Thursday, February 05, 2004
Bring the Pain
The NFL is altering plans for its Pro Bowl halftime show this weekend, and promises that future big-event halftimes will be much more carefully policed after this year's Super Bowl controversy. (My guess is that next year in Jacksonville, we'll see the return of Up With People and Anita Bryant.) Now NBC has excised a scene from this week's episode of ER in which the breast of an 80-year-old woman is exposed. The show's creators are up in arms, but it's probably sensible for the network and its affiliates, given the ongoing mammary insanity, and the FCC's threat to fine the hell out of broadcasters until decency reigns from sea to shining sea.
(It took the government 18 hours to launch a probe into the Super Bowl halftime, but months to start inquiries into September 11 and Iraq war intelligence. Talk about something that comments on itself.)
Recommended reading: A reader of this fine feature (see, I do too have readers) responded to yesterday's post about the Dean campaign by noting that Howard Dean's voice has given the Democratic Party its biggest boost since JFK. In the Village Voice, Rick Perlstein chronicles Dean's influence on the Democrats' collective voice in 2004. And it isn't just Dean: "The one who survives the [nomination] process and collects the wisdom of his opponents into a single, smart platform might really be able to bring Karl Rove some pain."
Your mouth to God's ear, dude.
The NFL is altering plans for its Pro Bowl halftime show this weekend, and promises that future big-event halftimes will be much more carefully policed after this year's Super Bowl controversy. (My guess is that next year in Jacksonville, we'll see the return of Up With People and Anita Bryant.) Now NBC has excised a scene from this week's episode of ER in which the breast of an 80-year-old woman is exposed. The show's creators are up in arms, but it's probably sensible for the network and its affiliates, given the ongoing mammary insanity, and the FCC's threat to fine the hell out of broadcasters until decency reigns from sea to shining sea.
(It took the government 18 hours to launch a probe into the Super Bowl halftime, but months to start inquiries into September 11 and Iraq war intelligence. Talk about something that comments on itself.)
Recommended reading: A reader of this fine feature (see, I do too have readers) responded to yesterday's post about the Dean campaign by noting that Howard Dean's voice has given the Democratic Party its biggest boost since JFK. In the Village Voice, Rick Perlstein chronicles Dean's influence on the Democrats' collective voice in 2004. And it isn't just Dean: "The one who survives the [nomination] process and collects the wisdom of his opponents into a single, smart platform might really be able to bring Karl Rove some pain."
Your mouth to God's ear, dude.
