The Parents Television Council (PTC) is hoping that Oprah Winfrey's company, Weight Watchers, would pull out its ads from the raunchy TV show "The Mick" from Fox.
PTC President Tim Winter wrote a letter to the media mogul, asking that she keep her "good name" away from the show that constantly features explicit public content. Winter said he's confident that Winfrey, being a board member of Weight Watchers and the star of its ads, would be able to sway the company to stay away from the show.
"For decades, your voice has informed, educated and inspired millions of Americans to be their very best. That is why it comes as such a shock that your good name would be associated with a television program that features trash-talking kids, teenagers who drink, children ingesting drugs and irresponsible adults who enable such behaviour," Winter wrote in the letter.
So far, Weight Watchers has sponsored eight of the 11 episodes that have aired this season. Winter said Winfrey might not be aware that "The Mick," a show that is targeted for teenagers, teaches viewers all the wrong things about sex and distorts their values.
In one scene from the series, lead character Mackenzie "Mickey" Murphy tells a 13-year-old to confront his bully by yanking his pants down and laughing at his private parts. In another, a 13-year-old boy fantasises about a picture of a naked girl sent to his phone. Turns out, that girl was his own sister.
"It is unlikely you were aware that such content routinely appears on 'The Mick'; and it is unlikely you were aware that Weight Watchers has been sponsoring the program. We have attempted to reach executives at Weight Watchers to discuss the matter with them privately, but our efforts have been rebuffed; hence this personal appeal for your intervention," wrote Winter.
The Christian watchdog group One Million Moms is also protesting against "The Mick" because of its "vulgar" content. It said the show is inappropriate for people of all ages.
"The content of this unbelievable program includes support for Planned Parenthood, kids getting slapped in the face repeatedly, gagging a child to induce vomiting after swallowing illegal drugs, a young child speaking in an evil demonic voice, the same child covered in nicotine patches instead of band-aids, underage drinking, foul language, heavy alcohol consumption, and drug use," the group wrote on its website.
