'Gossip Girl' Threesome Sparks Protest

Parents Television Council Asks CW Affiliates Not to Air The Upcoming Episode of The Show

(AP)  On-air promos for a sexual threesome on an upcoming episode of "Gossip Girl" have spurred the Parents Television Council to ask affiliates of the CW network to pre-empt the show.

Airing the teen tryst, which is being teased in an ad as a "3SOME," is "reckless and irresponsible," said PTC president Tim Winter in a statement Wednesday. The threesome involves three main characters in the show but they are not identified in the promos.

The PTC has urged CW affiliate stations not to air the episode, scheduled for Nov. 9.

In a letter to the affiliates, Winter asked: "Will you now be complicit in establishing a precedent and expectation that teenagers should engage in behaviors heretofore associated primarily with adult films?"

This is not the first time the PTC has complained about the sexy prep-school soap, which Winter said is "expressly targeted to impressionable teenagers."

In July 2008, the organization spoke out against a racy marketing campaign for its new season. Ads showed intimate moments between the show's characters (on a couch, in the sack or apparently skinny-dipping), accompanied by headlines like "A Nasty Piece of Work" and "Mind-Blowingly Inappropriate."

"CW has been defending graphic content on 'Gossip Girl' by asserting that they don't target teenagers," Winters said Wednesday. "Such a claim doesn't even pass the 'laugh test."'

CW spokesman Paul McGuire said the target audience for "Gossip Girl" is 18- to 34-year-old women, with a median viewer age of 27 years old. The network had no comment on PTC's complaint, he said.

The Parents Television Council describes itself as a nonpartisan education group advocating responsible entertainment.

[ggola]

I love gossip girl but i think they crossed the line. There are a lot of young girls who watch this show and they are very impressionable. I had no idea there was going to be a threesome, until i saw it last night. I have to admit i was disappointed in the show. There was no need for the threesome.

[sean66x]

The program does not depict a religious life style. The women in the drama series present a prevalent version of contemporary American culture. Those who disagree should not watch the show. Their morality is a personal view.

[omded]

If you don't like it, don't watch it. It's that simple. You are not your neighbor's keeper, nor should you try to be. Your neighbors can take care of themselves.

[4merGOPr]

Don't watch the dang show then. We have got to rid this country of these communitwits.

[jennifer-marie]

I have an idea: If you don't want your pre-teen or teenage children to see pre-marital, extra-marital sex, or underage drinking, then don't let them watch the show! Take control of your household and your children's lives and actually monitor what they're watching, listening to, reading on the internet. Be an active and involved participant in their lives.

Censorship is not the answer: Parenting is.

[FHMullane]

They know very well they target teens... What normal IQ adult would watch this junk?

[cjack11]

every single tv show is like this. who cares ! if you don't want teenagers to now about sex or drinking then you might as well ban television all together ! gossip girl isn't the only show like this. teens will be teens, get over it!

[taxigirl09]

People crack me up! This group has a problem with the sexual stuff on this show but not a problem with teenage drinking. I watch the show every week and think to myself...how messed up is this show. every party thats on this show,shows the "teenagers"drinking,and drinking in front of the "parents". get over the sex and look at the drinking issues on this show