System of a Down on SNL: Did I hear an F-bomb?

[friedo]

@Diogenes the Cynic

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.

They made a great joke out of this in the episode where only the gay characters were allowed to say “fag” un-bleeped.

[Ferret_Herder]

@friedo

They made a great joke out of this in the episode where only the gay characters were allowed to say “fag” un-bleeped.

And of course there was the episode where they said “shit” (unbleeped) over 100 times, complete with running counter in the lower left corner of the screen to keep track. Not only were the other swear words (IIRC) all bleeped out, but the episode parodied the hype surrounding any unbleeped usage of that word (or similar stunts) on network TV shows.

[Alan_Smithee]

@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 seems like there’s enough evidence from incidental swearing on late-night TV that this isn’t necessarily the case. And Fox used to relish in it’s reputation as a pusher of Boudaries. Then there’s shows like NYPD Blue–maybe there just isn’t enough of an audience after prime time to make it worth the risk, but with so many boring talk-shows, you’d think someone would have tried a little attention-grabbing cross-programming.

I’m even more surprised that cable took so long to get to the point of Comedy Central allowing South Park and Secret Stash. I mean, cable’s all about niche programming.

[kayT]

And when these shows re-run in syndication, quite often they run at earlier times, so then they have to go back & bleep 'em.

[Revtim]

@Ferret Herder

And of course there was the episode where they said “shit” (unbleeped) over 100 times, complete with running counter in the lower left corner of the screen to keep track. Not only were the other swear words (IIRC) all bleeped out, but the episode parodied the hype surrounding any unbleeped usage of that word (or similar stunts) on network TV shows.

Same episode, actually.

[N9IWP]

CNN story:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/05/10/tv.snl.expletive.ap/index.html

I usually go to bed after “Weekend Update” and brush my teeth during the musical act.

Brian