# Why do they bleep one letter of each cuss word on the radio? Fu\*k That! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 8, 2002, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-bleep-one-letter-of-each-cuss-word-on-the-radio-fu-k-that/122917 "2002-08-08T05:41:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-bleep-one-letter-of-each-cuss-word-on-the-radio-fu-k-that/122917/1 "2002-08-08T05:41:16Z")
Man I am getting aggravted by the radio now. Every night I listen to the radio while I am at work and all night long you will hear them bleep cuss words without actually covering up the word. f_ck shi_ c\*m a\*\*hole Whats the point of doing it at all if you aren’t gonna do it right? There is no mistaking what words are being “covered up” because they aren’t actually being covered!! It sounds ridiculous! Even 4 year olds know what word is being covered up. Is it like this everywhere or just in Colorado? ---
**Author:** ![Gopher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gopher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gopher)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-bleep-one-letter-of-each-cuss-word-on-the-radio-fu-k-that/122917/2 "2002-08-08T07:24:42Z")
I never even hear swearing on the radio here in California. Or maybe I just listen to the wrong stations. They’re probably bleeped out like that so people who don’t know the word won’t really know what it is. (But how hard hard is it…fack feck fick fock fuck!) It’s like lots of TV shows now have lots of sexual innuendo. Little kids won’t understand completely understand the joke. Or maybe it’s something more obvious. Are there laws that prohibit radio stations from broadcasting such words? Or is it left up to the station? ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-bleep-one-letter-of-each-cuss-word-on-the-radio-fu-k-that/122917/3 "2002-08-08T12:23:42Z")
And it isn’t like there’s some _other_ word to be made by removing one letter. Like “shit” becomes “shil”, which is actually a 17th century Venetian blind. Completely appropriate in context. “fuck” becomes “fack”, which for 20somethings in the online community is a way to mock those who misspell “faq.” Yeah, _that’s_ what they mean… “asshole” is also “allhole”, a revolutionary form of spackle designed for holes in any surface. “cum” is also “CEM”, a new program instituted by the Bush Administration, the Centegenarian Education Ministry. Say them with me … fuck, shit, ass, bitch. ---
**Author:** ![welby1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@welby1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/welby1)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-bleep-one-letter-of-each-cuss-word-on-the-radio-fu-k-that/122917/4 "2002-08-08T13:32:16Z")
To protect our children, **Stinkpalm**. God knows what kind of ruffians they would turn into if they heard _gasp_ - a swear word! On the radio! What would America do? Hordes of screaming children running around saying fuck, shit and damn! I support the philosphy behind it though. Kids listen to far too much radio. In fact, just yesterday I told the boy to turn off the fucking radio and mow the goddamned lawn instead. I think he called me shithead when he left the room. I didn’t hear, the radio was on. ---
**Author:** ![apotheosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba8739/32.png) [@apotheosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/apotheosis)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-bleep-one-letter-of-each-cuss-word-on-the-radio-fu-k-that/122917/5 "2002-08-08T13:45:52Z")
That, at least, is marginally less annoying than covering every other word with “scratch”, leading to such atrocities as the following line from Everlast’s “What It’s Like:” “Pulled out his _scratchy skritchy skritch_, talked some _scratchies_ and wound up _skritch_” …as opposed to “Pulled out his chrome .45, talked some shit and wound up dead.” Now, bleep “the S-word” if you must; but if you’re going to elide every other word in the song, _ **WHY PLAY THE SONG AT ALL?!?!?** _ There’s a message in the song, one which is completely obfuscated by such stupidity. If it’s THAT offensive, don’t play it. Period. Pick something more in keeping with your delicate sensibilities – some Manilow, perhaps – but don’t ‘pretend’ to play the song. Thank you. /me steps off soapbox. _Skritchity skratch, bomp-chicka-wow-wow_. ---
**Author:** ![Sister\_Vigilante](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Sister\_Vigilante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sister_Vigilante)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-bleep-one-letter-of-each-cuss-word-on-the-radio-fu-k-that/122917/6 "2002-08-08T14:02:24Z")
The version I’ve heard of that song only bleeps the word “shit.” Our station is pretty lenient. They allow Pearl Jam to keep “harmless little fuck” in the song Jeremy, no matter what time of day it’s played. ---
**Author:** ![irkenDoom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c2a13f/32.png) [@irkenDoom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irkenDoom)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-bleep-one-letter-of-each-cuss-word-on-the-radio-fu-k-that/122917/7 "2002-08-08T14:21:44Z")
I work at a grocery store (Tops Market), and I heard “Money” by Pink Floyd played over the speakers. Including the line “Don’t give me that do-goody-good bullshit” in completely uncensored form… ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-bleep-one-letter-of-each-cuss-word-on-the-radio-fu-k-that/122917/8 "2002-08-08T16:58:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by apotheosis \* > \*\*That, at least, is marginally less annoying than covering every other word with “scratch”, leading to such atrocities as the following line from Everlast’s “What It’s Like:” > > “Pulled out his _scratchy skritchy skritch_, talked some _scratchies_ and wound up _skritch_” > > …as opposed to “Pulled out his chrome .45, talked some shit and wound up dead.” > > Now, bleep “the S-word” if you must; but if you’re going to elide every other word in the song, _ **WHY PLAY THE SONG AT ALL?!?!?** _ There’s a message in the song, one which is completely obfuscated by such stupidity. If it’s THAT offensive, don’t play it. Period. Pick something more in keeping with your delicate sensibilities – some Manilow, perhaps – but don’t ‘pretend’ to play the song. > \*\* I think they did that so the song could get played on MTV so the lil’ chilluns could hear _sigh_ Carson Daly _sigh_ announce it on TRL. 'Cause, ya know, MTV doesn’t want it’s impressionable young viewers to hear about _drugs and abortions_ in the songs it plays! You know not! One song I’ve heard that’s only minimally edited is Disturbed’s “Stupefy.” According to [the lyrics](http://www.angelfire.com/weird/enanareina/lyrics/various/disturb.html) he’s saying “fuck” in the first verse, yet it sounds like he’s saying “rock”. The shit in “shit out of luck” gets edited, though, depending on the station playing it. 106.5 in Charlotte rarely if ever bleeps that, but 99.5 in Greenville did all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-bleep-one-letter-of-each-cuss-word-on-the-radio-fu-k-that/122917/9 "2002-08-09T00:07:47Z")
This is different, since it’s about movies, but _MST3K_ had a lot of fun with muffed out words. “I will kill you but I won’t curse at you!” “You son of a \_” “Something!” Hehehe… ---
**Author:** ![fallom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e57/32.png) [@fallom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fallom)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-bleep-one-letter-of-each-cuss-word-on-the-radio-fu-k-that/122917/10 "2002-08-09T00:35:05Z")
Comedy central bleeps the “hole” in “asshole.” Yeah, I dont get it either. ---
**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:** [August 9, 2002, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-bleep-one-letter-of-each-cuss-word-on-the-radio-fu-k-that/122917/11 "2002-08-09T01:34:40Z")
They do that annoying “bleep the middle vowel” thing here in South Florida too. Stupid.