# Swearing and nudity on network television **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 22, 2003, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-and-nudity-on-network-television/170374 "2003-04-22T18:42:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-and-nudity-on-network-television/170374/1 "2003-04-22T18:42:04Z")
Will it ever happen? With shows like the “Sopranos” and “Sex in the City” taking large chunks of both viewers and television awards away from the networks, shows like “South Park” pushing the decency envelope on basic cable, and the more cutting edge shows already on the networks later at night, how long before the Protestants that Be relent and allow full bore swearing and nudity on network television? I honesty think in the next 5 years there will be HBO style tv on the big three. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-and-nudity-on-network-television/170374/2 "2003-04-22T18:57:04Z")
I don’t know if there is a factual answer for this, but I did want to say USA’s “Helen Of Troy” showed quite a bit of female ass between the 8-10 slot. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-and-nudity-on-network-television/170374/3 "2003-04-22T19:22:38Z")
NYPD Blue has had nudity throughout its run. It also regularly gets “replaced” by station managers in certain parts of the country who don’t want to offend their viewers. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-and-nudity-on-network-television/170374/4 "2003-04-22T19:39:50Z")
Well, if it happens it will simply be a case of the United States catching up with the rest of the civilized world. Ever watched free-to-air network TV in Europe, Britain, Australia or New Zealand? I know, for example, that both **The Sopranos** and **Sex and the City** ran uncut on Aussie TV when i lived there And everyone in Australia knows that if you want to see tits ‘n’ ass, then you should tune in when SBS shows uncut European movies (uncut=uncensored, not uncircumcised 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-and-nudity-on-network-television/170374/5 "2003-04-22T20:08:03Z")
I`ve heard the word “asshole” on NYPD and they have shown bare ass and a quick view of a breast. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-and-nudity-on-network-television/170374/6 "2003-04-22T20:35:55Z")
It’s perfectly legal for network television to show nudity and naughty words. But since network television is paid for entirely by advertisers, the networks are loathe to offend them. Many companies don’t want their products associated with prurient imagery. Though the FCC has no power to censor network television, they can fine and/or harass the networks if they get a lot of complaints about content. I’ve seen bare tits and heard “shit” on _60 Minutes_ 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-and-nudity-on-network-television/170374/7 "2003-04-22T21:50:49Z")
With rare exceptions, the FCC is loathe to get involved in programming decisions – it’s much more likely to crack down on stations for violating engineering practices, failure to note commercials, etc. The networks are in business to deliver viewers, hopefully in a good mood, to advertisers. If the programming upsets enough of the advertisers’ potential audience, it likely won’t last long on network television – or advertiser-supported cable channels for that matter. However, when Buntz flashes his butt on NYPD Blue, or when Mark Green yelled “SHIT!” on ER, the audiences for those shows didn’t have a problem with it, and neither did the FCC. ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-and-nudity-on-network-television/170374/8 "2003-04-22T22:03:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mhendo \* > \*\* I know, for example, that both **The Sopranos** and **Sex and the City** ran uncut on Aussie TV… \*\* Yep, ditto New Zealand – and South Park runs on normal broadcast TV too. It’s funny, I kept hearing folk from the US bemoaning the sex and violence on TV, but when I was living up there I was surprised how tame it was on the network stations. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-and-nudity-on-network-television/170374/9 "2003-04-22T23:00:50Z")
I saw a play on late-night network TV several months ago that said “fuck” a few times. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-and-nudity-on-network-television/170374/10 "2003-04-22T23:38:10Z")
Besides the factual contributions already made (it’s already happened), this is an IMHO thing. Hmm. Can I swear while _moving_ a thread? ---
**Author:** ![Beer\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ad7895/32.png) [@Beer\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beer_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-and-nudity-on-network-television/170374/11 "2003-04-22T23:42:46Z")
I could have sworn Clark said the “F” word last week on Smallville. ---
**Author:** ![Prisoner\_24601](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a6a055/32.png) [@Prisoner\_24601](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prisoner_24601)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-and-nudity-on-network-television/170374/12 "2003-04-22T23:53:29Z")
any show benefits from naked, swearing people, except that cooking show with the two old ladies. Beer Penguin, Maybe we would have another reason to call that show "Small"ville. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-and-nudity-on-network-television/170374/13 "2003-04-23T00:47:26Z")
