The Parents Television Council has filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission over an "X Factor" contestant dropping his pants during a performance in the show's premiere episode — thought it seems he wasn't actually exposed.
No nudity was included in the airing of Geo Godley's performance, which appeared on the show shortly after 9 p.m. (8 p.m. central time) Wednesday, and Godley's groin was covered by a large "X" logo.
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RealityBlurred, meanwhile, reported that Godley wasn't even exposing himself: Citing an audience member and interview with "X Factor" host Steve Jones, it said he was wearing a thong.
That would explain why he wasn't immediately arrested for flashing an arena full of people, including children. The performance — of a song Godley had written called "I'm a Stud" — was recorded during the show's Seattle auditions.
The show didn't make clear whether he was, in fact, showing his genitals — but strongly implied that he was.
Paula Abdul was so upset by the performance that she briefly fled the judge's table. When she returned she said she felt sick. Although all of the judges expressed disgust at the performance, they allowed it to go on at length, and producers opted to include it in the taped broadcast.
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Fox, which aired the show, declined to comment on the complaint. A PTC representative told TheWrap that the group filed the complaint Friday.
"While a digitally imposed 'X' partially covered Mr. Godley’s genitals, the scene lingered on his nudity while editing in the shocked responses of the judges and other members of the audience," the complaint reads. "Families were led to believe 'The X Factor' would be family-friendly programming and instead were assaulted by graphic nudity. In fact, judge Paula Abdul walked out during the performance, apparently becoming physically ill by what happened.
"Although the Commission’s authority to enforce its broadcast decency rules has been the subject of ongoing litigation, there is no reason for the Commission not to act in this instance. The content in this case included prolonged, un-fleeting nudity used to shock the audience. The program did not air live, so every second was carefully edited by the Fox network and cannot be attributed to a 'mistake.'"
Somewhere, the "Pants on the Ground" guy weeps.
There was little question the show allowed the performance on the air for the sake of entertainment value. At its conclusion, judge L.A. Reid said it was "offensive, disgusting, distasteful, upsetting," and added, "Get him out of the building, please."
But even after that he was apparently allowed to remain on stage to receive formal "no" votes from judges Nicole Scherzinger and Simon Cowell.
On Monday's "Two and a Half Men" premiere, a scrambled pattern appeared over Ashton Kutcher's apparently nude buttocks. But so far, there is no word of FCC complaints filed over that incident.