02/09/05

LC050209

This program is made possible in part by a grant from the City
of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department.

Coverage of Town Hall Los Angeles speakers on Life and Times is
made possible by a grant from The Boeing Company.

Val Zavala>> Tonight on Life and Times --

They're a group with a mission: protect children from sex and
violence on TV, but have they gone too far?

Lara Mahaney>> You know, I look at the Janet Jackson film. So
many people, really more in the entertainment industry, act like
it was no big deal. If she did the exact same thing in a public
high school, she would have been arrested for it.

Val>> And then, African-American artists turn social turmoil
into works of art. A look at three decades of black art in Los
Angeles.

All that and more straight ahead on tonight's Life and Times.

Life and Times is made possible through the generous support of
the L.K. Whittier Foundation dedicated to improving the quality
of life by supporting innovative endeavors in the fields of
medicine, health, science and education.

And by a generous grant from Jim and Anne Rothenberg.

Val>> We've been hearing the complaints for years. There's too
much sex and violence on television. So why does it seem to be
getting worse instead of better? Well, we found one
organization that is determined to protect children from
indecency on TV and other media. They are the Parents
Television Council and, as Hena Cuevas tells us, this council is
responsible for ninety-nine percent of all the indecency
complaints filed with the FCC.

Hena Cuevas>> It's been a year since Janet Jackson's
performance at the Super Bowl caused such an uproar, the
infamous wardrobe malfunction that prompted one of the highest
indecency fines against a broadcaster, $550,000 to be paid by
Viacom who owns CBS.

Howard Rosenberg>> We are still, in this country, capable of
making an enormous ado about very little. And by very little,
I'm not referring to the size of her breast. I didn't see it,
okay? But to me, it was an enormous fuss about everything.

Hena Cuevas>> Howard Rosenberg is a former television critic
for the Los Angeles Times who believes Viacom should not have
been fined and says that, in time, viewers would have forgotten
about it.

Howard Rosenberg>> I think ultimately it would have gone away.
I think it was a very unimportant incident. I think what she
did, what happened, was incredibly stupid. There was no need
for it. It was terrible judgment if it was intentional, which I
think it was. But at the same time, it was relatively minor.

Lara Mahaney>> You know, I look at the Janet Jackson thing and
so many people, really more in the entertainment industry, act
like it was no big deal. If she did the exact same thing in a
public high school, she would have been arrested for it.

Hena Cuevas>> Lara Mahaney is the Director of Corporate Affairs
for the Parents Television Council. Started in 1995, the PTC is
one of the advocacy groups at the forefront of the battle
against indecency on TV.

Lara Mahaney>> What we've done is we've kind of had a public
education campaign that says, look, you can complain. You have
a right to complain and it doesn't mean that what you're
complaining about is going to be found indecent, but there is an
avenue for it.

Hena Cuevas>> Their website helps parents get more information
on network programming. For example, the WB's prime time show,
"Seventh Heaven", gets high ratings from the PTC. Green lights
represent little or no violence or sexual content. On the other
hand, Fox's "That 70's Show" gets red lights for its high sexual
content.

Lara Mahaney>> Up until about two years ago, first of all,
parents didn't even know they could complain. They didn't know
that the FCC had a role at all. The networks certainly didn't
care what parents had to say, so parents stopped complaining to
the networks.

Hena Cuevas>> So the PTC's website gets users a direct
connection to the group that can do something: the Federal
Communications Commission. The FCC is responsible for the
nation's airwaves. Federal law limits TV and radio stations
from airing indecent material or language before ten p.m. when
children are most likely to be watching or listening.

One of the misconceptions about the FCC is that they monitor
programming, which they don't. Their job is to enforce the
existing laws. In fact, they can't prevent a broadcaster from
airing anything and the only way they can act is after a
complaint has been filed. Last year, most of the complaints
filed with the FCC came from the PTC, something that doesn't
surprise Rosenberg.

Howard Rosenberg>> Because the advocacy groups, however small
they may be, however small portion of the public they may
represent, make a lot of noise. And when you make a lot of
noise and especially in these days of the internet blockers, you
can influence the government.

