How is this news? Better yet, how does this merit congressional attention.
WASHINGTON - Federal Communications Commission (news - web sites) Chairman Michael Powell (news) has asked his fellow commissioners to overturn a much-criticized decision that an expletive uttered by the musician Bono on a network program was not obscene.
During last year's NBC broadcast of the Golden Globes Awards, the lead singer of the Irish rock group U2 said "this is really, really, f------ brilliant."
The FCC (news - web sites)'s enforcement bureau ruled in October that the comment was not indecent or obscene because Bono used the word as an adjective, not to describe a sexual act. "The performer used the word ... as an adjective or expletive to emphasize an exclamation," the bureau said.
But here's the best part:
Some lawmakers have criticized the FCC decision.
Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Ga., introduced a resolution that called it the "latest salvo in a string of decisions by the Federal Communications Commission that establishes a precedent regarding the use of universally recognized vulgar expletives on our nation's public airwaves."
And Reps. Doug Ose, R-Calif., and Lamar Smith, R-Texas, proposed legislation that would ban five words and three phrases from the airwaves.
Are you fucking kidding me? What kind of fucking era are we fucking living in? And who the fuck is named "Lamar" anyway. It's Bono man! He can do whatever the fuck he wants because he's that fucking cool. Okay, I think my point has been subtley made.
Posted by mike at January 14, 2004 11:42 PMI like there being censorship on TV. Having linguistic boundries enforced is what seperates the socially acceptable from the profane. It also gives "fuck" and "shit" more power when they are used. I personally like to save them for special occasions.
Then again, I suppose Bono's Golden Globe could be considered a special occasion...
Posted by: Cam on January 15, 2004 12:04 AM