TV censors (Tiny casting spolier for Angel Season 5) PG-13 topic

[Mahdi]

PG-13 rated topic, you've been warned.

I'd really like to know whether Joss Whedon and Co somehow managed to sneak this past the network censors, or if the censors decided it was all right.

On this weeks episode of Angel, Spike listens to "Too Drunk to Fuck" by Dead Kennedys.

And they played the chorus ;D

Not that I'm offended or anything, I'm just kinda shocked that that made it to air, and Mutant Enemy didn't have to change the song.

According to the FCC that goes against there decency rules, sicne "Fuck" used this way is obviously sexual.

Did anyone else watch this and notice if they actually said "Fuck" or if they bleeped it out?

I'm surprised a bigger deal hasn't been amde by this. I guess all those bible- belt people don't listen to much Punk and so didn't realize what song that was.

[Gobalopper]

Well they allowed Bono to say fuck on TV. Isn't Angel on cable and not network television?

[Mahdi]

Well they allowed Bono to say fuck on TV. Isn't Angel on cable and not network television?

However, when Bono said it it had no sexual connotation, and therefore did not violate the FCC's decency laws, as they have recently been revised. There was an article online about the FCC's guidelines regarding "Fuck" yesterday, but I cannot find it now.

In this case, it obviously does have sexual meaning.

As for the fact it airs on WB possibly beign an explanation, well that's possible, but not very likley. angle and Buffy have gotton in trouble in the past for violence and sex, and it's a lot tamer than HBO, let alone some major network shows.

On antoher forum, someone speculated that the writers just wrote "background punk music" in the script and snuck it in that way.

[nampigai]

the fact that you know this is frightning.

That program along with Fluffy, Buffy or whatever, must be one of the must stupid programs on TV in history. I only have 3 channels to choose from but these programs shortens it down to 2 every sunday.

Thanks for reminding me Mahdi.

[ordos45]

I know the FCC laws were recently revised...to allow fuck to be said in network television under certain circumstances.

[Mahdi]

I know the FCC laws were recently revised...to allow fuck to be said in network television under certain circumstances.

For the third time, those conditions state that it can be said as long as it has no sexual connotiations, and in the song it is sexual.

[Gobalopper]

Aren't cable stations under different rules then regular network stations like ABC,CBS,NBC,etc?

[mechadragon]

Yes, cable has no rules since users pay for cable service and it's not publically broadcast. The only guidelines on cable are what the sponsors are willing to back. If you need evidence, starting tomorrow and for three nights consecutively, Comedy Central will air South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut at 1am EST without censoring anything.

However, if I am not mistaken, isn't Buffy and it's derivatives a UPN show? UPN is broadcast television, so the FCC rules would apply. However, the moral dictates of popular society aren't what they used to be. Groucho Marx was once almost taken off the air after asking a audience participant with a large family how many children he had, then responding with "I like my cigar, but I take it out every now and then." Saturday Night Live got away with calling people pussy on air every week during the late 80s ad early 90s. As such terms become more common place, the taboo against them weakens, and the FCC has less and less ground to dictate them offensive.

In some cities here in the US, radio stations broacast thier music completely uncensored. And the same rules that govern television govern radio for this.

It won't be long until FCC censorship is no exsistant, it's being replaced by television ratings and V-Chips.

[Mahdi]

WB, which is in the same boat as UPN.