The Parents Television Council urged TLC to reconsider plans to air a show titled Sex in Public, scheduled to begin on Oct. 2.
According to news reports, a therapist goes undercover and ambushes strangers with the hope of getting them to open up about their sex lives on camera.
“TLC once stood for The Learning Channel, but today it stands for Totally Ludicrous Content. Sadly, this once-noble programmer is the latest in a string of basic cable networks using provocative titles and explicit content in a desperate move to attract attention. And because TLC is part of the cable network bundle, it can use its unfair business leverage to force every cable subscriber in the country to pay for its explicit content, whether subscribers want it or not,” said PTC President Tim Winter.
While this show is being touted as “therapy,” the title alone gives parents everywhere pause. No doubt the network will rate the explicit sexual dialogue as appropriate for children as young as 14 years of age.
“We are urging advertisers to steer clear of Sex in Public and other TLC shows that are clearly designed to shock and accelerate TLC’s apparent goal of pandering to the lowest common denominator. And we are calling on TLC to issue a refund to the 99.95 percent of cable subscribers in America who don’t want to watch—or pay for—a program like Sex in Public.”
