Write Lightning is a blog from writer Deb Thompson.
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Mon, Mar 15 2004
We Didn't Start The Fire
I've tuned into Howard Stern's show (and watched TV broadcasts of it) from time to time over the years, and it's basically not something I crave a steady diet of, but there are things about Stern's work ethics that I respect, and I'm smart enough to know that the man is very, very, very good at what he does on the air--not necessarily in the details, but in considering the whole genre of shock radio, including open satire and free discussion of subjects that some of us might shy away from. I've been trying to catch up on the recent row over the monetary fines being levied because of certain words or depictions or whatever it is "they" seem to be saying Stern is guilty of. And I've read other reports that claim the accusation of Stern's use of bathroom humor and sexual discussion is a smoke screen for his real sin, which is that of publicly using shock radio to send a little shock and awe of opinion to the man currently sitting in the Oval Office. I don't know enough about the details behind the scenes to say for certain why this has suddenly become such an issue. I do know that Howard Stern has been broadcasting controversial content on the airwaves for a number of years. It isn't as though he went from sitting in a long robe and reading the Gospel of John on the air to suddenly doing a strip act. This is not new stuff, people. And where have all these "prairie dog" proponents of clean airwaves been while other TV and radio shows broadcasted openly sexual, violent or "strong language" content that could just as well be labeled as indecent as anything Howard Stern broadcasts?
Some say the Janet Jackson incident at the last Super Bowl was the catalyst for all the moves to hush Howard. But Stern hasn't taken his act to the Super Bowl or interrupted Sesame Street. His work has always been placed in specific markets at specific times when people know exactly what type of content they'll be listening to.
Is Stern suddenly violating the First Amendment in some new way I never knew about before? I went back and checked the First Amendment. Has it changed? Not that I could see. Well, what about that other thing we always hear, about yelling fire in a crowded theater? You know, we often misquote that passage? It does not say "yelling fire in a crowded theater". The quote actually reads "falsely shouting fire in a theater and causing a panic".
Now, think about this for a moment. What possible thing could Howard Stern have done or said or shown all of a sudden that he's never done or said or shown before that resulted in something so indecent and offensive that it's now worthy of high fines and even removal of the show itself (in certain markets)? Is this a decency issue or a First Amendment issue? I'm still trying to figure this out. I'm not accusing the FCC of anything. I just want to know what the rules are, and why the rules only seem to apply at certain times to certain people after certain incidents that make it look very suspicious. I'm curious that way.
Bloggers, and that includes those of us who like our Bibles, are really not so different from Howard Stern in at least one respect. If we support demands to clean up public airwaves in a particular way at the expense of cornering our very own First Amendment rights we have no right to complain when someday our words or views that might conflict with some high official's views clash, and result in a crew of henchmen that come to take away our keyboards, our internet access and maybe even our particular favorite version of our beloved Bible because it might not be an interpretation of God that they approve of.
So can you shout fire all you want as long as The Powers That Be don't challenge you by saying it's a false fire? Is that it? Is that what they are accusing Howard Stern of doing? I don't know. I really don't. But if that is the issue, then we'd all better start shouting now, while we only smell a little smoke. If we wait for what we think is fire, it might be too late.
posted at: 11:30 | category: /Arts and Entertainment | link to this entry
I've tuned into Howard Stern's show (and watched TV broadcasts of it) from time to time over the years, and it's basically not something I crave a steady diet of, but there are things about Stern's work ethics that I respect, and I'm smart enough to know that the man is very, very, very good at what he does on the air--not necessarily in the details, but in considering the whole genre of shock radio, including open satire and free discussion of subjects that some of us might shy away from. I've been trying to catch up on the recent row over the monetary fines being levied because of certain words or depictions or whatever it is "they" seem to be saying Stern is guilty of. And I've read other reports that claim the accusation of Stern's use of bathroom humor and sexual discussion is a smoke screen for his real sin, which is that of publicly using shock radio to send a little shock and awe of opinion to the man currently sitting in the Oval Office. I don't know enough about the details behind the scenes to say for certain why this has suddenly become such an issue. I do know that Howard Stern has been broadcasting controversial content on the airwaves for a number of years. It isn't as though he went from sitting in a long robe and reading the Gospel of John on the air to suddenly doing a strip act. This is not new stuff, people. And where have all these "prairie dog" proponents of clean airwaves been while other TV and radio shows broadcasted openly sexual, violent or "strong language" content that could just as well be labeled as indecent as anything Howard Stern broadcasts?
Some say the Janet Jackson incident at the last Super Bowl was the catalyst for all the moves to hush Howard. But Stern hasn't taken his act to the Super Bowl or interrupted Sesame Street. His work has always been placed in specific markets at specific times when people know exactly what type of content they'll be listening to.
Is Stern suddenly violating the First Amendment in some new way I never knew about before? I went back and checked the First Amendment. Has it changed? Not that I could see. Well, what about that other thing we always hear, about yelling fire in a crowded theater? You know, we often misquote that passage? It does not say "yelling fire in a crowded theater". The quote actually reads "falsely shouting fire in a theater and causing a panic".
Now, think about this for a moment. What possible thing could Howard Stern have done or said or shown all of a sudden that he's never done or said or shown before that resulted in something so indecent and offensive that it's now worthy of high fines and even removal of the show itself (in certain markets)? Is this a decency issue or a First Amendment issue? I'm still trying to figure this out. I'm not accusing the FCC of anything. I just want to know what the rules are, and why the rules only seem to apply at certain times to certain people after certain incidents that make it look very suspicious. I'm curious that way.
Bloggers, and that includes those of us who like our Bibles, are really not so different from Howard Stern in at least one respect. If we support demands to clean up public airwaves in a particular way at the expense of cornering our very own First Amendment rights we have no right to complain when someday our words or views that might conflict with some high official's views clash, and result in a crew of henchmen that come to take away our keyboards, our internet access and maybe even our particular favorite version of our beloved Bible because it might not be an interpretation of God that they approve of.
So can you shout fire all you want as long as The Powers That Be don't challenge you by saying it's a false fire? Is that it? Is that what they are accusing Howard Stern of doing? I don't know. I really don't. But if that is the issue, then we'd all better start shouting now, while we only smell a little smoke. If we wait for what we think is fire, it might be too late.
posted at: 11:30 | category: /Arts and Entertainment | link to this entry
