New at Reason

December 6, 2006

Jacob Sullum surveys the latest attempts by the fucking FCC to crack down on foul-mouthed celebs.

Comments

|12.6.06 @ 8:40AM|#

I wonder if it's just a coincidence that the author of this obscene blog entry "neglected" to reveal his/her name?

|12.6.06 @ 9:22AM|#

"The brief suggests this trend, combined with existing technologies that allow parents to control what their kids see, augur a future in which household standards that vary from family to family replace "community standards" determined by the idiosyncrasies of FCC commissioners or complaints from one or two pressure groups."

It suggests no such thing. What it does suggest is that the government is perfectly happy to use our tax dollars to sit around arguing over whether "Fuck" is a reference to sex (BAD!) or merely an exclamation point of sorts (OK!).

To posit that the FCC is someday going to loosen the leash on obscenity is to wholly ignore the fact that they have been actively trying to regulate cable (remember all those speeches about how cable is now just as "pervasive" as broadcast is, and as such, should be exempt from first amendment protections?) It also ignores the sad but true fact that the FCC's war on obscenity has a terrific nuclear option: the ol' "it's for the children" bomb. Good luck finding a politician that's going to stand up against that.

It's unfortunate, but Sullum's optimism is out of sync with reality.

|12.6.06 @ 9:24AM|#

"[T]hey seem confident they can distinguish between real news coverage, such as a network's interview with a star from one of its own prime time shows, and entertainment, such as the live broadcast of an awards ceremony."

And that's the problem with FCC bureaucrats.

|12.6.06 @ 10:41AM|#

What should you get your kids for Christmas, a bureaucrat or a dictionary?

FCC Chairman Michael Powell:

We will continue to respect the delicate balance of protecting the interests of the First Amendment with the need to protect our children.

Mirriam-Webster:

1 Main Entry: fuck
Function: verb
Etymology: akin to Dutch fokken to breed (cattle), Swedish dialect fókka to copulate
intransitive verb
1 usually obscene : COPULATE
2 usually vulgar : MESS 3 -- used with with
transitive verb
1 usually obscene : to engage in coitus with -- sometimes used interjectionally with an object (as a personal or reflexive pronoun) to express anger, contempt, or disgust
2 usually vulgar : to deal with unfairly or harshly : CHEAT, SCREW

2 Main Entry: fuck
Function: noun
1 usually obscene : an act of copulation
2 usually obscene : a sexual partner
3 a usually vulgar : DAMN 2 b usually vulgar -- used especially with the as a meaningless intensive
4 usually vulgar : FUCKER

3 Main Entry: fuck off
Function: intransitive verb
usually vulgar : SCRAM -- usually used as a command

4 Main Entry: fuck up
Function: verb
intransitive verb, usually vulgar : to act foolishly or stupidly : BLUNDER
transitive verb, usually vulgar : to ruin or spoil especially through stupidity or carelessness : BUNGLE
- fuck·up /'f&k-"&p/ noun, usually vulgar

|12.6.06 @ 10:48AM|#

Apparently not all fucks are created equal.

|12.6.06 @ 12:25PM|#

As long as we retain the FCC, we are FuCCked. It's just that simple.

|12.6.06 @ 1:58PM|#

Oh, I can beat that, scape. ;)

|12.6.06 @ 1:58PM|#

Sadly, that used to be a longer and more interesting Wikipedia article. Might have to poke around.

brian423|12.6.06 @ 2:23PM|#

Shameless blog plug: FCC stands for Federal Communist Commission.

|12.6.06 @ 9:16PM|#

"The FCC is fucking stupid." Now the reasonable person would conclude fucking was used as a modifier but the FCC would decide it was employed as a verb... guess who the object of that verb would be.