PTC Lodges New Complaint Against ‘Family Guy'

The Parents Television Council has lodged its third
complaint with the FCC over an episode of Family
Guy
, this time over excretory depictions the groups says were patently
offensive.

It has called on its members to file complaints over the
show's 150th episode, which aired May 2, citing a scene in which Brian, who is
a dog, is convinced to eat the excrement and vomit, then lick the behind, of
Stewie, who is a baby.

"The broadcast decency law makes specific reference to
content that depicts excretory functions that are patently offensive for the
broadcast medium," said PTC President Tim Winter, adding that the show's
creator appeared to have set out to violate the law as literally as possible.

PTC has officially complained about the show to the FCC in
two other instances, one in March 2009 involving a lap dance and one in
December 2009 involving bestiality and orgies.

A Fox Network spokesman had no comment.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.