Tampa Bay Times from St. Petersburg, Florida • 21

5b ST. PETERSBURG TIMES FEBRUARY 14, 1981 Networks cry 'censorship' over threatened boycott ON TELEVISION zw nOQERT Q0UIDEI1 port said, "We do not take issue with the coalition's goal of improving the quality of television, but reject coercive means to achieve that end. Thoughtful advertisers will reject the means adopted by the coalition no matter how worthy they believe iU eventual goal to be. Were advertisers to do otherwise, they would be party to subverting the medium's economic base and jeopardizing the greater good of freedom of choice and freedom of the press." And even other protest groups spoke out against boycott plan. Peggy Charen, who heads Action for Children's Television, called the coalition's plan "frightening" and said it had "political overtones that are dangerous" and amount to "plain censorship." She said the net result of the coalition's monitoring program will be to provide "seals of approval" to programs.

Her group found that unacceptable and declined an invitation to join the Coalition. SUPPORT FOR THE coalition has already come from several newspaper columnists, while others vehemently oppose the boycott tactic. But it's difficult to argue with Wildmon's statements that networks can spend money on programs they want, sponsors can spend money on shows they want, and consumers can spend money on products they want. So far so good. But problems may arise if the boycott fails which seems likely.

The coalition, for all its members, still hasn't the strength to damage major advertisers. After all, it's unlikely coalition members would be fans of Three's The long-rumored merger of moralists aiming to clean up television has become a reality. And on March 1, the Coalition for Better Television will begin a three-month monitoring program that will culminate in boycotts againBt sponsors of programs the group finds offensive in sex, violence or language. Announcement of the coalition was made in a Washington, D. press conference last week, bringing together 200 groups representing an estimated 3-million persons.

Heading the new coalition will be Rev. Donald Wild-mon of Tupulo, who currently leads the National Federation for Decency. Joining under one banner are the Moral Majority, Clean Up TV, several pro-life, anti-' abortion groups, and such names as Phyllis Schlafly of Eagle Forum. REACTION FROM networks and advertising groups came quickly and negatively. CBS denounced the coalition for advocating "censorship." ABC likewise said no group has a right to "appoint itself as the moral censor for all the people." And NBC zeroed in on the boycott, hinting it was an improper method of protesting.

That charge was addressed by Wildmon in announcing the coalition. "For years, concerned citizens have urged, pleaded and even begged the networks to halt the trend toward increasing amounts of sex, violence and profanity. In reply, they have received answers ranging from a polite 'We appreciate your opinion' to a sarcastic 'If you don't like what Company to start with. So advertisers destined for boycott by the coalition may feel no appreciable dent in sales. The offending companies will still reach their desired audience.

With groups like the Moral Majority now involved in the coalition, political action might be the step beyond the boycott. And this would be fraught with dangers, as Peggy Charen pointed out. If voluntary calls for censorship fail, can calls for official censorship be far behind? It is a strange fact that American television is among the most prudish of all advanced nations. Much European television features nudity and even prestigious BBC series have been censored when shown on the Public Broadcasting Service in this country. In Australia, the comedy that became Number on NBC recently had full frontal nudity as a nightly feature at 8:30.

Italian game shows play a form of strip poker with contestants who shed to the buff. BUT THE conservative mood afoot in America seems to lend itself to the coalition's desire for programing devoid of sex and violence. The impact of the protest may be as subtle as network programers looking for more uplifting movies. Or it may degenerate into calls for congressional action to rid the public airwaves of the perceived offending elements. At that point, many who support the goal of higher quality television will find themselves in a quandry not easily resolved.

is on, turn it The concern of millions of Americans has fallen on deaf ears. "Instead of reason, restraint and responsibility, the networks have rather displayed an arrogance and indifference rarely matched in the history of corporate America." WILDMON THEN faced the boycott question directly: "The networks will respond with the only reply they know by crying censorship. Censorship, however, is an official act by some official body at some level of government. The clearest expression of the First Amendment is the right of a person to spend his money where he so desires. With our plan of action, the networks have the right to spend their money where they desire, and consumers have the right to spend their money where they desire." The most articulate reply to the new group came from Peter Allport, president of the Association of National Advertisers.

