is the "s-word" allowed on tv now? (1 Viewer)

hi all -

couple of nights ago i was watching "sixteen candles" on tcm, and they used they said s**t a few times. i also remember watching something else and heard the s-word. my buddy even commented he's heard it on tv as well.

just curious...

On FX, after 10 p.m., they get away with the S-bomb on "The Shield".

I think in a couple of years we'll be able to hear most words considered profane. It's just a matter of time.
It's sad to me. We've made it this far without them.

Was it on TBS? I've heard most profane words after midnight on TBS...specifically on Mr. Show. It was strange once when shit was bleeped, but fuck came out unscathed

TCM and FX, as cable rather than broadcast stations, are not held to the same standard as CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, etc, which fall under the FCC purview. So far, the FCC only takes responsibility for the "public" airwaves rather than the private cable ways and scrambled satellite transmissions.

Broadcast television could say 'shit' after 10 PM (until 6 AM) if they want to. The FCC has no jurisdiction over them during those times. However, networks are afraid of boycotts or letter writing campaigns by people so they don't allow it.

Cable can theoretically say anything they want at anytime they want but they don't because of the same boycott fears. So most cable channels don't run shows with 'bad' language until 10 PM as well.

It's not really a "s-bomb"... It's more like a "s-firecracker".

Now a "f-bomb" is an entireley different animal.

TCM is great, they have even played movies like the exorcist, la confidential (at 2 in the morning) but still ,both have loads of swearing, violence, and nudity.

Not that I'm advocating the overuse of the word on television, but I don't understand why it is considered a dirty word anymore. There are dozens of other scatological words that can be used in broadcasting with no problem. It's just another word with no other meaning and no sexual connotations. I don't get what the big deal is.

Ted, "allowed on tv now" implies stations are getting more lenient, which is not true at all, the trend in the current climate is the exact opposite.

Just this morning I heard (on NPR) a report on the FCC, and the adverse effects of the "decency" crackdowns on creativity and freedom of speech were mentioned.

I was shocked to learn that shows broadcast as recently as 2-3 years ago are being edited for "offensive" content.

--
H

Don't forget, FCC regulations do not apply to cable or satellite, even to basic channels. Their writ only extends to broadcasts over what are theoretically the public airwaves. (It is only because the government acts as trustee and surrogate for the public in administering that limited broadcast spectrum that it can can regulate content to the degree it does, without running afoul of the First Ammendment.) Broadcasters are therefore extra sensitive about even things that aren't explicitly forbiddden. "Cablecasters" aren't technically restrained at all, really, except by what they feel their audience will accept at a given hour. (One reason why Comedy Central can run uncensored "R" rated movies and comedy acts in the late night hours.)

Regards,

Joe

On Monday's 11 PM "Daily Show", Jon Stewart made a point of using "shit", unbleeped, because it was late night and his guest was a Princeton professor who wrote a book called "Bullshit". He then went on to say that the morning repeat would have the offending word bleeped out. One funny thing though was that during the 11:30 PM repeat on Tuesday night, it was bleeped out. The interview with the author was odd since the book was now "Bullbleep". But, they showed the cover unsanitized while Jon read the bleeped title out loud. How weird is that?

Before the Janet Jackson/Superbowl incident, NYPD Blue was (I believe) the first network show to start using "shit" and "bullshit". As I recall, the producers made an agreement with ABC about how many occurrences would be allowed in a single show.

Post-Janet Jackson, all of that got dropped, along with Gordon Clapp's nude scene (which should make a great DVD extra some day ).

M.

The new fucknut at the head of the agency wants to change that.

--
H

Since when does The Exorcist have nudity?

Isn't it some wacky senator that is trying to change things? I know I heard a high ranking FCC guy ( Colin Powell's son?) saying that there was no chance of any cable-censorship bill going through.

There is an existing thread on that subject, and further discussion of it should go in that thread.

M.

The new fucknut in charge of the FCC that Holadem mentioned is a "staunch indecency foe". It's not surprising that the broadcast networks are in favor of expanding the indecency rules to cable, since the broadcast nets are effectively at a disadvantage in that particular aspect.

There is another fucknut senator that wants to do something similar, but presumably from a legislative, as opposed to regulatory, angle.

I think once Janet's boobs fade from memory, only the f and c words will be censored.