is very little keeping that same content from finding its way to
broadcast television or to earlier time slots. Remember what happened when
NYPD Blue debuted and
sponsors learned that a character's naked buttocks were going to be shown.
Although the nudity appeared in a ten o'clock program viewed primarily by
adults, it set a precedent. Within a few short years rear nudity became
commonplace on television. So much so, that when a character on the
short-lived NBC sitcom Watching Ellie
was shown running naked down the hall at 8:30 at night, no one
even noticed.
Nip/Tuck
creator Ryan Murphy knows that his series has the potential to forever
change TV standards. That's why he boasted on Bravo's
Sex in the Box "It's tough to
get that sexual point-of-view across on television. Hopefully I have made it
possible for somebody on broadcast television to do a rear-entry scene in
three years. Maybe that will be my legacy."
But for most consumers, the real issue is that
they are forced to pay for this content as part of their basic cable
subscription, even if they don't want it coming into their homes.
LATEST HIGHLIGHTS
Mazda Dealer Offended by
Nip/Tuck
Robert Devaux,
General Manager of Browns Mazda stated "…we were surprised and
offended at the specific language as well as the overall message
of the program." "…we certainly will suspend all advertising
support of that program (Nip/Tuck)." Browns Mazda is located in
Fairfax, Virginia.
►
Click
Here to view the letter from Mazda.
Verizon Ends Support of Nip/Tuck
Liz Avalos of
Verizon confirmed that her company stopped supporting
Nip/Tuck at the end of
November due to graphic content issues. Verizon has no plans to
advertise in any future episodes.
Best Western International Inc. drops
Nip/Tuck
In a
letter to the PTC, a Best Western representative stated, "...it is
agreed that this is inappropriate programming for Best Western and we
have instructed our media agency to immediately stop advertising on that
particular show."
►
Click
Here to view the letter from Best Western.
PNC Financial Services has
dropped its support of Nip/Tuck
"We agree that the content of the show is highly objectionable" states Mark Hendrix, Director of Corporate Marketing. PNC suggested they bought a media plan that was a "rotation of schedule" buy. If true, this supports the PTC's
belief that the prices FX is able to charge advertisers for
Nip/Tuck are declining. The PTC arrived at that opinion because unknowing advertisers are appearing in a premiere episode and it is being sold as "ROS" – in essence wholesale pricing of a flagship series.
►
Click
Here to view the letter from PNC Bank.
Write to Your Congressman and Demand Cable Choice Now!
Cable subscribers everywhere should be
outraged and demand to know why they
are being forced to subsidize
bestiality with their cable bills. Yes, you heard me right: bestiality,
where a person engages in sexual
activity with an animal. And if you
subscribe to cable or satellite TV
so you can watch ESPN or History
Channel or CNN or Fox News, then you
helped pay for that disgusting
content. That's why we urgently need
you to respond to this
call-to-action. Please take a moment
today to write to your Congressman
and Senators and demand Cable
Choice.
Go to
www.capwiz.com/parentstv/issues/alert/?alertid=9069271 to send your letter
today.
Nip/Tuck Maintains Raunchy Content
The FX Network launched its season premiere of Nip/Tuck on
September 5th. Now in its fourth season, Nip/Tuck continues to set a
new low in television standards as one of the most profane, sexually explicit
and violent shows in the history of television.
Exclusively sponsored by Sony Pictures the season premiere includes: Sean
presents Christian with a golden scalpel to mark their 5000th plastic
surgery. Christian celebrates by having sex with Jill and Riley, a mother and
daughter, simultaneously. Jill complements Christian on the décor of his house;
saying usually only gay men have such style. Sean performs a "voice lift" on a
phone sex operator Cindy Plumb, making her sound younger. Sean calls Cindy for
phone sex. Christian consults Faith again and has sex with her.
Sex
acts depicted in this episode include: a bare-chested Christian smirks and grabs
a handful of condoms from his drawer. Christian throws the condoms all over his
bed, where Jill (in a black negligee) and Riley (in black bra and panties)
recline. Christian strips off his underwear. His bare buttocks are seen. Jill
and Riley gaze at his crotch with admiring expressions. Riley grins. Christian
climbs onto the bed with them, his naked rear pointing directly at the camera.
Sean kisses Julia's pregnant belly and moves down toward her crotch. Jill
kneels behind Riley and caresses her hair as Christian kisses her chest. Jill's
other hand cups and fondles Riley's breast. Christian kisses down Riley's body
to her crotch. Sean and Julia's feet kick wildly as they have intercourse.
Riley grins and giggles as Christian has intercourse with her, thrusting into
her from behind. Jill watches with amusement. Christian pants as he thrusts.
Sean and Julia continue their intercourse, Julia straddling Sean and bouncing up
and down as Sean thrust into her. She squeaks in pain. They change positions.
Julia's face contorts and her body shakes as Sean mounts her from behind and
violently thrusts into her. Sean gasps in pleasure.
Violence within the show includes: Sean and Christian simultaneously perform
surgery on an elderly couple, both making incisions around their respective
patients' ears. Blood flows from the wound freely. Sean operates on Cindy
Plumb. He inserts a long probe-like device into her mouth and down her throat.
