"NYPD Blue," ABC-TV drama
- Artist/Author/Producer: Steven Bochco, producer
- Confronting Bodies: American Family Association
- Dates of action: Fall 1993
- Location: Tupelo, MS and nationwide
- Description of the Art Work
- "NYPD Blue" is a gritty police drama in the mold of Bochco's earlier
effort "Hill Street Blues." The show has featured short scenes of
partial nudity and the use of some profane language, including the words,
"asshole," "son of a bitch," "turd," "dickhead" and "bastard."
- Description of incident
- Before the series began airing on September 21, 1993, the Rev. Donald
Wildmon and the American Family Association began a two-pronged
campaign, to convince ABC affiliates around the country to not air the
show, and to have its members boycott any sponsor of the show. Articles
about the AFA's campaign and successes (it never talks about its boycott
failures, of course) have appeared in every issue of the AFA Journal
since "NYPD Blue" was first shown to affiliates during the summer of
1993. The AFA describes the show as "softcore pornography . . .
unprecedented in the history of television." The AFA's principal targets
are General Motors and Warner-Lambert Company, manufacturer of Listerine,
Certs breath mints, Super Schick II razors and Trident gum. The group
claims more than 50 ABC affiliates have refused to air the show, mostly
stations in Bible Belt states.
- Results of incident
- The popular show continues to air with full advertiser support. Renewed
for another season.
Source: AFA Journal