Post-Super Bowl, Bare Breasts on 'ER' Raise Alarm (Nipplegate II, Coming Thursday Night on NBC)

TelevisionWeek ^ | February 3, 2004

[Timesink]

Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2004

Post-Super Bowl, Bare Breasts on 'ER' Raise Alarm

Only days after the firestorm created when Janet Jackson exposed her breast during the Super Bowl, plans to air an episode of "ER" on NBC Thursday evening that includes a view of an elderly female patient's bare breast are raising serious concerns among the network's affiliates.

Some NBC affiliates are so uneasy about the scene planned for the first night of sweeps that at least one station group executive described himself Tuesday as "considering what my options are" should NBC decide to air the hour with the exposed breast. "You're not going to find the stations very willing to take the heat," said the station group executive. "I think people are going to be backing off big-time."

NBC had no comment at presstime but is aware of the potential for some affiliates to refuse to air the episode. Senior network executives had screened the scene for members of the NBC affiliates advisory board during a Las Vegas meeting held in conjunction with NATPE in mid-January.

At the time, affiliates expressed what were described as "concerns" about the scene and whether it is, even if done in good taste, essential to the drama, but no final decision was reached. After the board discussion, some affiliates had been told that award winning "ER" executive producer John Wells was unwilling to cut the scene.

Now many affiliates are even more concerned. The post-Super Bowl climate has every station owner feeling super sensitive.

There is a pending FCC investigation of the Super Bowl incident. Last week some stations were fined for earlier incidents and the White House endorsed a call for a ten-fold increase in fines for indecency on TV. There are already indecency hearings on Capitol Hill scheduled and more being threatened.

In light of the atmosphere of fear which has been created, even a tastefully shot, full-on glimpse of a bare breast in a network primetime show inspires less academic and more fearful discussions and concerns. That context led the group executive to predict that should NBC keep the breast scene in, there could be significant defections by affiliates who won't air the show.

John Wells was unavailable for comment. #

[Arrowhead1952]

plans to air an episode of "ER" on NBC Thursday evening that includes a view of an elderly female patient's bare breast are raising serious concerns among the network's affiliates.

This is a warning ping..... Thought you might want to know, if you watch this show....

[mewzilla]

Idiots all - why is "a view of an elderly female patient's bare breast" even necessary?

February sweeps.

[the-ironically-named-proverbs2]

The 10 kerata are probably plotting even now.

[MissAmericanPie]

More like an open book.

[Mamzelle]

That seems to be the whole point--to mock the body of an old lady. It becomes a matter of male aesthetics--and you arrive to express your opinion as to the better qualities of one display over another.

Next we can see other shrivelled parts--nothing more pitiful than an old man's sunken-in posterior.

[Eowyn-of-Rohan]

"The media has been doing the whole "breast examination" thing for a long time. Educational content is different"

I agree that educational content is different, but the media has used every loophole possible to show breasts on television, and it all began in the name of "public health", but has contributed to the incrementalism in television programming. As with testicular self-examination for men, women have always been able to get all the information they need on breast self-examination from the doctors' office, magazine articles, et al.

[Eowyn-of-Rohan]

I honestly believe that another part of this is that the directors, producers, and movie makers in general just like to get women naked on the set for their own enjoyment. The movie makers (mostly male) have a real high time on the set with "those scenes". I know, as I have witnessed it. And BONUS-- it sells.

[gaspar]

Isn't it time to get the Chairman of GE, which owns NBC, to appear before a Congressional Committee and either have him justify such an occurance. I know, I know, the GE factotum would probably have Justin Timberlake tear off the Chairman's mother's blouse just to prove it was harmless fun.

[Eowyn-of-Rohan]

That has always been a good question--why is it OK to show African or "primitive" breasts (even if the primitives are white actors with body make-up)? The movie "Zulu"--on AMC last night-- has a long scene involving scores of topless African women dancing...Another is "The Bounty" with Mel Gibson, shown on TV frequently, shows many topless "Tahitians"...I am sure there are many more examples.

[Eowyn-of-Rohan]

I won't relax until they are as free and loose in showing those parts that men cover up, as they are with the parts women cover up.

[albee]

Please add me to your Schadenfreude ping" list. Many thanks.

[panaxanax]

Yea, what's the difference between showing a man's nipple and a women's nipple? Except for the fact that one is often larger, they are the same thing.

Which brings me to the age-old question......why do men have nipples?

[mewzilla]

If it's so educational, why wait for a sweeps month to do it?

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

Somehow I think that Howard Dean is behind all this.

[BibChr]

In light of the atmosphere of fear which has been created, even a tastefully shot, full-on glimpse of a bare breast in a network primetime show ....

Is this supposed to be an editorial? Or is it posing as reporting?

Dan

[steveo]

They're trying to shove these things down our throats!

[Grampa Dave]

ClancyJ has summarized what is happening in the upper and lower parts of the tv nets: "They are obsessed with shock, with distastefulness, with the depravity of mankind - that is where they feel comfortable and - golly - no need to worry about being creative. All you have to do is think of what could be a new low to stretch the envelope. No need to provide an interesting story - just show nudity and shock the public."

They watch BBC and watch their two critical audience groups flock to BBC for T&A and vulgar language. Those two critical groups, the aging liberals of the 1960/70s and their spawn.

Just watch what appears on BBC and you will see it in America later on.

[EdReform]

Well said. However there is an increasing number of producers and the tv/hollywood crowd living their lives in the sewer instead of the gutter.