The Rev. Donald E. Wildmon's Crusade for Censorship
1977-1992 '
By Christopher M. Finan and Anne F. Castro
The
Rev.
"average guy."
Donald
E.
Wildmon
has
always
not
a
censor
an average citizen.
is
he
content
but
an
outraged
private
with
the
institutions:
television,
movies,
instruments
he
books,
Television
"Maj or
shows
Dad,"
of
advocates
magazines
15-year campaign for censorship,
"Seinfeld,"
citizen
who
was
But Wildmon is not
His ambition is to remake American society.
democratic
*
an
Wildmon insisted that
exercising his constitutional right to protest.
Nor
be
boycott against advertisers who sponsored
"sex, violence and profanity" on television.
was
to
When he first came to the attention of the public,
he was the leader of a
he
claimed
and
change
the
provided
censorship
recordings.
During
by
of
his
he has tried to suppress:
like
"Roseanne,"
"Donahue,"
"Murphy
"Wonder
Brown,"
Years,"
"L.A.
Law,"
"Northern Exposure," and "Quantum Leap;"
*
Television
dramas
like
Larry
McMurtry's
"Lonesome
Dove," Maya Angelou's "sister, Sister," "Absolute Strangers," "The
Alison Gertz Story," and "Portrait of a Rebel:
*
Movies
like
"The
Last
Margaret Sanger;"
Temptation
of
Christ,"
"Ghost;"
*
Magazines like Playboy, Penthouse, and Sassy.
*
Recordings like Madonna's "Like a Prayer."
and
2
Wildmon's campaign began one night in December
time I
he
was
an
obscure,
3 8-year-old
United
serving a church in Southaven, Mississippi.
ambitious.
1976.
At the
Methodist
pastor,
But he had always been
"Back in my younger days I reached the conclusion that
the worst thing that could happen would be to come to the time of
death
and
said.'
realize that
That night in
my
life
had
1976 as he
made
no
difference,"
sat watching television with his
family, he found the vehicle for his ambitions.
that
as he
that
switched channels
didn't
interpreted
feature
this
as
purer television.
sex,
a
National
beginning.
only
from
Federation
50
in
God
or
find a single show
profanity.2
to
take
up
the
miles outside of Memphis
for
Decency.
According to his son,
$1,800
existence;
violence,
He later claimed
Wildmon
fight
for
He resigned his ministry in June 1977 and moved
to Tupelo, Mississippi,
the
he was unable to
calling
Wildmon
the
first
The
NFD
to establish
struggled
in
the
Wildmon was able to pay himself
seven
months
of
the
organization's
his wife began working to help the venture survive.3
Wildmon
found it
difficult
to establish
an
identity
for
the
The first effort to attract national attention was a campaign
NFD.
called,
"Turn
the
Television
southern cities in July 1977.
Off
Week,"
,
content.
Wildmon
AFA Journal,
2 Time,
July 6,
said
January
1981,
targeted
mostly
Wildmon claimed that his survey of
television programming revealed that 54
sexual
which
such
1989,
a
per cent of all shows had
high
proportion
2.
20.
3 Tim Wildmon fundraising letter, May 26,
1987.
of
sexual
3
programming
percent"
distorted
of
the
sex
network programming
and not
to
spend
real
was
He
life.
was
adulterous.
also
"The
upset
strategy
is to appeal to the prurient
money
for
that
of
"90
so
much
interest of man
quality programming,"
wildmon said.4
While Wildmon received some press attention, his television boycott
did not have any effect.
Wildmon's
with
an
problem
organization
boycotts
of
was
how
that
television
to
exert
claimed
programs
only
would
power
the
networks
Clearly,
members.
1,400
not
over
work:
the
number
of
people who would turn off their sets at any one time would never be
large
enough
advertisers
against
to
had
the
register
proven
satire
in
the
effective
"soap."
But
ratings.
the
In
year
the
before
spring
announced his first boycott of advertisers.
of
a
boycott
in
a
of
campaign
1978,
wildmon
He told Sears that his
supporters would boycott its stores until it withdrew sponsorship
of three
shows
"Charlie's
following
at
the
Angels,"
was
top
and
of
his
"All
minuscule,
hit
in
Wildmon
list
the
--
"Three's
Family."
used
it
to
Company,"
Although
maximum
effect
his
by
staging demonstrations outside Sears stores in several parts of the
country
and
itself.
pressure,
in
The
downtown
boycott
Sears
Chicago
worked.
canceled
in
front
While
its
ads
of
denying
on
the
it
Sears
was
"Three's
building
acting
under
Company"
and
"Charlie's Angels."s
During
1979,
Wildmon continued to
4 Associated Press,
S
July 21,
The washington Post,
make his voice
1977.
May 17,
1978,
Section B, 1.
heard.
He
4
attacked "Flesh and Blood," a television movie based on a novel by
Pete Hamill, because it dealt with the subject of incest.6 He also
attacked, "Portrait of a Rebel: Margaret Sanger," a movie about the
He struck out at CBS,
leader of the movement for birth control.
accusing it of complicity in the murder of a little girl in Wichita
Falls,
had
Texas.
seen
a
similar
"CBS
II."
The four-year-old
must
crime
accept
was murdered by her mother,
committed
partial
when
blame
CBS
for
broadcast "Exorcist
her
death,"
"They were an accessory to the murder."
insisted.
who
wildmon
An NFD picket
outside CBS headquarters in New York carried a sign that insisted:
"CBS Controlled by Satan.,,7
yet
the
NFD
was
making
little
progress.
It
was
firmly
anchored on the lunatic fringe of the hundreds of groups trying to
Wildmon had a new weapon
change television to suit their tastes.
in
the
advertiser boycott,
but
he
had
been
unable
to
secure
the
backing from larger, more established groups that he would need to
launch
might
a
national
lie
in
campaign.
another
He
began
He
direction.
to
think
ran
for
that
a
his
seat
future
in
the
Mississippi House of Representatives in 1980 but finished a distant
third, garnering only 921 votes or 15 per cent of the total cast.s
A
month
Wildmon
boycott.
made
He
after
his
another
met
with
defeat
effort
the
to
in
win
Reverend
6 Associated Press, October 15,
7 Ibid, July 7,
the
Mississippi
backing
Jerry
for
advertiser
in
Lynchburg,
Falwell
1979.
November 5,
race,
his
1980.
S United Press International,
House
1980.
5
Virginia.
the
peak
Falwell, the leader of The Moral Majority, was then at
of
his
conservative
career
church
as
groups
a
spokesman
known
Wildmon later told the story,
as
the
for
the
"Religious
he held up before
movement
of
Right."
As
Falwell a
"The networks don't care about your moral values,
bill.
do care about this,"
wildmon said.
didn't require much persuading.
but they
According to Wildmon,
"Great," he said.
dollar
Falwell
"Let's go with
Wildmon said later that he believed he had reached a turning
it."
As
point.
victory.
he
sat
in
his
motel
room
that
night,
he
was
"Now I have the numbers," he recalled thinking.
have the clout.
sure
of
"Now I
After three years of wandering in the wilderness,
I've found a road to the Promised Land.,,9
Two
months
organization
later,
of
the
in
February
Coalition
for
1981,
Better
Wildmon
Television
group that would bring him national recognition.
Falwell
enabled
organizations
Wildmon
with
a
to
combined
claim
that
membership
announced
CBTV
of
(CBTV),
the
the
His alliance with
represented
over
three
200
million.
These three million people were prepared to back a boycott of the
three
advertisers
television,
who
he announced.
sponsored
the
worst
programming
The targets of the boycott
on
were to be
selected following three months of monitoring by 4,000 members of
the coalition.
