Today's Supreme Court decision brought to you by the letter "f" and "s"

**Pixie** · November 5th, 2008, 04:52 PM

High court conservatives favor indecency rule
U.S. Solicitor General says the strict regulation of broadcast TV preserves a 'safety zone' for families with children.
By David G. Savage
November 5, 2008

Reporting from Washington -- For the first time in 30 years, the Supreme Court took up the issue of indecency on television and radio broadcasts Tuesday, and its leading conservatives made clear they would like to uphold an official crackdown on the use of expletives during daytime and early evening hours.

U.S. Solicitor General Gregory G. Garre said the strict regulation of broadcast TV preserved it as a "safety zone" for families with children, particularly in an era of unrestrained free-speech rules on the Internet and on cable and satellite TV. "Broadcast TV is the one place where Americans can turn on the TV at 8 o'clock and . . . not expected to be bombarded with indecent language," he said.

He was defending a 4-year-old policy of the Federal Communication Commission to impose heavy fines on broadcasters who put on the air even a single expletive. He referred to the banned language as "the F-word" and "the S-word."

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedi...,5166091.story

**Athena** · November 5th, 2008, 05:07 PM

Weak.

If you don't like something on TV, change the channel or turn it off. This is nothing more than puritanical sensitivities legislating entertainment. There will ALWAYS be a market for "clean" entertainment...So what's the problem? Since when has it been a *right* for a person to channel surf without being offended? We can see nudity, sexuality and gore but can't hear "fuck" or "shit"? Kids hear worse on the goddamn playground.

**Pixie** · November 5th, 2008, 05:14 PM

Agreed! Hence, the Sesame Street reference.

**Sister Iroz** · November 5th, 2008, 05:22 PM

If you don't like something on TV, change the channel or turn it off. This is nothing more than puritanical sensitivities legislating entertainment. There will ALWAYS be a market for "clean" entertainment...So what's the problem? Since when has it been a *right* for a person to channel surf without being offended? We can see nudity, sexuality and gore but can't hear "fuck" or "shit"? Kids hear worse on the goddamn playground.

TOTALLY agree Athena but want to add I bet you they hear worse sometimes from there own parents. Honestly, mine have before, it just slips out :)

**Sister Iroz** · November 5th, 2008, 05:23 PM

Sorry Athena and Pixie out of thanks.

**Athena** · November 5th, 2008, 05:35 PM

Oh, I know, Pixie...it was a great reference. I hadn't even seen this article today and got the gist of it before I even opened the thread. :P

Special - My mom had a mouth like a bloody sailor, and I'm okay...I just cuss a lot. ;) I don't think there's a study showing that simply hearing obscenities impact a child's emotional stability unless they're directed AT them. :P

**Pixie** · November 5th, 2008, 06:07 PM

Originally Posted by Athena

Oh, I know, Pixie...it was a great reference. I hadn't even seen this article today and got the gist of it before I even opened the thread. :P

Special - My mom had a mouth like a bloody sailor, and I'm okay...I just cuss a lot. ;) I don't think there's a study showing that simply hearing obscenities impact a child's emotional stability unless they're directed AT them. :P

My kids are watching a Spongebob episode where Mr. Crabs teaches them the 13 words you cannot use. It really drives this point home.

**blue_zombie** · November 5th, 2008, 09:27 PM

One thing I noticed on my drive home this evening, was that radio stations bleep out any references to drugs or getting high. But shit, bitch, goddamn, are still completely acceptable. You can also discuss sex on the radio, your political point of view, you can call in with crude humor and dirty jokes, but you can't discuss drugs. We have songs about women being submissive and nothing more than objects, we have songs about death and dismemberment, songs about war and killing, but you can't talk about drugs. Didn't make a lot of sense to me.

I agree that if you don't like it, change it. However, if we're going to have standards, how are you going to draw the line between what's "approrpriate" and what isn't? Who's moral guidelines are going to be followed? And how does that affect our right to free speech? Shouldn't parents be monitoring what their children are doing? Or are we going to let the government dictate the rearing of our children now too?

**michelle** · November 5th, 2008, 09:51 PM

Quote by Mr. Carlin:

There are 400,000 words in the English language, and there are seven you can’t say on television. What a ratio that is! 399,993 to 7. They must really be baaaad. They must be OUTRAGEOUS to be separated from a group that large. “All of you words over here, you seven….baaaad words.” That’s what they told us, right? …You know the seven, don’t ya? That you can’t say on TV? Shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker and tits.

There is no bad language, only bad thoughts!!!

I loved George Carlin. RIP. Rock on Libertarians and real free speech!
Of course with taste and concern for kids.!