Bill Would Ban Some Swear Words From Radio, TV

AP ^ | Dec 15, 2003 | Erica Werner

[Dr. Zzyzx]

Bill Would Ban Some Swear Words From Radio, TV By Erica Werner Associated Press Writer Published: Dec 15, 2003

WASHINGTON (AP) - A California lawmaker, upset that rock star Bono used vulgarity on live TV and regulators have done nothing about it, wants to ban certain swear words from the airwaves.

Republican Rep. Doug Ose said he was amazed when the Federal Communications Commission refused to take action against television stations that showed the U2 frontman using an expletive at the Golden Globe Awards last January.

The FCC's enforcement bureau said in October that Bono's comment was an adjective or expletive that did not meet its definition of indecency or obscenity because it did not describe a sexual function.

"C'mon, give me a break," said Ose. "I don't think there's a parent in the country who wants to hear this stuff come out of their TV."

He introduced a bill last week that would punish television and radio broadcasters if they aired any of eight specific words and phrases. The language of the bill, the Clean Airwaves Act, is far saltier than Bono's comment.

The five FCC commissioners, responding to an appeal by the Parents Television Council, a Los Angeles-based watchdog group, are reviewing the October decision regarding Bono's comment.

---

On the Net:

Ose's bill, H.R. 3687, at http://thomas.loc.gov/

AP-ES-12-15-03 1722EST

Copyright 2003 Associated Press

[leadpencil1]

John effin Kerry would be in big trouble!

[FreedomAvatar]

"C'mon, give me a break," said Ose. "I don't think there's a parent in the country who wants to hear this stuff come out of their TV."

Correct. But that's for me to decide, not the government.

[dfwgator]

He introduced a bill last week that would punish television and radio broadcasters if they aired any of eight specific words and phrases

I thought George Carlin said there were only seven.

[EggsAckley]

there were only seven

Maybe the word Hillary has been added to the list.

[MineralMan]

Silliness. Every kid in America knows all eight of those words by age six. They might not know what they mean, but they know the words.

Is it all right to say them? Depends. Last time I bashed my thumb with a hammer, I said at least half of them. Should I be arrested?

[F16Fighter]

Words and phrases like: Homo, fag, fat water-buffalo, fruitcake, Jesus, God, and Christ will be termed vulgar, while b*tch, ho, f**k, and the rest of George Carlin's naughty words will be found to be a-ok and business as usual.

[kitkat]

Interesting! Have any of you ever seen an old Jack Benny show? He got a tremendous laugh with just one word, "WELL!" Of course, a comedian who perfected his act didn't have to depend on shock words to get laughs.

[templar]

But that's for me to decide, not the government.

We have a representative government here. This means it is you deciding. The ariwaves are licensed by you, through the government, to various individuals and corporations. You have a right to impose reasonable public regulation on them through your government representatives acting on your behalf.

[Yohan]

John Kerry is deeply f***ing saddend

[mhking]

The thought police strike again...

Just damn.

If you want on the new list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...

[jsbankston]

You have a right to impose reasonable public regulation on them through your government representatives acting on your behalf.

Wow, A Freeper that supports the Fairness Doctrine. I never thought I would run across one of you.

Why don't we let the market decide what can and cannot be said.

[Wheee The People]

I hope they ban the word "progressive". It's offensive!

[E Rocc]

Silliness. Every kid in America knows all eight of those words by age six. They might not know what they mean, but they know the words.

Is it all right to say them? Depends. Last time I bashed my thumb with a hammer, I said at least half of them. Should I be arrested?

If this bill is seriously debated will the news media be able to use the words themselves, in the context of reporting serious news? After all, that's what they did with the John Wayne Bobbit and Lewinsky stories.

-Eric

[miloklancy]

Like PC people trying to edit people's speech, I'm not sure that anybody's time is wisely spent by trying to ban curse words. Profanity is a useful device in speech, however the problem in todays lies in the fact that curse words don't mean anything anymore. Gangster Rap artists have set a precedent by using expletives as much as as they use the word "the". There actually use to be a time that when you used the "f" word or the "s" word, actually meant something. Now it is just used schizophrenic Democratic presidential hopefuls, who somehow think they are courting the nation's youth who don't vote anyway.

