F-Bombs OK? FCC Asks If It Should Ease Swearing, Nudity Ban

Should the Federal Communications Commission lighten up on enforcing its ban on swear words and nudity on broadcast media?

The agency has proposed doing just that — letting "fleeting" violations slide and enforcing its rules only for "egregious" offenses.

The FCC invited comments for 60 days on the enforcement change in an April 1, 2013 announcement (click on PDF thumbnail).

Lake Forest and Lake Bluff residents are among those who have submitted comments.

"As a woman, the suggestion of allowing full frontal nudity is degrading and horrifying. Nothing good can be achieved for women from this: this will only increase young girls' anxiety over their physical appearance, encourage women to value their physicality rather than their intellect and personality, and perpetuate society's over-sexualization of all females. Nothing good can be achieved for men through this, either. Rather than learning to value and respect women, men are literally being trained to do nothing more than lust over their bodies. Truly, this is nothing more than abuse against women, and yet it is concealed under the title of 'entertainment,'" commented Lindsay of Lake Forest.

"My family members and I like nothing better than simply to sit down to an entertaining television show without concern for what content may offend us. We love to relax and enjoy a program, without having to be on our guard for what might come along that undermines sound values," commented Larry Thate of Lake Bluff.

Comments submitted to the FCC are public. You can see them by searching a comment database at the FCC website.

The Minnesota Family Council sent an email April 9 (click on PDF thumbnail) asking people to submit comments such as: "I oppose any changes to the current FCC indecency standards that would allow television and radio stations to broadcast expletives and nudity on the public airwaves, even if brief or 'fleeting.'"

Click on the YouTube thumbnail (or visit YouTube.com) for an example of the "fleeting expletives" behind the U.S. Supreme Court case cited by the FCC. It's Cher at the 2002 Billboard Music Awards (6:00 mark — profanity warning).

Would you like the FCC to ease its enforcement of indecency rules on TV and radio broadcasters? Share your thoughts in the comments below.