# System of a Down on SNL: Did I hear an F-bomb? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 8, 2005, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/system-of-a-down-on-snl-did-i-hear-an-f-bomb/302899 "2005-05-08T04:23:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2005, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/system-of-a-down-on-snl-did-i-hear-an-f-bomb/302899/1 "2005-05-08T04:23:52Z")
System of a Down was just on SNL playing the song, “BYOB” [“Bring Your Own Bombs”], a kick ass anti-war song. They were bleeping out all the eff words but near the end of the song, it sounded like the guitarist yelled “F\*ck you!” loud and clear into the mike, was I imagining things or hear that wrong or did someone blow an edit? That was a hell of a cool song either way. ---
**Author:** ![ZeroGyro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e47774/32.png) [@ZeroGyro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZeroGyro)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2005, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/system-of-a-down-on-snl-did-i-hear-an-f-bomb/302899/2 "2005-05-08T07:23:51Z")
I thought I heard it too. I wonder what happened there. ---
**Author:** ![Khan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3ab097/32.png) [@Khan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khan)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2005, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/system-of-a-down-on-snl-did-i-hear-an-f-bomb/302899/3 "2005-05-08T07:33:12Z")
Well I feel like jamming something sharp into my eye for having forgotten to watch. I was so enthralled with Adult Swim that I forgot to watch. Damnit, and I love System of a Down. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2005, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/system-of-a-down-on-snl-did-i-hear-an-f-bomb/302899/4 "2005-05-08T08:20:16Z")
If you heard it, you’ve got sharper ears than I. I was watching, and I couldn’t understand one single word. I’d never heard them before though, so I wasn’t familiar with the songs. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2005, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/system-of-a-down-on-snl-did-i-hear-an-f-bomb/302899/5 "2005-05-08T17:07:25Z")
I just replayed my TiVo recording. The guitarist does indeed screech, “Fuck you!!” And in close-up, no less. Several earlier words in the song were censored, but that one got through. Charles Rocket use the same word on SNL on 21 February 1981 (and was soon fired), and Paul Shafer said it accidently in a sketch on 12 May 1979. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2005, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/system-of-a-down-on-snl-did-i-hear-an-f-bomb/302899/6 "2005-05-08T17:11:05Z")
BTW, under FCC guidelines, you can use that word on broadcast television between 11 pm and 7 am. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2005, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/system-of-a-down-on-snl-did-i-hear-an-f-bomb/302899/7 "2005-05-08T17:21:17Z")
I’m still not 100 percent System Of A Down isn’t just a joke novelty band. I suspected tonight I’d see that Tom Green is the lead singer. ---
**Author:** ![N.Sane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f19dbf/32.png) [@N.Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N.Sane)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2005, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/system-of-a-down-on-snl-did-i-hear-an-f-bomb/302899/8 "2005-05-08T19:04:01Z")
I noticed the same thing. The f word was bleeped everywhere but that one line, where he shouted it out. I was a little confused-- 😕 If the word needs to be bleeped 8 times, doesn’t it need to be bleeped the 9th? Or is 8 the magic number, after which it no longer needs to be bleeped? ---
**Author:** ![MagicEyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@MagicEyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicEyes)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2005, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/system-of-a-down-on-snl-did-i-hear-an-f-bomb/302899/9 "2005-05-08T23:08:24Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > I’m still not 100 percent System Of A Down isn’t just a joke novelty band. I suspected tonight I’d see that Tom Green is the lead singer. I used to kind of like System of a Down, but I laughed hysterically all the way through their last song. Almost choked on the apple I was eating. The facial expressions, the gestures–it was all just too cheesy, and they look like they’re taking themselves way too seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2005, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/system-of-a-down-on-snl-did-i-hear-an-f-bomb/302899/10 "2005-05-08T23:23:53Z")
> [@N. Sane](#): > > I noticed the same thing. The f word was bleeped everywhere but that one line, where he shouted it out. I was a little confused-- 😕 If the word needs to be bleeped 8 times, doesn’t it need to be bleeped the 9th? Or is 8 the magic number, after which it no longer needs to be bleeped? Reminds me of a Who concert on the King Biscuit Flower Hour in the '70s. They must have been following the lyric sheets, because when **the word** was part of the original song, it got snipped (as in “Doctor Jimmy”: “Her fella’s gonna kill me? Oh…will he!”), but when Daltrey ad-libbed “Ain’t trying to cause a _fucking_ big sensation,” loud and clear, it got through. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2005, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/system-of-a-down-on-snl-did-i-hear-an-f-bomb/302899/11 "2005-05-09T04:32:18Z")
