Artifact: The Case of the Invisible Moose
"The television landscape is blanketed with stories of sex," warns Vicky Rideout, vice president of the Kaiser Family foundation, which recently released Sex on TV 4, the latest installment in an ongoing content analysis of steamy small-screen offerings. The study, which tracked programs on selected broadcast and cable channels, found that 70 percent had some sexual content, compared to 56 percent in 1998. The report led folks such as Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Federal Communication Commission Chairman Kevin Martin to demand more kid-friendly offerings.
Before they get too excited, they should take a minute to introduce themselves to Moose A. Moose, the bizarre, chimerical mascot of Noggin, a cable channel that offers nothing but wholesome, commercial-free entertainment for toddlers and preschoolers. Sex on TV may be multiplying like rabbits, but so are channels that deliver child-appropriate fare. In the last few years, Playhouse Disney, PBS Kids, Sprout, Toon Disney, and other channels have come on line, joining not only Noggin but Nickelodeon and more.
Maybe there is more sex on television. Perhaps it's more important that there's more of everything.