One of the many great things about living in the United States of America is the freedom to order pay-per-view porn, to watch shameful levels of Internet porn, or relax and unwind on a quiet Sunday night with the ultra-violence of Boardwalk Empire or the gratuitous sex on Game of Thrones. If the Republicans had their way, however, those options would no longer be in play.
According to THR, as part of the new Republican platform, the GOP is seeking to crack down on obscenity laws.
“Current laws on all forms of pornography and obscenity need to be vigorously enforced.” Morality in Media CEO Patrick Trueman says this means that prosecutors should be targeting obscene material distributed on the Internet, on hotel TV, on cable and satellite TV and in retail shops.
What exactly constitutes “obscene” material according to the Republicans is an open question, but from the sound of it, Morality in Media — which has gotten assurances from Mitt Romney’s legal director about Romney’s committment to bringing more obsenity prosecutions — wants to extend the FCC’s jurisdiction over cable and satellite transmissions, in addition to broadcast networks.
The good news is, the Republicans won’t get their way. Not because Mitt Romney will necessarily lose the election, but because — regardless of what Mitt Romney and the Republican party want — the Supreme Court won’t allow it. The Supreme Court has already spoken on this issue, and basically laid down the law: The FCC has no jurisdiction over satellite and cable transmissions.
It does not mean, however, that the Republicans can’t appoint someone to the FCC who will make it tougher on broadcast networks to air “obscene material.” There again, however, the Republicans could be hamstrung by a recent Supreme Court ruling that left open the question of whether the FCC has the power to regular indecency on network television.
What does it all mean? Basically, this: Though little is likely to change because of existing Supreme Court precedent, it doesn’t change the fact that the party advocating a smaller, less intrusive government is the same party that wants to intrude on our television viewing. Regardless of political affiliation, that’s not cool.
(Source: THR)
