Is Banning TV Shows The Same As Burning Books? WWJD?

[sugapablo]

Recently in the news, there have been instances where conservatives have been successfully lobbying for programs they find objectionable to be removed from television broadcasts.

Two television stations just agreed to not broadcast "The Book Of Daniel", and also recently bowing to pressure from conservative elements was Comedy Central, who agreed not to rebroadcast an episode of South Park that depicted a statue of the Virgin Mary "menstrating out her ass".

The question that comes to mind here is whether these actions taken by conservatives are just the modern day equivalent of book burning?

That's not to say conservatives aren't still actually burning books. Here you can see a photo of members of the "Harvest Assembly of God Church in Penn Township sing songs as they burn books, videos and CDs that they have judged offensive to their God" back in 2001.

As offensive as book burning has become to most civilized people, shouldn't the prevention of television broadcasts deemed "offensive" by the least silent mob be considered just as barbaric?

Continued with links: http://www.sugapablo.net/story.php?id=226

[HamiltonHabs32]

1. Thats if they get banned

I honestly never thought religious groups had the power to get something banned from TV.. Until I read this article

http://taytv.blogspot.com/2005/12/south-park-virgin-mary-miracle.html">South Park pulled

<snip> From AP article
"It appears the group may have met with success. A repeat of the finale was scheduled to air Wednesday night, but was seemingly pulled from the Comedy Central lineup without explanation."
<snip>

I think I read too much American news online :P

[Heidi]

2. The most simple and democratic option

is for people to get up off their lazy a$$es and change the channel when they find a program objectionable. :grr:

[BOSSHOG]

4. They care not about democracies or options

They do not wish for you to have options. They want you to change your channel. They want to destroy your constitution and they want you to live your life the way they say. I wish the issue were as easy as changing channels.

Caveat: "They" are religiously insane radical christian clerics and their ignorant lemmings who as a group comprise the largest domestic enemy of the Constitution of the United States.

[Heidi]

5. Religious extremists, I agree.

Our internal threats are far greater than the external ones, in my opinion.

[sugapablo]

9. Heck...

...our internal threats PRODUCE many of our external threats.

[NuttyFluffers]

25. just wait until they clamor for a modern auto de fey

there is something to be said having an anti-fundamentalist auto de fey before then, at least for delicious irony's sake.
:evilgrin:

[mattclearing]

3. Glad I saw that South Park, then.

That was hilarious. And she wasn't menstruating out of her ass...she was bleeding. It was a stigmata joke...utterly tasteless, totally funny.

[sugapablo]

8. Xmas

I would've thought they'd be more pissed off at the Woodland Critter Christmas episode. I mean, with the blood orgy and all.

[FreedomAngel82]

18. And the birth of the antiChrist

I'm also surprised they haven't gone after shows like "Medium" and "Ghost Whisperer." My dad loves both of those shows and he's a deacon at our church.

[mattclearing]

23. That episode was pretty disturbing.

Probably the only one all year that I didn't really enjoy. It wasn't the orgy thing that bothered me so much as the way the critters acted...it reminded me of the creepy disabled Christian kids in Palindromes.

[sugapablo]

24. I'm just glad...

...my 2 year old went to bed before it came on. :)

[mattomjoe]

10. I'm REALLY surprised there wasn't a stink made about that episode.

Considering the fusses made over "Last Temptation" and "Dogma" and other movies/TV shows. Then again, Comedy Central is cable and it IS South Park.

[sugapablo]

11. Always a stink...

There's always a stink. Intolerance is obviously the path towards salvation.
*shrugs*

[mattclearing]

22. My eyes lit up when I saw that gag.

It was a week or two after the Scientology episode, and I was like, "Wow...they are really swinging for the fences this season." Hilarious.

[FreedomAngel82]

17. Is that the statue thing?

Where, I believe it was Stan, and his dad had an alcoholic problem and went to the statue to get healed of his problem and the statue was bleeding?

[mattclearing]

21. Bingo. n/t

[Bridget Burke]

6. Only if they burned all the DVD's as well....

Burning of "offensive" media by private people is not the same as by the government. But I still find it offensive--I can barely bring myself to throw away ANY book! (Half Price books will buy ANYTHING--even if they don't pay you much.)

I definitely agree that changing the channel is the way to avoid offensive TV. I do it all the time!

It's a pity that these groups have the energy to inundate the media with their demands--& others don't.

[sugapablo]

7. They may get the DVDs

"The conservative group demanded an apology from Viacom, Comedy Central's parent company, to Roman Catholics everywhere and "a pledge that this episode be permanently retired and not be made available on DVD."

Hence, burning all the DVDs. :)

[rd_kent]

12. Makes me SICK!!!

I want to yell at these idiots "Thats why there is a channel change button. Better yet, use the OFF button and go READ that bible you are so fond of misquoting and twisting to suit your needs."

[sugapablo]

13. Again...

The issue is not with their own. It's converting others. They can't allow others to be influenced by ideas contrary to their own.

Makes me sicker.

[FreedomAngel82]

20. What I always do

is ask them this. God blessed me with freewill. Choices and consequences. Why don't they trust me? Why do they hate me? Why are they going against God? He trust's and loves me enough to make my own decisions so why don't they?

[SoCalDem]

14. We need to retaliate, but "faux outrage" is hard to sustain in thinkers

Conservatives have to always be outraged in order to function. THAT effort consumes their whole lives. Most ordinary people have real lives, and don't want to spend 18 hours a day protesting this or that nonsense issue. Conservatives don;t mind a bit..that's the difference..

from Fark

[sugapablo]

15. oooh...

I love that photo. :)

[FreedomAngel82]

16. Isn't that against their first amendment rights?

Free speech and all that? If you don't like it use the freakin remote! I'm getting so tired of people being censored by extreme assholes. My aunt is more conservative than me and we were visiting with her and my grandmother on my dad's side around Christmas and she was talking about the "Book of Daniel" and how it looked really good and humerous. I can't believe sometimes how retarded my country is sometimes.

[Initech]

19. It's the 21st century version of book burning

[sugapablo]

26. Just wait...

Just wait till they petition the telecoms to filter their internet connections...for everyone!

[justabob]

27. It is not quite as theatrical, but yes,

it is essentially the same thing.