NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Seven dirty words

The seven dirty words are seven English words comedian George Carlin listed in his monologue "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television", released in 1972 on his album Class Clown. At the time, the words were generally considered highly inappropriate and unsuitable for use on the public airwaves in the United States, particularly on over-the-air television and AM/FM radio stations. Current practice is to allow the statement to stand but bleep censor the actual word. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... George Denis Patrick Carlin[15] (born May 12, 1937) is a Grammy-winning American stand-up comedian, actor, and author. ... A monologue, pronounced monolog, is a speech made by one person speaking his or her thoughts aloud or directly addressing a reader, audience, or character. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... When George Carlin released Class Clown in 1972, he was relatively well known for tame satirical routines about the entertainment industry. ... AM broadcasting is radio broadcasting using Amplitude Modulation. ... The abbreviations FM, Fm, and fm may refer to: Electrical engineering Frequency modulation (FM) and its most common applications: FM broadcasting, used primarily to broadcast music and speech at VHF frequencies FM synthesis, a sound-generation technique popularized by early digital synthesizers Science Femtometre (fm), an SI measure of length... A bleep censor (or bleeping) is the replacement of verbal profanity with a beep sound (usually a ), in television or radio. ...

On his next album, 1973's Occupation: Foole, Carlin did a similar routine titled "Filthy Words," dealing with the same list and many of the same themes. This version was broadcast uncensored by Pacifica radio station WBAI, which eventually led to a Supreme Court case, FCC v. Pacifica Foundation (1978), that helped define acceptable free speech limits on broadcast television and radio in the United States. Pacifica Radio Network. ... WBAI, a part of the Pacifica Radio Network, is a non-commercial, listener-supported radio station, broadcasting at 99. ... Holding Because of the pervasive nature of broadcasting, it has less First Amendment protection than other forms of communication. ...

History

In 1972, comedian George Carlin was arrested for disturbing the peace when he performed the "Seven Dirty Words" at a show at Summerfest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 1973, Carlin recorded a monologue known as "Filthy Words" containing seven obscenities. The Pacifica radio station WBAI-FM broadcast it uncensored on October 30 of the same year. John Douglas, who was driving in the car with his son, heard the broadcast and complained to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) because he was unhappy his son had heard it.^[1] Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Summerfest poster for 2004 Summerfest (also known as The Big Gig) is a yearly music festival held at the 75 acre Henry Maier Festival Park along the lakefront in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. ... This article is about Milwaukee in Wisconsin. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... Profanity is a word choice or usage which its audience considers to be offensive. ... The WBAI studios on the 10th floor of 120 Wall Street, Manhattan WBAI is a non-commercial, listener sponsored New York radio station, located at 99. ... is the 303rd day of the year (304th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... FCC redirects here. ...

Following the lodging of the complaint, the FCC proceeded to ask Pacifica for a response, then issued a declaratory order upholding the complaint. No specific sanctions were included in the order, but WBAI was put on notice that "in the event subsequent complaints are received, the Commission will then decide whether it should utilize any of the available sanctions it has been granted by Congress."

Pacifica appealed this decision, which was overturned by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The FCC in turn appealed to the Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of the FCC (see: FCC v. Pacifica Foundation 438 U.S. 726 (1978) and First Amendment Library entry on the case). The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, known informally as the D.C. Circuit, is the federal appellate court for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. ... The Supreme Court of the United States (sometimes colloquially referred to by the acronym SCOTUS[1]) is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. ... Holding Because of the pervasive nature of broadcasting, it has less First Amendment protection than other forms of communication. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ...

This decision formally established indecency regulation in American broadcasting. In follow-up rulings, the Supreme Court clarified that the words might be acceptable under certain circumstances, particularly at times when children would not be expected to be in the audience.^[2]^[3]

Later, Carlin referred to three additional "auxiliary" words: This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Manneken Pis of Brussels. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Cunt is an English language vulgarism most commonly used in reference to vulva or vagina and, more generally, the pubis, from the mons veneris to the perineum. ... Fellatio is oral sex performed upon the male human penis. ... // Motherfucker (also existing in contracted forms e. ... For other uses, see Breast (disambiguation). ...