_Schindler’s List_ was shown uncut on NBC a few years ago. Nudity included. ---
**Author:** ![Sauroposeidon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Sauroposeidon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauroposeidon)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-and-nudity-on-network-television/170374/14 "2003-04-23T00:54:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by friedo \* > **It’s perfectly legal for network television to show nudity and naughty words. But since network television is paid for entirely by advertisers, the networks are loathe to offend them. Many companies don’t want their products associated with prurient imagery.** If that’s all there is to it, then why don’t we see more nudity and swearing in TV _advertizing_? Like the late night paid programming for the adult phone services, they would get a lot more attention with nudity, and not offend any of their target audience. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-and-nudity-on-network-television/170374/15 "2003-04-23T01:07:00Z")
A couple of years ago, Letterman was having a lot of fun with this. He repeatedly showed a clip from a Tony Award winning play- A teenager yelling, “This is bullshit, dad!” The clip ran uncensored. Quite a few times. Letterman would follow by repeating the quote (as he is prone to do), but he was bleeped. “‘This is bullshit, dad!’ ‘This is [--------], dad!’” I got the feeling that Letterman was told by some suit that swearing was allowed in “high art,” but Letterman himself couldn’t, so Letterman made sure to point out the hypocrisy. 😉 More power to him. Words can only be offensive if we let them be offensive. Otherwise, the terrorists have already won. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-and-nudity-on-network-television/170374/16 "2003-04-23T01:47:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Prisoner 24601 \* > \*\*any show benefits from naked, swearing people, except that cooking show with the two old ladies. \*\* [Barely Cooking](http://toronto.citytv.com/whats_on/shows/content/barely_cooking.asp)🆒 Close enough? ---
**Author:** ![Prisoner\_24601](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a6a055/32.png) [@Prisoner\_24601](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prisoner_24601)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-and-nudity-on-network-television/170374/17 "2003-04-23T02:04:13Z")
works for me, though Nigella could be interesting cooking buck screaming naked. ---
**Author:** ![wei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90ced4/32.png) [@wei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wei)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-and-nudity-on-network-television/170374/18 "2003-04-23T02:18:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Michael Ellis \* > \*\*_Schindler’s List_ was shown uncut on NBC a few years ago. Nudity included. \*\* _Saving Private Ryan_ was played on ABC the last year or two, uncut, with all that swearing. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-and-nudity-on-network-television/170374/19 "2003-04-23T03:10:21Z")
We seem to have established a sort of a small pattern here. If his Royal Fucking Highness Steven Spielberg puts swearing and nudity into a film, then it’s obviously OK to leave those things in for television, because taking them out would compromise the “artistic integrity” of the film. While i buy this argument if it is made as a general proposition, it seems pretty damned inconsistent to say that some directors’ swearing and nudity is acceptable, while others’ are not. Spielberg has no monopoly on serious film-making. When they played “Saving Private Ryan” uncut and commercial-free on TV recently, i refused to watch it , both because i don’t think it’s a great movie apart from the bookend battle scenes, and because i don’t like the way Spielberg is put on a pedestal by all those fucking know-nothings on TV. While his maudlin sentimentalism and selective realism might make for popular viewing, i don’t buy the “Spielberg as genius” bullshit that pervades America. And i’m not some cultural snob who won’t see any movie that doesn’t play at the local alternative cinema. I love the big blockbusters, and have seen plenty of them over the years. I especially love them when they don’t take themselves too seriously, and pretend to be something they’re not. Spielberg can get fucked. Rant over. Sorry for the hijack. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-and-nudity-on-network-television/170374/20 "2003-04-23T07:08:18Z")
Someday, sure. Look at the 50s, when TV wouldn’t even show married couples in the same bed. It’s true that the FCC doesn’t censor but instead punishes after the fact, and even then only at the behest of audiences. I think we are becoming more and more permissive of what’s allowed on the airwaves. There’s two big obstacles though. One, the amount of control advertisers have over programming. As was pointed out, if the advertisers are put off by the explicit content and pull out, the show’s gone. And two, the FCC, indecency regulation, and broadcasting law in the U.S. The Supreme Court has upheld the FCC’s right to regulate “indecency”, and while I’m not sure what the laws say in other countries, in the U.S., the airwaves are owned by the public and broadcasters are supposed to serve the public “interest, necessity, and convenience”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swearing-and-nudity-on-network-television/170374.md?page=2)