Opie and Anthony just got in trouble on XM Satellite Radio for having an open conversation about sex with Laura Bush, Condoleezza Rice and Queen Elizabeth. Apparently there was violent imagery involved as well. That part is unacceptable. I'm not going to get into what the ramifications of that should be and if an apology fixes the situation.
So, this is not a judgment on XM's actions in this case, since there was a different number of issues involved. For the rest of this post, I will discuss just the sexual part of the conversation, not the part involving violence, which has a different standard -- and should.
I want to make two points about open sexual talk on-air. First, context matters. They are on satellite radio and I view that as a free speech zone. There is a rating system for parents and parental blocking system on XM. Those are responsible precautions. Because of that and the fact that it is a for-pay system, they should be allowed to have a very, wide range on any and all discussions. They can be completely racist, sexist or any other damn thing they please. As long as they don't advocate outright violence in a way that is clearly illegal, I think it is imperative that we have places where people can speak completely freely.
You never know where speech takes you sometimes. And what seems like horribly offensive speech might open up very necessary dialogue and allow you to talk about issues that are buried and not discussed in the open nearly enough. We need to have a place where adults talk without fearing offense. If you are offended, be an adult and turn the channel.
We can't censor everything based on the lowest common denominator of sensitivity. This applies to conservative thought, liberal thought or completely non-political thought. You don't need the concept of freedom of speech to protect pleasant speech, you need it to protect speech that might be and is offensive to some.
Second, talking about sex with public officials should be completely inside the bounds on satellite radio. We used to do it all the time when we were exclusively on Sirius Satellite Radio (we are now in national syndication on local radio stations and XM satellite radio). We would often ask questions like (don't read further if you are easily offended by the idea of sex): Who would you rather do: Laura Bush or Condoleezza Rice?
So what? I honestly don't see what the big deal about that is. People ask questions like that while joking around in real life, all the time. We don't do it anymore on local radio because the situation there has gotten hyper-sensitive. But on our website, we would still do it (we definitely consider our site a free speech zone, don't go if you are not an adult or are going to easily get offended).
If your kid can read this online, he or she can watch the most graphic porn anyone has ever seen with just as much ease. The internet has broken down all barriers of civility and indecency. We have to start teaching kids to learn how to deal with this stuff instead of trying to shield them from it. It's not going to work, no matter how much you want it to.
So, a kid who has seen donkeys having sex is not going to have their fragile psyche shattered by the idea of Queen Elizabeth having sex. If they can hear Opie and Anthony talking about it, they could probably see a simulation of it somewhere on the internet. Shutting down shock jocks wouldn't even begin to address the problem (if you think it's a problem).
And if you're an adult, you need to be able to tolerate adult conversations. You don't have to listen to it, but you shouldn't have the right to shut it down for everyone else because you are sensitive to it. Honestly, who cares that you are sensitive about it?
Why do I have to stop having an adult conversation because you don't like it? Go away and listen to something else. If my thoughts are corrupting you, then grow a brain and have thoughts of your own.
That might be a little too harsh. I hope I don't get banned.
By the way, my answer is Condi.
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Nothing Wrong With Sexual Talk Involving Public Officials
Posted May 11th 2007 1:12PM by Cenk Uygur
Filed under: Media, Young Turks, Don Imus, Political Correctness
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Reader Comments ( Page 2 of 2)
16. To those who would pay to hear "dark comedy"...you scare me.
To those who say satellite has rights...only if people pay to listen
To those who say this is an attack on Freedom of Speech....promotion of crime is not Freedom of Speech but hatred of humanity
To those who say that this was a discussion of sex...I am glad I never dated you
Rape is a disgusting crime on woman, anyone who condones it should not be on the air influencing others. Unfortunately, peole listen and follow what these shock jocks say. Howard Stern got millions to vote for Sanjaya on Idol. Who says that there isn't one crazy person listening who won't go out and try to rape a woman of power to them(obviously from these blogs, there are a lot of crazy people listening) Then are these shock jocks who promote dark commedy liable as an accessory since they suggested it? It won't be a laughing matter than and it sure isn't one now!
Teresa at 1:16PM on May 14th 2007
17. It appears that Cenk had some free time on his hands and wrote down some thoughts without thinking about what he was writing.
Cenk said (among other things): "And what seems like horribly offensive speech might open up very necessary dialogue and allow you to talk about issues that are buried and not discussed in the open nearly enough."
What "very necessary dialogue" does Cenk believe "might open up" as a result of two infantile DJs talking about raping Laura Bush and Condolezza Rice? What "issues" do these two morons, or Cenk, think this type of dialogue addresses?
Opie and Anthony used their vile rhetoric solely because they knew they could get away with it! This is an example of how far we have expanded the First Amendment. Does anyone think the Founding Fathers intended to protect this kind of talk? Does anyone believe they intended the constitution they created to protect pornograpers?
Opie and Anthony are scum.
