Let down by PBS

[barebuns]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/09/arts/09arts-VIOLENCEBUTN_BRF.html?_r=1

Violence but No Nudity in PBS King Lear


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Compiled by DAVE ITZKOFF
Published: January 8, 2009

Though it will still feature the eye-gouging of Gloucester, the poisoning of Regan and other assorted tragic fates that befall its characters, the PBS broadcast of “King Lear” will avoid offense to delicate sensibilities by hiding the nudity in a scene with Ian McKellen, who plays the title role, The Associated Press reported. Mr. McKellen performs the scene nude in the Royal Shakespeare Company production of the play, but the taping of “King Lear” that PBS will show on the March 25 “Great Performances” will avoid showing him naked. Not that this bothers Mr. McKellen. “If it’s a distraction of that sort, it’s not worth the candle,” he told the Television Critics Association on Wednesday, according to The A.P. He added: “Every night when I’d take my clothes off, you know what I used to do? Pull in my stomach. That’s pathetic.”

This offends my delicate sensibilities!

[Rick_42]

Choosing not to air the performance as it should be offends my "delicate sensibilities" as well. In the past few years PBS has been overtly backing down when it comes to nudity. But they are publically funded and on broadcast television (subject to FCC tyranny). Graphic violence is still publically and politically acceptable while simple, non-sexual nudity is not. In the world of political correctness, where everyone must take extreme measures to ensure no one is offended, all nudity is sexual.

[Agde]

This sounds like a superb opportunity to organize a write-in campaign asking PBS to re-think its policy on nudity to accurately transmit legitimate artistic works like King Lear and in the process to take a more politically-correct and sophisticated approach distinguishing between normal nudity and nudity designed to shock or appeal to purient interest. Does anyone want to offer a thoughtful draft text that we can all use to write PBS?