The Media Research Center’s Culture and Media Institute, along with the Parent’s Television Council, slammed A&E this week for its gruesome new show “Bates Motel,” which premiered this past Monday. The very first episode contained a graphic rape scene and implied incest. And A&E’s rating board thinks this is appropriate and healthy for 14-year-olds to watch.

The PTC has condemned “Bates Motel” for its sympathetic portrayal of a psychopath and its graphic violence in a show rated safe for kids to watch. CMI also wrote about the violence and attempted to get a statement from the network defending the TV-14 rating. A&E not respond, perhaps too busy preparing a press release in which network President Bob DeBitetto boasted of the 4.6 million viewers the premiere received and applauded it as, “the very best of quality storytelling” while being “edgy and provocative.” It’s disturbing to find out that obscene rape scenes are “quality” entertainment and cool and “edgy” to A&E.