The monitors would rate the offending shows on the
basis of "sex incidents per hour,"
profanity. 1
scenes of violence and uses of
0
9 Newsweek, June 15,
10 united
1981,
101.
Press International, February 28,
1981.
6
Few
and,
to
people
a
lesser
answer Wildmon.
for
Children's
Charren
outside
extent,
employees
the
of
the
advertising
television
industry,
networks
attempted
to
One of them was peggy Charren, president of Action
Television
accused
violence,
of
Wildmon
and
of
a
strong
wanting
critic
to
censor
of
the
networks.
Sex,
television.
and profanity were only the beginning,
she warned:
What will be the next target of the CBTV's censorship crusade.
A production of "A streetcar Named Desire?" A documentary on
"
teenage pregnancy?
The news?
For
the
most
part,
however,
the
networks
were
forced
to
defend
themselves.
The networks struck back in the final weeks of the CBTV rating
period by releasing the results of opinion polls that showed
public opposed the boycott.
the
A poll commissioned by ABC showed that
64 per cent believed that the popularity of a program should be the
sole factor in
determining
cent
they
said
that
would
what was on
consider
television.
backing
a
Only 1.3 per
boycott.
The
poll
also showed that Falwell and Wildmon had little support even among
evangelical
Christians.
identifying
themselves
It
as
revealed
members
of
that
the
efforts to force their opinions on others.
55
per
Moral
cent
of
Majority
those
opposed
CBS News reported that
one third of the organizations listed as sponsors of CBTV disavowed
any connection with the group.
Nevertheless,
"
Newsweek,
12
1981,
12
CBTV was beginning to harvest the fruit of its
June 15,
Associated Press,
section C, 15.
1981,
10l.
June 19,
1981:
New York
Times,
June 30,
7
campaign.
Advertisers had begun to crack under the threat of the
impending
CBTV-approved
Procter
The
boycott.
and
first
television
Gamble,
the
important
was
Owen
company
annually than any other--nearly
Academy
of
announced
Television
that
his
Arts
company
B.
that
convert
Butler,
spent
had
Sciences
television shows over the past year.
cause
chairman
on
of
of
television
In a speech to the
on
withdrawn
the
the
more
$500 million.
and
to
June
16,
advertising
Butler
from
50
Butler denied the company had
been responding to pressure from Wildmon, but he left little doubt
that Procter and Gamble would take his advice in the future:
We think the coalition is expressing very important and
broadly held views about gratuitous sex, violence and
profanity.
I can assure you that we are listening very
carefully to what they say, and I urge you to do the same.
Television
and
advertising
industry
officials
were
shocked
by
Butler's admission.
Charren had been expecting it.
"Based on what
TV
during
50' s,
advertisers
did
the
red
scares
of
the
this
is
exactly what I expected," she said. 13
Wildmon
reporters
knew
later,
that
he
he
had
revealed
Butler's
that
speaking with CBTV for some time.
ear.
Procter
and
In
remarks
Gamble
"We've had dialogues
had
with
to
been
P&G
over a period of many months," Wildmon said.14 Nor was Procter and
Gamble alone in seeking an accommodation with Wildmon.
On June 26,
the New York Times reported that several television advertisers had
been invited to a meeting with CBTV officials.
13 Newsweek, June 29,
14
Ibid.
1981,
60.
Wildmon confirmed
8
that discussions were under way to reach a compromise that would
prevent
a
boycott. 15
Wildmon
told
the Associated
boycott threat was having a decided effect.
advertisers
in the
last week
who have
Press
that
the
"I've talked with six
pulled
150
commercials
off
the air in the last four months," he said.16
On June 29, at a CBTV press conference that had been scheduled
to
announce
the
cancellation.
start
of
the
boycott,
Wildmon
announced
its
with Falwell and Phyllis Schlafly of the Eagle Forum
looking on, Wildmon told the press that the boycott was no longer
necessary
-because
advertisers
refused
While
to
he
had
in
their
promised
identify
professed
the
meetings
to help
"clean up"
advertisers
himself
with
who
satisfied,
CBTV
officials,
Wildmon
television.
had
made
Wildmon
these
warned
pledges.
that
CBTV
might institute a boycott in the fall if the shows premiering then
were
objectionable.
Falwell
said
his
organization
was
"raising
funds for a war chest to buy and assist others in buying full-page
ads
across
the
nation
naming
public
enemy
No.
1
or
2
or
whoever
they are and listing their products. ,,17
Skeptics
boycott.
raised
They
trumped Wildman.
you
something,"
raised
to
know
questions
suggested
about
that
the
decision
networks'
to
opinion
They said he was afraid of losing.
Wildman
that
it
said,
was
replying
not
15 New York Times, June 26,
York Times, June 30,
a
1981,
16 Associated Press, June 26,
17 New
the
to
his
disgrace
the
polls
had
"Let me tell
critics.
to
fight
10.
1981.
1981,
cancel
Section C, 15.
"I
was
and
get
9
whipped. ,,18
But
Wildmon
had
at
least
won
a
moral
victory.
The
chairman of one of the nation's biggest corporations had promoted
his views as important for the nation.
tactics
endorsed
his
claim
that
Even those who opposed his
television
needed
better
programming.
But "better programming" is a subjective judgement.
insisted
that
his
opposition
to
shows
was
based
Wildmon
solely
on
When
objectively-measured levels of sex, violence and profanity.
Wildmon objected to a show because of its sexual content, however,
it
was
not
presented
always
sex
in
because
ways
it
he
was
prurient
disliked--outside
teenagers or partners of the same sex.
of
birth
control,
abortion
but
and,
often
because
marriage,
it
between
He also opposed the mention
later,
AIDS.
His
criticism
of
profanity often had more to do with offensiveness of the subject of
discussion than the use of vulgar words.
Wildmon's condemnation
did not stop at shows like "Vegas" and "The Dukes of Hazzard," but
extended
to
programs dealing
with
adult
themes like
"All in
the
Family," "Taxi," and "WKRP in Cincinnati." (See Addendum for a full
list of the television programs attacked by Wildmon.)
Wildmon's extremism clearly guided his attacks on programming
during
the
balance
of
1981.
He
was
particularly
unhappy
about
NBC's decision to develop a series based on a movie about an aging
homosexual who permits a young woman and her daughter to move in
with
him.
18
Wildmon,
who
saw
the
show
united Press International, July 14,
as
an
1981.
attack
on
the
10
institution of the family, said it was "utterly stupid" for NBC to
undertake
the
series
at
the
very
moment
It's about the need people have for family.
saying
preemptive
wai ting
it's
strike
for
about
"It's about compassion.
series, "Love Sidney," defended his show.
they're
concern
Tony Randall, the star of the proposed
television was at its peak.
It's about love.
when
on
shows
to
anti-family,"
Randall's
be
aired
Randall
show
said.19
indicated,
before
Wildmon
attacking
And
As
the
was
not
wildmon
them.
condemned a fictionalized treatment of a series of murders of black
children
in Atlanta
before
the
producer
had
decided
to
go
ahead
20
with the proj ect.
wildmon's pose as a moderate was undermined later in the year
when some of his followers pushed his views about sex on television
to
their
logical
Donahue,
the
talk
chapters
of
Donahue,
whose show
his
broadcaster."
promoted
show
In
the release.
host,
National
The
abnormal
sponsors.
