I very much want to see this.
I remember seeing this on, like, PBS sometime in the 80s.
And if they saw Japanese porn, they’d think our genitals were 4 pixels big and blurry.
Believe me, it’s not erotic.
And held their breath, I’m guessing.
Pretty sure we watched that in health class in high school. Also recall a engorging penis shown in a thermal video.
That would be “The Miracle of Life,” a 1983 episode of the PBS program NOVA. It’s not online in any of the usual places, but it’s available on DVD. We watched it in high school too.
Anywho, I join the consensus on the OP – content is regulated on over-the-air channels, only. Cable channels – even non-premium – can program anything they want. The reason they don’t is that they feel they’d upset more advertisers or subscribers than they’d attract.
N.B. that although there’s no regulation of this stuff now, if cable channels did start broadcasting materail of that nature, it could lead to the passage of new legislation. I think HBO’s pretty happy with the freedom it has and doesn’t feel the need to rock the boat.
–Cliffy
Any cable channel can hardcore porn at any time of day. They don’t do it because it’s more trouble than it’s worth.
Broadcast stations can show hardcore porn between 10:00pm and 6:00am. They don’t do it because it’s more trouble than it’s worth (ie, they would likely have to defend it against the Supreme Court’s “I know it when I see it” definition of obscenity).
Comcast, via pay per view, is the world’s largest distributor of porn.
Isn’t there a porn actor by that name? :eek:
PlayboyTV is a cable channel (also available through satellite) and they definitely show explicit penetrative sex. Last time I saw it they did not show the money shot.
I’m pretty sure (but not positive) that HBO’s porn show with Katie Morgan shows penetrative sex in the form of porn clips.
It might just be that they don’t show erect penises, but the Katie Morgan show has definitely shown a dildo penetrating a vagina.
More specifically, they can air indecent or profane material between 10pm and 6am. They can never air obscene material. (cite)
I have a hard time believing they’d be able to convince the court that your typical hardcore porn flick isn’t obscene in most jurisdictions. More than “more trouble than it’s worth” and straight up “know they’d lose 99 out of 100 times”.
I also don’t think they’d be going about it even if it were completely in the clear. I mean Leno’s on after 10 but they don’t let him or his guests swear up a storm (not that swearing’s Jay’s thing but just an example) even though it’s legal.
There’s also issues like what’s on at 10pm in one area is on at 9pm in another. That’s bitten stations on the ass in the past, certain episodes of NYPD Blue getting ABC affiliates in the central time zone fined while eastern time zone affiliates were completely in the clear.
The vast majority of hardcore porn is not obscene. That’s why it exists. Obscene content is illegal. Period. Not just for broadcast. If hardcore porn were obscene, you wouldn’t be able to get it anywhere.
Very little sexual material has been found obscene under the Miller test, even with the local standards of Miller. What material has been found obscene, and, thus, illegal, is mostly child porn.
This comes up once or twice a year here.
It’s been done.
On HBO, the most famous example is the previously mentioned documentary, with clips, Inside Deep Throat. The full uncensored version.
Sundance has shown films like Shortbus. Starz/Encore has shown Pink Flamingos. IFC has also shown such films. I didn’t have Showtime/etc. until recently so I can’t say what they’ve shown.