HOLLYWOOD, (LifeSiteNews.com) – Sexually explicit performances at Sunday night’s MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) have caused a parents group to demand reform of the cable industry.
In the opening act, the always provocative Lady Gaga stripped down to a thong bikini that left little to the imagination.
However, it was former child star Miley Cyrus’ performance that dominated headlines and newscasts around the country. The young star, who rocketed to fame as the lead character in Disney’s Hannah Montana series, wore a flesh-colored bikini, and used a foam novelty hand in a variety of sexual ways before “twerking” in front of male singer Robin Thicke.
Networks said the program was approved for viewers as young as 14.
Parents Television Council Director of Public Policy Dan Isett accused MTV of marketing “adults-only material to children while falsely manipulating the content rating to make parents think the content was safe for their children.”
“How is this image of former child star Miley Cyrus appropriate for 14-year-olds?” he asked. “How is it appropriate for 14-year-olds to see a condom commercial and a promo for an R-rated movie during the first commercial break?”
“Heads should roll at MTV,” said PTC Advisory Board Member and former BET Executive Paul Porter.
The PTC has said the show should make the nation rethink the way television is delivered. Isett called on Congress to pass the Television Consumer Freedom Act of 2013 (S. 912).
Cable companies currently bundle networks into plans, forcing buyers to pay for popular channels that may offend their values. The proposed bill, introduced by Senator John McCain this spring, would allow consumers to select – and pay for – only those cable networks they actually want to watch.
The bill has been read before the Senate Commerce Committee but gone nowhere.
The National Cable and Telecommunications Association rapped the measure, saying its current practices give viewers “a wider variety of viewing options [and] increased programming diversity.”
But its supporters say the present arrangement denies customers choice.
“After MTV’s display last night, it’s time to give control back to consumers,” Isett said.