A Little Common Sense, Please

I was just reading an article on Foxnews.com about how some local ABC affiliates around the country were refusing to show Saving Private Ryan for fear of incurring the wrath of the FCC.

Most of the concern comes from the 2004 Super Bowl baring of Janet Jackson's breast, Bono's comments at the 2003 Golden Globe Awards, and, of course, the ever-offensive Howard Stern.

One important distinction that these midwest prudes, and the FCC, need to remember is that these were all LIVE events which are, by nature, unpredictable. Saving Private Ryan, on the other hand, was filmed years ago, reviewed by the MPAA, and given an appropriate rating. Sufficient warnings are posted at the beginning of the movie. If you don't know what to expect when you tune in to a pre-recorded movie, then you have much bigger problems than hearing the occasional F-bomb on network TV.

Can we all, nationwide, just use a little common sense? If you are tuned in to a live event, you should have a reasonable expectation of whether or not to expect profanity or partial nudity, based on the station you are watching and the time of day. In cases like Janet Jackson, Bono, and Howard Stern, I would like to see the FCC nail them to the wall. However, a movie like Saving Private Ryan, given proper warnings, should cause no controversy.

[Ed. - edited to add link and for readability]