Revealed: U.S. group behind protest of Brit gay ad
When Heinz decided to pull its British deli mayonnaise TV ad in late June after a number of complaints over a gay kiss, it looked like a purely British affair. After all, the ad was only shown in Britain. But it turns out the American Family Association had jumped into the fray, notifying its members of the ad and asking them to complain to Heinz. “I thought you might be interested in seeing the Heinz ad featuring a homosexual family and two homosexuals kissing,” says the AFA alert. “We suggest you forward this to your family and friends letting them know of the push for homosexual marriage by Heinz.” Complaints flooded in. The ad in question takes place in a kitchen in a family home. A New York deli chef, complete with New York accent, white apron and hat, is making packed lunches for the kids. The kids call the chef ‘mum, and the father kisses the chef before heading out the door. A Heinz spokesperson told the Media Guardian that the ad was an attempt at humor, not advocacy.
Less dirty talk? FCC complaints tank in late 2007.
Either programming on TV and radio is becoming less objectionable, or people no longer care enough to complain to the Federal Communications Commission. The number of programming indecency and obscenity complaints fell to 368 in the third quarter of 2007, a huge decline from 4,368 such complaints during the second quarter of the year, according to the FCC. And that number was already down big time from 149,457 complaints during the first quarter of 2007. Overall, the total number of radio and TV complaints to the FCC, including issues other than obscenity and indecency, was 987 during the third quarter, down from 5,675 complaints during the previous quarter. Just why the dramatic declines is not known. Regardless, the FCC’s power in regulating indecency is in limbo at the moment pending two court cases, one in the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia regarding nudity, the other in the Supreme Court regarding the use of dirty words.
Three possible scenarios in the actors' negotiations
With Hollywood all but shut down again, this time over a looming actors' strike, all eyes are on a meeting later today between the Screen Actors Guild and studio negotiators to discuss their latest offer. Little good is expected to come from it, since the guild has already said the offer fails on key points such as residuals for new media. What matters now is what happens on Tuesday when members of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, SAG's sister union, vote on a deal its leader have reached with the studios. That outcome will likely determine whether SAG settles or goes out on strike. This morning entertainment lawyer Jonathan Handel, a respected observer of the talks, put forth three possible scenarios. Scenario one: If AFTRA members ratified the deal by a large margin, SAG will have little choice but to accept the deal offered by studios. Handel sees that as the most likely outcome. Scenario two: AFTRA rejects the studio deal by a large margin. SAG would then call for a strike authorization vote by its members, and that would take two to three weeks, pushing any strike well into July. Handel sees that as unlikely. The tricky scenario is Handel's third scenario: AFTRA members approve the deal but by a slim margin. In that case, SAG leaders, feeling emboldened, would refuse to settle, dragging out negotiations though the summer, with no clear outcome on the horizon.
Programming: TV Land renews ‘Got the Look’
Apparently there is life for models over the age of 35. “She’s Got the Look,” the TV Land reality modeling competition for women 35 and older, has been renewed for a second season, which is scheduled to kick off sometime next year. For season two the series will move from six episodes to eight. The series has averaged 633,000 total viewers this season, up 17 percent from TV Land’s total day average. Meanwhile, in other programming, NBC has ordered a comedy pilot called “Off Duty,” from Upright Citizens Brigade alum Jason Mantzoukas and “Semi-Pro” writer Scot Armstrong. The series will focus on police officers who work even when they’re not on the clock. MTV plans to launch the new reality series “Buzzin’” on July 23 at 10:30 p.m., with a preview of the premiere episode available on iTunes and Amazon on July 15. The program follows musical artist Shwayze and his producer and managers. Finally, Bravo will premiere “Tabatha’s Salon Takeover” on Aug. 21 at 10 p.m., in which former “Shear Genius” contestant Tabatha Coffey helps revive struggling salons. Coffey will help salons in California and New York over the course of the series.
Study: Kids shows are kinder to overweight people
“Hannah Montana” and similar kids shows do a good job dealing with issues of weight and how kids perceive people who are overweight. That’s what researchers at Brigham Young University are reporting after studying 19 non-animated Disney Channel, Discovery Kids and Nickelodeon programs that aired in September 2005. Characters on children’s TV sitcoms such as Disney’s “Hannah” and Nickelodeon’s “Drake and Josh” are giving kids a more realistic view of the world when it comes to people's weight and how they are perceived. The study results show that overweight characters on these shows are not burdened by traditional negative stereotypes and are more realistically represented in terms of the percentage of the population than characters on primetime shows. Researchers found that overweight characters weren’t portrayed as less intelligent, outgoing or happy than their thinner counterparts.
