Listen Live
Fantastic Voyage Generic Graphics Updated Nov 2023
Black America Web Featured Video
CLOSE

That torture scene in last week’s episode of “Scandal?” Yeah, it didn’t sit well with the Parents Television Council.

The watchdog group is criticizing ABC for not giving the Jan. 10 episode the proper rating. In the episode, Huck (Guillermo Diaz) is arrested under the Patriot Act and accused of attempting to assassinate President Grant (Tony Goldwyn) — a crime for which he is not guilty. Huck is water boarded and beaten nearly to death in an attempt to get a confession out of him.

“The brutal nature of that scene, which was rated as appropriate for a 14-year-old child, refutes statements made by an industry claiming to be responsible and concerned about societal violence,” the PTC said in a statement Monday.

The episode of the political drama from creator/executive producer Shonda Rhimes had a content advisory at the beginning of the broadcast. But calling the three-minute scene “intense, explicit and bloodied,” the heads-up wasn’t enough for the advocacy group.

“It is sickening just how quickly the entertainment industry was able to move past the tragedy of Newtown and get back to business as usual,” said PTC president Tim Winter.

The PTC particularly singles out the timing of the episode, coming on the same day entertainment industry representatives met with Vice President Joe Biden at the White House to discuss curbing gun violence in the wake of the Newtown school shooting.

The episode marked Season 2 ratings high for the Kerry Washington-starring drama.

The organization also spotlighted ABC Entertainment chief Paul Lee for his remark that the network’s “job is always to get a sense of what the culture is feeling.” After detailing the waterboading and facial attack scene, the PTC asked, “is this what Mr. Lee believes the culture is feeling? And does he feel this material is appropriate for a 14-year old child?”

The PTC says it is calling on the Obama administration to get behind an effort for “real responsibility from those who produce and distribute violent media content as well as real reform of the failed TV ratings system.”

(Photo: EURWeb)