I know this because I get spam sent to me by them.  In addition to that, several friends feel the need to forward the same spam to me later.  What is today’s spam about?  What is the obscenity they are seeking to stamp out via the FCC?

Sadly, it’s not American Idol.  These people have no standards.

No, what they are upset about is…football!  Specifically, football and the F-bomb.  Here’s what happened, according to the AFA:

It used to be that you could sit down and watch an evening football game with your children without fear of them being exposed to inappropriate material. Sadly, that’s no longer the case as was proven Saturday night during the Fox broadcast of the NFL playoff game between the New Orleans Saints and the Philadelphia Eagles.

During a cutaway shot to the stadium spectators, the camera focused directly on a woman wearing a t-shirt clearly inscribed with the words “F–k Da Eagles” (without the dashes).

The AFA then provided a link to the picture of the woman with said shirt, and they didn’t even blur out the offensive word (clicking the link will take you there).  Which leads me to ponder…why is it offensive for Fox to air this, but not for AFA to post it?  But that’s really a side issue.

Actually, what I’m wondering is why is it unethical for Fox to air this, but it’s fine for the person to wear the shirt in public where your children would still be exposed to it?  Why is it okay to speak that way in public, but it’s not okay for TV to accurately represent that?

These are not hypothetical questions.  I would like someone to actually explain the moral difference.  And no, I’m not talking about sex and violence on TV–those are separate issues.  After all, if you engage in violent or sexual activities in public, you will be arrested for doing so.  But not so with language.

This seems like a double standard to me.  To be consistent, either such language ought to be illegal in public (which would violate the First Amendment), or else it ought not be a scandal if it’s aired on TV that way.

That’s my $0.02, anyway.