THIS IS NOT ANOTHER BASEBALL POST. This is a First Amendment situation.Today, the Supreme Court will begin hearing a case regarding the FCC and their rules on "fleeting expletives."
Essentially, the case revolves around U2 singer (and new New York Times columnist) Bono. During the 2002 Golden Globes Award ceremony, which was broadcast live, he said, "This is really, really, fucking brilliant. Really, really great."
The FCC warned NBC, who broadcast the awards, that they could be fined in the future if something like this happened again. And they could face two years in prison.
Should Chase Utley go to prison for his "fleeting expletive" during the Phillies World Series celebration? Or is the FCC just trying to ruin the new Phillies dynasty?
14 comments:
It's ridiculous. It's just a word. There are countries where swearing on television is perfectly OK. Also, it was said in a moment of extreme excitement...they had just won the world series after all, so he probably didn't have total control over what he was saying. I could understand a fine perhaps, but two years in prison? That's pretty harsh.
Whoa, we don't use the D-word!
And fuck the FCC. Things happen on live TV thats why it is LIVE TV. Utley will never spend time in jail or there will be some crazy riots.
Freedom of speech.
First off, I say FUCK Bono. Everything about the guy sucks including his shit band. South Park was right on when they said he needs to be the king of everything. Who the hell gave him a position in the New York Times? Are they trying to contribute to the increasing wariness of trust of the media? If highly educated journalists are being questioned on their expertise how the hell do they think having Bono write for one of the most significant media outlets in the country is going to make the situation any better? Wow.
Anyway, I think that it's quite different when an expletive is said out of excitment for such a huge event as winning the World Series for the first time in 30 years. I'm sure it's quite likely that if there were children watching this, there parents were going nuts, too. However, there was really no reason for Bono to use the F-bomb in the context he did. Especially at such a dignified ceremony, an icon of his stature should be more cautious. Using the word did not make his statement anymore powerful, it likely did the opposite.
How do we decide when this is okay to say, though? That's a good question. While I don't believe things like this need to be said on public broadcast television, depending on the situation I think a bit of leniency should be given to certain offenders.
Barack just won. Good times.
Regardless of all the people that desire censorship and everything, that Utley comment was historic. Whether it should be can be argued, but it was truly an amazing moment. I remember my dad told me that he read an article stating that if the Phillies do not win the World Series in the next fifty years, "World ****ing Series" will be one of the most defining moments of this championship run. It certainly is. The stadium went nuts; it did not seem like there was a lot of angry faces after he said it. Time in jail, or any consequence is just not warranted. Parenting as a whole has been decreasing in quality over the years for focusing on basically irrelavent things like vulgarity of language.
The Phillies are 2008 World Champions of Baseball.
Barack just won. Good times.
Regardless of all the people that desire censorship and everything, that Utley comment was historic. Whether it should be can be argued, but it was truly an amazing moment. I remember my dad told me that he read an article stating that if the Phillies do not win the World Series in the next fifty years, "World ****ing Series" will be one of the most defining moments of this championship run. It certainly is. The stadium went nuts; it did not seem like there was a lot of angry faces after he said it. Time in jail, or any consequence is just not warranted. Parenting as a whole has been decreasing in quality over the years for focusing on basically irrelavent things like vulgarity of language.
The Phillies are 2008 World Champions of Baseball.
I say FUCK the FCC.
Times have changed, the majority of the country probably uses the "f-word" has the "the" in their sentences now a days when happy, angry, etc etc. It is just a word. Children hear their parents say it more than they hear it on TV, and worse things are said and shown on the television than one little word.
Two years in jail, how about we save that jail space for people that.. gasp.. commit crimes.
fuck the FCC is right, and this country's bullshit...
Our prison population is already sky high, it's so overpopulated that these fucktard risk analysts can decide to let an ex-offender out after he was jailed for shooting someone in the knee caps, and it' ok...because they need to make room for the people convicted of drug charges...and aparentllly...people who happen to use the F word, after winning a god damn world championship. Our country needs to focus on other things...like our road to the next great depression...let parents monitor their little ingrates.
two words.. fuck no. LOL, okay, no need to be vulgar. But if Janet Jackson and Justin didn`t need to go to prison for "offending" me with a little nip action, I think they can let Utley go. I mean come on, it`s Chase Utley. I`m an aspiring lawyer, and if I represented him in court, I`d defend him by calling it a "spontaneous utterance", (or are they excited utterances?) I believe that`s what they`re called anyway. It was by no means harmful to anyone.
Idiots should have been using a delay...They use it for everything else. I can assure you that if another hometown wins a championship they will have standards ready to go.
I can see the broadcasting company being fined, but putting the person in jail is ridiculous. He probably figured they had a censor set up and it is freedom of speech.
I think that the FCC needs to get over it. LOL quite simple I know but the simple fact is sometimes you have to say this "f bomb" (lol) just to relay how you feel. LOOK AT THE CROWD! They loved it! When he said world Champions without the word it wasn't near as exciting. I mean yeah there could be kids watching but there's also kids watching when they show a man and a woman in bed together at 8pm on NBC as well. I think that it wasn't the smartest idea, but it definitely shouldn't be so crucial. The media is supposed to be FOR the people. So if majority don't care, why should anyone else?
Can he really go to jail? When he said it I was so shocked but I just think it summed up how he was feeling. That day, the Phillies were on top of the world and he probably didn't think twice about saying it. You can't blame the guy for getting caught up in the moment! Plus, after it happened the station appoligized for his comment. It happened and there is no use complaining about something that can't be changed.
Chase Utley's comment embodied how he and the rest of the stadium felt on that day. One day after being crowned as World Series Champions is when the idea of being the best team in the world really sets in. Chase Utley has said and done the right thing for the Phillies this entire season and to see and hear him say that really shows how much it meant to him. Of course the word offended people, but if the situation is taken into account it should be excused. My bias as a Phillies fan is obvious, but I'm sure plenty of other open minded people feel this way.
The FCC are hating on Chase Utley big time. This is not someone dropping an F-bomb on a daily basis for attention, this is an individual who has fulfilled his childhood fantasy. I am sure that all athletes can understand the excitement and adrenaline that one may feel after a regular season win, but Chase Utley uttered the taboo word after winning THE WORLD SERIES!!! The city of Philadelphia has waited years for a philadelphia sports team to end on top. The FCC needs to realize that this is a rugged, raw, grimey, city and although people may be offended life goes on. Is it really necessary to send one of the greatest athletes in Philadelphia Phillies history to jail for one word. A two year jail sentence for chase utley for saying one word is absolutely ridiculous! The folks at the FCC need to go after people who drop F*** bombs left and right, and take away from the integrity of a program, chase utley is a hero for the city of Philadelphia, and it is unnacceptable for the FCC to give him anything more than a fine. Did that one word ruin someone's life? What would a two year jail sentence do to chase utley? Is it worth it to encarcerate chase? Is he really endangering our society with his dirty, not so dirty mouth?
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