He
extreme.
was
for
a
forced
release
Federation
had won
nine Emmy
release
said
sex
and
to
for
apologize
issued
Decency
many
of
threatened
almost
the
boycott
the
described
activist
"sex
of
of
Phil
shows"
Donahue's
an appearance on "Donahue," Wildmon apologized for
He admitted that a program on breast-feeding should
offensive,
of
insisting that
shows
dealt
19 Washington Post, July 7,
1981,
20
half
"sex
Donahue's
a
one
that
awards, as a
not have been characterized as a "sex program."
resumed
by
to
Donahue'S
united Press
But Wildmon soon
his monitoring
with
sex.
section C,
International, July 29,
1981.
He
1.
showed
that
charged
that
11
some
urged
acceptance
of
sex
practices
contrary
to
traditional
Christian morality. 21
Wildmon's appearance on "Donahue" showed how far he had come
from Southaven, Mississippi.
The threat of a boycott had given him
national
was
boycott
exposure.
would
networks
had
Now
dream,
In
achieve.
not
met
necessary after all.
his
he
Jerry
his
late
anxious
1981,
demands
and
to
see
what
an
actual
Wildmon
decided
that
that
boycott
would
a
the
be
But just as Wildmon was preparing to realize
Falwell
boycotting advertisers.
withdrew
his
support
for
the
tactic
of
The division between Wildmon and Falwell
had first become apparent in a television documentary, "Eye of the
Beholder,"
broadcast in
late 1981.
It was this documentary that
first reported Wildmon's determination to proceed with the boycott.
It
also
revealed
that
Falwell
was
having
second
thoughts.
He
appeared to take to heart the survey results released in June that
showed
his
own
followers
rejecting
Majority's views on others.
Moral
Majority
had
raised
efforts
to
force
the
Moral
Falwell told the interviewer that the
$2
million
for
the
boycott
but
then
suggested that his group would not back coercive efforts to change
programming.
The Moral Majority's resignation from the boycott was
confirmed by a spokesman for the group in late January 1982.
"Our
feeling is that the networks are headed in the right direction," he
said.22
In
the
absence
of
the
Moral
Majority,
21 Associated Press, September 29,
Wildmon
1981.
22 United Press International, January 27,
1982.
changed
his
12
Falwell
plans.
boycott before
had
promised
he backed out,
million
$2
for
pUblicity
and pUblicity was
for
the
critical because
the boycott depended upon the consumer's ability to recognize the
target's
products
abandoned
the
in
the
proposed
conference in February
market
boycott
1982,
Lacking
place.
of
funds,
advertisers.
Wildmon
At
a
news
he announced a boycott against RCA,
the owner of NBC.
wildmon
too
narrow
about sex,
also
and
revealed new demands.
will
be
expanded,"
he
"Our
concerns
explained.
have
"Our
been
concerns
violence and profanity in programs is valid, but there
We're going to surprise some people. ,,23
will be more.
changes in the way NBC handled 11 subjects.
He demanded
Besides sex, violence
and profanity, he wanted fewer depictions of drug abuse and "racial
and
religious
stereotyping.
II
The
network
would
have
to
make
an
effort to portray life as it was lived by Christians, Wildmon said.
"RCA-NBC
has excluded
Christian
also
culture
wanted
business.
to
Christian
from
see
an
Wildmon
their
characters,
programming,"
improvement
claimed
that
in
the
Christian
he
charged.
portrayal
business
values
of
executives
and
Wildmon
American
had
been
painted as "crooks and con men. ,,24
During
his
news
conference,
Wildmon
had
demonstrated
again
that he was not reluctant to criticize a popular show by singling
out
for
attack NBC's award-winning dramatic
series, "Hill
Blues," which he said was full of sexual innuendo.
23
Associated Press,
24
New York Times, March 5,
February 23,
1982,
Street
Several months
1982.
section C, 28.
13
later,
he
showed
that
he
was
not
serious artistic intentions either.
afraid
to
attack
a
show
with
NBC was preparing to broadcast
a movie that had been written by the poet Maya Angelou.
"sister,
Sister," was the story of how three black sisters in North Carolina
Wildmon had not seen
resolved the differences that separated them.
Apparently reacting to a part of the story in which a
the movie.
minister committed adultery and stole the church receipts, wildmon
claimed
that
"negative
stereotyping
of
people
identified
as
Christian in the film is an example of a continuing trend by RCA­
NBC
and
an
example
programming. ,,25
The
of
anti-Christian,
advertisers
anti-religious
responded
to
his
network
complaints:
12
of the 28 sponsors asked to see the program again, and one sponsor,
Kodak,
withdrew
sufficiently
Wildmon's
pointed
its
ads
determining that
"family-oriented."
criticisms
out
after
that
in
a
"Sister,
the
film
Author Jessica Mitford
letter
sister"
to
the
was
New
the
York
type
of
was
not
rejected
Times.
program
She
that
Wildmon had said he approved:
Psychological drama of the highest order, "Sister, sister,"
achieves a stunning breakthrough as a sensitive portrait of a
three-dimensional, non-stereotypical black family.
No wild
car chases, no prostitution, no drugs, no teen-age crime--in
6
short, no sex or violence (sorry about that Mr. Wildmon).2
Wildmon had revealed himself for what he was:
a Christian minister
who
his
believed
including
his
that
high
television
opinion
should
of
reflect
Christian
own
ministers.
world
He
had
view,
also
shown himself as a man with an insatiable appetite for change, one
25 Associated Press, June 7,
26 New York Times, June 11,
1982.
1982,
p. 30.
14
change making him hungry for the next.
As a result,
he lost the
A day of
support of many who had formerly sympathized with him.
reckoning was fast approaching.
Judgement day fell at the close of the third quarter of 1982.
RCA reported earnings that demonstrated Wildmon's boycott had not
had
an
effect.
Third
quarter
earnings
were
$47.6
mill ion I
an
increase of $152.4 million over the third quarter of 1981 when the
company had shown
loss. 27 Wildmon replied by
a
weak consumer products division,
pointing
insisting that this was the part
of the corporation most likely to be hurt by the boycott.
boycott was clearly a failure.
to RCA's
By early 1983,
"Love,
But the
Sidney, " the
series starring Tony Randall that Wildmon had attacked before its
premiere,
had
acknowledgment
target
of
become
of
a
success
Sidney's
Wildmon's
and
was
homosexuality.
boycott,
NBC
had
inching
Before
prevented
it
closer
to
became
the
Randall
from
striking back at Wildmon. 28 Now, Randall dismissed Wildmon as "that
ignorant,
cynical,
Bible-thumping ass in Mississippi. ,,29 There was
no lightning.
For
his
reformer.
part,
Wildmon
had
dropped
any
pretense
of
He no longer accused the networks of using sex,
being
a
violence
and profanity to gain ratings.
The problem with the networks was
that
"humanist"
they
"humanist
were
point
dominated
of view
27
Ibid,
28
Washington Post,
29
Time,
a
is that
November 21,
March 7,
by
1982,
July 7,
1983,
man
came
section 3,
1981,
120.
view
of
society.
from nowhere,
21.
section C,
1.
is
The
going
15
nowhere
and
has
no
Wildmon professed
"Christian
view
responsibility
himself an
is
that
man
to
others,"
apostle of
Wildmon
said.
the Christian view.
was created
by
God
and
that
The
there's
somewhere to go--heaven or hell--and some moral absolutes and moral
guidelines to follow," he said.
irreconcilable.
The conflict between the two was
"You have a clash of two distinct value systems,"
The networks were trying to remake society in line
Wildmon said.
with humanist values.
Wildmon acknowledged that they were winning.