In his comedy special Again!, Carlin commented that at one point, a man asked him to remove motherfucker, because as a derivative of fuck, it constituted a duplication.^[4] He later added it back, claiming the bit's rhythm doesn't work without it.^[4] Carlin didn't believe that tits should be on the list because it sounds like a nickname or a snack ("...corn tits, 'n' cheeze tits, 'n' tater tits"). This article is about the word fart itself. ... Horse feces Feces, faeces, or fÃ¦ces (see spelling differences) is a waste product from an animals digestive tract expelled through the anus (or cloaca) during defecation. ... Look up Twat in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

In 1983's Carlin at Carnegie comedy special, Carlin expanded the list even further, reading a newly compiled list of over 200 dirty words from an oversized scroll. Carlin at Carnegie is George Carlins third special to be seen on HBO, recorded at Carnegie Hall, New York City in 1982, released in 1983. ...

Those words on Carlin's original list that are not directly related to sexual intercourse or sex have since been used to some degree on broadcast television in the United States. The word tits was uttered on the first episode of The Trials of Rosie O'Neill in 1990, sparking some controversy. It's been also uttered more recently in the popular Jimmy Kimmel video, I'm fucking Ben Affleck, in which Ben Affleck utters, "Hey Sarah, he's got bigger tits", which originally aired on the After Oscar special of the ABC show Jimmy Kimmel Live after the 80th Annual Academy Awards, all without incident. The word piss (usually used in the context of the phrase "pissed off") has been commonplace since the 1980s. The word shit has been heard on rare occasions, such as an episode of Chicago Hope, the season eight episode of ER in which Dr. Mark Greene dies, and, perhaps most prominently, in the South Park episode "It Hits the Fan". Producers have often implied the word fuck, although usually obscuring the word with a background sound effect. On cable channels (such as Fox Networks' cable channel FX), words like Cocksucker are more common, but because this is pay-for-tv via cable or satellite, it is generally more allowed than on broadcast television. One of Carlin's later additions to the list, fart, is also used frequently. Turd is regularly used both on Network and Cable TV, though in performance Carlin explained you can say it, "but who wants to?". It has been suggested that Duration of sexual intercourse be merged into this article or section. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Trials of Rosie ONeill was an American television drama series, which aired on CBS from 1990 to 1992. ... James Christian Jimmy Kimmel (born November 13, 1967) is an American comedian, writer, talk show host, game show host, and producer. ... For the American cement businessman, see B. F. Affleck. ... The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American television network. ... Jimmy Kimmel Live is a late-night talk show in the United States created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, broadcast from the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California. ... Chicago Hope was a popular CBS drama series created by David E. Kelley that ran from September 18, 1994 to May 4, 2000. ... ER is an Emmy-winning American serial medical drama created by novelist Michael Crichton and set primarily in the emergency room of fictional County General Hospital in Cook County, Chicago, Illinois. ... This article is about the TV series. ... It Hits the Fan is the 66th episode of the animated series South Park, or the first-broadcast episode of the fifth season (second in sequence, with Scott Tenorman Must Die being the first episode in sequence, which was delayed for several weeks). ... Fellatio is oral sex performed upon the male human penis. ...

In 1969, Esquire Magazine published an article by Ethel Grodzins Romm entitled "**** Is No Longer a Dirty Word". This article listed seven four-letter words that could not be used in English-language publications, including dictionaries. The words included arse, piss, shit, fuck, cunt, cock and fart.^[5] August 2005 issue of Esquire Esquire is a mens magazine by the Hearst Corporation. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

