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The US Supreme Court has agreed to review the issue of expletives on the airwaves, a move that may re-open the debate over broadcast indecency…
The FCC’s policy of fining networks for “fleeting expletives” or isolated utterances, is on hold following a legal challenge by Fox.
Analysts say the media environment has changed substantially since 1978 when the court last ruled on this issue.
The FCC toughened its stance on expletives after a 2003 broadcast by NBC of the Golden Globes award show when U2′s lead singer Bono said that winning was “fucking brilliant”.
The FCC concluded that the word had an inherent sexual connotation, its use violated rules governing decency and the broadcast of the expletive could have been avoided.
Pressure on US broadcasters also grew after pop star Janet Jackson briefly exposed her bare breast during a dance routine at the 2004 Super Bowl, prompting a flood of complaints.
This country is run by “fucking peasants – as far as I can see”.
John Lennon rules.
#3 – Not exactly. They are for freedom of their speech.
Bobbo sorry my bad It should have been directed at Pedro in #11. Who called himself small brained.
#15: I hear 10 year olds talking like that all the time.
#14 – Change the channel, use the v-chip, don’t have a TV. Rent your g rated movies, read a g rated book. Don’t get a computer, uplug your computer from the internet. Send your kids to a religious school (although this is questionable).
What is offensive to you is not offensive to others.
#23–Ben==well shoot. I was lookin for a “diss-cussion.” You came pretty close though. While I haven’t made a study, my evaluation is that pedro’s problem is an adequate brain but a small penis==but I couldn’t give you specifics to back that up.
#10 – There still does not exist any real hard and fast rules for what is offensive or not, therefore they can monitor all they want, but monitor for exactly what? What are the rules, what are the exceptions?
Here is the rule:
If you can say it and it does not directly cause the listener to die, it is not obscene.
“fuck” is a word, not a loaded gun, and anyone who thinks otherwise is a fucking cunt.
#17 – Maybe the reason for the high account of Violence in the US is tied to Puritan uptight tell everyone else how to live establishment that it has become. Who knows….
Ben, while I think your command of English was lapse for a moment, I think what you tried to say was right on.
#18 – What we need are counter groups of rational people. Every month pick a completely innocuous thing to complain about and write letters to the FCC.
“Bananas are too Phallic to be on tv”
“Cleanser commercials are insulting to women”
“Kissing on screen is pornography”
Sometimes the only way to fight madness is with more madness
I agree and will participate. Now, if we can get the other 6 guys who give a fuck involved we can have a real social movement underfoot.
Sadly, the only people retarding the growth of this country is a group we paradoxically call “values voters” who I call “batshit crazy fundamentalist xians.”
Everyone else is too busy voting on American Idol to wake up and see the clear and present danger that their country is being stolen out from under them by Jesus’s own Taliban.
If we can wake those people up, maybe there can be positive change in America.
#20 – Comcast is suing them over questionable pratices that basically amounts to blainant coruption on the part of the FCC.
So the pot is suing the kettle. Interesting.
But if he were to smoke on TV, they’d probably come after Bono personally.
#12, Bobbo, yes that sounds like a reasonable standard. If it can be said on the courthouse steps, then it should be allowed in the media.
And if you don’t like it, read a book.
#30 – If it can be said on the courthouse steps, then it should be allowed in the media.
I offer OhForTheLoveOf’s Corollary:
If it can’t be said on the courthouse steps, it’s time for a revolution.
I guess they would ban Adam Curry.
Has anyone ever argued that since the Congress cannot “regulate” speech due to the First Amendment’s prohibition -”Congress shal make no law …”, they cannot delegate such authority to the FCC, an agency set up to regulate frequency assignments of broadcast transmitters to prevent interference ?
Could it be that so much profanity and nudity in regular off the air tv in Europe is what makes it so darn boring?
I mean, curse words and nudity can entertain so much before you get bored by that.
#23 seems that your is as small as mine.
#26 that’s small too, but is all about technique, isn’t it?
#34 – If nudity and profanity is the point of entertainment, then yes, it’s pretty boring.
I’m imagining a show made up of naked people shouting “fuck you” at each other all day.
On the other hand, when its integral to the plot, such as in Showgirls…
Wait…
Okay… I have to rethink this. I’ll post back later.
What the networks do is “commercial speech”. Not the same threshold of free speech granted to “we the people”.
Commercial speech is censored all the time.
For example, the national do not call list.
#36, Hmeyers,
Artistic works are covered under the First Amendment. Commercial works (words) are not. What is in between those TV “Commercials” is actually artistic work and thus covered by the First Amendment.
The “Do not call” list works on the principle that while the first amendment allows people to speak, it also allows people not to listen. With a telephone call a person is disturbed from their actual privacy. One does not know the purpose of the call, even if they use call display. Participating in a telephone call is considered involuntary.
With a TV program, book, movie, lecture, or church sermon you have the choice of attending or participating before hand. It takes a conscience voluntary act on the part of the person.