Warning: This column includes selected complaints sent by Pennsylvanians to the Federal Communications Commission about content aired on television. Readers might find some of the comments insensitive or upsetting.
On May 6, 1961, the newly appointed chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Newton N. Minow, delivered a keynote address to the National Association of Broadcasters, and his words have resonated through history.
He asked broadcasters to watch their own stations from the time they came on the air until they signed off. He told them, "I can assure you that what you will observe is a vast wasteland."
That was even before ads for whole body deodorants were even a thing. (Much more on that later.)
The FCC collects complaints from viewers about the content that comes into their homes over the airwaves, the cable or streaming platforms, and reading through the 546 complaints lodged with the FCC over the past year from residents of Pennsylvania ― obtained through the Freedom of Information Act ― confirms that a large number agree with Minow's assertion that TV is a "vast wasteland."
Many of the complaints made sense, while some were completely incomprehensible. And some seemed to have come from regions, as the late, great country songwriter Kinky Friedman once observed, out where the buses don’t run. They are quoted here (mostly) verbatim, with apologies to readers who take offense at assaults on spelling, grammar and punctuation.
The Super Bowl
Super Bowl LVIII attracted more than its fair share of complaints. A number of viewers wrote to the FCC to complain that a commercial about the Hamas-Israeli war did not include a disclaimer that it was paid for by the Israeli government, saying the ad amounted to propaganda. There were also numerous complaints about the halftime show and what some viewers believed was its “explicit sexual content,” dancers gyrating and grabbing their crotches and simulating sexual acts, while, as many wrote, children were watching.
Drug ads
Prescription drug ads attracted a large number of complaints, sometimes for reasons that may not occur to you. Take, for instance, a pair of complaints filed about commercials for Sotyktu, a medication used to treat plaque psoriasis.
One complaint, filed in October from Chesterbrook, alleges the ad “showed actual or implication man in speedo teasing character of biological minor daughter (incest) or teasing step or adopted daughter implying literal dominance of non biological daughter through literal consequence of money paid for her home (pyramid scheme of sterile or soon to be sterile male (and/or promoting inferior offspring with possible birth defects) when man character already has wife and/or girlfriend.”
Another complaint, filed in February 2023 from Bryn Mawr, offers a slightly different point of view: “During a commercial for Sotyktu it is perceived that the girl in the same frame as a body wearing the small red swimsuit, possibly male, after stopping to stare and enticing me, the audience, into wanting an experience where a girl, but not necessarily my daughter (since the actors in the commercial could not be related) wants to involuntarily and later voluntarily see me in a small, tight swimsuit promoting incest and possibly pedophilia and hence needing to experience this situation to potentially heterosexual or bisexual girls and that is cool to be comfortable around your biological Dad in a small, tight swimsuit while the girl is also later on the chair instead a more sophisticated system than school to date the opposite sex your age even as minors. Then later in the commercial, where the girl in bikini is sitting on the same chair as a male wearing a small bikini bottom suggesting an incestual-like or also a pedophilia-like experience is common place and cool and what a normal vacation consists of. Whereas, in reality, the male and the girl could not be related and experiencing extra excitement and emotional arousal, as well as enjoyment of being near each other, performing exhibitionism, and being paid all being the cost of seeing the family’s wife character in a towel and wink at the camera, enticing me even further into shopping at a non-existent combo meal family shop including girl who is future daughter and women who is future wife.”
Ads for prescription drugs attracted a lot of complaints. One sort of summed it all up, filed under the title, “I need this question answered.” The complaint read: “So why is tv allowed to advertise drugs and gambling during all times of the day? I see it on all the main channels (CBS, ABC, NBC, etc) pretty often. And at dinner time it's ED meds and stuff for 'bent carrot syndrome,'along with stool softeners and anything else entirely inappropriate for day-prime time. Hell I don't even want to see this trash at night! It's like visiting the worst part of town every time a channel takes a commercial break. I'd like answers as to why this is on tv. I know the real reason is money, but there should be some oversight. TV has become a cesspool.”
Some even threatened legal action. A commercial for Dupixent, a drug used to treat eczema, asthma and other ailments, drew a complaint from Bensalem about “men in extremely tight bathing suits and children in extremely tight outfits. It is disturbing and downright inappropriate. If this continues, I will sue all parties involved.”
Anti-LGBTQ
An ad for Apretude, a drug used to treat HIV, attracted complaints from viewers who objected to its depiction of, well, they can speak for themselves:
“Stop showing gay porn,” one complaint from South Park Township was titled. It read, “Two men kissing in a television commercial is gay soft porn. If you force people to watch gay soft porn every day, they will turn gay.”
Another viewer, from Clearfield, wrote, “Gay people make up only 7% of the world population. Most of us are heterosexual and you make it think that being homosexual is okay. ITS NOT!”