"I don't think we have more than five or six years left to stem the
tide," he said.
society. ,,30
"Television is the most destructive force in our
It
was
clear
that
if
Wildmon
were
in
charge,
television would be dominated by Christian values.
After the failure of the RCA boycott, the Coalition for Better
Television lapsed.
Wildmon had fallen from the limelight, but he
had not abandoned his ambition to strike a devastating blow at the
"humanist" media.
National
also
He travelled tirelessly in an effort to make his
Federation
promoted
organization.
his
for
Decency
Journal,
a
grass-roots
the
The Journal, which
major
organization.
publication
has changed
little
of
since
He
his
then,
carries detailed criticism of individual television shows and lists
the names and addresses of their sponsors.
demise
of
American
society
as
the
Its columns explain the
result
of
the
increase
of
divorce, the growing presence of women in the work force and other
factors that are weakening the traditional family.
attacks birth control and
� united
abortion.
The
Press International, May
tone of
20,
1983.
It frequently
the magazine is
16
set
by
its
attributed
description
to
pornography,
mother blamed
that
the
many
crimes
television
that
can
allegedly
or movie violence and
be
rock
The April 1989 Journal carried a story in which a
and roll music.
problem
of
the
led
rock
her
band the Grateful
son
to
take
Dead
hostages
for the drug
and
be
killed
abuse
by
the
police.31
Wildmon knew that organizing local chapters of the NFD would
occur more quickly if the organizing occurred within the context of
a larger campaign.
and
In 1984,
Penthouse magazines.
the NFD began a fight to ban Playboy
As always,
attack the producers directly.
Wildmon's
tactic
He tried to strangle the magazines'
circulation through boycotts aimed at chain stores,
and convenience stores,
was not to
including drug
where they were sold from "blindered" racks
He returned to the picketing tactic
behind the counter.
that he
had used against Sears, sending demonstrators to 7-Eleven and other
While Wildmon experienced some success against the smaller
stores.
chains,
maj or
the Southland corporation,
chains
held
firm.
wildmon
which owned 7-Eleven,
campaigned
for
two
and most
years
with
meager results.
Wildmon's return to national prominence was largely the result
of
actions
Wildmon
and
supported
things,
the
by
other
the
candidacy
explicit
national
of
Ronald
They
April 1989,
12.
Washington.
had
because,
take strong
were
in
activists
Reagan
that he would
material.
AFA Journal,
administration
"anti-pornography"
they believed
sexually
31
taken
strongly
among
other
measures to curb
disappointed
when
Reagan
17
. took little action on the conservatives' "social agenda" during his
first
wildmon
term.
and
other
visited Reagan following
advocates
of
stricter
censorship
his reelection to urge him to act.
The
result was the appointment of the Attorney General's commission on
Pornography
eager
to
sexually
1985.
in
see
it
explicit
The
rebut
a
material
partisans
previous
was
not
of
the
new
Commission
were
commission's
conclusion
that
harmful
to
The
adults.
1970
report by the President's Commission on Obscenity and Pornography
recommended the abolition of obscenity laws.
of
what
became
pornography
views,
known
as
activists
the Meese
acquired
an
with the appointment
commission
important
and Wildmon found another national
in
1985,
vehicle
forum.
The
the
for
antitheir
Commission
was chaired by a former prosecutor who had made his reputation by
prosecuting adult bookstores and movie houses.
Wildman did not waste his opportunity.
Los Angeles in October
must
attack
not
only
1985,
At a public hearing in
he told the Meese Commission that it
organized
crime,
reputed
to
be
the
major
producer of hard-core obscenity, but also major corporations that
were involved in the sale of non-obscene, First Amendment-protected
material
with
sexual
content.
"The
general
public
usually
associates pornography with sleazy porno bookstores and theaters,"
Wildmon said.
"However, many of the major players in the game of
pornography are household names. ,,32 Wildmon then proceeded to name
32 Donald E. Wildmon, "Pornography in the Family Marketplace,"
attached as an addendum to letter from Alan Sears, Executive
Director, Attorney General's Commission on Pornography, to various
Corporations,
February
1986.
However,
the testimony was not
attributed to Wildmon at the time.
18
them.
Of course, the Southland corporation was at the top of his
list.
But Wildmon alleged that 22 other corporations were involved
in "pornography distribution," including
RCA,
and
The
Coca-Cola.
list
also
CBS,
Time,
included
distributors of magazines, 11 chain stores,
Ramada
three
Inns,
national
including Rite Aid and
Dart Drug Stores, and a chain of video stores, National Video.
wildmon's
national
testimony
news
when,
before
without
the
being
Meese
Commission
identified
as
became
coming
from
Wildmon, it was incorporated into a letter that the Commission sent
to the corporations on Wildmon's list.
corporations
that
"distributors"
Commission's
Wildmon's
of
characterization
"pornography"
final
report.
would
They
were
charge of their anonymous accuser.
filed
The Commission informed the
be
of
them
included
invited
to
in
reply
as
the
to
the
Instead, several lawsuits were
to force the Commission to withdraw
its letter.
Among the
plaintiffs filing suits were the American Booksellers Association,
the
Council
Magazine
for
Periodical
Publishers of
Distributors
Associations,
America as well as
Playboy
and
and
the
Penthouse.
They accused the Commission of establishing a blacklist to coerce
the
corporations
receiving
Amendment-protected
Commission to
the
A
material.
retract
the
letter
letter
into
federal
and
barred
withdrawing
judge
it
First
ordered
from issuing
the
any
lists of retailers.
But the Meese Commission's letter had set in motion a chain of
events
that
no
judge's
campaign against the
order
could
chain stores,
arrest.
Wildmon's
boycott
like the campaign against the
19
television
adverse
broke
advertisers,
pUblicity.
The
their backs.
had
made
them
Commission's
extremely
letter
was
sensitive
the
straw
to
that
On April 10, 1986, the Southland Corporation
announced that it was pulling Playboy and Penthouse from its 4,500
stores and recommending to 3,600 other 7-Elevens that were owned by
franchisees
Southland
The
that they get rid of them as well.
announcing
the
decision
suggested
that
statement by
the
chain
was
responding to evidence adduced by the Meese Commission that showed
a
link
between
"adult
magazines
and
crime,
violence,
abuse. ,,33 But Wildman questioned Southland' s altruism.
that Southland had bent under the boycott.
of
what
can
happen
when
with selective buying,"
two
years,
but
our
the
Christian
voice
was
heard. ,,34
child
He claimed
"It is a good example
community
Wildmon said.
and
stands
together
"It took us approximately
By
the
time
the
Meese
Commission was ordered to withdraw its letter in July, six of the
chains targeted by the Commission had pulled Playboy and Penthouse
and
34 smaller
chains
Southland's lead.
magazines.35
who didn't receive the
letter had followed
More than 10,000 stores had stopped carrying the
By August, the number had grown to 17,000.36
33
The
only
magazines
carried
by
7-Eleven
were
Playboy,
Penthouse and Forum magazines.
But Playboy and Penthouse were
explicitly excluded from the magazines examined by the Meese
Commission.
Penthouse,"
"Our study did not address magazines like Playboy and
Commission Chairman
Press," on July 13, 1986.
Henry
Hudson
said
on
34 united Press International, April 11, 1986.
35 Washington
Post,
July 23,
1986, section B, 3.