FCC regulations regarding obscenities on broadcast media

During the court case over Carlin's monologue, the United States Supreme Court established in the Pacifica decision the safe harbor provision that grants broadcasters the right to broadcast indecent (but not obscene) material between the hours of 10 PM and 6 AM, when children are thought not to be awake. Thus, the FCC has mainly been concerned with indecent content shown or heard between 6 AM and 10 PM. The FCC has never maintained a specific list of words prohibited from the airways during this time period, but has maintained general guidelines regarding obscenities.^[6] The seven dirty words had been assumed to be likely to elicit indecency related action by the FCC if uttered on a TV or radio broadcast, and thus the broadcast networks generally censor themselves with regard to many of the seven dirty words. While most of the original seven dirty words are still viewed as inappropriate for broadcast television and radio (based on previous actions by the FCC), the words tits and piss are generally no longer deemed unacceptable for broadcast over public airwaves during restricted hours in the United States. Holding Because of the pervasive nature of broadcasting, it has less First Amendment protection than other forms of communication. ... For other uses, see Safe harbor (disambiguation). ... A dictionary definition of Indecent not conforming with accepted standards of behaviour or morality. ... Obscenity has several connotations. ...

The FCC has often looked at the context of the use of a word when judging whether it is objectionable. This has at times led to controversy, such as when a bureau of the FCC deemed the utterance of the word fucking (as an intensive) in January 2003 at the live Golden Globe Awards broadcast by Bono, the front man for the band U2, not indecent under its criteria since they said that under the context of its use, it was not intended to describe or depict sexual and excretory activities and organs.^[7] The full FCC, however, later reversed the decision in early 2004, though a fine against Bono has not yet been levied. intensive refers to an act that is done repetitively or with much force. ... The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and television programs, given out each year during a formal dinner. ... For other uses, see Bono (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Irish rock band. ...

The differentiation between indecent and obscene material is a particularly difficult one, and a contentious First Amendment issue that has not fully been settled. Similarly, the level of offense (if any) generated by a profane word or phrase depends on region, context, and audience. A dictionary definition of Indecent not conforming with accepted standards of behaviour or morality. ... Obscenity has several connotations. ... â€œFirst Amendmentâ€ redirects here. ... In cartoons, profanity is often depicted by substituting symbols for words, as a form of non-specific censorship. ...

In recent years, letter-writing campaigns engineered by American Evangelical Christian groups have drawn attention to the issue of indecency in television. In some cases, thousands of complaints have been received by the FCC, particularly in situations in which children have been exposed to questionable material during restricted hours, at which time it is estimated children are watching.

The FCC does not directly target the networks. Only the stations carrying a network's programming are licensed. Since most of the networks own some of the stations that carry their programming, these stations can be fined, as a way of indirectly fining the network.

The seven dirty words and cable television

The FCC obscenity guidelines have never been applied to non-broadcast media such as cable television or satellite radio. It is widely held that the FCC's authorizing legislation (particularly the Communications Act of 1934 and the Telecommunications Act of 1996) does not enable the FCC to regulate content on subscription-based services, which include cable television, satellite television, and pay-per-view television. Whether the FCC or the Department of Justice could be empowered by Congress to restrict indecent content on cable television without such legislation violating the Constitution has never been settled by a court of law. Since cable television must be subscribed to in order to receive it legally, it has long been thought that ability of subscribers who object to the content being delivered to cancel their subscription creates an incentive for the cable operators to self-regulate. (Unlike broadcast television, cable television is not legally considered to be "pervasive," nor does it depend on a scarce, government-allocated electromagnetic spectrum; as such, neither of the arguments buttressing the case for broadcast regulation particularly apply to cable television.) FCC redirects here. ... Cable TV redirects here. ... // A satellite radio or subscription radio (SR) is a digital radio signal that is broadcast by a communications satellite, which covers a much wider geographical range than terrestrial radio signals. ... The Communications Act of 1934 was a United States federal law enacted as Public Law Number 416, Act of June 19, 1934, ch. ... The Telecommunications Act of 1996[1] was the first major overhaul of United States telecommunications law in nearly 62 years, amending the Communications Act of 1934, and leading to media consolidation. ... The subscription business model is a business model that has long been used by magazines and record clubs, but the application of this model is spreading. ... Cable TV redirects here. ... Satellite television is television delivered by way of communications satellites, as compared to conventional terrestrial television and cable television. ... Pay-per-view is the name given to a system by which television viewers can call and order events to be seen on TV and pay for the private telecast of that event to their homes later. ... The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) is a Cabinet department in the United States government designed to enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans. ... The Congress of the United States is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States of America. ... Page I of the Constitution of the United States of America Page II of the United States Constitution Page III of the United States Constitution Page IV of the United States Constitution The Syng inkstand, with which the Constitution was signed The Constitution of the United States is the supreme... Although some radiations are marked as N for no in the diagram, some waves do in fact penetrate the atmosphere, although extremely minimally compared to the other radiations The electromagnetic (EM) spectrum is the range of all possible electromagnetic radiation. ... Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and/or video signals which transmit programs to an audience. ...