(We will spare you the complaints filed about drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction and the services that provide online prescriptions.)
Speaking of viewers upset with gay people, Sweethearts Week on “Wheel of Fortune” drew complaints for having a married gay couple among the contestants.
A viewer from North East, wrote, “It's Sweethearts week and again they have to have 2 people of the same sex. It's in poor taste to have these types of people on TV. TV programs may have gone woke but I have not. Please stop all this on TV shows, New Shows etc. It's disgusting.”
Another wrote, “These types of commercials do not belong on TV, Get them their own LGHBQ+ WHATEVER TV STATIONS! KEEP THEM OFF TV.If people want to watch these kinds of show give them their own channels.”
Another, also from North East, took a more holistic approach.
“This is getting out of hand,” the complaint read. “Transgender commercials for MTV DRAG QUEENS on a family channel TV Land channel 44 on Spectrum this is Not in good taste at all! On CBS a new show TRACKER was on after the SUPERBOWL GAME. Started out good until 2 lesbians were laying in bed together. Putting lesbians or gays on a TV show is in again, poor taste, sickening it seems to be happening more and more since Biden's world began.”
Personal hygiene
Much of the vitriol about ads was reserved for commercials for a brand of whole body deodorant, Lume, and its pitchwoman, the star of the spot.
A viewer from Philadelphia wrote, “I'm trying to watch some wild west reruns on Grit TV and this horrible Shannon Klingman woman keeps popping up every hour with her female smell commercials. Is there no escape from this woman??? I'm watching Grit TV!!! For Christ's sake!!!”
Another complaint from Philadelphia stated, simply, “Shannon Klingman's unwashed red face.”
A complaint from West Chester began, “These commercials have got to stop!!! It appears that a potty-mouthed toddler produced these commercials. I am shocked and disgusted to think how these commercials were deemed appropriate and cleared to enter our homes, with children, over and over and over again throughout the day! Not to mention during the holidays while enjoying holiday movies with family!”
Another, from Philadelphia, read. “Vile and disgusting, and always while trying to have a meal and watch a little t.v. what's next, people shaving their privates and wiping their butts on tv? Fcc needs to find out how those ads get on tv and put an end to it. I'm also sick and tired of charmin bears, not funny any more. Look it up online, nobody likes or finds it funny.”
Another ad for a personal hygiene product, the Venus disposable razor, intended to be used to shave personal regions, drew some fire.
A complaint from New Bloomfield read, “In this unnecessarily indecent & obscene & pornographic & lewd Venus for pubic hair & skin commercial/ad which by airing it to viewers breaks all laws concerning flashing, public lewdness, keeping the peace and possible breaking laws concerning child abuse. ... Television programmers or tv station owners unjustly would never air to viewers an commercial/ad showing any man shaving his phallus because that is idiotically considered to be indecent but illegally & unlawfully flashing viewers to show a woman shaving her phallus is considered art when it is an unlawful & illegal crimes of flashing + public lewdness occuring under the pretense of art!”
The ad is unnecessary because, according to the complaint, “Venus should know that everyone who shaves down there already knows how to do it and we the viewers do not want/need offensive, pornographic, indecent, lewd and completely unnecessary images ever aired to us, why not use a man?”
It’s gotten to the point, one complainant wrote, that you can’t even watch re-runs of old Peter Falk shows without being offended by the commercials.
The complaint read: “I was watching an episode of Columbo that was on my DVR and an ad about phone sex came on. When has this become acceptable? Seriously. It's bad enough we have to sit through ads about betting and gambling, not to mention every prescription drug in existence, but now it's phone sex as well. Disgusting society we live in. And disgusting people who allow it.”
(One question: If you DVR’d the show, can’t you just fast-forward through the commercials?)
Political ads
Even political ads were found to be offensive, and not for partisan reasons.
A complaint from West Chester, titled “Inappropriate political ads during family programming time,” read, “I can count at least four times that an inappropriate political ad opposing Ed Durr, has aired during a 1pm NBA basketball game aired on NBC Sports Philly, watched by my children who are 6 and 8. The ad accuses the republican candidate of prohibiting women from having abortions even in cases of rape, incest or sexual abuse, plays a recording of him encouraging women to ‘keep their legs closed’ and argues that he believes women should be spayed like dogs. Not only is it completely infuriating to hear that message over and over, it's outrageously inappropriate for it to be aired at a time and on a channel where innocent children — who don't yet need to know about those very, VERY adult topics or the ugly side of American politics — are watching. I am by no means a pearl clutcher but Im furious about this. I'll be taking this complaint directly to the democratic pacts paying for this commercial as well.”
South Park
Promos for other TV shows were not spared, even if they contained a slight against the sitcom “The Office.”
A writer from Greensburg complained that an ad for the edgy Comedy Central show “South Park” could cause “a major mental health crisis.”
