# Holy poop! They said the S word on SNL **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 2, 2014, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-poop-they-said-the-s-word-on-snl/680357 "2014-02-02T16:16:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-poop-they-said-the-s-word-on-snl/680357/21 "2014-02-02T23:25:25Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > I know I heard Amy Poelher say “shit” 2-3 weeks ago at an 8:30 or 9pm airing of “Parks and Recreation”. Don’t they bleep the profanity on _Parks and Recreation_? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-poop-they-said-the-s-word-on-snl/680357/22 "2014-02-02T23:27:25Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Here’s a list of [F-bombs](http://mentalfloss.com/article.php?id=22862) dropped on SNL over the years. Most of them passed without incident. The most infamous one was uttered by Charles Rocket in 1980. Shortly thereafter, Rocket, along with producer Jean Doumanian and most of the cast with the exception of Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo, were fired. Interestingly enough, Janet Jackson dropped the F-word in 2004, shortly after her “wardrobe malfunction” during the Super Bowl half time show. Too late to edit. Jackson actually used the word “fuck” in 1994, 10 years before her Super Bowl slippage. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-poop-they-said-the-s-word-on-snl/680357/23 "2014-02-02T23:29:39Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I’m well aware that it’s legal for them to do so. I was just amused at the frequency of the usage. They say “shit” on many cable networks, including FX, TNT, and A&E. USA is not unique among cable channels. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-poop-they-said-the-s-word-on-snl/680357/24 "2014-02-02T23:44:38Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > They say “shit” on many cable networks, including FX, TNT, and A&E. USA is not unique among cable channels. But when A&E reruns shows like _Criminal Minds_ which originally aired on CBS, they censor words like “bitch” and “ass”. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-poop-they-said-the-s-word-on-snl/680357/25 "2014-02-02T23:50:40Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > One of the more amusing instances of “shit” on national TV was in an episode of “Max Headroom.” In the unedited version as originally distributed to the affiliates, Matt Frewer/Edison Carter quite clearly yells, “Shit, that was my favorite blanket!” > > When I ran down a (fairly rare) off-air tape of the broadcast, it was roughly snipped of the entire visual leadup, leaving only “…_garble_ favorite blanket!” > > No one in the creative crew has ever copped to seeing that edit through to the final cut, but, then, MH threw so many shitballs at the network it’s surprising that one got caught. I have the DVD box set and I’m pretty sure I heard the word in an episode. Not sure if it’s the same one you are talking about. It’s been a while since I watched it. The funny thing I noticed about MH was that “20 minutes in the future” many characters still smoke, often in the workplace and they are still talking on corded telephones. The writers didn’t predict the internet very well either. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-poop-they-said-the-s-word-on-snl/680357/26 "2014-02-03T00:10:18Z")
> [@Accidental\_Martyr](#): > > But when A&E reruns shows like _Criminal Minds_ which originally aired on CBS, they censor words like “bitch” and “ass”. They probably run those shows in the daytime or when children are otherwise watching. I know they’re not required to, but undoubtedly think it’s good practice to censor them when they run them at those hours. Their original dramas, such as “The Glades” (I know it’s canceled, but I dropped my cable and I’m not up on their current offerings) usually run after 10:00 P.M. when there are fewer children presumed to be watching. I know I’ve also heard the word “shit” left in “The Sopranos” when they were being run on A&E. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-poop-they-said-the-s-word-on-snl/680357/27 "2014-02-03T00:22:34Z")
The FCC has relaxed the rules for accidental slips like in a live broadcast. Lorne Michaels has not. He gets really pissed when it happens and it’s part of why Jenny Slate was only on the show for one season (she was one of the fuck-sayers.) ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-poop-they-said-the-s-word-on-snl/680357/28 "2014-02-03T00:29:28Z")
> [@River\_Hippie](#): > > I have the DVD box set and I’m pretty sure I heard the word in an episode. The commercial set that was finally released is the uncut studio-release versions, so yes, the clip is in there. It was in most of the bootlegs as well, which were taken from cable showings of the episodes. > [@](#): > > The funny thing I noticed about MH was that “20 minutes in the future” many characters still smoke, often in the workplace and they are still talking on corded telephones. The writers didn’t predict the internet very well either. It’s all in the perspective. They predicted far too many things with great accuracy - things that were far less likely and far more astonishing than the internet. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-poop-they-said-the-s-word-on-snl/680357/29 "2014-02-03T02:08:23Z")
I seem to remember a fairly recent f-bomb on SNL, a female cast member was doing one of those tongue-twister bits where you are supposed to only almost say something. (Sofa King, Colonel Angus, Cork Soaker, but it wasn’t any of those.) ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-poop-they-said-the-s-word-on-snl/680357/30 "2014-02-03T02:42:45Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > I know I heard Amy Poelher say “shit” 2-3 weeks ago at an 8:30 or 9pm airing of “Parks and Recreation”. I very \*very \*much doubt that. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-poop-they-said-the-s-word-on-snl/680357/31 "2014-02-03T02:56:23Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > I know I heard Amy Poelher say “shit” 2-3 weeks ago at an 8:30 or 9pm airing of “Parks and Recreation”. > [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > I very \*very \*much doubt that. Yeah, I can’t find any mention of this anywhere. I’m guessing it was bleeped but **FriarTed** heard “shit” in his head. If we knew which episode this was it should be easy to check. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-poop-they-said-the-s-word-on-snl/680357/32 "2014-02-03T22:19:14Z")
