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I did not need to hear those words
Posted at: Jul/28/2010 : Posted by: mel
Related Category: Perspectives,
Way back in 1972 (I’m old enough to remember), George Carlin released an album of stand-up comedy entitled “Class Clown”. The only really memorable routine on the album was titled "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television". In this comedy monologue Carlin lists these seven words expressing amazement that the words on his list could not be used, regardless of context. You can look up the list for yourself or just let your imagination run amuck. Like any noteworthy comedian, finding something new, along with audience shock are critical to carving out an identity and ultimately success. Headlines count as well for name recognition. Carlin was arrested at least once for performing this routine and charged with “disturbing the peace”. A variation on Carlin’s original "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television" was broadcast on a radio station a short while later and led to complaints being filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). As with many things in American, it ultimately ended up in court where a few years later the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the new FCC regulations and against the radio station on the grounds the content was indecent. The fallout from all of this was a formal set of regulations defining indecency in American broadcasting. In later years the Supreme Court established the “safe-harbor provision” that granted broadcasters the right to broadcast “indecent”, but not “obscene” content. I am not smart enough to really know the difference between the two terms, but the effect is noticeable on television. The “safe-harbor provision” allows broadcaster to share material that is “indecent”, but not “obscene” between the hours of 10 PM and 6 AM, which is when children are supposed to be asleep. I have never found a formal list of words or actions associated with this ruling; instead the networks have used it as a guideline to censor themselves. One of the ways networks censored themselves was the sensor or “bleep” button. More of television was live decades ago than now. To prevent the occasional errant language the signal would be broadcast with a 7-second delay. This delay would provide an internal censor monitoring the program with the opportunity to listen to the dialog and push a button injecting a “bleep” tone when inappropriate language was heard. Now you know the origin of the term “bleep”. That was then, but change is maybe the only constant we have when dealing with people. Over the last 30 years most of the words George Carlin focused on have crept into mainstream media and just don’t have the same shock value anymore. In actuality, most of our move down this slippery slope appears to have happened during the past decade. There has been a lot of use of “bastards” and “damns” in television; the other words are also creeping in as well. With a new crop of TV viewers who were raised in the free-for-all culture of the Internet and cable TV, these words just don’t carry the same punch or shock value that they used to. Except for the occasional “F-bomb”, you just don’t hear audiences shocked into sucking the air out of a room anymore. The term “F-bomb”, or a collection of symbols is used with an “F” in front as a means of indicating the word fornication in its rudest possible form. It is interesting that this word still seems to have an offensive impact, though for how long is unclear to me. I should note that the term “F-bomb” garners a humorous reaction from me. I keep thinking it sounds like something you would see or hear on the Forth of July. Public watchdog groups have attempted to hold off this “coarsening of our culture” by encouraging the FCC to more vigorously regulate the few TV stations they still have some control over. Profanity on cable TV, satellite radio and the internet is virtually unregulated and much like spilled milk is all but impossible to put back at this point. Television writers and directors have argued as justification the need to “keep it real”. To a limited extent I see the value in this argument. If a character is shot and doubles over in pain, yelling out “Shucks” is going to make you feel like you are watching dirty Harry meets the Muppets. This is the raw or authentic component to many of the grittier stories on TV. My problem is I just don’t see the need to use this coarse language. One of the most maniacal characters of movie history was Cody Jarrett in “White Heat” (1949) played by James Cagney. There was never any doubt as to Cody Jarrett's ruthlessness or deranged behavior, yet no swear words were used. In the movie “Silences of the lambs” we meet Dr Hannibal Lecter who may well be the personification of evil. All this is communicated to us without the need to swear. One of my favorite movies of all time is “Shawshank Redemption”. Despite this drama being set in a prison with all the accepted abuses and violence, we can clearly discern the good and the evil without abrasive language. It should also be noted that “Shawshank Redemption” very effectively uses implied rather than actual violence in a manner that is similar to many of the movies of the 1930’s and 1940’s. So you may be wondering after all these rants why I am going down this path. My concern is that I simply find the use of this kind of language in public or private situations rude. Yep, years ago I was in the military and there was clearly no shortage of swearing going on there. The fact that it was common place in the military did not make it necessary or right. I can reflect now on the fact that much of the swearing I heard and did while in the military was nothing more than 18-19 year young men (maybe more like boys) naively believing that the more they cursed, the more manly they were. I am older now and I hope, a little bit wiser. When I speak now it is with the belief that I will be measured and remembered for my ability to communicate clearly, concisely and effectively. Additionally, I want to communicate in a manner that is accepted and respected in all strata of our society. In a similar vein I find it offense when being assaulted with abusive language. Whether my children are riding with me or not, much of the content in “drive-time” radio has moved me to only listening to my music CD’s. Watching television is something I don’t do much of anymore; some of this is lack of time and some is a simple lack of respect for the content. Did you notice that I used the word respect? Part of how most of us consciously or sub-consciously measure each other is by how we communicate. I find much of what I can see or hear on television offends me in the same manner as that rude person down the street who can’t ask for a cup of coffee at the local quick market without swearing at the person behind the counter. The spark that got my burners lit on this was a July 13, 2010 ruling by the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals which ruled that the FCC regulations regarding “fleeting” use of expletives violates the First Amendment because it is unconstitutionally vague. Some broadcasters and free-speech groups are surely welcoming the ruling. For most parents I know this is a slap in the face. There are many other family oriented groups that I am hopeful will push broadcasting through its sponsors to not make any significant changes in their content. There is nothing like a question over free speech to push a case all the way to the Supreme Court, and I am confident that is where for good or bad, this is likely to end up. How you communicate and how others communicate to you is often used as a measurement of each. I am really tired of being sworn at. I have come to realize that most of the swearing I did, or have heard is more about childish posturing than effective communication. This court ruling potentially opens the gates of rude language under the flag of free speech. I am hard pressed to believe that protecting someone right to swear is what the authors of our Constitution had in mind.
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