36 Los Angeles Times, August 25, 1986, 1.
"Meet
the
20
The removal of Playboy,
"sophisticate"
magazines
domino
causing
effect,
Penthouse and other men's
from
the
stores
removal
across
of
other
several teen magazines,
Illustrated,
country
magazines
had
a
that were
Magazines about rock and
controversial for one reason or another.
roll music,
the
the swimsuit issue of sports
and issues of American Photographer and cosmopolitan
were removed from sale in some parts of the country in the panic
set off by the Meese commission letter.
Wildmon kept his name in the headlines in 1987 by attacking a
controversial
disc
jockey
and
a
mainstream
hotel
corporation.
wildmon's complaint against "shock radio" personality Howard stern
may
have
been
Communications
programming.
a
factor
Commission
At
the
against the Holiday
making
"R"-rated
However,
the
to
time,
its
by
ban
Wildmon was
the
on
"offensive"
directing
available
to
failed
to
guests
100
in
a
boycott
Holiday
materialize.
their
Only
13
hotels
on television.
1987,
were
five and
and demonstrations lasted for only a few hours.
In the spring of
rooms.
Inns across the
the average demonstration numbered between
protesters,
Federal
Inn hotel chain in an effort to stop it from
films
18
decision
expand
demonstrations scheduled at
country on April
picketed;
same
in
10
37
Wildmon prepared to resume his attack
He had never abandoned it entirely.
The pages of
the NFD Journal were full of condemnation for the current crop of
programs and the people who sponsored them.
In April 1987, wildmon
criticized the networks for dropping their ban on permitting bras
37
United Press International,
April 18,
1987.
21
to
be
modelled
by
live
models.
He
would be live underwear ads.38
came
with
the
organization
predicted
that
the
next
step
The first sign of a new campaign
of
Christian
Leaders
for
Responsible
Television as a successor to the Coalition for Better Television.
In
June,
Motors
CLeaR-TV
and
Noxell
featuring sex,
announced
for
its
their
first
boycott,
sponsorship
violence and profanity.39
of
targeting
television
Mazda
programs
Four months later,
CLeaR­
TV announced that Noxell and Mazda had agreed to reduce the amount
of sex and violence it allegedly helped promote on network TV.40
Ironically,
prestige
he
financial
sexual
had
just
lost
as
after
problems.
encounter
Wildmon
The
with
a
the
Long
that depended
Contribution
to
disgrace.
The
NFD
problem
over
Island
for
so
recapture some of
the
NFD
evangelist
church
funds
dropped
became
to
boycott,
RCA
scandal
organizations
the
seemed
Bakker's
secretary
sharply
critical
encountered
Jim
on evangelical
hurt
all
Christians.
following
that
the
Bakker's
Wildmon
quietly
folded the NFD at the end of the year.
As he closed the 10-year­
old
Family
NFD,
Wildmon
controversies in
opened
the
American
Association.
1988 helped Wildmon rebound from this setback.
The first was the protest over Martin Scorcese's film,
Temptation
of
Christ."
The
leaders because it portrayed
human
weaknesses,
including
38 Advertising Age,
Ibid,
film
Christ as
April 27,
September 23,
was
sexual
39 Communications Daily,
40
Two
1987,
7.
by
a messiah
desire.
June 1,
1987,
opposed
While
75.
1987,
5.
many
religious
struggling
many
"Last
with
Christian
22
leaders condemned the film,
Wildmon tried to suppress it.
Wildmon
asked his supporters to petition their local theaters in an effort
to
prevent
the
exhibition
of
the
Universal
Pictures
film
and
announced a boycott against companies owned by Universal's parent
corporation,
Democratic
the
MCA
MCA.
Party
He also urged his followers to vote against the
in
chairman,
the
was
upcoming
a
maj or
election
because
fundraiser
for
Lew Wasserman,
the
Democrats.
Among the demonstrations against the release of the film,
in
Los
Angeles
in
July
were
interpreted
unfortunate. 1142
However,
he contributed to the controversy by demanding to know how
The
protests
cities
on
over
August
demonstration,
New York.
served
the
12,
in
top
as
anti-semitic.
acknowledged
Christians
incidents
as
two held
Wildmon
many
the
widely
41
positions
film culminated in
the
"very
at
MCA
and
Universal. 43
demonstrations
day of the film's release.
involving 500 people,
in
seven
The largest
occurred outside a theater in
Despite the fact that several theater chains refused to
show the film,
"Last Temptation of Christ" set a box office record
during its first week.
During
the
battle
over
"The
Last
Temptation
of
Christ, "
Wildmon claimed victory in another controversy when the creator of
the
"Mighty
Mouse"
cartoon
agreed
episode that wildman had protested.
41
Associated Press,
42
Los Angeles Times,
43
F3.
Facts on
File,
to
cut
3
1/2
seconds
of
The creator, Ralph Bakshi,
August 5,
1988.
July 23,
1988,
World News Digest,
Part II,
an
had
1.
September 9,
1988,
656
23
fallen
under
suspicion
because
of
his
animated feature, "Fritz the Cat."
role
in
making
an
X-rated
However, Bakshi had also won an
award for "Mighty Mouse" from Action for Children's Television.
In
the disputed episode, Wildmon charged Bakshi with portraying Mighty
Mouse as experiencing drug-induced exhilaration after inhaling the
petals
of
a
contended.
flower.
Mighty
Mouse
had
might
the
lead
cocaine,
Wildmon
Bakshi defended his cartoon, insisting that Wildmon had
interpreted the scene out of context.
removing
sniffed
scene
because
children
true.
Wildmon
facto
admission
Wildmon said.
to
believe
interpreted
that
of
the
his
concern
that
cut
indeed Mighty
However, Bakshi said he was
what
that
the
Wildmon
was
differently.
Mouse was
"We have been vindicated.
controversy
saying
"This
snorting
is
a
was
de
cocaine,"
,,44
By the end of
Wildmon had survived another serious crisis.
1988, he had established AFA on a firmer footing than the National
Federation
for Decency had
ever enjoyed.
AFA's first tax return,
filed for 1988, revealed an income of $5,228,505.
All of the funds
came from contributions and gifts.
Wildmon was ready at last to
take
networks.
on
his
favorite
target--the
In
December,
the
representatives of CLeaR-TV, Wildmon's television group, announced
that they would boycott the worst advertiser at the conclusion of
the sweeps period in May.
The announcement of the boycott threat in January 1989 had the
same chilling effect on advertisers that it had in 1981.
Kimberly­
Clark and Tambrands announced they would not advertise on the show
44
Associated Press, July 26,
1988.
24
"Married
.
growing
•
Children." An Advertising
with
.
number
of
companies
sponsored
more
Clark
Tambrands
and
carefully.4S
were
Less
Age
story
reviewing
than
two
withdrew from "Married
the
weeks
•
•
•
noted that
programs
after
with
a
they
Kimberly­
Children,"
two
advertisers who had been pressured by Wildmon pulled their ads from
"Saturday Night Live." Ralston-Purina
in
ads
because
one
of
General
taste."
commercials.46
A
the
shows
Mills
month
"crossed
withdrew
later,
Company
an
canceled
over
the
line
undisclosed
Domino I s
Pizza
also
$1 million
of
good
number
pulled
of
out,
citing the efforts of the American Family Association as a factor
in
its decision. 47 At about
the same time,
wildmon scored another
triumph when Pepsi bowed to his demand that it sever its connectioh
with the
singer Madonna because one of her music
Virgin,"
used
Advertiser
unable
to
received
religious
fear
find
had
grown
sponsors
respectable
dramatization of
imagery
to
for
such
v.
a
an
sequels
ratings.
the Roe
in
way
that
extent
to
two
by
blast
which
"Like
offended
May
crime
Wildmon's
Wade case,
videos,
him.48
that ABC
shows
at
that
a
a
was
had
movie
the critics praised
for its even-handed treatment of the abortion controversy, cost NBC
as
now
much
as
$1
familiar
million
to
in
the
lost
advertising
networks,
45 Advertising Age, March 6,
46 Associated Press,
television
1989,
March 17,
47 Advertising Age, April 17,
revenue.49 Wildmon
1.
