<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR>Why TV station's reply on rape and torture scenes doesn't seem to square
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->MEDIACORP TV's Forum Online reply on Tuesday, 'MediaCorp explains rationale behind rape and torture scenes', to Miss Jennifer Tay's Forum Online letter on June 27, 'Why is there a spike in rape and torture scenes in local TV drama?', was this: 'We believe children who are old enough to understand prime-time dramas will be able to appreciate the strong moral fibre of the storylines and plots, and suitably process the negativity and immorality of any vicious crime, including sexual crimes on innocent victims.'
This contradicts MediaCorp's decision to censor two speeches during the televised Oscars ceremony in February where winners Dustin Lance Black and Sean Penn called for understanding, non-discrimination and equality for gay men and lesbians, presumably because this was considered unsuitable viewing material even for an adult-majority viewership.
Recently, Fighting Spiders, shown by Mobile TV, which is operated by the same company, featured multiple scenes depicting physical and sexual violence, rape, premarital sex, sex with prostitutes and even a scene showing the torture of a man dressed in women's underwear. In fact, such scenes were in almost every episode in the past few weeks or so.
Can MediaCorp explain its rationale, given that the audience, including children, are all held captive, without access to any 'power off' switch, unlike in the case of a home viewer?
I urge MediaCorp to implement ratings for all programmes for home viewing and broadcast only general-rated programmes on Mobile TV.
Tan Yen Ling (Ms)
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->MEDIACORP TV's Forum Online reply on Tuesday, 'MediaCorp explains rationale behind rape and torture scenes', to Miss Jennifer Tay's Forum Online letter on June 27, 'Why is there a spike in rape and torture scenes in local TV drama?', was this: 'We believe children who are old enough to understand prime-time dramas will be able to appreciate the strong moral fibre of the storylines and plots, and suitably process the negativity and immorality of any vicious crime, including sexual crimes on innocent victims.'
This contradicts MediaCorp's decision to censor two speeches during the televised Oscars ceremony in February where winners Dustin Lance Black and Sean Penn called for understanding, non-discrimination and equality for gay men and lesbians, presumably because this was considered unsuitable viewing material even for an adult-majority viewership.
Recently, Fighting Spiders, shown by Mobile TV, which is operated by the same company, featured multiple scenes depicting physical and sexual violence, rape, premarital sex, sex with prostitutes and even a scene showing the torture of a man dressed in women's underwear. In fact, such scenes were in almost every episode in the past few weeks or so.
Can MediaCorp explain its rationale, given that the audience, including children, are all held captive, without access to any 'power off' switch, unlike in the case of a home viewer?
I urge MediaCorp to implement ratings for all programmes for home viewing and broadcast only general-rated programmes on Mobile TV.
Tan Yen Ling (Ms)
