FCC Ruling on 'F-Word' Fires up Pro-Family Groups
By Melanie Hunter
CNSNews.com Deputy Managing Editor
November 18, 2003

(Editor's notes: Changes descriptor for groups urging FCC action. The following also contains references to a word that the reader may find objectionable.)

(CNSNews.com) - Pro-family groups are urging action after the Federal Communications Commission's ruling that the use of the "f-word" during the 2003 Golden Globe Awards does not violate the commission's obscenity standards.

The American Family Association (AFA) and Parents Television Council (PTC) sounded off over the January broadcast of the awards show in which performer Bono used the phrase: "This is [expletive] great."

"This ruling clearly opens the floodgates for general use of the 'f-word' in any TV show or radio program - except in sexual situations," said AFA founder and Chairman Donald E. Wildmon in a statement.

"That means that real soon, you will be watching a sitcom on TV, or news, or any drama or movie - any program - and it's okay! Hollywood is rejoicing!" Wildmon wrote.

"Soon, when you are driving your kids to school, you will be listening to a song that makes extensive use of the word," Wildmon added. "Shock jocks such as Howard Stern are now free to use any language, no matter how vile and repugnant, on their radio shows. And use it they will.

"No longer will movies shown on TV have to be edited because of language," wrote Wildmon, who urged people to contact their congressman, senator and members of the FCC.

"Have we now reached the place where common decency enforcement is deemed censorship?" Wildmon asked.

"The chief of the FCC's enforcement bureau determined that the 'f-word' is not indecent for primetime broadcast television if it is used as an adjective or as an insult. I cannot imagine a ruling that could make a bigger mockery of an organization charged with serving the public interest," said PTC founder and President Brent Bozell in a statement.

"I ask that each commissioner respond personally and publicly whether he agrees with this decision," added Bozell, who is also president of CNSNews.com.

Bozell wrote to the FCC's five commissioners demanding answers regarding the commission's decision.

In an Oct. 21 letter to the commissioners, Bozell wrote: "On January 19, 2003, a national television network broadcast contained a performer clearly speaking the words 'f-ing brilliant.' This broadcast was viewed by millions of Americans, a substantial number of whom were young children."

Added Bozell: "On October 3, 2003, Mr. David H. Solomon, Chief of the Enforcement Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission, issued a Memorandum Opinion and Order which rejected the claims of citizens across the United States that the aforementioned program content was indecent.

"Mr. Solomon's Opinion states that the offensive language does not fall within the scope of the Commission's indecency prohibition because 'the performer used the word 'f-ing' as an adjective or expletive to emphasize an exclamation.' Moreover, the Opinion states that 'offensive language used as an insult' and 'fleeting and isolated remarks of this nature' do not warrant Commission action.

"This means it is the position of the FCC that one can use words like 'f-k,' or phrases like 'f-k you' over the public airwaves, in front of millions of children, because they are only an insult or an adjective and do not describe sexual activity," Bozell wrote.

"I ask you to state clearly and unambiguously whether you agree or disagree with this decision," Bozell added. "Silence on this matter can only be interpreted to be your affirmation of this decision."

The Federal Communications Commission did not return calls seeking comment, but in an Oct. 27 letter to the Bozell's request, FCC Commissioner Michael J. Copps responded.

Copps said although he could not comment "directly on the specifics" of a decision that will soon come before him, "I do believe as a general matter that a single word can indeed constitute indecency and be actionable under the authorities granted to the FCC. For years, the commission itself so believed and so acted."

"Certain words were deemed sufficient to justify indecency rulings. The commission has arguably come to put more emphasis in recent years on the contextual presentation of indecency. I am concerned that we may be too narrow in our interpretation of the statute. Interestingly, the statute restricts obscene, indecent or profane language," Copps wrote.

"I would also examine closely any approach wherein a word that might otherwise be indecent is deemed to be indecent if it is used as 'only' an adjective or expletive," the commissioner added. He repeated that "a single word can violate the statutory prohibition."

Copps suggested that "if our current definition of indecency is not getting the job done," the commission should "reexamine our definition."

The commissioner said he gave the FCC a failing grade on the issue of enforcement of statutes that exist to curb indecency.

"The 'race to the bottom' of the airwaves just continues to get worse. When only a tiny minority of complaints at the commission result in any action at all, it is time to take a hard look at why so many instances of indecency are falling through the cracks," Copps wrote.

Copps applauded Bozell for asking the commissioners to address the issue of profanity on the airwaves and agreed that "commission-level commitment" is necessary to address indecency.

"As I traveled across the nation during my media ownership hearings this past year, I saw first-hand the rising anger of the American people over what they and their children are being served up during primetime viewing hours," Copps wrote. He encouraged Bozell to "keep pushing, and pushing hard" on the indecency issue.

Clearly the end of America as we know it is here.

LOL!

You crack me up. You have to be the looniest poster here on Cbid, with your apocalyptic ramblings about the end of America because some gay or lesbian people might get married, or not enough people go to your church, or whatever.

I hope your vision of America comes to a crashing end. All the better for the rest of us.

Un-F@*#ing Believeable!

And God gave man the ability to worry thus enabling Himself to concentrate on His golf game. JonR

More frequent use of the f word on TV will make America a better place, no doubt. I hope this ruling hasn't been lost on Howard Stern. He and Larry Flynt are my favorite free speech advocates. Washington, Madison, and Jefferson are beaming from above, if there is an above to beam from. I can just hear the three of them crying in unison, "At f*#@king last!"