1989.
1989,
81.
48 United Press International, April 6,
49 Newsday, May 17,
1989,
advertisers,
section II,
2.
1989.
was
movie
25
producers,
other
video retailers,
retailers
unknown
whom
outside
he
magazine
had
business
publishers,
targeted,
circles.
but
In
he
booksellers
remained
1989,
he
and
largely
found
a
new
aUdience--congress.
In early 1989, Wildmon learned that the National Endowment for
the
Arts
had
photograph
Serrano
provided
entitled
depicted
artist's
a
urine.
"piss
wildmon
spent
art' . ,,50
to
for
an
exhibit
The
Christ."
crucifix
the NEA claiming that
being
funding
submerged
in
included
photograph
by
jar
with
a
immediately launched
a
filled
campaign
a
Andre
the
against
the tax dollars of the American people were
support
"pornographic,
anti-Christian
'works
of
He sent a reproduction of the Serrano photograph to every
member of Congress.
Many were horrified.
D'Amato
photograph on the
the
that
tore up
NEA
for
the
funding
"shocking,
New York Senator Alfonse
Senate
abhorrent
floor.
art"
He
and
denounced
demanded
the
agency deny funds to artists like Serrano. 51
NEA
He
Endowment
charged
focusing
on
that
a
Chairman
Wildmon
handful
of
John
was
Frohnmayer
defended
misrepresenting
controversial
works.
the
his
agency.
Endowment
One
of
the
by
works
that Wildmon attacked was part of an exhibit, "Tongues of Flame,"
by
artist
David
Wojnarowicz.
Discovering
two
small
sexually
explicit photographs in a collage-like painting entitled "Water,"
Wildmon had
and
the
them
clergy,
enlarged and
claiming
distributed to Congress,
"your
tax
dollars
50
Insight,
51
New York Times Magazine, September 2,
July 2,
1990,
helped
pay
14.
1990,
24.
the media
for
these
26
'works
art'. ,,52
of
copyright
Wojnarowicz
infringement.
By
characterize the piece,
wildmon
sued
using
had
Wildmon
the
two
turned his
pornography," woj narowicz charged. 53
While
for
libel
and
photographs
work
to
into "banal
the artist's
damage
claims were dismissed, a Federal judge issued an injunction barring
Wildmon's further use of "Tongues of Flame."
Wildmon's attack on the NEA was a smashing success.
Congress
barred the NEA from giving grants to artists whose work "might be
deemed
obscene."
october 1990,
"general
Although
the
obscenity
ban
was
repealed
in
Congress continued to require the Endowment to uphold
standards
of
decency"
when
awarding
grants. 54
recognition of his prominent role in the NEA controversy,
In
the New
York Times Magazine made Wildmon the subject of a cover story in
September. 55
(Wildmon refused to talk to the Times reporter.
After
what he described as years of media "misrepresentation," Wildmon
had decided not to talk to a reporter unless he or she were willing
to
sign
a
contract
giving
him
the
right
to
make changes
in
the
article. )
Wildmon lost little time in using his new celebrity status to
further
the
campaign
for
censorship.
Burger King of being the "leading
profanity" on television,
52
Ibid, September 2,
53
Ibid.
54 New York Newsday,
55 New York
Times,
In
September,
sponsor of
sex,
he
accused
violence,
and
and threatened to lead a boycott against
1990,
25
March 30,
September 2,
1991,
1990,
53.
22.
27
it.56
The corporation immediately came
to terms.
It
agreed to
publish newspaper ads throughout the country affirming support for
"moral" programming:
Burger King supports traditional American family
values, especially the importance of family
We pledge to support such programs with our advertising
dollars.57
.
What
Burger
King
didn't
know
was
that
Wildmon
carrying out his threat of economic reprisals.
was
•
.
incapable
of
His following was
simply too small.
In
October
anti -censorship
support
by
Americans
1990,
group,
demonstrated
publishing
the
results
surveying 504 adults in Seattle,
and
Boston.
wildmon
or
them. 58
the
The
surveyed
the
only
20
AFA:
poll
for
per
and
the
of
a
Topeka,
cent
only
Constitutional
of
two
demonstrated
thinness
poll
by
Abilene,
those
Freedom,
of
Peter
had
per
cent
"actively
that
only
18
Hart
N.C.,
heard
of
of
those
had ever participated in a boycott of any kind and that
overwhelming
per
D.
supported"
percent
percentage
of
those
who
had
were
corporate policies concerning labor or the environment.
two
Wildmon' s
Charlotte,
surveyed
an
cent reported participating in
boycotts of
protesting
Less than
controversial
magazines like Playboy or television advertisers.
To test Wildmon's effectiveness directly,
56 AFA Journal,
September 1990,
57 Advertising Age,
58 Peter D.
3 103,
May
the Hart poll asked
1.
October 1990,
16.
Hart Research Associates, Consumer Attitudes study
1990, quoted in press release by Americans for
15-17,
Constitutional Freedom.
28
whether the
respondent
had participated in the boycott of Clorox
that Wildmon declared in March
had.
Only one percent said they
1989.
This finding is supported by
Clorox itself,
59
undiminished profits in late 1989.
Indeed,
which reported
no boycott by Wildmon
By the
has succeeded by inflicting economic losses on its target.
end of 1992,
Holiday Inn had been on the AFA's list for almost five
years for offering X-rated films to their adult customers.
in the boycott,
the company reported that the boycott had actually
helped rather than hurt its business.6o
target
of
an
earnings.
AFA
boycott
since
K-mart/Waldenbooks,
s.c.
also
1990,
but
the
threat
of
a
Johnson
reported
&
Sons,
boycott
with
pUblicity that has worked for Wildmon.
It is not
its
the
increases
Dairy Mart and stop N'Go
successfully resisted Wildmon's threats.61
itself
Early
in
have all
the boycott
potential
for
bad
Experience shows that if
the targeted company stands firm in the face of Wildmon's threats,
it need not fear economic damage.
Nevertheless,
by
the
end
of
1990,
Wildmon
had
establishing himself as the nation I s leading censor.
in
This was only
It also stemmed from changes
partly the result of his celebrity.
in the anti-pornography movement.
succeeded
Through most of its existence,
the National Federation for Decency/American Family Association had
competed
Deceny
with
through
other
Law,
censorship
the
National
59
Wall Street Journal,
60
Ibid.
61 AFA Journal,
groups,
Coalition
September 5,
January 1992,
including
1.
Against
1989,
Citizens
for
Pornography,
section B,
1.
29
Morality
in Media
established
of
and
Focus
on
the
these groups was
The
Family.
oldest
the Citizens for
and
best
Decency through
Law, which had been founded as the citizens for Decent Literature
by
lawyer Charles Keating, Jr.,
in Cincinnati in
Keating,
1957.
who once warned that bermuda shorts were a threat to morals,
his
group
to
Phoenix and
during the 1980's.
grew
very
rich
as
a
property
moved
developer
His success was capped by the purchase of the
Keating shared his wealth
Lincoln Savings and Loan of California.
with COL, contributing directly as well as through Lincoln Savings
Salaries grew fabulously for a non-profit
and its holding company.
group.
In
salary of
But
in
1986,
Executive
$175,000.