However, as of 2005, some living in the United States have begun to call for FCC regulation of subscription-based television and radio. One argument for such regulation is that in more rural areas of the United States, it may be impossible to receive more than a bare minimum of broadcast television stations "over the air," and as such not having a cable or satellite subscription is tantamount to having no television at all for residents of these areas. This and other arguments have been made (among others) by Randy Short of the American Family Association. (See also 'The Connection', National Public Radio, 2005-04-12) Sign in a rural area in Dalarna, Sweden Qichun, a rural town in Hubei province, China Rural areas (also referred to as the country, countryside) are settled places outside towns and cities. ... Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and/or video signals which transmit programs to an audience. ... The American Family Association (AFA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that promotes conservative Christian values. ...

Self-regulation by many basic cable networks is undertaken by Standards & Practices (S&P) departments which self-censor their programming due to the pressure put on them by advertisers – also meaning that any basic cable network willing to ignore such pressure could use any of the "seven dirty words." Basic Cable is the sketch comedy show on Boston College Campus. ... For the professional wrestling tag team, see Lenny and Lodi. ... Self-censorship is the act of censoring and/or classifying ones own book(s), film(s), or other kind of art to avoid offending others without an authority pressuring them to do so. ... Computer programming (often simply programming) is the craft of implementing one or more interrelated abstract algorithms using a particular programming language to produce a concrete computer program. ... Generally speaking, advertising is the paid promotion of goods, services, companies and ideas by an identified sponsor. ...

Some networks have already allowed the use of some of the words in shows such as Comedy Central's South Park episode "It Hits the Fan," during which shit is uttered 162 times in one half hour (a counter was provided at the bottom of the screen). The series also uses the words tits, turd, and piss on many occasions. Comedy Central also has established a "Secret Stash" timeslot after 1:00 AM ET on weekends, when it will air material such as the R-rated films South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999) and Kevin Smith's Clerks. (1994), or performances by comedians, including Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Sarah Silverman, and Carlin himself, without censoring the language. However, despite their advertising that the broadcasts are "uncensored", images of nudity are blurred most of the time. (An exception was Rodney Carrington's 2007 Comedy Central special, which featured women flashing the camera unedited.) Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel in the United States. ... This article is about the TV series. ... It Hits the Fan is the 66th episode of the animated series South Park, or the first-broadcast episode of the fifth season (second in sequence, with Scott Tenorman Must Die being the first episode in sequence, which was delayed for several weeks). ... Eastern Standard Time redirects here. ... The MPAA film rating system is a system used in the United States and territories and instituted by the Motion Picture Association of America to rate a movie based on its content. ... South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut is a 1999 motion picture based on the cartoon television series of South Park. ... This article is about the American screenwriter, film director, actor and comic book writer. ... Clerks. ... Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor III (December 1, 1940 â€“ December 10, 2005) was an American comedian, actor, and writer. ... Edward Regan Eddie Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe-, Screen Actors Guild Award-winning American actor, film director, producer and comedian. ... Christopher Julius Rock III[5] (born February 7, 1965)[6][7] is an Emmy Award winning American comedian, actor, screenwriter, television producer, film producer and director. ... Sarah Kate Silverman (born December 1, 1970) is an American comedian, writer, and actor. ... Nude redirects here. ... An image that is partially in focus, but mostly out of focus in varying degrees. ... Rodney Carrington (October 19, 1968 in Longview, Texas) is an American stand-up comic and comic country musician- not to be confused with hot country star Rodney Atkins. ... Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel in the United States. ...

Likewise, Turner Classic Movies will also air movies which contain strong language (a frequent example would be A Few Good Men) after midnight without censoring. Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is a cable television channel featuring commercial-free classic movies, mostly from the Turner Entertainment and Warner Bros. ... A Few Good Men, a play by Aaron Sorkin, was acclaimed on Broadway and was subsequently made into a successful film in 1992. ...

