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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”.
If the networks weren’t fined for fleeting profanity, you’d be turning into “The Fucking Evening News”.
Networks go for ratings.
Some channels would have the equivalent of Dennis Millers or Penn & Teller cursing out the news because people would watch it.
Peasants?
Peasant: “A crude uncouth ill-bred person lacking culture or refinement”
No, this is from the refined and isolated religious and political class that want to keep the peasants OFF THE AIR and thereby avoid direct criticism of their social programs, or lack there of.
But—nice dodge.
Wait! Hold it!!
What!?? Don’t tell me FOX NEWS is leading the way for FREEDOM OF SPEECH!!
DAMN!!
#3–Ah Yea==no. They just don’t want to be fined for being lax in monitoring what they boredcast.
#1 and your point is…. So if people would watch it then what is wrong with it. This whole notion that hearing certain words causes people issues is so fucking stupid. They are just words after all. If you don’t like them don’t watch shows that may have them, don’t leave your house and make sure you don’t let reality interfere in your life. Stop trying to govern morality.
Warning the following content is parody. Please wikipedia the word parody if you haven’t a clue…
I fucking can’t see why these goddamn son of a bitching people have use mother fucking swear words on TV in the first place. The assholes should save their cocksucking gutter mouth shit for when they are fucking home and not in goddamed public where son of a bitching regular folk can hear! They can all go to hell, the cunt-lapping cock suckers!
We now return you back to our regular forum contents.
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Common is as common does.
Waste O time.
Actually, the following is more obscene:
1. Why do they hate our freedom?
2. Its fair to give the rich tax breaks because it is the rich that pay the taxes.
3. We can’t fix the border without comprehensive immigration reform.
4. I’ll release those records just as fast as the process allows.
Actually, when you come right down to it==just about everything except the swear words said on tv is obscene.
#4 Bobbo, Yes, I was having a bit of a laugh at MSNBC lovers expense.
Although FOX covering it’s bases is one good reason to get this ruling reviewed, I believe it is just part of a bigger financial/freedom of speech issue.
News Corporation owns FOX News along with over 70 other news outlets, over half of which are in the US.
They would be prudent to protect themselves against a simple “infraction” which makes it’s way down the News Corp food chain, causing HUGE fines. This could easily happen should a FOX affiliate broadcast something which get picked up and rebroadcasted (or printed) in other outlets and which is subsequently deemed offensive after the fact. 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?
The net result, chilling of news reporting because of fear that a government agency will smack them down. 1st amendment stuff.
“(AP) Federal regulators will stick by their decision to slap CBS with a $550,000 fine for the Janet Jackson flash at the 2004 Super Bowl.
They also plan new sanctions against Fox, NBC and CBS TV stations or affiliates for violating decency standards, according to people familiar with the matter. ”
http://tinyurl.com/22upju
Hand out enough of these fines and news agencies go out of business. I get a little worried when a government agency has the de-facto power to regulate speech, even with the best of intentions.
Yep, if the airwaves truly belong to “the people” then it seems to me the airwaves should be REQUIRED to allow the same level/type of speech that PEOPLE are allowed—ie, all kinds of profanity and anti-patriotic speech==everything short of inciting a riot, direct death threats, and other illegal speech separate from indelicate speech.
Incredible that this is still an issue in this day and age and we need the big daddy supreme court to tell us what to do about this topic.
#13–Dominic==your alternative is what exactly?
@5 “They are just words after all.”
Children tend to repeat what they hear.
And just imagine the kind of language you’d hear on BET … it’d be like rap music … “Nigga this” .. “nigga that”.
/I wonder if I will be censored for fleeting expletives in a thread about the how the FCC shouldn’t be censoring fleeting expletives, haha đ
#15–HMyers==fuck the children.
#15 so you are letting your government raise your children? Stop trying to get the government to do your child policing for you. Are your young children watching the news with you? Is the profanity the most offensive thing they will see and or hear? Maybe putting these words out in the open would incite discussions about them and what they mean and when they are and are not appropriate… education vs demonization.
Bobbo sorry about your small brain and though while I agree that there are many more ways to say the same thing without profanity that in the heat of the moment on occasion those words do not spring to mind. I now live in a country where there are no such puritan laws and the local Music video channel actually shows nudity and there is no bleeping going on. Yet somehow the society survives and violent crime is lower. 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….
You know, most of the problem is the conservative / evangelical watchdog groups. They look for things to complain about. They get their membership in a froth and write letters to the FCC. This promotes their agenda, but more importantly it gives *them* publicity.
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
#17–Ben==by characterizing my brain as small, I assume you mean you disagree with some/all of my posts in this thread?
Can you be more specific with reasons?
I think you will seeing some changes soon at the FCC. Comcast is suing them over questionable pratices that basically amounts to blainant coruption on the part of the FCC. Expect that asshole chairman to go in disgrace when all is said and done.
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 knowsâŚ.
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.
âBananas are too Phallic to be on tvâ
âCleanser commercials are insulting to womenâ
âKissing on screen is pornographyâ
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.