Lara Mahaney>> I think people have a right to complain about
whatever they want to complain about even if it doesn't meet the
litmus test for indecency. You know, that's one of the greatest
things about our country.

Hena Cuevas>> What about people who say you can just turn off
the TV?

Lara Mahaney>> Well, I think that is a viable option. I just
don't think it should be the only option. I don't think it's
too much to ask, you know, broadcasters to not air graphic
content regarding masturbation, oral sex, anal sex, promoting
pedophilia. To tell somebody to turn off the television after
the offense has already occurred is the same as telling somebody
who's been mugged that they should have run away. The offense
has already occurred.

Hena Cuevas>> As an example of one of the complaints, the PTC
provided us with this episode of the reality show, "Married by
America" which includes scenes from a bachelor and a
bachelorette party.

[Film Clip]

Hena Cuevas>> The FCC found the episode indecent enough to fine
Fox Broadcasting nearly $1.2 million dollars. Fox is appealing
the decision.

Lara Mahaney>> There are topics that parents, I think, would
probably rather say, you know what, it's not your responsibility
to present them. I would rather bring up -- you know, if my
kids are going to be exposed to something regarding anal sex,
then I would rather be the one to talk to them about it. That
type of thing.

Melissa Havard>> If parents would like to say I want to talk
about those topics with my kids and they don't want TV depicting
it, then they just turn off the TV.

Hena Cuevas>> Melissa Havard is a Director of The Media
Project, a nonprofit organization that helps writers and
producers make sure the information they present on their shows
regarding sex is accurate and responsible.

Melissa Havard>> I think our definition of responsibility might
be a little different, but I think we do agree that there needs
to be a level of concern by the networks putting out information
that obviously millions of young people see every day.

Hena Cuevas>> According to Havard, television is a powerful
medium and sometimes sex and violence do serve a purpose for the
plot line.

Melissa Havard>> A swear word might be an appropriate thing in
a certain kind of show. It may not be an appropriate thing in
another kind of show.

[Film Clip]

Hena Cuevas>> It was the appropriateness of the "F" word used
over twenty times in the movie, "Saving Private Ryan", that kept
it off the air in several cities. Sixty-six ABC stations
voluntarily decided not to air the movie because they were
concerned about possible complaints. It's precisely that
environment of self-censorship that concerns Rosenberg.

Howard Rosenberg>> I think it's mandatory that the FCC must be
much clearer about its guidelines to give some kind of course of
action for the industry. No one knows what to expect and when
no one knows what to expect, then inevitably they opt for a
course of timidity.

Lara Mahaney>> I think they're upset that all of a sudden now
they have to recognize that there are limits, and that's not a
bad thing. After ten o'clock, like I said, they can do whatever
they want to do except air obscene material. So they've
actually got a lot of freedom and a lot more than they're
pretending to have.

Hena Cuevas>> At The Media Project, Havard has decided to
launch what she calls an alternative voice to groups like the
PTC. Through their website, people will be able to contact
their favorite shows directly to let them know when they like
something.

Melissa Havard>> Our role is sort of a different approach.
It's using the honey. It's sort of like I look at the Parents
Television Council as vinegar and this would be oil and,
together, we make a great salad.

Lara Mahaney>> I think it's important for those in the
entertainment industry and the news media to understand what
really bothers parents, and the difference between, you know,
restraint and censorship. Again, creativity and those type of
things. I don't think anybody is against any of those. You
know, I don't think anybody's against edginess or graphic
content. I think it's just, again, a matter of a time and
place.

Howard Rosenberg>> But ultimately it is up to the public. If
you don't like it, don't watch it. If you don't want your kids
to watch it, don't let them watch it. It's your decision.

Hena Cuevas>> Recently the PTC filed another batch of indecency
complaints, thirty-six of them. After considering the
complaints, the FCC rejected them. So even though broadcasters
were not fined, they still know they are being watched very
carefully. I'm Hena Cuevas for Life and Times.

