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July 2009
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We are running a program this Thursday night (9/7) about a variety of cancers, some of which may be sexually transmitted, like cervical cancer. All of which involve naming body parts and describing how to recognize the warning signs of a health problem when its early enough to do something about it. In the copy we mention body parts and kinds of cancer: endometrial, uterine, cervical, prostate, testicular and so on. So imagine my surprise when I saw the fairly representative female graphic, but the male graphic which had been neutered. This show, "Diagnosis Cancer: Below The Belt," runs at 10 p.m. Thursday, late enough in the evening to talk candidly. It's educational, even lifesaving stuff. So is it proper to show a silhouette of the male member? In an educational show where words are very explicit, and the purpose of the program is to promote good health, even lifesaving information? 4 Comments |
Yes. The purpose is clear and there is value in providing explicit information, especially when it could help save lives.
Only a complete moron could take offense at something like this (and you can bet some will) but they should be ignored.
At some point, you have to assume that a majority of your viewers are indeed intelligent. It's entirely appropriate. The hypocricy within the media's censors is hard to believe at times. I recall recently watching a documentary about a sex change, and the body before and after shots of the person's chest, while identical, had to only be blurred when the program identified the patient as female. Thus, people would be offended to see the same nipple if you knew the person was now "female", yet the day before, when it was a "male", that's ok to put on TV.
No one in their right mind finds this information you're talking about here as sexually explicit. If you warn viewers appropriately, and tag it "MA", you should not censor anything medically oriented. If you bother to haze this out, you make it less serious because you assume viewers are going to giggle instead of learn. If you're worried about that, you've stooped way too low.
Those very small minded people who take offense, simply need not to watch......
Don't edit anything. If you modify the pictures, that will only magnify someones shyness and make it even harder to talk to their own doctor. If a medical/educational program edits the male body, it will have an underlining shame about it. Set an example, our bodies and our health should not be hidden or shameful.