# When did "goddamn" disappear from TV? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 5, 2014, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-goddamn-disappear-from-tv/703717 "2014-11-05T06:26:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-goddamn-disappear-from-tv/703717/21 "2014-11-05T15:48:31Z")
Most of the complaints to the F.C.C. come from the Christian right. The networks probably decided it wasn’t worth drawing the heat. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-goddamn-disappear-from-tv/703717/22 "2014-11-05T15:49:09Z")
> [@Macca26](#): > > Fun fact: I worked at a college radio station as a DJ for three years. We were informed that we could not say “ass” but we could say “bitch” … Elton John thanks you. We were shocked that he could sing “The Bitch is Back” with no censoring. Ah, those were crazy days indeed! We were living in a new era. Quite a change from the Rolling Stones mid-60s appearance on TV when Mick was forced to sing “Let’s Spend Some Time Together”, because of what was only\* implied \*by asking the girl to spend the night together. You know…[whispered] …_fornication_! ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-goddamn-disappear-from-tv/703717/23 "2014-11-05T16:44:03Z")
The OP’s question just reminds me of Peter Finch yelling, “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!” > [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I assure you, there are a whole lot of people out there that not only believe in God, they’ll kill you for you not believing. …and sell the survivor’s wives and daughters as slaves. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2014, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-goddamn-disappear-from-tv/703717/24 "2014-11-06T22:49:10Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I assure you, there are a whole lot of people out there that not only believe in God, they’ll kill you for you not believing. Cite? Example? ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2014, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-goddamn-disappear-from-tv/703717/25 "2014-11-07T02:52:06Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > The Who doesn’t know where the fuck their fuck went Sad but true. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2014, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-goddamn-disappear-from-tv/703717/26 "2014-11-07T03:41:30Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > [Blazing Saddles paraphrased]You said nipple twice. I like nipples. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2014, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-goddamn-disappear-from-tv/703717/27 "2014-11-07T23:56:15Z")
Thank you, notfrommensa. These folks were gonna leave me hangin’. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-goddamn-disappear-from-tv/703717/28 "2014-11-08T04:05:21Z")
I don’t recall goddamn being said on broadcast TV (much if ever), but about 1980 there was a decidedly more prudish move in many media. Look at a typical Time or People magazine from 1976 to 1981 and compare one from about 1985. They almost always had a gratuitous bare breast picture (or see through blouse), however small, in every issue, but by 1985 those had disappeared. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-goddamn-disappear-from-tv/703717.md?page=1)