The complaint read, “Triggering South Park commercial only shows a little boy being RAPED BY A MACHINE WHILE HIS PARENTS WATCH! I was eating dinner when I first saw the commercial when I started crying and almost threw up. This is disturbing, inappropriate, triggering and everyone involved including the network should be sued. ... This could cause a major mental health crisis in someone who was just trying to watch a simple show like The Office. ...Someone should be taking legal action against this.”
Others found commercials offensive for reasons other than purported sexual content or descriptions of “female smell.”
Earworms
For everyone who has heard a commercial and has had the song from the ad stuck in their brain the rest of the day, there was this complaint: “Amazon Prime is running a commercial called ‘Tache by Olivia Wilde excessively across network TV including sports channels, major networks, and at all times of the day. While I think it is nice that the director tries to make teen girls feel better about their bodies and peer pressure, the song is an earworm … the commercial is on EVERY station, ALL day, EVERY TIME I put on the TV. Working from home and having the television in the background used to be soothing. Please stop them from playing commercial 100 times a day. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.”
Race
There were also complaints about racism in commercials.
One complaint titled “Commercials” from Beaver, read, “There 95 present black. That’s racism.”
Another, from Monroeville, stated, “I am a black man and we (black people) make up only approximately 13.4% of the US population. Why is the FCC allowing over representation of black people in commercials? This is a false narritive and in no way, shape, or form is a true representation or helpful to our country. It creates a false illusion to black people and is insulting to both white and hispanic viewers. I am a wartime veteran and I would appreciate your effort in correcting this issue and catering to ‘wokism.’”
One writer from Philadelphia lodged a complaint about programming, writing, “Description Paramount+'s Grease original series will include racist attacks on White people.”
A writer from Philadelphia took a different tack. “PCMatic, a cyber security company, currently broadcasts a TV ad on MSNBC which depicts a young Black man in a hoodie stealing online information. This is not only racist, but it advances a conspiracy. Homeland Security found that the biggest cyber threat is from foreign actors, not Black Americans.”
Accusations of racism weren’t just black and white.
A person from Bryn Mawr complained about a joke comedian/talk show host Jimmy Kimmel told during the Oscars broadcast. The complaint read: “During the Oscars last night, at one point, Jimmy Kimmel mentioned something along the lines of how five Irish actors were nominated, which means the chances of a flight on stage have gone up. I am personally insulted by him saying this because I am Irish-American among other ethnicities and do not just fight anyone, especially men. Not only was I insulted if the writers wrote this line (showing a blatant lack of creativity) but also the fact that Jimmy Kimmel did not take the opportunity to ad lib and correct the line with his own comment (showing his blatant lack of creativity as well). ... I think Jimmy Kimmel should be fired from ABC and never shown on television again.”
And then, from Effort, Pa., there was this: “A commercial came on that I find insulting. It says Heaven or not.”
Cable news
It wasn’t just commercials that attracted complaints. Newscasts attracted a number of complaints, some of them not for reasons that involve, say, bias or incomplete reporting.
Fox News was a primary target of complaints, with numerous viewers lodging complaints about the conservative network promoting propaganda and lies.
One viewer from Narberth wrote, “I'm a Howard Stern fan and he was fined over and over for indecency. My take was always if you don't like him, turn it off. The Janet Jackson/Super Bowl incident made people lose their minds and probably cost a lot in taxpayer money as the incident was investigated and fines were levied. Do you know what I found indecent? January 6th! The idea that a sitting President was involved in an attempted coup and the idea that so many in government aided him and made excuses for him and it's still going on and we still don't have justice. I realize the regulations are different for broadcast and cable...BUT. And it's a big BUT. How are there no regulations to deal with the lies being pushed by FOX News? They settled a nearly billion dollar lawsuit over absolute horseshit being spouted over the air and there are more lawsuits pending and they continue to abuse their license. How do I register my complaints over that? I don't think FOX News should have a license to broadcast. ... Who is looking into Fox News continuing to broadcast things that are weakening our democracy and have real consequences for the fate of the world? Far graver consequences than Howard Stern saying a dirty word or Janet Jackson exposing her nipple.”
Specific Fox News personalities also drew complaints. One viewer from Pittsburgh wrote, “On October 5th, 2023, Fox News host Greg Gutfield was advocating for a new ‘civil war’ because elections don't work. This man constantly lies and incites violence to the people who watch his program.”
Another viewer, from New Castle, wrote, “Tucker Carlson's claims about January 6th invasion of Capitol being orderly, is another abhorrent lie on Fox. The entire network is known for lying to activate their viewers into that insurrection as well as crimes against minorities. Continual lies by any network should be stopped. Their misinformation hurts our Democracy and has a real effect on our elections. Fox News was taken off the air in England and the same thing should happen in the US. At the very least Tucker Carlson should be taken off the air along with several other hosts on Fox.”