Other countries

In many other countries, such as Australia, and to a lesser extent the United Kingdom, this practice does not stand and these statements are allowed on air unaltered, but are instead subject to a system of self regulation, whereby the intended audience and timeslot of the program are taken into account when fomulating profanity policies. For example, the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation, one of the two public broadcasters in Australia) rarely broadcasts these words on its Classic FM radio station, whereas on Triple J, its youth radio station, these words freely pass and are rarely censored. In the UK on both TV and Radio there is a watershed which occurs at 2100 hours. Prior to that time content is expected to be generally 'suitable for all audiences' although it is hard to find a concrete definition of what is suitable, and after 9:00 p.m. essentially anything goes. This censorship is applied to both audio and video in respect of the various taboo subjects, particularly concerning sex and drug related activities. As the broadcasters operate in a legislated but fundamentally self regulated environment, there tends to be a correlation between the lateness of the programmes and the 'maturity' of the content. These words have been 'acceptable' in broadcasting in the UK for at least 20 years, and the censorship described here simply does not happen. In some countries, like Sweden, there is no censorship at all, and one could use the word fuck in a children's program in the middle of the afternoon — as has happened without incident.^{[citation needed]} In the modern English-speaking world, the word fuck is often considered highly offensive. ...

Pop-culture references

The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... See also: Family Reunion (sociology) Family Reunion is a 35 second song by blink-182 consisting mostly of profanity. ... This article is about the series. ... Production Order Sailor Mouth is a SpongeBob SquarePants episode from season two. ... Squidward Tentacles Squidward Johannsen Tentacles is a fictional character in the animated cartoon television show SpongeBob SquarePants. ... Eugene H. Krabs (or simply Mr. ... This article is about The Simpsons episode. ... Simpsons redirects here. ... Krusty redirects here. ... That 70s Show is an American television sitcom that centered on the lives of a group of teenagers living in the fictional town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 17, 1976 to December 31, 1979. ... For other meanings of DJ, see DJ (disambiguation). ... This article is about the TV series. ... It Hits the Fan is the 66th episode of the animated series South Park, or the first-broadcast episode of the fifth season (second in sequence, with Scott Tenorman Must Die being the first episode in sequence, which was delayed for several weeks). ... A rune stone Rune stones are somewhat flat standing stones with runic stone carvings from the Iron Age (Viking Age) and early middle ages found in most parts of Scandinavia. ... For other uses, see Asshole (disambiguation). ... Wikibooks Cookbook has an article on Mee krob Mee krob (Thai: ) is a Thai dish; the name literally means crispy noodles. It is made with rice noodles and a sauce that is predominantly sweet but can be balanced with an acidic flavor, usually lemon or lime. ... Eric Theodore Cartman, commonly referred to by his family name, Cartman, is one of the four main characters in the animated series South Park (the others being Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Kenny McCormick). ... This article is about the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... This article is a biography of Howard Stern as an individual; for information regarding his radio show see The Howard Stern Show. ... This article is about the 1997 film. ... Everybody Hates Chris is an Emmy Award-nominated American sitcom broadcast on the The CW, featuring fictional characters and situations broadly based on real people and situations. ... Bullshit! (also known as Penn & Teller: Bullshit!) is an American, Emmy-nominated documentary television series, running since 2003 on the premium cable channel Showtime. ... XM may stand for: XM Satellite Radio, a United States broadcasting company. ... The Colbert Report (â€”the Ts are silent in Colbert and Report) is an American satirical television program that airs from 11:30 p. ... Dr. Stephen T. Colbert, D.F.A. (pronounced ) is the fictional persona of political satirist Stephen Colbert, portrayed most notably on The Colbert Report. ...

Contents

History

FCC regulations regarding obscenities on broadcast media

The seven dirty words and cable television

Other countries

Pop-culture references

See also

References

External links

Contents

History GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

FCC regulations regarding obscenities on broadcast media

The seven dirty words and cable television

Other countries

Pop-culture references

See also

References

External links

History