In defense of Stern, he doesn't promote profanity, and he doesn't use it on his show.

I just don't want people to get the idea that free speech advocates are all of a sudden going to be "f-ing" all over the place. The two need not go hand in hand.

For those of you worried about your kids hearing it on tv.....read them a f@#$ing book, or learn how to use the parental controls on your tv so they can only tune in to nickalodean (sp?)

If the f word is okay on TV I assume it will be okay here now.....

Rayder,
people use it all the time, they just cover it up by using f-ing, f*&^ing etc. What is the difference?

people act like this is new - there's never been a law prohibitng the f-word - it's just alot of television and radio networks' policy not to allow certain vulgarities because they want to keep their sponsors.i'm pretty sure there's no law against ABC airing hardcore porn after a certain hour, but they'll never do it. money talks. i imagine it will be awhile before the f word becomes commonplace on radio or tv, if ever. south park excepted. lol

any kid of ten or more that hasen't heard the "F" word is living alone on an island and barking like the wolves that raised him/her.

i believe the trick is to explain to the children the impotance of the word, as an exclaimation, and the waste using it for minor irritations.

for example, when marla told me to **** myself, she had good reason. had i annoyed her only a little, she probably would have said darn you rick.

Rick-
I believe you are right and this can be taken to an even greater extent. Parents need to teach their children about everything from the "F" word to politics to abortion to religion et al, rather than rely on their peers to teach them.
Knowledge is key. As in your example with your wife, people need to know when to use the f word and when to be more docile in their language. We need to know when to use abortion and when it's not the best idea. When to question our leaders and when to change those leaders. Our world is not one size fits all.

Sorry Rick, didn't mean to call Marla your wife. I was reading too quickly.

M

divnmyk

rest assured my wife has told me to **** off on more then one occassion.

People that use words like that dally are from a lower class of people. Most people that use those words alot are poorly educated and or unsuccessful in life.


It shows a lack of respect, one would not say such words for the simple reason as not to offend anyone.

Im not personally offended by the use of the word, but I have respect for others, and try not to sound like some inner-city punk.

65gtoman,
I know several very wealthy men, who would disagree with you. I used to work in a bar, at the local country club. I heard the F word more often there, than I did working in a biker bar. I kinda thought it would be as you said. I guess the bikers have more class than millionaires.
Later
Dave (A.K.A. Meadmaker)

Dave, one could have a lot of money and still be unsuccessful in life and a punk with no respect. Just look at that little blonde hair white rapper. M and M?

He has lots of money but he’s nothing more then a punk with no respect.

money does not make the man.


I wonder if putting a bar of soap in a kids mouth today is child abuse?

I agree with you on M and M.
But I know several, extremely successful men, who use the F word on a daily basis. My only arguement was about your assertion that "People that use words like that dally are from a lower class of people. Most people that use those words alot are poorly educated and or unsuccessful in life."
Many people of lower class rarely use the F word. Many people of Upper Class, regularly use that word.
It was just your assertion, that only uneducated lower class people use the f-word, on a regular basis. An assertion, that is only your opinion, and is not true, in my experience.
Later
Dave (A.K.A. Homebrew)

Gtoman,
Again you show your ignorance....you drive me crazy. At least I know not to take you too seriously.
Really, can you be more racist? Inner city = low class = more swearing? how stupid is that?
Why not just say "black people are uneducated, stupid and they swear a lot!"

Here is where I make my generalization.
Uneducated people are more more "religious" and are more constrained by social construction (although we all are), and believe what they are "told", therefore they swear less because it is "bad".
Highly educated people question the status quo (including religion) more. This means they aren't necissarily going to do the things their parents (or society) tell them are right and wrong, they are going to decide what is right and wrong for themselves. Perhaps one of those things is the realization that the use of the F word has no bearing on anything.

Another thing, take your racist ideals and shove them straight up your rear end.

The race card once again.....

I never said anything about (black people) Spence, try to stay on the topic. I even used a white man (m and m) as an example. Many people live in the intercity from all kinds back grounds. I feel that bad language is used and accepted more in the intercity then in the county’s.

Anyone that uses the f word in public around people they don’t know is very rude and puts you in a lower class of people in my eyes, regardless of how much money, color or celebrity status.

Maybe you’re the racist.

Hmmmm, seems like you are backing off of your origional argument.

Also, how do you differentiate between innercity and just city. Is it that only the poor people generally associated with the innercity use such language, or is it that all city folk use the language? ie/ the rich people living on the fringes (suburbs) of cities.

You seem to tiptoeing around with this argument...is it uneducated people, poor people, or city people who swear more, because in my experience in a city you have rich, poor, educated and uneducated, religious and non-religious people.
So what are you saying now?
Also, are you saying that country folk swear less than city folk? I grew up on a farm, live in a farming community and worked at a grain mill for a job in high school and during a couple of summers in college, and I can tell you that you can't make generalizations that country folk swear any less than city folk, because country folk can be just as well mannered or crude as any other person anywhere else.

All I am asking is that you need to understand it is very hard to make generalizations that are correct.....and that you are WRONG about the class vs. f-word issue. In all walks of life you will find those who swear and those who don't.

Also, not the "race card again"....i just like to point out your racist generalizations. Obviously you don't think about the IMPLICATIONS about what you are typing, so I like to make you aware of what you are saying, without explicitly saying (I read between your lines so to speak)