In a press release to newspaper writers, All- AT Tess' is Polanski's statement on grandeur FILM opinion J) 1'4 case: "Tess was a pure woman," he writes in the study guide. "That's Hardy's subtitle to the book. She broke Victorian moral codes, but she responded to natural law and to nature her own nature. That's what the book is about. The film is an accusation of hypocrisy and injustice in the rigid Victorian society and by extension, in any rigid and repressive society." This is not to suggest that Hardy's work has been tailored to Polanski's purpose.

Rather, it indicates the film-maker wisely chose a high road to redemption. A SLOW, STATELY three hours long, loaded with lingering closeups and misty landscapes, Tess is not to be enjoyed from the edge of one's seat. This is a film to lean back and savor at its own pace. Nastassia Kinski, a gorgeous newcomer (daughter of Klaus No-sferatu Kinski) reminiscent of young Ingrid Bergman, was reportedly Polanski's real-life girlfriend when she played the film's title role. Perhaps that explains the camera's long, loving looks at her flawless features.

Some viewers might tire of such extended interludes, when Polanski Teae (rated PG) atari Nastaesia Kinski, Ligh Lawson and Peter Firth: adapted by director Roman Polantki from Thomaa Hardy'a of fhe Urbarvillas: at the Ninth Avenue Cinema in St. Petersburg: show! et 2 and 8 p.m. today and Sunday. By ROBERT ALAN ROSS St. Petertburg Timei Critic In adapting a classic Victoria novel into his new movie Tess, director Roman Polanski reveals that his cinematic range widened while his public esteem shriveled in the past two years.

Polanski's artistic fame comes from Knife in the Water, Repulsion, Rosemary's Baby, Chinatown stark stories with violent pulses. His personal reputation, meanwhile, has gone from unfortunate to sordid. His pregnant wife Sharon Tate was slaughtered by the Manson gang in 19(59, and since then Polanski's private life has not been very private. If one of his famous pals wasn't in trouble, he seemed to be. The latest episode made him an exile: Convicted of having sex with a teen-aged girl, Polanski fled the United States rather than face sentencing.

While in Europe, Polanski made Columbia Pictures the movie he once planned for Sharon Tate, to whom it is dedicated. It's an adaptation of Thomas Hardy's 1891 novel Tess of the d'Urbervilles. Condemned from pulpits when published, the book describes the unjust fate of a simple, peasant girl who runs afoul of a vicious Victorian class structure. THE MOVIE faithful to Hardy's story and mood shows Polanski eloquently switching from bloody blades to leisurely literature. So successful is the effort that Columbia Pictures is marketing the movie as an educational instrument.

A four-page study guide was distributed at Thursday's preview screening and theaters are offering discounts to groups. In a business that has blacklisted artists for unpopular beliefs or so-called sins, this shows uncommon tolerance and perception. Indeed, Polanski argues his own Nastassia Kinski, in the title role of Tess, is filmed in settings not unlike a series of 1 9th-century paintings. ishly when his new mate discloses her past, and Tess is driven to her final misfortune. Elegant, literary movies like literature itself face diminishing audiences in this era of short attention spans.

With Tess, Roman Polanski reminds Americans that even if this tre'nd can't be stopped, it can be vigorously opposed. abandons familiar action-suspense pacing and slows to a decorative crawl. Earth colors golds, browns and dark greens dominate the scenery, while the human characters dress more richly than their circumstances suggest. The mixture makes Tess look like a display of 19th-century paintings -r- stone buildings, pastel sunsets and gathered sheaves. TESS' TRAGEDY stems from the men in her life.