I’m in the Central time zone, and McCarthy was clearly bleeped out. Wait… I take that back. I just remembered I didn’t watch it live; I watched on Hulu. FWIW it was bleeped out there. I can believe that it slipped through live. Parks and Rec, though, no way. It’s always bleeped. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-poop-they-said-the-s-word-on-snl/680357/33 "2014-02-03T22:23:32Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > I seem to remember a fairly recent f-bomb on SNL, a female cast member was doing one of those tongue-twister bits where you are supposed to only almost say something. (Sofa King, Colonel Angus, Cork Soaker, but it wasn’t any of those.) That was the Jenny Slate one I mentioned above. Here’s the clip.[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KV9VB3-xr8k](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KV9VB3-xr8k) ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-poop-they-said-the-s-word-on-snl/680357/34 "2014-02-04T17:02:53Z")
Another recent late-night broadcast data point. Dr. Phil was on Letterman last week and dropped the S-bomb. It was bleeped. I don’t think _SNL_ officially allows it. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-poop-they-said-the-s-word-on-snl/680357/35 "2014-02-04T18:13:55Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Another recent late-night broadcast data point. Dr. Phil was on Letterman last week and dropped the S-bomb. It was bleeped. I don’t think _SNL_ officially allows it. Letterman is taped, so they have time to remove offensive words before it is aired. With live shows, you don’t have that much warning. There isn’t much that SNL can do about it except bleep it out for the Mountain and Pacific time zones on tape delay. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-poop-they-said-the-s-word-on-snl/680357/36 "2014-02-04T18:33:58Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Letterman is taped, so they have time to remove offensive words before it is aired. With live shows, you don’t have that much warning. There isn’t much that SNL can do about it except bleep it out for the Mountain and Pacific time zones on tape delay. I thought I remembered there were occasional episodes of SNL that used a slight delay and found [this](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/LiveButDelayed): > [@](#): > > Certain Saturday Night Live episodes — namely ones with very controversial hosts, like Richard Pryor — run on a several-second delay. The three SNL episodes that were on seven-second delay were: the Richard Pryor episode from season 1 (1975), the Sam Kinison episode from season 12 (1986), and the Andrew “Dice” Clay episode from 1990 (season 15). Lorne Michaels doesn’t like putting the show on seven-second delay, so it hasn’t been used that much since the Andrew “Dice” Clay episode, not even on the episode hosted by Martin Lawrence from season 19 where Martin goes into a monologue about women who don’t wash their private parts. In the NBC rerun, that part of the monologue was cut and replaced with a series of cards that explained why Martin’s monologue can never be shown in full again. Outside of that, SNL is aired on a tape delay west of the Mississippi. It’s only live in Eastern Time (11:30 pm in New York) and Central Time (10:30 PM in Chicago). ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-poop-they-said-the-s-word-on-snl/680357/37 "2014-02-04T18:37:10Z")
> [@Accidental\_Martyr](#): > > But when A&E reruns shows like _Criminal Minds_ which originally aired on CBS, they censor words like “bitch” and “ass”. That’s the cable network’s decision. When Adult Swim aired Futurama, the two times the phrase “Sweet/Holy Zombie jesus!” was used, they censored “Jesus”. Fox had no problem with this when it aired originally. (Other references to Jesus were left untouched - it’s just “Zombie Jesus” that causes the problem. Gee, you don’t think the fact that Adult Swim is headquartered in Georgia is more than a coincidence, do you?) There was another incident on Adult Swim, although I’m not sure if this was intentional or just a glitch; in an episode of American Dad, they show a closeup of a couple of homosexuals looking at someones abs, then pull back to reveal the abs belong to Jesus on the cross; the one time I saw it on AS, while they kept the audio going, the video of the close-up was replaced by a blank screen. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-poop-they-said-the-s-word-on-snl/680357/38 "2014-02-04T19:28:26Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#): > > I thought I remembered there were occasional episodes of SNL that used a slight delay and found [this](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/LiveButDelayed): > > > [@](#): > > > > Certain Saturday Night Live episodes — namely ones with very controversial hosts, like Richard Pryor — run on a several-second delay. The three SNL episodes that were on seven-second delay were: the Richard Pryor episode from season 1 (1975), the Sam Kinison episode from season 12 (1986), and the Andrew “Dice” Clay episode from 1990 (season 15). Lorne Michaels doesn’t like putting the show on seven-second delay, so it hasn’t been used that much since the Andrew “Dice” Clay episode, not even on the episode hosted by Martin Lawrence from season 19 where Martin goes into a monologue about women who don’t wash their private parts. In the NBC rerun, that part of the monologue was cut and replaced with a series of cards that explained why Martin’s monologue can never be shown in full again. Outside of that, SNL is aired on a tape delay west of the Mississippi. It’s only live in Eastern Time (11:30 pm in New York) and Central Time (10:30 PM in Chicago). The last two sentences are a little off. Most of the central time zone, including Chicago, is west of the Mississippi. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-poop-they-said-the-s-word-on-snl/680357/39 "2014-02-04T19:48:11Z")
Chicago is not west of the Mississippi River. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-poop-they-said-the-s-word-on-snl/680357/40 "2014-02-04T20:03:09Z")
> [@Accidental\_Martyr](#): > > Yeah, I can’t find any mention of this anywhere. I’m guessing it was bleeped but **FriarTed** heard “shit” in his head. If we knew which episode this was it should be easy to check. Yeah, it 100% did not happen. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-poop-they-said-the-s-word-on-snl/680357.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-poop-they-said-the-s-word-on-snl/680357.md?page=3)