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Statement to the Press: August 7, 1997
Wave Files for Amicus Curiae in Life Without
Shame Lawsuit
Yesterday, WAVE, Women Against a Violent Environment, filed a
petition for amicus curiae status in the lawsuit of Tom Loce and
Ed Richter individually and doing business as Life Without Shame
versus Time Warner et al. The petition was filed in the U.S.
District Court for Western New York. Arguments will be heard
concerning WAVE’s petition on Thursday, August 14, at 9:30 a.m.
before the Honorable Michael Telesca at the Federal Court House,
100 State St., Rochester, N.Y.
In March 1997 Time Warner stated that certain Life Without
Shame episodes did not meet the Time Warner Indecency Policy.
Under that policy Time Warner removed the show from its leased
access channel for six months. Loce and Richter are suing Time
Warner for that action.
In our petition we cite substantial evidence that the language
and incitement to violence, particularly violence against women
and children, contained in Life Without Shame shows provide a
“cultural climate” in which violence against women and children is
acceptable. Not only acceptable but encouraged. Copies of our
petition are available to the media.
Life Without Shame is a locally produced cable show which
popularizes and therefore legitimizes such acts as sexual
harassment, battering, sexual assault and incest. In addition the
show frequently expresses anti-women sentiments. It does this not
only with what is shown on the air but by the comments made by its
hosts, Loce and Richter. Attached to this press statement are some
of the misogynist comments made on previous episodes of Life
Without Shame.
Along with our petition we have submitted a video tape which we
call the "Lowlights" of Life Without Shame. The tape is a sample
of the type of comments made on the show between July and
December, 1996. Some of these comments emphasize having sex with
underage girls and condone other acts of violence against women.
Our petition contains several statements from experts who have
studied men’s violence against children and women. These experts’
letters discuss the connections that exist between violent imagery
and words and violent behaviors directed against children and
women.
Here are four statements from the many cited in our petition:
Robert E. Freeman-Longo, Director/Publisher of the Safer
Society Foundation of Brandon, Vt. stated: "... the American
Psychological Association has determined that there is a
relationship between violence on TV and violence in children. ....
Life Without Shame is an example of television programs most
sexual abuser therapists prohibit clients from viewing because
they generate a risk to sexually act out."
Jackson Katz, a consultant to the U.S. Marine Corps in the area
of gender violence prevention viewed the "Lowlights" tape. He made
this statement: "There is no doubt in my mind that a key factor in
our society's scandalously high rate of gender violence is the
existence of shows like Life Without Shame. The media doesn't
cause men to assault women. But it powerfully helps to create a
cultural climate in which men's abuse of women is normalized and
routinized, which ultimately has the effect of making it more
acceptable."
John Stoltenberg, author of The End of Manhood: A Book for Men
of Conscience (Plume Press, 1994), commented: "... the message in
the medium of Mr. Loce and Mr. Richter's incessant coalescence at
the expense of women's equality and integrity -- their buddydom
that seems only to exist when females are being demeaned -- will
provide social sanction for male sexual aggression against
someone, somewhere, someday."
Kenneth J. Herrmann, Jr., a professor of social work at SUNY
Brockport, calls programs such as Life Without Shame that purport
to laugh at sexual activity with children an aspect of sexual
exploitation. He goes on to say that his field research in the
area of child pornography for U.S. government organizations would
lead him “to assume that such broadcasts would be interpreted by
pedophiles as permission to sexually abuse children and even
encouragement to do so.”
These statements, as well as others in our petition, show that
there is a connection between televised violence and violence
against women and children.
WAVE believes there would be a massive public outcry if there
were a locally produced weekly cable television program which, for
example, exploited African Americans or Jews. We would not
tolerate or accept that statements which condoned lynching or
glorified the atrocities of the Holocaust were merely made in the
spirit of harmless good fun. Publicly expressed offensive ideas
gain credibility if they are not publicly rebutted.
Time Warner was within its rights to take Life Without Shame
off the air for six months. As a community, we have the right not
to have programs which incite violence toward women and children
broadcast on leased access channels.
As a final note, WAVE would like to take this opportunity to
thank Senator Richard Dollinger for his help with the amicus
curiae petition. It is heartening to know that there are
politicians such as Senator Dollinger who understand the
seriousness of violence against women and who work so diligently
to end this violence. We appreciate his support.
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