The American Family Association, a conservative Christian media and political watchdog group, focused its current disapproval on ABC after the network aired an unedited version of \Saving Private Ryan"" on Veteran's Day, Nov. 11. Armed with letters of complaint, members and affiliated groups promised to make their voices heard by the Federal Communications Commission.
Tim Wildmon, president of the AFA, said the organization will be taking up formal action with the FCC as well as filing complaints against ABC.
""We're filing official complaints with the FCC, but we're trying to get several thousand letters of complaint in there,"" Wildmon said. ""If we don't raise standards right here and ask that the law be enforced, we're going to have R-rated and worse material on network TV very soon.""
""Saving Private Ryan"" aired in about 71 percent of the country, according to Nielsen data, with 225 of ABC's affiliates showing the unedited film and 66 declining to participate. About 7.7 million people watched the movie.
Finding particular offense with the high level of swearing in the film, the AFA focused its attention on the language, counting 20 uses of the word ""fuck"" and 12 occurrences of ""shit.""
""'Saving Private Ryan' is a very patriotic movie, so we have no objection to ABC/Disney showing the movie per se, but they had 20 uses of the 'f' word on free broadcast television and that's against the law,"" Wildmon said. ""We just think it is totally inappropriate and irresponsible to have that word during that time period.""
L. Brent Bozell, president of the Parents Television Council, disagreed with the AFA and said in a statement the PTC would not file a complaint with the FCC, notably because the film had run unedited on television twice in the past, in 2001 and 2002.
""Context is everything,"" Bozell said. ""We agreed with the FCC on its ruling that the airing of 'Schindler's List' on television was not indecent and we feel that 'Saving Private Ryan' is in the same category. In both films, the content is not meant to shock, nor is it gratuitous.""
The use of swearing even in context was unacceptable to Wildmon, who filed a complaint through the AFA in 2001.
""The language is as coarse as you can use,"" Wildmon said. ""On free TV you've got to have some standards or you have none at all. Otherwise next week they're going to be putting another R-rated movie on with the language and saying, 'Well, that's in context, that's real life.'""
Mike Furgal, adjutant quartermaster of Wisconsin Veterans of Foreign Wars, said although he did not watch the movie on ABC, he had seen the movie before and approved of the network's decision.
""I think it was a wise decision-they showed it like it is,"" Furgal said. ""The movie is very accurate.""
Furgal also said he did not understand the fervent complaints to the airing of the film on prime-time television.
""I think people should wake up and smell the roses,"" he said. ""Combat is not a pretty thing and this movie showed that.""