[EveningStar]

Memo to Ose:

Shut up and stop embarrassing Republicans.

[Orangedog]

The idiots in the House and Senate have done quite enough to restrict various forms of speech in the past two years, and gutted the 1st Amendment in the process. Time for them to shut up and sit down.

[Orangedog]

That group of money-grubbing, power-mad dolts could mess up a regular bowel movement with legislation. The less they do, the better off we all are.

[FreedomAvatar]

We have a representative government here.

No we don't. We have knee-jerk zealot who wants to act like a typical government nanny. What eight specific phrases does the tender congressman find offensive? Should we make it nine? Ten? Good golly, we wouldn't want anyone to be offended, now would we?

[Orangedog]

I want to be watching C-Span and have the VCR ready when this bill is read into the congressional record.

[kimmie7]

So true.

Like most kids, I 'discovered' profanity and began using my potty mouth liberally as an early teenager. I really messed up one day when I dropped a couple of verbal bombs in front of my mother. Instead of slapping my mouth or getting angry, she simply looked at me and said, "The use of profanity is a sign of a poor vocabulary." I've not cared for it since.

There have been times (usually involving pain) when I have said s*** but they are few and far between. My 4 year old son gets called down when he says 'poopie-head' or some other childish word -- he is most assuredly NOT familiar with profanity, and I'm glad for it.

Former potty mouth regards,
Kimmie

[templar]

Why don't we let the market decide what can and cannot be said.

You mean Hustler on prime time would be OK? Think again. There are definite valid legal restrictions on public behavior and what happens on public airwaves is public behavior. We're not talking about cable or other restricted access.

BTW, I think yo have me mixed up with someone else. I didn't mention the Fairness Doctrine at all, nor do I support it as such or even know that much about it. I believe it was just an FCC policy not legislative action, wasn't it?

[templar]

Good golly, we wouldn't want anyone to be offended, now would we?

Well, seems that even FR has certain standards of language. Wanna change that as well?

[Dan from Michigan]

To amend section 1464 of title 18, United States Code, to provide for the punishment of certain profane broadcasts, and for other purposes. (Introduced in House)

HR 3687 IH

108th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 3687
To amend section 1464 of title 18, United States Code, to provide for the punishment of certain profane broadcasts, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

December 8, 2003
Mr. OSE (for himself and Mr. SMITH of Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A BILL
To amend section 1464 of title 18, United States Code, to provide for the punishment of certain profane broadcasts, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 1464 of title 18, United States Code, is amended--

(1) by inserting `(a)' before `Whoever'; and

(2) by adding at the end the following:

`(b) As used in this section, the term `profane', used with respect to language, includes the words `shit', `piss', `fuck', `cunt', `asshole', and the phrases `cock sucker', `mother fucker', and `ass hole', compound use (including hyphenated compounds) of such words and phrases with each other or with other words or phrases, and other grammatical forms of such words and phrases (including verb, adjective, gerund, participle, and infinitive forms).'.

[Orangedog]

Let's just keep feeding this monster that is big government.[/sarcasm] The GOP certainly has given up any hint that they used to be the party of smaller, less intrusive government.

The last thing I want is a group of adulterous, hypocritical, power-hungry, condescending, insipid morons making certain words illegal. Anyone who supports this is no better than the idiots on the left with their "hate speech" laws.

[Dan from Michigan]

C'mon, give me a break," said Ose. "I don't think there's a parent in the country who wants to hear this stuff come out of their TV."

Then don't watch it, Doug. Enough people don't watch it, and it won't be on there since the market won't be there for it.

And there's always VCR's and the latest tech now that can prescreen as another safeguard.

And I trust them much more than I trust big intrusive government.

[Dan from Michigan]

Those are the heavy seven..infect your soul, curve your spine, and keep the country from winning the war.....

[Dan from Michigan]

This means it is you deciding

Bwaaaaaaaaahahahahhahhahahhaahhahahahahahahaahahhahahaha.

[Orangedog]

`(b) As used in this section, the term `profane', used with respect to language, includes the words `shit', `piss', `fuck', `cunt', `asshole', and the phrases `cock sucker', `mother fucker', and `ass hole', compound use (including hyphenated compounds) of such words and phrases with each other or with other words or phrases, and other grammatical forms of such words and phrases (including verb, adjective, gerund, participle, and infinitive forms).'.