A lazy, pretentious father (John Collin) forces her to "call on" a wealthy family who might be distant relatives. A callous "cousin" then rapes and impregnates her. (This potentially rough scene is handled with foggy delicacy). Later, Tess finds a more sympathetic lover (Peter Firth). But he behaves boor- uinniES BEHB0U1 'Scanners' will please fans of gory films FILM opinion leaders' one-on-one finale.

The point of the movie, though, is not in the puzzling outcome but in the startling makeup used along the way. Dick Smith, whose makeup credits include The Exorcist and Little Big Man, strengthens an otherwise stale story-line with his realistic, gruesome effects. Still, none of the gory terrors surpass the skull that pops early in the movie. "YOUNG PEOPLE have a compulsion to confront danger in a safe place," Cronenberg told a recent interviewer. "They also have an obsession with death.

Older audiences like comfortable things, like Neil Simon comedies. But the younger people enjoy films of confrontation, which take them someplace they have never been before." For young moviegoers on dates or dares, Scanners offers the preferred mixture of fright, mystery and silly science. One can only wonder, though, when audiences will stop patronizing gory movies simply because they "take them someplace they have never been before." their eyes, twist their necks and turn odd colors. But that's nothing compared to what the other parties suffer during such a connection: Veins bulge, skin rips, eyes pop and once in the movie's most widely mentioned scene a skull explodes into a spray of crimson goo. Having become "scanners," young te-lepaths can go either way good or bad.

The good scanners are represented by Vale (Stephen Lack), Kim (Jennifer O'Neill) and their kindly tutor, Dr. Ruth (Patrick McGoohan). The bad guys are led by Revok (Michael Ironside) and they intend to conquer the world through scanning. The plot revolves around psychic "shootouts," as the opposing teams try to identify and destroy each other before the Scannin (rated Rl atera Stephen Lack, Jennifer O'Neill and Patrick McGoohan; containa violence and profanity: conault time clock (S B) for theatera and ehowtimea. By ROBERT ALAN ROSS St.

Petersburg Times Critic Having conquered Canada and Europe with his earlier shock-and-gore movies, writer-director David Cron-enberg, 37, aims for the American fright market with Scanners a taut but confusing tale about psychics with literally mind-blowing powers. In The Brood, Cronenberg made Samantha Eggar into a demon-growing machine. Marilyn Chambers became a vampire in Rabid, and Shivers dealt with parasites that rip through bodies like shrapnel. For Scanners, the evil force resides in normal-looking folks who acquired exotic mental skills by accidentally ingesting the tranquilizer Ephemerol. AFFECTED BY the drug, young patients can "scan" the minds of others.

When so linked to another brain, they can read thoughts and react to emotions. If sufficiently aggravated during such a hook-up, they will contort their faces, roll Earl Mindell recognizes health's enemies by their labels Art society opens doors at its new permanent home Congratulations are in order for the Pinellas Park Art Society this weekend as it opens its arts center at 5795 Park Boulevard. And a pat on the back, too, to the City of Pinellas Park for giving the group a permanent home on a $1 per year lease. Why is this so remarkable? Consider: The society's nearly 300 members make this one of the Suncoast's largest art clubs. It is one of the most active monthly meetings draw more than 100 and it books an almost continuous schedule of exhibitions of members' works in public offices and in shopping malls.

And all this has been happening for 14 years. Yes, after 14 years, the Pinellas Park Art Society has its first home. The members, charged by the infectious enthusiasm of past president Jim White, have made the old Pinellas Park Chamber of Commerce building look brand new, from Keith Martin Johns' striking mural on the Park Boulevard wall outside to the new beige carpet and bright wood panelling inside. Along with the Chamber of Commerce, among the major donations, according to building fund chairwoman Val Muoio, were the City of Pinellas Park's $7,100 for a new roof and truss system so supporting posts were removed from inside, the paneling from Ply-World Corp. and the new suspended ceiling tiles from Pinellas Park Wesleyan Church.

