# Should animal cruelty and abuse be shown on TV **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 3, 2013, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-animal-cruelty-and-abuse-be-shown-on-tv/660015 "2013-06-03T07:28:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![contradancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@contradancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/contradancer)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-animal-cruelty-and-abuse-be-shown-on-tv/660015/1 "2013-06-03T07:28:09Z")
In The Following one scene showed a dog that had been tortured in the final throes of dying. Tonight in the premier of The Killing they showed dead and dying cattle that have been starved to death and the protagonist takes a gun and puts one that is making these horrible sounds out of it’s misery. These scenes made my stomach turn over. I can’t find any group or official agency where I can complain. We all know this stuff is not only bad for children, but for adults as well. I did complain last year to the ASPCA but they did not respond. Wrong place I guess. If I could I would put a video on YouTube but I don’t know how. I’m old. ha. And I’m afraid the way people can be these days some people out there might like to watch it. What to do? If anything. what do you think? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-animal-cruelty-and-abuse-be-shown-on-tv/660015/2 "2013-06-03T08:10:12Z")
> [@contradancer](#): > > These scenes made my stomach turn over. I can’t find any group or official agency where I can complain. Complain to the network or production company if you really feel the need. There is no official agency dedicated to suppressing TV shows you don’t like. Perhaps if you don’t like depictions of suffering, a show called “The Killing” isn’t the best entertainment choice. > [@contradancer](#): > > I did complain last year to the ASPCA but they did not respond. Wrong place I guess. Yes. The ASPCA is dedicated to helping _real_ animals, not fictional animals. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-animal-cruelty-and-abuse-be-shown-on-tv/660015/3 "2013-06-03T11:39:06Z")
Stop watching the shows that you don’t like. Tell all your friends why and ask them to also not watch. When enough people in the right demographics are no longer watching the shows, they will either be written differently or cease production at all. I would help, but I am not familiar with either of the shows you mention, and my boycotting them will be indistinguishable from my current state of being simply uninterested. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-animal-cruelty-and-abuse-be-shown-on-tv/660015/4 "2013-06-03T14:14:31Z")
I think they should take the animal cruelty off TV the day after they stop showing any depiction of cruelty to humans. Or any nature documentaries, for that matter. Heaven forbid “the children” should ever see the _ouvre_ of David Attenborough :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-animal-cruelty-and-abuse-be-shown-on-tv/660015/5 "2013-06-03T15:10:29Z")
> [@contradancer](#): > > I’m old. And we old dudes are not the intended demographic for these shows. ---
**Author:** ![Human\_Action](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@Human\_Action](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Human_Action)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-animal-cruelty-and-abuse-be-shown-on-tv/660015/6 "2013-06-03T15:28:45Z")
> [@contradancer](#): > > What to do? If anything. what do you think? You have two options: watch different shows, or try to influence the content of these shows. If you want to attempt the latter, Fox has something called a [viewer panel](http://surveys.researchresults.com/mrIWeb/mrIWeb.dll) in which they solicit viewer opinions of their shows. [Here](http://www.amcnetworks.com/contact) is AMC’s contact page, which includes an email form and a phone number. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-animal-cruelty-and-abuse-be-shown-on-tv/660015/7 "2013-06-03T15:49:10Z")
how do you feel about graphic and brutal depictions of violence against human beings, **Contradancer**? ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-animal-cruelty-and-abuse-be-shown-on-tv/660015/8 "2013-06-03T17:17:34Z")
I want MORE animal cruelty! ---
**Author:** ![hotflungwok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-animal-cruelty-and-abuse-be-shown-on-tv/660015/9 "2013-06-03T18:09:09Z")
Are we talking about actual animal abuse? Like did they actually torture the dog just for that scene? Cuz that’s very wrong and totally illegal. Or are we talking about fake depictions? Cuz while that might be not in good taste, I can’t see it being outlawed cuz someone is offended by it. In fact, I’d be against outlawing it just because someone was offended. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-animal-cruelty-and-abuse-be-shown-on-tv/660015/10 "2013-06-03T18:16:19Z")
> [@contradancer](#): > > What to do? Stick to [Animal Planet](http://animal.discovery.com/). ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-animal-cruelty-and-abuse-be-shown-on-tv/660015/11 "2013-06-03T18:46:40Z")
They sounds like violent shows for adults. I don’t have a problem with them depicting (fictional) animal abuse, although I do find it very disturbing. I just don’t watch shows that bother me to that degree, which means I miss out on some stuff. But I sleep better at night.\* If they start showing animal cruelty on family shows (they won’t) then I will join your crusade. But I like that there are shows for adults now, that not everything is catered to a “family” and has to be PG. It’s made for much better TV all around in my opinion. \*I don’t mean I sleep better because my conscience is at rest, I mean I don’t have nightmares ---
**Author:** ![Human\_Action](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@Human\_Action](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Human_Action)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2013, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-animal-cruelty-and-abuse-be-shown-on-tv/660015/12 "2013-06-03T19:02:34Z")
> [@miss\_elizabeth](#): > > They sounds like violent shows for adults. I don’t have a problem with them depicting (fictional) animal abuse, although I do find it very disturbing. Both are shows about serial murder.