> [@Walloon](#): > > BTW, under FCC guidelines, you can use that word on broadcast television between 11 pm and 7 am. No kidding? Gotta cite? ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2005, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/system-of-a-down-on-snl-did-i-hear-an-f-bomb/302899/12 "2005-05-09T04:38:34Z")
Federal Communications Commission: [Profane broadcasts restricted to 10 p.m. — 6 a.m.](http://www.fcc.gov/eb/broadcast/opi.html) I was off by an hour on each side. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2005, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/system-of-a-down-on-snl-did-i-hear-an-f-bomb/302899/13 "2005-05-09T06:02:27Z")
Wow, I never knew hte US had a “watershed.” Why don’t we hear MORE profanity on late night tv? Obviously it would attract criticism, but Fox has never shied from criticism and SNL seems like a show with few viewers who would boycott advertizers over some salty language. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2005, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/system-of-a-down-on-snl-did-i-hear-an-f-bomb/302899/14 "2005-05-09T10:37:51Z")
Because uptight people will scream to the networks, the FCC, and (worst yet from the networks’ point of view) the advertisers on those shows that they don’t want to hear that kind of language, even though it is legal. If too many advertisers get spooked at the thought of loss of sales, the networks will jump. ---
**Author:** ![wayward](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a87d85/32.png) [@wayward](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wayward)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2005, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/system-of-a-down-on-snl-did-i-hear-an-f-bomb/302899/15 "2005-05-09T12:21:06Z")
> [@Ferret Herder](#): > > Because uptight people will scream to the networks, the FCC, and (worst yet from the networks’ point of view) the advertisers on those shows that they don’t want to hear that kind of language, even though it is legal. If too many advertisers get spooked at the thought of loss of sales, the networks will jump. It’s something I’m aware of, but I’m always surprised and confused at the USA’s attitude towards swearing on late night TV. UK TV is full F_ **s after 9 o’clock, and even the occasional C** _. Like Richard Madely. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2005, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/system-of-a-down-on-snl-did-i-hear-an-f-bomb/302899/16 "2005-05-09T14:13:32Z")
> [@Walloon](#): > > Federal Communications Commission: [Profane broadcasts restricted to 10 p.m. — 6 a.m.](http://www.fcc.gov/eb/broadcast/opi.html) > > I was off by an hour on each side. Yep, I checked into this on New Year’s when Motley Crue was on Jay Leno and Vince yelled “Hey Tommy, Happy fucking New Year” and no one seemed to bat an eye. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2005, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/system-of-a-down-on-snl-did-i-hear-an-f-bomb/302899/17 "2005-05-09T14:45:30Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > System of a Down was just on SNL playing the song, “BYOB” [“Bring Your Own Bombs”], a kick ass anti-war song. I had no idea this was an anti-war song. Well, I guess you learn something new everyday, huh? I would like to point out that I did, in fact, know it was kick-ass, as it’s one of my favorites songs getting play right now. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2005, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/system-of-a-down-on-snl-did-i-hear-an-f-bomb/302899/18 "2005-05-09T16:36:05Z")
I found this out when Comedy Central ran the South Park movie at midnight. Completely uncut. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2005, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/system-of-a-down-on-snl-did-i-hear-an-f-bomb/302899/19 "2005-05-09T16:49:26Z")
The FCC regs only apply to publicly owned airwaves, i.e. the broadcast networks. They don’t apply to cable or pay channels. Parker and Stone have said that they don’t really have to bleep the “fucks” on the South Park television show but that they do it because they think it sounds funnier. ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2005, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/system-of-a-down-on-snl-did-i-hear-an-f-bomb/302899/20 "2005-05-09T16:58:26Z")
I don’t know about the F-bomb, but the lead singer’s hair cracked me up. And then their other singer’s Ronnie James Dio-esque vocals and facial expressions pretty much scarred me for life. My fiance and I think they’ve become Satanists or something. haha. They look like shit. If you’re going to do the whole nu-metal thing, at least keep with the bald head goatee motif. The Scorpions perm is the last thing anyone needs to see. 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/system-of-a-down-on-snl-did-i-hear-an-f-bomb/302899.md?page=2)