George Carlin on Pacifica Radio
- Artist/Author/Producer: George Carlin
- Confronting Bodies: Federal Communications Commission
- Dates of action: 1973
- Location: California
- Description of the Art Work
- The comedian George Carlin in a 12 minute long monologue aired on
Pacifica radio used in his own words; "the words you couldn對 say on the
public, uh, airwaves, um those ones you wouldnユt say ever." In his
monologue he repeated, analyzed and discussed words banned from the
airwaves by the FCC the words were: shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker,
motherfucker, tits, fart, turd, cock, ass, and twat.
- Description of incident
-
The FCC applied its own regulations concerning indecency and obscenity to
prevent any "obscene, indecent, or profane language by means of radio
communications." The FCC imposed sanctions on Pacifica. The radio station
in turn protested to the courts that the words, and the monologue, were
constitutionally protected. In 1978 the Supreme Court said it was okay
for the FCC to punish Pacifica for broadcasting the seven dirty words
during a time when children were likely to be in the audience.
- Results of incident
- "..In disciplining Pacifica, the FCC relied on a definition of indecency
as "language that describes, in terms patently offensive as measured by
contemporary community standards for the broadcast of the medium, sexual
or excretory activities or organs." With only minor changes this is
still the government's indecency standard: its definition of material
that broadcasters must channel to a "safe harbor" nighttime period when
it is likely that children will be listening." Sex, Sin , and Blasphemy,
Marjorie Heins, pg. 26
Source: Sex, Sin and Blasphemy, Marjorie Heins, New Press,'93,NYC