For the record, Carlson has parted ways with Fox News. He’s still popular in Russia, though.
Fox News wasn’t the only network to draw complaints. One viewer complained about CNN broadcasting a Trump town hall meeting, calling it “an affront to common decency” and writing that it “elevates an ordinary liar to national stage.”
The complaint continued: “How can CNN be allowed to let the disinformation be broadcast without consequences? I want to file a formal complaint against the broadcaster in letting a serial liar spout his hatred and racist views on the national stage. No 1st amendment rights here, only CNN giving the man a forum to continue the debunked big lie. Having this person foment and agitate fascists and right wing conspiracy theories is bad judgement, bad for America and bad business for the news organizations of the country. CNN needs to fined for letting this happen and prevented from letting the racist hatred from happening again. I am sure they made a hefty sum of money off the stunt and they continue to make the easy money by letting this guy on the airwaves/ cable/streaming environs.”
Even C-SPAN drew ire for a stunt by U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. “She showed pornographic images of Hunter Biden and an unknown woman on C-SPAN which was live,” one complainant wrote.
Local TV news
Local newscasts were also the target of complaints.
WTAE in Pittsburgh drew a complaint for showing an image of “a starved dead dog,” according to the complaint. “Out of nowhere they show this poor pup laying on a table emaciated and deceased,” the complaint read. “I and others can never unsee that. I actually screamed when I saw it. No warning nothing. Horrible.”
And a viewer at the other end of the state filed a complaint about Philadelphia’s WPVI showing the body of a child found at the Delaware shore, writing, “I am absolutely mortified. The disrespect is crazy. I called the news to tell them and the guy who answered was very rude and did not care and hung up on me. To show a dead child after I’ve suffered miscarriages and loss of a child. I am very upset.”
Death wasn’t the only thing to attract viewers’ ire. Geography did too.
A viewer from Scranton called the FCC to complain about the alleged geographical ignorance of a weather man, as the report of a call depicts.
“Caller is having issues with WNEP NewsWatch 16,” the FCC reported. “Kurt Aaron, Chief Meteorologist, referenced Syracuse NY as Upstate NY. The caller sent him an email and stated that he was wrong and that Syracuse is not Upstate, NY. The station will not make Kurt Aaron correct his incorrect information about Syracuse, NY. Caller states he has called the station and he has called the mayor's office and businesses in that area. He states that the Meteorologist Kurt Aaron has blocked him from contacting him, calling him or in any way discussing this meteorologist's mistake. I recommended he send a letter to the Station and note it is for the Public File. He wants an apology and for (Aaron) to admit he is wrong.”
Sports broadcasts also drew some complaints. Some of them included the inadvertent broadcast of profanities from fans and players. One was about fans at the Gold Cup soccer tournament chanting “homophobic slurs” during every Mexico game, chants that the complainant said can be heard over the Fox broadcast.
And then there was this, a complaint titled “Black male athlete spanking another athlete,” one complete, run-on sentence which will speak for itself.
“I was deeply disturbed by a black male athlete that I had to view spanking another male athlete on television yesterday during the noon television broadcast of the Creighton versus Villanova University men’s basketball game and then potentially being subject to commercials of public corporations as well as the fact that a woman or a bisexual male could get an extra emotional benefit from this experience that I loathe seeing as a heterosexual male, especially since I am restricted to jobs such as in retail where I am paid minimally hourly compared to the income I personally bring in for the store and company since I have misdemeanors on my record for entering a girl’s dormitory at Villanova University and later groping a girl’s butt cheek,” the complaint read.
The NCAA basketball tournament also drew this complaint: “The female singer had hairy armpits. I found this unpleasant while I was eating.”
Send in the clowns
Finally, clowns.
In a complaint titled “Hate and violence,” a resident of Easton complained about an Ocean Spray commercial.
“Ocean Spray was running a TV commercial earlier this year and is still viewable at oceansprayclowncommercial. This is a commercial for one of their drinks ... the meat of this commercial is a female with her young daughter KICKS A CLOWN IN THE HEAD 3 TIMES --- then you hear the body fall. There was NO PROVOCATION for this reaction to be had. So would it be right for me to kick and or kill people in the mall when they say 'Hello'? Clowns are an Occupation, Profession, and sometimes even used to Aid Terminal and Non-Terminally Ill people to a different frame of mind toward their general mental position. Clowns/Entertainers cannot extend lives by a measurable difference, but can have a positive influence for some people in some conditions.”
It could be said that the complaint should not be filed with the FCC. Blame best-selling horror novelist Stephen King or serial killer/clown John Wayne Gacy.
Columnist/reporter Mike Argento has been a York Daily Record staffer since 1982. Reach him at mike@ydr.com.
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: What are Pennsylvania residents complaining to the FCC about
