home

Naughty Words Bewilder the FCC

By TChris, Section Other Politics
Posted on Tue Nov 07, 2006 at 12:01:18 PM EST
Tags: (all tags)
Share This: Digg! StumbleUpon del.icio.us reddit reddit

The FCC is having a f'ing difficult time deciding whether and when the F-word is indecent. When Bono used the descriptive phrase "f'ing brilliant" on the Golden Globes in 2003, the FCC decided that "f'ing" wasn't used in a sexual context and therefore wasn't indecent, despite the flurry of complaints it received, many of them encouraged by the Parents Television Council. The FCC also took the sensible position that "fleeting and isolated remarks of this nature do not warrant Commission action." No sh--.

Pandering to the religious right, the FCC changed its position in 2004, concluding that the F-word "inherently has a sexual connotation." How f-ing stupid is that? Why can a TV personality describe a sex act in explicit clinical terms without offending the FCC, while risking a fine for using the F-word as an angry modifier in a context that is divorced from sex?

Is there any rationale at work here beyond "these are words we don't like"?

The FCC considers Fox to have violated the indecency rule twice during broadcasts of the Billboard Music Awards (although it won't assess a fine because, at the time, an F-bomb wasn't necessarily thought to be indecent): once by Cher who said "F--- 'em" in 2002, and once by Nicole Richie who said "Have you ever tried to get cow s--- out of a Prada purse? It's not so f------ simple."

Whether or not you're offended by F-bombs (or, for that matter, by nipples), there are bigger issues for our government to worry about than the cleanliness of the language that's used on the public airwaves. Real bombs, for instance. Isn't the war in Iraq more indecent than an occasional naughty word on a live broadcast?

< More Voting Problems Reported | Kentucky Voter Attacked By Poll Worker >

  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


    • Display: Sort:
    Naughty Words Bewilder the FCC | 9 comments (9 topical)

    Readers Must Login or Create an Account to Comment

    Censor free curses (none / 0) (#1)
    by Dadler on Tue Nov 07, 2006 at 12:12:29 PM EST
    Bullsheet Bush.

    Faux cue, Cheney.

    Faux king bays turd Rummy

    Gaw dame sum beach Condi.

    Acehole O'Reilly.

    Poo say Hannity.

    The real rationale (none / 0) (#2)
    by Dadler on Tue Nov 07, 2006 at 12:18:30 PM EST
    A long, long time ago all the Puritans got on boats over in Europe.  And you know where they sailed?  Right here.

    Our Puritan heritage is still alive in well in many parts of our national psyche and laws.  Just be glad the Pilgrims liked their beer.  At least we've got that.

    Ahem.  

    Wha? (none / 0) (#3)
    by desertswine on Tue Nov 07, 2006 at 12:40:04 PM EST
    Nothing like a little self f'ing censorship.

    Darn it.

    Simple answers to simple questions (nod to Atrios) (none / 0) (#4)
    by William Ockham on Tue Nov 07, 2006 at 12:40:57 PM EST
    Is there any rationale at work here beyond "these are words we don't like"?

    No.

    Just wondering... (none / 0) (#5)
    by David at Kmareka on Tue Nov 07, 2006 at 12:43:12 PM EST
    If the conservatives are so opposed to f'ing and don't like f'ing, how do they reproduce?  Will they eventually die out?  There could be an upside to all this.

    Will they eventually die out? (none / 0) (#6)
    by Edger on Tue Nov 07, 2006 at 12:53:45 PM EST
    People wondered that about the Shakers too. But they grew the sect for a long time with new recuits, who also were not allowed to reproduce. What finally did them in was social change that made them irrellevant really.  ;-)

    Parent
    Strange parrallel (none / 0) (#7)
    by Edger on Tue Nov 07, 2006 at 12:56:22 PM EST
    It had nothing to do with the genes, what killed them off was all in the memes.

    Parent
    Re: Video (none / 0) (#8)
    by Edger on Tue Nov 07, 2006 at 01:03:19 PM EST
    It's worth watching btw David, if you've never seen it. After reading what you write I think you'd enjoy it.

    Parent
    For F*cks sake Man (none / 0) (#10)
    by kdog on Tue Nov 07, 2006 at 03:11:03 PM EST
    We have a small segment of complainers to blame as well as the FCC...the leftover puritans and morality police.

    Where I come from F*ck is the most common adjective in the vernacular...banning it's use on broadcast tv just makes broadcast tv unrealistic and unwatchable.  

    That's why HBO programming kicks arse...they can speak as we speak without getting fined.

    Like it or not...it's the language of the people.

    Naughty Words Bewilder the FCC | 9 comments (9 topical)

    Readers Must Login or Create an Account to Comment