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Study slams 'sleaze' on MTV
02/02/2005 12:41 - (SA)
New York - Approaching the first anniversary of Janet Jackson's famed wardrobe malfunction, a study released on Tuesday criticised MTV for the "incessant sleaze" of steamy programming aimed at young people.
During one week last March, the watchdog Parents Television Council said it counted 3 056 flashes of nudity or sexual situations and 2 881 verbal references to sex.
Forbidden fruit
"MTV has clearly chosen to cater to the lowest common denominator, to offer the cheapest form of programming to entice young boys... dangling forbidden fruit before their eyes," said Brent Bozell, PTC president and conservative activist.
MTV labelled the report unfair and said the group ignores the network's public service efforts, like its Emmy-winning "Choose or Lose" campaign on last year's presidential election.
An independent analyst said the findings shouldn't come as any surprise to people who watch MTV regularly but would be eye-opening to people who don't - just like the MTV-produced Super Bowl halftime show did when exposed to a large audience on CBS last year.
"There are a lot of things that most rational parents of 12-year-olds would be uncomfortable with their children consuming," said Robert Thompson, director of the Centre for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University.
The group decided to look at MTV's programming after the Jackson incident and picked the network's annual "Spring Break" week of shows to study.
Sex sells
In an episode of One Bad Trip, MTV depicted a human sundae competition where men licked whipped cream placed on women's' bodies - with a cherry for each breast. In Spring Break Fantasies, five women in swimsuits rubbed lotion on a man, using more than their hands. An episode of Room Raiders showed a man looking through a woman's underwear drawer and commenting on what he finds.
The parents group said MTV's reality programmes have even more sexual content than its music videos.
During the week, the PTC said it recorded 3 127 instances of profane dialogue "bleeped" out and another 1 518 other instances of unedited rough language.
MTV spokesperson Jeannie Kedas said the network follows the same standards as broadcasters. MTV reflects the culture and what its viewers are interested in, she said.
"It's unfair and inaccurate to paint MTV with that brush of irresponsibility," she said. "We think it's underestimating young people's intellect and level of sophistication."
- SAPA
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South Africa