Yep, our "Representatives" have altogether too much time on their hands.

[gcruse]

Freedom lite. It's almost worth fighting for.

[Paul Atreides]

Now, if we could only ban the biggest vulgarities: Bill and Hillary.

[jsbankston]

You mean Hustler on prime time would be OK? Think again.

I really do not think Hustler would succeed on prime time network TV but I would rather have Network executives deciding what to broadcast than leaving that to the Supreme Court, Congress, ACLU or Jerry Falwell.

[templar]

I would rather have Network executives deciding what to broadcast than leaving that to the Supreme Court, Congress, ACLU or Jerry Falwell.

In this case all that is being decided is whether obscene words should be used, not whjat ideas or concepts are being expressed. And only on public airwaves, not private channels or other private media of expression. The same way things like indecent exposure are outlawed for the public decency.

BTW, Supreme Court decisions have already been responsible for the majority of 'legal' porno and such already available to the public (playboy, hustler, gay porn magazines, that junk that you (or your kids) get spammed with occasionally that could make a sailor blush). Don't you think you might desrerve some say in the matter through your legislators? Particularly on licensed public airwaves? I sincerely doubt that our founding fathers, the authors of the 1st ammendment, would approve of public obscenity or any of the other abomination fostered on us in the name of the first ammendment.

[dfwgator]

LOL, this is my favorite part of that routine:

The reason P and C are on the list is that a long time ago certain ladies said 'Those are the two I am not going to say. I don't mind F--k and S--t, but P and C are out. P and C are out.' Which led to such stupid sentences as 'OK, you f---ers, I am going to tinkle now.'

[TedsGarage]

Thank you, Dan. This story has been all over the news, but of course the news won't tell us what the words are. The congressman wants to ban these words but the media won't tell us what the banned words are because they're ... banned. Reminds me of a judge who issued a gag order, then placed a gag order on the original gag order, so the press couldn't report it.

I thought of calling Rep. Ose's office and asking one of his aides what the words are. That would've been a hoot.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

And only on public airwaves, not private channels or other private media of expression.

The question here is, if this bill succesfully passes, bringing yet another "camel's nose" of censorship under the tent flap, how long before the censorship extends to private channels or other private media. After all, not all parents are "wise enough" to use passcodes and such. How long before the words list goes from "sh*t, p*ss, f*ck" to "fr**d*m, d*m*cr*cy, l*b*rty?"

Also, where does the Constitution specifically give government the power to regulate the airwaves at all, much less regulate "sh*t","p*ss", and "f*ck?"

Like soooooooooooo many suppressive things, this sounds like a "swell" idea, but it's probably better in the long run that this bill not be passed.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Also, where does the Constitution specifically give government the power to regulate the airwaves at all, much less regulate "sh*t","p*ss", and "f*ck?"

Government = Federal Government in this case...

[templar]

The question here is, if this bill succesfully passes, bringing yet another "camel's nose" of censorship under the tent flap,...

It's not exactly some new 'censorship' law (BTW, censorship usually means censorship of ideas, concepts, etc, not using obscene language in public. i.e. we can publicly burn the flag, but not loudly proclaim MF the GD flag in public places but the intent of the 'speech' is still clear and present), it's simply restoring historical standards of public decency on the airwaves.

Also, where does the Constitution specifically give government the power to regulate the airwaves at all...

Interstate commerce clause, Genral welfare clause, international treaties, etc. If we didn't regulate the airwaves we would not have them (in any thing resemblng a useful form). As far as language, much of what is shown on TV or broadcast on radio would have gotten a license pulled in the days when we were still a moral people.

[MEGoody]

"Correct. But that's for me to decide, not the government."

I would agree, but there's one problem. I doubt anyone was expecting such vulgarity to be spewed on the Golden Globe Awards show. It is different if you know a show does that kind of thing, but how is a parent supposed to guard against these kinds of situations?

[MEGoody]

"Last time I bashed my thumb with a hammer, I said at least half of them."

But you weren't on TV or radio at the time, were you?