Bozell: V-Chip Worthless
Bozell’s current column criticizes V-Chip technology, saying that it’s no match for TV “trash.”
Why? Well, because lotsa parents can’t figure out how to use it, or don’t even know they have one.
So let’s censor TV!
Bozell: The V-chip is no magic pill.
Update: Broadcasting & Cable has a report.
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Ignorance is no excuse. Why can’t they use their forum to teach parents how to use the V chip.
CHILD OF TELEVISION: “V” is for Chip. My mother did not have a Ratings System, V chip, or The Parents Television Counsel to tell her what I should or should not watch. All she had was common sense and a TV Guide, and we didn’t pick up the TV Guide every week.
Comment by Tony Figueroa — 4/15/2005 @ 9:52 am
Ignorance is no excuse? Quite the contrary, Tony! Ignorance is the PERFECT excuse for groups like the PTC and government agencies like the FCC to continue their reign of terror over free speech!
That’s been their justification to continue censorship of broadcast TV all this time. “Parents are idiots! Parents are morons! Parents don’t know how to program their VCRs properly, much less figure out how the V-chip works! They can’t even fix the clock on those things, so it always flashes at 12:00. They can’t do their jobs as parents, so WE have to do it FOR them!”
It’s been the same argument with the Internet as well. “Parents are idiots! Parents don’t know how to work a computer! They’re technically illiterate! They have to get their neighbor’s 8-year old child to turn their computers on. They don’t know how to do their jobs, so WE have do to it FOR them!”
Ignorance is the perfect excuse for censors because it presums that everyone is equally inept, requiring government supervision and therefore requiring government control of their lives so they won’t make those inevitable “stupid” decisions.
Comment by David 2 — 4/17/2005 @ 3:53 pm
In this case then, ignorance is a cop out.
Comment by Tony Figueroa — 4/18/2005 @ 6:33 am