Christian operates on Burt Landau, replacing his testicular implants.
Profane language includes: the word "balls" was used six times in this
episode. "Shit" and "ass/asshole" were used five times apiece. "Hell" and
"goddamn" were used four times apiece. "Jesus," "cock," "dick," and "whore"
were each used twice apiece. A variety of other words, such as "snatch," "whang,"
"tits" and "cum" were each used once.
LATEST LOWLIGHTS FROM NIP/TUCK
Nip/Tuck on FX Episode Synopsis:
December 12, 2006 10:00 pm EST
View Clip -
WARNING: GRAPHIC
CONTENT
"Gala Gallardo"
SEASON FINALE
Drug kingpin Escobar Gallardo reappears and abducts Sean and Christian and
demands that they reconstruct the breasts of his wife Gala, who was tortured by
Escobar's enemies. When they refuse Escobar bargains with Michelle, telling her
that he will forgive her debt and release her from stealing organs if she
persuades Christian to perform the surgery. Michelle decides to do the surgery
herself; but Christian, suspicious that Michelle is concealing something from
him, intervenes. He learns that Michelle and Escobar were responsible for the
theft of Liz's kidney. Sean and Christian perform the surgery. Liz, enraged at
Escobar for his part in her kidney theft, threatens to kill Escobar. Gala
persuades her not to, but all are shocked when Gala kills Escobar herself. Sean,
Christian and Liz must dispose of Escobar's body. Ironically, they do so the
same way they disposed of the body of Escobar's henchman, and which involved him
with them to begin with -- they tie hams to Escobar's body and dump it in a
swamp, where alligators devour it.
Sean asks Christian and Michelle to buy him out. He gives a share of the money
to Matt and Kimber for their baby. Matt confides to Sean that he knows that
Kimber still loves Christian, and only married him to get revenge. Sean
confronts Kimber, who says she is trying to learn to love Matt.
Sean moves to Los Angeles, while Christian renames the business and prepares for
married life. However, neither are satisfied. Christian appears at Sean's new
workplace and tells him that he broke up with Michelle and has also moved to Los
Angeles. Sean and Christian decide to open a new practice together in Hollywood.
Language:
-
The word "hell" was used seven
times in this episode. "Shit" was used six times. "Jesus/Christ" was used
profanely four times. "Asshole/ass" was used three times. "Goddamn," "bitch"
and "tits" were each used twice apiece. Several other words, such as "boob"
and "dick," were each used once.
-
Gallardo has kidnapped Sean and
Christian and forces them to consult with his wife Gala.
Christian: "This is bullshit." Escobar: "You're embarrassing me." Christian: "I don't give two shits about what I'm doing. You wanna give your
wife a free boob job?" Gala states that she needs reconstructive surgery. Gala opens her shirt,
displaying her breasts. Both have huge livid areas of scar tissue covering their
front. Escobar: "You know, every night in prison I closed my eyes and I dreamed of my
bride's perfect sweater puppies. Now look at them. I will not return home, to
our family, to our lives, until they're perfect again." Christian: "I understand you've been through a lot, Mrs. Gallardo. But the last
time I took a briefcase full of cash from your husband, I got a Botox shot in
the dick."
Christian: "Tell me the goddamn truth! ...Everything you say is a goddamn lie!
Why did he come to you?"
Michelle reveals that her pimp James worked for him.
Christian: "Prostitution? That's bullshit! He stuffs his bitches' tits full of
heroin! They're worth more to him as mules than they are whores!"
Violence:
-
Sean operates. A naked breast
(but no nipple) is seen as Sean slits it open with a scalpel. Blood runs
out. The bloody breast and incision are repeatedly shown as Sean probes at
them with scalpels, tweezers, scissors and other implements. The implant is
explicitly shown being pushed in through the incision into the breast.
-
Sean and Christian operate on
Gala. Close-ups show their tweezers and scalpels probing and cutting Gala's
naked, gory breast wounds, suturing new flesh over the wounds, then cutting
new holes in the center for the implants and nipples. Sean sees Michelle
enter the room, strips off his gloves and leaves.
Escobar: "Sean, wait. Those titties have got to be perfect."
-
Escobar enters Gala's room and
prepares to "unveil" her reconstructed breasts. Liz cocks a pistol and
points it at him. Christian: "Jesus Christ, Liz!" Sean: "Have you gone crazy?" Liz: "Crazy is trusting that this monster is ever going to leave us alone. This
is going to end right here...you took my kidney, you asshole!" Gala persuades Liz to hand over the pistol. Liz does. Escobar gloats. Escobar: "That's my girl. Saving my ass again. Is she the bomb or what?" Gala shoots Escobar in the head. His body falls. Escobar's corpse is seen with a
large pool of blood beneath its head.
-
Escobar's dead body is shown in a
car trunk. Just as they did with his henchman Silvio's body years ago, Sean,
Christian and now Liz tie hams to Escobar's corpse and leave it in the
Everglades for alligators to devour. An alligator is shown biting down on
the body.
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