April
Director
General
1989,
William
Swindell
received
Counsel Benjamin Bull made
Lincoln
Savings
was
seized
regulators, and Keating was charged with fraud.
a
$150,000.
by
Federal
Without Keating,
CDL soon folded.
Wildmon
CDL.
He
hired
chapters.
He
five-lawyer
functions
took
steps
to
Swindell
also hired
operation
formerly
position
to
manage
Bull
that
the
to
was
undertaken
as
relations
head
a
designed
by
AFA
the
new
to
CDL.
the
successor
with
AFA' s
AFA Legal
fulfill
Like
state
Center,
some
CDL,
to
of
the
a
the
Legal
Center would attempt to boost enforcement of the obscenity laws by
providing training to law enforcement officials.
with
the
help
of
Swindell
with renewed vigor in 1991.
to pressure K-mart to
its
subsidiary,
stop
In
and
the
AFA
exerted
itself
1990, Wildmon had begun a campaign
selling
Waldenbooks.
Bull,
NOw,
Playboy
he
and Penthouse
increased
the
thro.ugh
pressure
by
30
accusing
a
K-mart
boycott
of selling
against
"kiddie
Blockbuster
porn.
Video,
,,62
the
AFA
also
nation's
threatened
largest
video
rental and retail chain,
unless it agreed not to carry videos with
the
Blockbuster,
new
NC-17
rating.
against carrying X-rated videos,
which
already
had
a
policy
soon announced its intention not
to carry videos with the new rating.�
As the Legal center began to flex its muscles early in 1991,
it became clear that it meant to do more than suppress obscenity.
It
promised
traditional
to
bring
cases
involving
family. ,,64
American
In
"anything
February,
affecting
the
AFA
the
filed
a
Federal suit to block the Woodland Joint Unified School District in
California from using a language arts and reading curriculum that
AFA alleged that the
included stories about witches and goblins.
"Impressions"
therefore,
protected
series
violated
from
Legal
Center
Court
to
the
filed
reverse
a
taught
the
the
constitutional
establishment
an
"religion"
amicus
decision
of
brief
that
a
of
right
of
religion.
urging
held
the
the
witchcraft
students
In
to
April,
Kentucky
state's
and,
be
the
Supreme
sodomy
law
unconstitutional.M
In December 1991,
major case.
Toronto,
62
the Legal Center became involved in another
Delores Stanley,
Ohio,
defied
AFA Journal,
63 Variety,
AFA Journal,
�
Ibid,
Dairy Mart store in
company policy by refusing to sell Playboy,
February 1991,
January 21,
64
a manager of a
1991,
April 1991,
March 1991,
17.
6.
1.
27.
31
and
Penthouse,
offered
her
other
a
adult
position
When she refused,
on her behalf,
in
magazines
a
store
in
her
that
she was suspended.
Dairy
store.
didn't
carry
Mart
magazines.
with the Legal Center acting
Stanley sued Dairy Mart,
claiming
that to
force
a
woman to sell adult magazines constituted sexual discrimination and
harassment.
stores
If the AFA prevails in the Stanley case,
throughout
sale of books,
the country
magazines,
would be
forced
thousands of
to discontinue
the
videos and recordings that are protected
by the First Amendment out of a fear that a female employee may sue
them.
Stanley's case against the chain was pending at the end of
1992.
After
setbacks
four
had
of a
been
of
victories,
wildmon
encountered
He was unsuccessful in his attempt
in 1992.
U.S. exhibition
Wildmon
years
British documentary,
interviewed
for
the
"Damned
film
after
in
several
to bar the
the U.S.A."
the
filmmakers
signed a contract that he believed gave him the right to determine
whether it could be shown in the United states.
When they tried to
exhibit
Natural
Margaret
the
film
Mead
at
the
American
Museum
Film Festival without
his
of
permission,
History's
Wildmon
sued
them for breach of contract and won a temporary restraining order
barring
exhibition.
including
and
the
People
American
for
In September,
The
the
filmmakers
civil
and
a
coalition
Liberties Union,
American Way,
filed
a
suit
to
lift
in the U.S.A." was released theatrically.
April 17,
1992,
groups,
Human Rights Watch
a Federal court rejected wildmon I s claim,
� New York Times,
of
Section B,
12.
the
ban.�
and "Damned
32
Wildmon received more bad publicity in the fall of 1992 when
TV
Guide
speak
published
to
an
reporter
prepared,
Wildmon
publication.
Claudia
issued
salary
allowance in 1990.
other
$28,659
received. )
a
profile.
Dreifus
press
67
while
release
Having
the
story
condemning
Dreifus
of
a
was
it
to
being
upon
its
$101,159 and a $14,400 tax-free housing
(wildmon
had
said his
been
also
a
actual salary was
bonus,
quoted
the
criticism
first
of
he
Wildmon
religious television critics who oppose censorship.
that
refused
He was particularly unhappy with the report that he
had received a
the
unflattering
motion
to
commend
Wildmon
at
the
$72,500;
had
offered
by
She reported
Methodist
Conference in May had failed by a vote of 54 to 1.
ever
General
Wildmon did not
respond to his religious critics or to Dreifus' revelation of AFA's
connection to Charles Keating's organization, CDL.
Another
damaging
story
chapters
640
purported
nationwide. 68
"membership"
circulation
of
its
published
in
November
by
the
The article challenged the AFA claim
magazine Mother Jones.
of
was
of
Journal.
It
also
450,000,
69
raised
which
Reporter
Bill
questions
was
based
Dedman
about
on
a
the
demonstrated
that many of the local chapters were inactive or consisted of only
a few members.
his
own
67
68
chapter
of
the
AFA
so
he
could
attend
a
conference
for
TV Guide, September 5, 1992, 11.
Annual Report:
Association,
69
By paying a fee of $25 to AFA, Dedman established
1992 Accomplishments of the American Family
2.
Bill
Dedman,
"Bible
November/December 1992, 42.
Belt . Blowhard,"
Mother
Jones,
33
The conference
chapter leaders at the AFA headquarters in Tupelo.
attracted
representatives
AFA
reported.
AFA's
list
names.70
membership
of
contributed
"active"
money
AFA
from
in
itself
fewer
claims
are
than
also
contributors,
the
past
two
acknowledges
chapters,
exaggerated,
meaning
year,
that
40
many
those
consisted
Dedman
he
said.
who
of
had
275, 193
"subscribers"
to
the
Journal are ministers who receive the magazine free.
Perhaps most ominous of all for Wildmon was the report in late
1992 that television advertisers were growing less skittish about
explicit
The
programming.
ability
to
pressure
television
advertisers had been Wildmon's major weapon since the beginning of
his
crusade.
But
the
television
networks
struck
back
by
commissioning research on the effectiveness of Wildmon's boycotts.
In
the
fall
study
by
of
NBC
demonstrate
viewers as
1991,
the
researcher
that
Journal
Horst
Wildmon's
a whole.?1
of
stipp
followers
Media
that
were
Planning
used
not
published
survey
a
data
to
representative
of
stipp supported his conclusion
by
citing
a
study by Daniel Linz and others showing that the viewing audience
overwhelmingly supported a
"She
Said
No. ,,72
These
controversial
studies,
together
with
on
the
date
high
rape,
ratings
Ibid.
70
71
Horst Stipp, "Advertising
in Controversial
There Risks?" Journal of Media Planning,
1991,
NBC movie
3.