And for the opening receptions tonight 7-9 p.m. and Sunday 1-4 p.m., the art center (minus space for an office and a classroom) is bursting with members' art. "The first show is going to be most democratic," Mrs. Muoio said Thursday, before hanging of the works lined two and three deep around the walls began. "We promised to hang one painting by each member who wishes to participate, but some brought two." Of course, a few of the images were tentative, some overwrought, some a rather harsh realism the range of proud efforts one expects to enjoy in any art club showing.

Nevertheless, the show's overall quality seems better than I recall from the society's previous shows. See ART, 6-B fr seed oil does the same thing as tobacco to your body, but it isn't an unhealthy addiction like the addiction to nicotine." WHILE CIGARETTES are the focus of much of Mindell's concern about wellness, he has a long enemies list, including processed foods, sugar, fats and salt. "If you're average, you're eating 34 tablespoons of sugar a day much of it involuntary (contained in processed foods). You're eating 100 pounds of fat a year, and two to 20 times as much salt as you need." Although he agrees that it isn't always easy to avoid these items, Mindell emphasizes that people should read labels before they eat anything. Waving an innocent-looking package of soda crackers, he says: "Look: It says right on the cellophane what's in these things." After reading the list of ingredients which includes several binders and additives Mindell comments: "If you want to eat them go ahead.

But I don't." And not even the vitamins and mineral supplements that Mindell believes everyone should take are free of additives and binders. "Soon vitamins will have to be labeled to include all the ingredients. There's a major brand of vitamin I won't mention the name that right now contains sugar, shellac, castor oil, carnauba wax and coal-tar dyes. Do you want to put that in your stomach?" DON'T TRY. TO give Mindell any excuses about reading labels but not understanding them.

He doesn't buy that. "If you don't understand the label, you shouldn't buy the product. And you can certainly understand some of the ingredients. For instance, if you're buying a product with sugar listed as the first, second or third ingredient (and therefore largest in terms of volume), you're wasting your money." By JUDY HILL St. Petersburg Times Staff Writer Earl Mindell has come a long way in 15 years.

In his book, Earl Mindell's Vitamin Bible, the pharmacist explains his metamorphosis from an "innocent" regarding the importance of diet and vitamins to an author on the subject. "In 1965, 1 opened my first pharmacy My partner at the time was very vitamin-oriented. Both of us were working 15 hours a day, but only looked and felt it. When I asked him what his secret was, he said it was no secret at all. It was vitamins." Back in those days, Mindell's typical lunch likely included hamburgers, french fries and a milk shake.

Not now. It was boiled shrimp, onion Boup and bottled water for lunch during his recent stopover in Tampa. AND BEFORE ordering, he'd queried the waitress: "Those shrimp aren't fried, are they?" Over that lunch, Mindell discussed nutrition, and he discussed his book (200,000 hardcover sales, 400,000 paperback since January). However, Mindell's interest doesn't lie just in nutrition. "I'm interested in good health wellness," he explains.

No. 1 on his "enemy" list is cigarettes. "We've got to get Americans off cigarettes. We'd save 325,000 lives in 1982 alone if everyone that smokes stopped smoking today." How? Well, the method Mindell recommends in his book includes ample amounts of desire and raw sunflower seeds. "You've got to want to stop (smoking).

And you've got -to get off caffeinated beverages and foods caffeine increases the desire for nicotine. Then, get raw, shelled sunflower seeds it's important that they be raw, because Correction, Section The wine-and-cheese social and campus tour scheduled for this evening at 6:30 p.m. at the University of South Florida's Bayboro campus is for alumni members only. The production of Wind In The Willows at 8 p.m. is open to the public.

A listing in Friday's TGIF calendar implied that both were public. roasting them depletes the nutrients and put them into packets for your pocket or purse, and into ashtrays and bowls around the house. Everywhere you go, you should have them handy to nibble on. "In about a week if you also get off caffeine the desire for cigarettes will diminish, because the sunflower-.