Okay, it's officially reached stupid

The climate of doubt and self-censorship among TV and radio broadcasters has broken through to new levels of inanity.

Fox says it covered up the naked rear end of a cartoon character recently because of nervousness over what the Federal Communications Commission will find objectionable.

The latest example of TV network self-censorship because of FCC concerns came a few weeks ago during a rerun of a "Family Guy" cartoon. Fox electronically blurred a character's posterior, even though the image was seen five years ago when the episode originally aired.

A cartoon. First shown five years ago. No complaints.

A cartoon. And a cartoon cartoon; not a realistic animation, but a cartoon. A flippin' cartoon.

"We have to be checking and second-guessing ourselves now," Fox entertainment president Gail Berman said Monday. "We have to protect our affiliates."

But of course that's the point, isn't it? The FCC refuses to issue guidelines for offensiveness or indecency, saying in effect "we can't tell you what's offensive, but we know it when we see it and we'll go after you when we do." Broadcasters thus have no way to know in advance if something they present will run afoul of the FCC; they'll find out only when the fine is levied. And then, of course, it's too late.

The result is that the right-wing dominated agency has successfully gotten everyone running scared, "second-guessing" themselves, censoring themselves, undoubtedly being harsher on themselves, cutting more, limiting further, than the agency would (or, for that matter, could, either practically or legally). And the FCC can just pretty much sit by, occasionally going after someone here and there as an example to the rest, and watch them do it.

There really is a bit of The Trial in all this, as Joseph K., who never knows of just what he is accused, is eventually lead to assist in his own destruction.