Watchdog group says implied nudity on TV increased at alarming rate

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(CBS/AP) NEW YORK - Implied nudity has increased over 400 percent since the 2010 to 2011 season, a watchdog group claims.

The Parents Television Council said Monday that its researchers found 76 instances where a person appeared nude, with private parts obscured, in prime time last season. It happened on 37 different shows. The group says that's a sharp rise from the 15 instances the networks aired the season before that.

"The networks have made it abundantly clear they have no intention of respecting either the broadcast licenses they've been granted or the public in whose interest they are licensed to serve," the group said in a press release. Therefore the American people, whose values are being assaulted on a nightly basis, must insist that the Federal Communications Commission vigorously enforce broadcast decency laws, as mandated by the Congress and affirmed by the Supreme Court."

Seventy percent of the full nudity depicted scenes were on shows that aired before 9 p.m. and as early as 7 p.m. Only 76 percent of the shows had an "S" description on their rating, which is intended to warn parent about the content of the program.

The group looked at shows that appeared on air from September 1 to May 31 during the 2011 to 2012 primetime broadcast television season. Specials were included, but traditional news and sports were excluded.

Examples include a couple skinny-dipping on ABC's "The Bachelor," Howie Mandel jokingly appearing nude in his dressing room at NBC's "America's Got Talent" and a naked man jumping out of a car trunk in the candid camera show "Betty White's Off Their Rockers" on NBC.

In each case, the full nudity is obscured by pixilation or strategically placed objects. The use of pixilation went from two cases in 2010 to 2011 to 56 cases in 2011 to 2012, an increase of 2700 percent.

"It's a lot more suggestive than we've seen in the past," said Melissa Henson, spokeswoman for the group.

The parents group, which also monitors language and sexually suggestive content on broadcast television, said it will complain about the development to the Federal Communications Commission.

[Wookiee-1138]

Those PTC kooks are not and never have been news worthy.

[MalcolmBoura]

The Dutch reduced their teenage pregnancy and abortion rates by a factor of four in a generation by getting the body attitudes right. The PTC is part of the reason that the USA has ten times the teenage pregnancy rate of most body sensible western countries. Prudery is child abuse with good intentions. The evidence is very clear.

[mrleme]

the nudist colony is on the left, just don't make me go there

[tacticalguy_sf]

They purport to speak for the American people. They don't speak for me. I think more nudity and less violence is the way to go, personally.

[displeased2]

I'm all for nudity. I do consider natural beauty a form of art. However, I think the point of PTC is that families and children are exposed to a certain context of nudity during prime time that is easily accessible. You all can get your nakedness with HBO, Skinemax, etc., but perhaps prime time, say during 7pm - 9pm, should be family-friendly, perhaps educational. But then again, I haven't had cable for seven years, so I'm not really sure what goes on with tv anymore.

[Marzamb]

Hate to break it to these ultra-shy bodyphobes, but we're BORN naked. No, really. We are. Not even coming out with a loincloth to conceal us. Can you believe that? God dared have us pop out of a woman's body (gasp, through her "naughty area"!) with our little ol' no-no body parts exposed to the world. And Heaven forbid that such sensitive areas should ever see the light of day again after that moment! Why, television ought to be ashamed of itself, daring to titillate us with pixilated private parts! The next thing you know, society will be advocating free speech... oh, wait...

[imho-ca]

The TV shows pixelated the privates. What's the problem?
According to these crazy conservative watchdog groups, we should all be ashamed of our bodies, nudity is dirty, and sex is sinful.

We have gun fights on TV with people getting blown away and no one thinks anything of it. If show a little skin, these people freak out. Priorities are really f'd up. 's all I'm saying.

[Hutterite]

Honestly, the parents' television council must consist of hand wringing shut ins, ready and willing to watch anything in order to be offended.

[pbaird2]

Viewing nudity (not eroticism) actually desensitizes people to a point where they are not aroused or tittilated by the exposure. Where Americans have a sophomoric reaction to nudity most other Western cultures are not affected by it. The absence of nudity only makes it more taboo and more greatly desired.

[vielmann]

You are very correct. In Europe just plain nudity is meaningless. More significant is the content. Way different.

[tomanyt]

What exactly is suppose to happen to you if you see a little nudity on TV? Do you turn to stone?

[bud28dy]

No you turn to salt like all those people who enjoyed their bodies in Biblical times -- which is where the Tea Crazies want to return us.

[hercsurf1]

I too am offended by the implied nudity. I prefer actual nudity. I swear *** is going on in this ocuntry..who cares. My 12 year old kid is more mature than these people.