This
Scott at 1:26PM on May 14th 2007
18. RE: "Does anyone think the Founding Fathers intended to protect this kind of talk? Does anyone believe they intended the constitution they created to protect pornograpers?"
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!! EXACTLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Who are you to judge what the founding fathers intentions were??? For that matter, who is anyone to judge? This is exactly why this is such a slippery slope. Show me the people that will be in charge of judging what is right or wrong for me and I'll show a friggin' socialist that has no business calling themselves an American.
Sorry if this offends some of you. Don't listen. Because like I said before, today it's dark humor about all kinds of nasty things but tomorrow, God help you, if this is something that you may exactly give a crap enough about to protect.
I mean, what the hell ever happened to, "I may disagree with what you say but I'll defend, to the death, your right to say it."
Kevin at 4:42PM on May 14th 2007
19. I do not understand people who advocate freedom of speech for anything indecent but when it comes to something decent, they want to abolish it. We all have to have guide lines for the way we want to be viewed by other societies.
Clifford A. Giddens at 5:21PM on May 14th 2007
20. The public has been empowered to join a lynch mob. We are imposing personal standards on others because misery loves company. We are treating adults like children. We are destroying the Constitution. We think that if we hear anything provocative or crass, the entire society will go straight to Hell. A society ruled by a mob or children is in Hell. A society afraid to live is ruled by a Taliban under a different name. XM radio isn't regulated, but all this could prevent a "Monopoly in Space." People would leave this Earth because there is no intelligent life remaining.
Cecil Jones at 5:38PM on May 14th 2007
21. Show me the people that will be in charge of judging what is right or wrong for me and I'll show a friggin' socialist that has no business calling themselves an American.
I do believe in free speech, when I explained how rape feels, I was giving you the side no one likes to talk about. The real meaning of the word. I understand that their are all different types of people in our country with all different types of interest, some I would consider good for me, others I would have nothing to do with.
I also believe you are right about a socialist telling us what is good or bad for us,we are a nation of individual choices, to change the channel, our education, our choice of work, where to live,whether to serve our country or not, and for people to pay to listen to what I would consider trash but they might not. Our freedom thou also lets people be a socialist. Freedom is not for just those that think freedom is a good thing. It is also for those that think they can step on someone else's choices. What amazes me is how many people follow and listen to people that take away our choices, like Rev.Al did to Imus.
Kaye at 4:08PM on May 15th 2007
22. there was a time in america that if you did or say something STUPID you were tuned OUT no sponsors no revenue BUT alas we r in the 21'st century the MEDIA is what blows all this bull out of proportion by repeating or as I SAY recyling NEWS then the talk show circus oop's i ment circut gets a hold of a story and blow it way way out and some of the dumbest things they will ask is upsurd so now we r all IN shock wow does that surprise you well not me cause there only a few at one time so now they see what the other (stupid idiots) shock jocks r doing so they got to do (stupid things) it better which in turn means just another stupid IDEA we rin america folks egt used to it cause the ratings r there so you must like it as for me i'll just tuned out as i do and just wait for the media to let me KNOW and KNOW and KNOW >>>> when one argues with a fool from afar it's hard to tell the differnce
jim at 11:55PM on May 14th 2007
23. Yea, can you imagine if people could just say anything that they wanted. People might have to use their judgement about whether the speaker was joking or hating or whatever.
We should appoint a huge committee of the most sensitive people on the entire planet to dictate to us what is correct and what is not.
That poor woman Kate who relives who relives a horrible experience every time she imagines someone making JOKES about raping someone, for example... perfect...
The more 'scarred-for-life'... the better. The 'sensitives'(I'll call them) could put up a list on the 'net of taboo subjects.
The word 'poker' would be a shoo-in... not only because the game would have horrible memories from people whose lives gambling has wrecked... but it sounds like 'poke her'...a tie-in to the 'rape' deal.
The word 'victim' itself ... sure to be taboo... ask any sensitive victim..
We can imagine a victim(sorry victims) being traumatized by the word 'hello' or 'hi' because that was the first word they heard before 'all-hell-broke-loose'.
Oh, fuck-it, let's just nuke ourselves right now... get it over with.
pboyfloyd at 7:18PM on May 15th 2007
24. If you are expressing "fear" because some commenters here believe that some standards of decency are necessary then let me just say this to you:
You are a pussy.
Feel better now? did I open up some "adult" dialog for you?
If you lack the self restraint necessary to show some common decency then you should be shunned by polite people everywhere. If you lack the courage to understand that then as I said, you are a pussy.
One way or another we have to get back to some self restraint or our culture is doomed. You weenies who whine about "whose standards" are worthless in this debate. If you want everything to be acceptable, well then what happens when your wife or daughter gets raped or murdered and no one gets apprehended or punished? If everything is acceptable, then everything is acceptable. That sounds like anarchy to me.
skipsailing at 9:03PM on May 15th 2007