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Val>> When Frank and Jamie McCourt bought the Dodgers, it was
met with plenty of skepticism. They were from Boston and had
made their money in real estate. They were rookies to baseball.
But now Mrs. McCourt is working on a change. She wants to make
baseball more female-friendly. I talked with Jamie McCourt at
the Omni Los Angeles Hotel where she was a speaker with Town
Hall Los Angeles. I asked her how she was planning to make
baseball more appealing to women. Jamie McCourt, thank you,
first of all, for spending a little time with us.

Jamie McCourt>> My pleasure. I'm really happy to be here.

Val>> Now if your goal is to attract more women to baseball,
the first thing you have to understand is why women don't come
to baseball games more often. Have you figured that one out?

Jamie McCourt>> Well, I'm not so sure that they don't come.
You know, for me, the more, the merrier. I think it's really
important to expose more women to the game. They make lots of
decisions about how family's spend their time together and,
after all, we're all competing for time. That's the most
valuable commodity that we have. So I think it would be a great
way to have families spend time together. Baseball provides
that outlet.

Val>> There's already a father-son tradition in baseball that's
very, very strong. So are you trying to just expand that to
include the wife and the mother and the daughters? How would
you go about that?

Jamie McCourt>> You know, I think we're not trying to segment.
We want women from everywhere whether they're single, whether
they're married, whether they're mothers, sisters, daughters,
friends. We want them from everywhere because it's America's
game. It's a game for everyone. That's sort of the beauty of
baseball. It's there for everybody. So the extent we can
attract people from all walks of life, every ethnicity, there's
tremendous populations here in Los Angeles and it's our job to
try to make that fan experience for everyone better and more
appealing.

Val>> So what particular techniques do you think you might use?
Any marketing ideas?

Jamie McCourt>> Yeah, I hope so (laughter).

Val>> Because that's the key is marketing.

Jamie McCourt>> Well, I think for starters, we're going to host
a number of initiatives at the stadium. I would like to have
special seminars for women to teach them the rules and
strategies of the game. I'd like them to meet the past players
and the new players so they start to understand their love of
the game. I'd like to have them meet women in the front office,
women in baseball ops. I think that way they'll understand all
the different opportunities that there are, all the different
people that make it work. They're not just men. They're
everywhere. I think it would be a great way for women to be
exposed to also lots of other women who love the game, whether
it's each other or all of us who work there.

Val>> So do you mean literally like have women come to Dodger
Stadium for a Baseball 101 workshop or something? That simple?

Jamie McCourt>> And 102 and 103 and 104, absolutely (laughter).
And plus, we're going to launch a website, a link on the web, so
that we can talk to women, let them know how much we value their
participation and how much we really need them to be a part of
the fans in Dodger Stadium, so it's really exciting for us.

Val>> Do you think women who do go to baseball games go for a
different reason than, say, their husbands or sons do? Do they
experience it differently?

Jamie McCourt>> I think they experience it any way they want.
I don't think there's one way to experience baseball. It's a
beautiful game. I think there is something in it for everyone.
There is something in it for the statistician, there's something
in it for the person who doesn't know anything about the game,
just to be outside looking at the park. It's gorgeous. It's
the most romantic park in all of baseball.

Val>> Why do you say romantic?

Jamie McCourt>> Oh, it's just so beautiful. You sit down,
you're looking at the mountains with snow, the palm trees, green
grass, those guys in bright white uniforms. There's a contrast.
There's such a beauty to the game. I think it's amazing. It's
a spectacular stadium. You can be anywhere in the world, if you
turn on the TV and you see palm trees, you know it's Los
Angeles. It's Dodger Stadium. There's nothing like it.

Val>> Not to mention our weather which is especially
accommodating.

Jamie McCourt>> It's hard to adapt to, isn't it? (laughter)

Val>> Speaking of adapting, you are East Coast grounded.
You've a law degree, business degree, Boston real estate. At
this fairly late stage in the game, you've made a major change
in your life for you and your four boys and your husband. How
have you adapted?

Jamie McCourt>> It's a great adventure. You know what? I
mentioned inside to the people here that the West Coast is so
supportive, so inclusive, so optimistic, so hopeful, so
inventive. I think it is the most awesome place to be. The
people are sensational and, you know, it's funny because Los
Angeles is so big. Sometimes you think, oh, I wonder if I'll
get my arms around this. But it really resonates with me. It's
not sort of a city of places. It's a city of people and the
people are exceptional. I love it here.

