Sen. Lieberman (D-Conn.) called on Viacom, parent of MTV Networks...
Sen. Lieberman (D-Conn.) called on Viacom, parent of MTV Networks, to either cancel or change MTV’s stunt program Jackass to prevent more children from being hurt in copycat incidents. In letter to Viacom Pres. Mel Karmazin, Lieberman urged company…
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to take greater responsibility for its programming and do more to help parents protect their children. Lieberman cited case of Jason Lind, 13-year-old boy in Torrington, Conn., who suffered 2nd and 3rd degree burns after imitating gasoline-burning stunt shown on program. While acknowledging that boy “bears some responsibility for his actions,” Lieberman said network and show producers bore some responsibility too for depicting dangerous stunts as humorous, not informing viewers that stunt performers wore protective clothing and airing and promoting show during children’s programming hours. Ideally, he said, Viacom should “either cancel this exploitative and degrading show or eliminate the stunts that could be dangerous if imitated by children.” At minimum, he strongly urged company to “air the show at a later time less accessible to children and to include more explicit and more straightforward warnings about the potential consequences of each stunt.”