Morality In Media Claims OWN 'Embraces Torture and Sexual Violence'

Morality in Media (MIM) announced today that they are calling for a nationwide protest of Oprah Winfrey's OWN Network. The group cites that the network embraces the reckless glorification of sexual violence and torture.

According to MIM, "the Season Premier of Lisa Ling's Our America on OWN...portrayed the graphic depiction of "BDSM" sex (bondage, discipline, dominance, submission, sadism, and masochism)...replete with whips, chains, handcuffs, and assorted tools of sexual torture."

"Women want to be loved, adored, and cherished, not whipped, dominated, and humiliated," said Dawn Hawkins, MIM Executive Director. "Oprah and her OWN cable network seem desperate to bootstrap their flagging ratings to the tawdry and titillating world of sadomasochism portrayed in the bestseller, 50 Shades of Grey," she added. "This is purely trash TV and worse, it is entertainment likely to foster domestic abuse, primarily of women. I would have thought Oprah should lead the charge against such exploitation," Hawkins said.

"A responsible journalist would have at least mentioned that sadomasochism has long been recognized as a mental disorder in the American Psychological Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders," Hawkins noted. "Sexual abuse of this Nature is at the heart of the criminal acts of rape and sexual assault," she added.

"So much of the pornography today is filled with sexual violence and humiliation of women, so it is not surprising that BDSM activities would find an audience. However,MIM believes all women, children, and men have a natural human dignity, and that programming of this sort is inherently dehumanizing, corrupts healthy relationships, and grossly distorts a proper view of human sexuality," said Hawkins.

Founded in 1962, MIM is the leading national organization opposing pornography and indecency through public education and the application of the law. MIM is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.