Val>> What is the major difference between the News Corp
Murdoch ownership of the Dodgers and the McCourt ownership of
the Dodgers?

Jamie McCourt>> Well, the obvious answer is that we bring
family ownership into the picture again. You know, baseball
might be just one of those sports that demands so much passion
and so much emotion that you need to have faces associated with
it. People, this is what they do day in and day out and this is
their business. Hopefully, that's what we bring to the Dodgers.

Val>> So you're saying it's more personalized, whereas a
corporation is kind of anonymous and impersonal, you're saying -
-

Jamie McCourt>> -- well, you know, we weren't here when Fox
owned it, so I don't really know what it was like under their
ownership. I can only imagine, based on what I've heard, that
people are happy to have family involvement again and people
that they can see in the stands and identify who are just as
upset when somebody strikes out as they are and just as happy
when someone hits a home run, so that's what we bring. All the
emotion.

Val>> And when you look at the future of baseball, you know,
sports in general are becoming extremely commercialized, huge
amounts of money, marketing, steroids, drug scandals, more
violence on the field and in the stands, how do you see the
future going and how can you steer sports in that sort of better
direction?

Jamie McCourt>> I mean, there's no question that the game is
changing. You know, nobody needs a better example than looking
at the Anaheim Angels trying to leverage the branding of Los
Angeles and the marketing to know that it's become more of a
business. But at the end of the day, it's still a game and it's
a game that's sort of ageless and timeless and precious and a
place where memories are created when you're at the ball park or
watching a game with your friends. It's a special place. We
have to keep it the pure sport that it is because that's what
people love about it.

Val>> Jamie McCourt, thank you so much for your time and best
of luck. Welcome to Los Angeles.

Jamie McCourt>> Thank you. Hopefully, we'll have a
championship this year.

Val>> Oh, that would be fantastic.

Jamie McCourt>> Thank you.

Val>> Jamie McCourt was a speaker for Town Hall Los Angeles.
If you'd like more information on the organization or future
speakers, you can go to their website at townhall-la.org.

To send a comment or a question to our program, you can reach us
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Val>> The time was the sixties, seventies and eighties. The
place was Los Angeles and the people were black artists who used
the turmoil of their time to transform African-American art and
identity. And now for the first time, the work of dozens of
these artists have been brought together in one exhibition.
Vicki Curry talked with curator, Dale Brockman Davis. Davis
established one of the city's first and most influential
galleries showing the work of black artists.

Vicki Curry>> It was a time of revolution and reinvention,
experimentation and exploration. For African-American artists
working in Los Angeles from 1966 to 1989, it was a cultural
coming of age.

Dale Brockman Davis>> The artists reflected the issues of the
time. I mean, there were a lot of issues. You had wars, you
had major social issues, you had sexual revolution. You know,
you name it, it seemed to be going on simultaneously.

Vicki Curry>> Dale Brockman Davis is curator at this exhibit,
which he titled "Pathways".

Dale Brockman Davis>> During that period, my brother and I had
an art gallery and a number of the artists that are from that
period were involved with us at the gallery. Many people have
referred to this particular period as kind of a renaissance
period. There was also a lot of experimentation going on at the
time.

Vicki Curry>> Experimentation due not only to the time, but
also the place.

Dale Brockman Davis>> Los Angeles, and California in
particular, represents that different kind of look and
experience. I mean, we're the group that throws all the rules
out of the book. Where else are you going to find people
(laughter) walking around barefoot in the wintertime and getting
away with it?

If you look back in time, you realize that, after the Watts
riots took place, you had a great number of artists who were
very much influenced by the work of Judson Powell and Noah
Purifoy who were doing what's called assemblage sculpture work.
So there's quite a bit of work that does not fit a traditional
kind of mode in here. We have early experiments with
installation work personified by Stan Wilson's work, who has a
piece in the show which deals with the spirit world and
Apartheid.

