We Hate It! We Want It!

Americans find TV too risque, according to the results of a TIME poll, but that doesn't mean that they, personally, are offended. And while most want a stricter FCC, they don't back a ban on smutty content

Monday, Mar. 28, 2005

    • About how many hours a week do you watch television?

    None 2% 1 to 3 12% 4 to 10 34% 11-20 26% 21-30 12% 30 or more 14%

    Which of these shows have you watched in the past few months?

    Network news 77% Cable news 73% CSI 50% Reality shows 35% Lost 20% Desperate Housewives 20% Access Hollywood 19%

    Have you ever complained to a broadcaster or the government, or participated in a boycott or demonstration about indecent or explicit content on television?

    No 94% Yes 5% Don't know 1%

    DID YOU SEE THAT? Most viewers felt that the government overreacted to the Janet Jackson incident. Only about one-third of them were offended by it

    Janet Jackson's breast exposed during Super Bowl half-time show Saw the show, live or rerun 68% Were offended by the show 31%

    Desperate Housewives skit on Monday Night Football, above Saw the show, live or rerun 37% Were offended by teh show 24%

    WHAT IS O.K., AND WHEN IS IT O.K.? Most people think non-naked sex scenes are fine after the kids have gone to bed; nudity before 10 p.m. is opposed by more than three-quarters of respondents

    Suitable before 10 p.m.

    Bare breasts 11% Frontal nudity 8% Bare buttocks 19% Implied sex, no nudity 34% Same-sex couple kissing 24% Advertising for sexual-potency drugs 21%

    Suitable only after 10 p.m.

    Bare breasts 39% Frontal nudity 41% Bare buttocks 39% Implied sex, no nudity 39% Same-sex couple kissing 28% Advertising for sexual-potency drugs 42%

    Never suitable

    Bare breasts 47% Frontal nudity 49% Bare buttocks 39% Implied sex, no nudity 24% Same-sex couple kissing 45% Advertising for sexual-potency drugs 34%

    SHOULD THE GOVERNMENT STEP IN? More viewers are offended by bad language on TV than by violence, nudity or drug abuse

    Percentage saying yes:

    Violence

    Is there too much on television? 66% Are you personally offended by it? 39% Should government ban it from TV? 36%

    Cursing and sexual language

    Is there too much on television? 58% Are you personally offended by it? 42% Should government ban it from TV? 41%

    Explicity sexual content, such as nudity

    Is there too much on television? 50% Are you personally offended by it? 38% Should government ban it from TV? 41%

    Drug and alcohol abuse

    Is there too much on television? 46% Are you personally offended by it? 32% Should government ban it from TV? 33%

    In controlling the amount of sex and violence on television, the government should...

    Be more strict 53% Stay the same 34% Be less strict 11% Don't know 2%

    The government's regulations over program content should be extended to cover...

    Basic cable such as MTV and E! Yes 49% No 44%

    Pay cable, such as HBO and Showtime Yes 31% No 64%

    Satellite radio Yes 33% No 57%

    This TIME poll was conducted by telephone March 15-17 among 1,010 adult Americans by SRBI Public Affairs. The margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points. "Don't know" omitted for some questions.