72
Barbara J. Wilson,
Daniel
Volume
Linz, Edward
Programs:
number
Are
2,
Fall
Donnerstein,
"The
6,
Impact of Social Issue Television Programming on Attitudes Toward
Volume
19,
Number
2,
Rape,"
Human
Communications Research,
December
1992,
179.
34
garnered
by
shows
like
"Roseanne,"
"Seinfeld"
and
"civil
Wars,"
appeared to convince television advertisers that there was no risk
in
sponsoring
explicit
programming
so
long
good taste, the New York Times reported.
as
the
shows
were
in
�
Although all organizations suffer setbacks, there were reasons
for believing at the end of 1992 that Wildmon's influence had begun
to
decline.
Inevitably,
organizational efforts
his
by his
attacks
had
In
opponents.
prompted
1990,
Americans
new
for
Constitutional Freedom brought together Michigan booksellers, video
retailers,
others to
magazine
wholesalers,
and
owners,
librarians
and
fight a package of AFA backed pro-censorship legislation
A petition drive gathered over 4 0,000
in the Michigan legislature.
names
theater
was
a
major
force
in
defeating
responded to Wildmon's attacks by founding
the
bills.
Artists
the National Campaign
for Free Expression to oppose content restrictions on NEA grants.
Both
commercial
together
in
and non-commercial
1991
Compensation Act
and
(S.
1992
1521)
to
anti-censorship
defeat
in Congress.
the
groups
Pornography
worked
victims'
Wildmon had endorsed the
principle of the bill, which was that producers and distributors of
works should be held liable for their alleged effects. Wildmon said
he would hold the producers of the movie Deerhunter responsible for
the deaths that occurred when people imitated the characters in the
movie by playing Russian roulette.
It is clear that Donald Wildmon's AFA will remain one of the
country's leading censorship groups for many years to come.
� New York Times, December 7,
1992, section D,
1.
with
35
a
budget
of
adversary. 74
CDL's
$7
million
Moreover,
Swindell
and
in
1992,
with
Bull,
the
the
AFA
is
addition
Wildmon' s
still
of
time
before
the
country discovers
AFA Press Release,
August 29,
is
the
more
Once individuals
it will be only a matter
that
Donald Wildmon
leader of a very small army.
74
like
But Wildmon appears to
be losing credibility with his intended targets.
of
formidable
advisers
organization
sophisticated than most of its competitors.
and companies begin ignoring his threats,
a
1992,
2.
is
the
36
Television Series Attacked by the Rev.
Donald E.
A Team
Heartbeat
A Man Called Hawk
A Different World
Highway to Heaven
Hill Street Blues
Hogan Family
Alf
All in the Family
Almost Grown
Amen
Anything but Love
Benson
Wildmon
Hooperman
Beverly Hills 90210
Blossom
Hotel
Houston Knights
In Living Color
In the Heat of the Night
Jack & Mike
Jake and the Fat Man
Bronx
Johnny Carson
Zoo
Cagney and Lacey
Captain
Planet
and
the
Kate & Allie
Knight Rider
Planeteers
Knots Landing
CBS Schoolbreak Special
Channel 99
LA Law
Charlie's Angels
Law and Order
Let's Make a Deal
Life Goes On
Live-In
Love, Sidney
Love Boat
Cheers
Crime Story
Dads
Dallas
Dear John
Designing Women
Different World
Doctor,
Doctor
Doogie Howser,
Laverne &
Shirley
MacGyver
Magnum P.I.
Married With Children
M.D.
Mary Hartman,
Dukes of Hazzard
Matlock
Dynasty
Matt Houston
Empty Nest
Maude
Miami Vice
Equalizer
Evening Shade
Facts of Life
Family Ties
First Impressions
Flamingo Road
48
Hours
Mary Hartman
Midnight Caller
Mike Hammer
Moonlighting
Mr. T
Mr.
Belvedere
Murder,
She Wrote
Full House
Gimme a Break
Murphy Brown
Golden Girls
Nancy Walker Show
Good and Evil
Grand
Night Court
Growing Pains
Nightingales
Head
Northern Exposure
Outlaws
of the Class
Heart of the City
My Two Dads
Newlywed Game
37
PrimeTime Live
Remmington steel
Riptide
Roseanne
Sara
Saturday Night Live
Scarecrow and Mrs. King
Scooby 000
Seinfeld
Shadow Chasers
Simon & Simon
Simpsons
Slap Maxwell
Sledge Hammer
Smothers Brothers
Soap
Sonny Spoon
Spenser for Hire
st. Elsewhere
Stingray
Sunday Dinner
Sweet Surrender
T.J. Hooker
Tattinger's
Taxi
Thorns
The Cavanaughs
Thirtysomething
Three's Company
Three's a Crowd
Tour of Duty
Trapper John, M.D.
TV 101
20/20
227
Under One Roof
Valerie
Webster
West 57th Street
Who's the Boss
Wiseguy
WKRP in cincinnati
Wonder Years
World of Disney
Year in the Life
38
Corporations criticized by the Rev. Donald E. Wildmon for
Sponsoring Programs or Selling Material He Has Opposed
A.H. Robins
Abbot Labs
Ace Hardware
Airwick Corporation
Alberto-Culver
American Express
American Home Products
American Airlines
American Motors
American Cynamid
Anheuser Busch
Apple Computer
du Pont
Dunkin' Donuts
Duracell
Eastman Kodak
Farly Industries
Ford Motor Co.
Fuji Film
Gallo Wines
General Mills
General Motors
General Foods
General Electric
Armstrong Industries
Georgia Pacific
ATT
Gillette Corp.
Avon Products
Grand Met Consumer Products
Beatrice Foods
Beecham corporation
Gulf and western
H.I.S. Clothing
Bristol-Meyers
Hallmark Cards
Burroughs Wellcome
Cadbury-Schweppes
Heinz
Helene curtis
Campbell's Soups
Carter-Wallace
CBS
Hershey Products
ChaneI
Hilton Hotels
Holiday Corporation
Honda
Cheseborough-Pond
Hormel
Chrysler
Hyatt Corporation
Circle K. Corporation
Hyundai
citibank
ITT Corporation
Clorox
J.C. Penney
Coca-Cola
Johnson & Johnson
Johnson Wax Co.
K-mart
Keebler
Colgate Palmolive
Combe, Inc.
corning Glassworks
Cosmair
CPC International
Cumberland Farms
Kellogg's
Kimberly Clark
Lever Brothers
Denny's Inc.
Levi Strauss
Marriott Corp.
Dairy Mart
Domino's Pizza
Mars Candy
Dow Chemical
Mastercard International
Dr. Pepper/7-UP
Mazda Motors of America
39
McDonald's
MCI
Warner-Lambert
Wendy's
Mennen
Metropolitan Life
Wrigley's
Yamaha Motor Corp.
Miles Lab
Zenith
Mitsubishi
Monsanto
Nestle
Nike
Nissan USA
North American
Phillips
Noxell Corp.
Parker Bros.
Penney's
Pepsico
Pfizer
Phillip Morris
Pillsbury
Playtex
Procter and Gamble
Prudential Insurance
Quaker Oats
Quality Inn
Ralston Purina
Ramada Inn
Rayovac
RCA
Revlon
Richardson Vicks
RJR Nabisco
Ryder Trucks
Sandoz
Sara Lee Corp.
Schering-Plough
Searle
Sears-Roebuck
Sharp
SmithKline
Beckman
Sony Corporation
Sterling Drug
Subaru
Tambrands
Time, Inc.
Topps Chewing Gum
Toyota
Tru-Value Hardware
Tyson Foods
U.S.
Sprint
Union Carbide
Upjohn
Visa USA
Warner Communications