There's a piece in the foyer that's called "Red Lens" and it's
done by an artist whose name is Fred Eversley. The average
person that looks at that piece would probably go, oh, that's
interesting and maybe walk by it and not realize its true place
in time because the "Red Lens" was done out of acrylic and, at
that period of time, artists were not using acrylic.

We have an artist whose name is Houston Conwill who was doing
latex work, relief work. Very interesting. The work looks as
though it's a topographical piece where someone draped a piece
of latex across a land mass and whatever happened to be laying
there is what the imprint was.

This piece is a piece by John Riddle who's recently deceased.
What's interesting about this piece is that it has never been
seen before this show. This piece is called "California
Crosswalk" and it is also an assemblage piece and it was created
by John Outerbridge.

[Film Clip]

Vicki Curry>> Yet many traditionalists thrived during this time
as well.

Dale Brockman Davis>> This is a piece by Richard Wyatt who I
referred to earlier. What makes it so interesting is the fact
that you have this beautifully drafted young man who is standing
on a tightrope and appears to be weightless almost. He's got a
very delicate balance even though he definitely has been eating
a lot of whatever it is he likes.

This piece is by Varnette Honeywood. It was done in 1983. It's
really kind of the signature piece of hers. It's called
"Kuumba" and it reflects the new awareness, re-awareness, of
Africa as a base of African-American culture.

[Film Clip]

Dale Brockman Davis>> I think one of the major characteristics
of this period is the fact that we had such a large number of
artists who were producing artwork. There are probably eighty
artists in the show.

Vicki Curry>> So many that the exhibit is displayed in two
different spaces, the California African-American Museum and the
Municipal Art Gallery at Barnsdall Art Park.

Dale Brockman Davis>> I would say that the people who are
familiar with the art world in general would know probably two
or three of these artists. The African-American community would
probably know of eighty percent of what's shown. I would say
that eighty to ninety percent of the work that's in the exhibit,
most of the general audience has never seen even though they may
know the artists.

Vicki Curry>> Artists who've achieved international acclaim
like Betye Saar, David Hammond and Charles White.

Dale Brockman Davis>> This is a piece by Charles White. It was
done in 1968. It's a lithograph and, to me, it's kind of like
the signature piece for this show. You have a very
sophisticated technique. You have a very strong statement about
black men in America.

This is a work of Bill Pajoe and he is one of the outstanding
artists who's been around for quite a while. This work is
called "Daughters" done in 1976. It's a linoleum black print
and it was done by a woman named Ruth Wattey who was also one of
the original mentors. She recently passed last year and she was
very much an activist.

Vicki Curry>> For Davis, that activism was just as important to
the development of black artists as the art itself.

Dale Brockman Davis>> One of the really wonderful things about
that period is that it was a period where institutions were
being formed. We had artists who were organizing. They were
all trying to grow from this new experience, so there was a lot
going on during that period of time. But it's been difficult.
You must build an audience. You must continue to build an
audience, but it's a fight worth fighting and this exhibit is a
testament to what happened in the past in the pathways that were
created and the pathways that are going to spring from this.

Vicki Curry>> I'm Vicki Curry for Life and Times.

Val>> The "Pathways" exhibit can be seen at two locations, the
Municipal Art Gallery in Hollywood and the California African-
American Museum in Exposition Park. And that's our program.
I'm Val Zavala. For everyone at Life and Times, thanks for
watching. We'll see you next time.

Life and Times was made possible through the generous support of
the L.K. Whittier Foundation dedicated to improving the quality
of life by supporting innovative endeavors in the fields of
medicine, health, science and education.

And by a generous grant from Jim and Anne Rothenberg.

This program is made possible in part by a grant from the City
of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department.

Val>> Next time on Life and Times --

His trademark is a bear hug. Now mayoral candidate Bob
Hertzberg wants to include City Hall in his embrace.

Bob Hertzberg>> You've got to be bold. You've got to get up
every day and fight for this place. There are a lot of things
that I want to do that I can't do from the outside. If I felt I
could, I'd stay on the outside. I'd be happy.

Val>> That's next time on Life and Times.