S word out and other stuff

I didn't know that the S word couldn't be broadcast in the US. Apparently the Federal Communications Commission has banned it;

This spring, the FCC declared s-words, like f-words before them, to be a step beyond merely “indecent.” Now they are “profane.” That means that these “most offensive words in the English language” will “provoke violent resentment,” and that uttering them on the public airwaves is as good as guaranteed to be punished.

But the President uses it.

And so the FCC now censors and chills political speech—even that of the president, for most broadcast outlets did choose to bleep him for fear of fines. Mind you, the commission does recognize some constitutionally protected speech. That is why it has not ruled racial or religious epithets to be profane: because those words can be political. In the FCC’s skewed logic, then, the n-word is political speech but BS is not.

It took me a while to figure out what the N word is.

So whose community standards is the FCC upholding? The FCC says all America is provoked to “violent resentment” over bullshit. Well, bullshit. Show me the man, woman, or, yes, child in a schoolyard who has not uttered the word. Search Google, and you will find 32 million bullshits. Bullshit is part of our language, culture, and politics. The FCC is not enforcing the nation’s community standards. It is enforcing the taboos of a few religious pressure groups.

I'm pretty sure the S word is allowable here. In fact I think have used the long form of BS on radio....then again, I am more likely to use the word 'bollocks'. In relating what another person had said, I was hesitating over using the P word the other day, but the host said it for me. Here are the published guidelines for radio broadcasters;

1a Broadcasters will take into consideration current norms of decency and good taste in language and behaviour bearing in mind the context in which any language or behaviour occurs and the wider context of the broadcast eg time of day, target audience.

Which reminds me. Lindsay Perigo is standing in for John Tamihere on the Tamihere/Jackson Radio Live show. Jackson, left-wing, unionist, ex-Alliance MP described Perigo yesterday as a "right-wing, fascist."

Doubtless together they will be pushing the boundaries of decency and good taste. Generally I prefer NewstalkZB because of professionals like Justin du Fresne and Larry Williams. On Radio Live some hosts are never happier than when they are slagging each other off. Bad taste.