Anthony's thoughts on the FCC and the Broadcast Decency Hearings

[IrishAlkey]

Great read.

I'm not quoting any snippets from it because I think the whole piece is worth reading.

[Sloats]

I thought Shiffen HATED the boys, be he fucking NAILED it right here:

I think it needs to be pointed out, again, that the real problem in this case is that the incident was broadcast in the middle of a football game. The audience expectation, under these circumstances, was that it was not going to be subjected to sexually explicit content. If this was a late night show or a situation comedy known for sexual innuendo, the expectation level would be different.

When you listened to O&A, you knew what you were going to get. If you allowed your kids to listen to something you either knew (or should have known) was explicit then it's you who has a problem. O&A never cloaked what they did. In fact, they bragged about it. It was essentially \"listen to us because we're going to push the limits\".

The Superbowl was not the forum for Timberlake to pull Jackson's shirt off because of the context of the program. That's the real issue and it keeps getting missed in this discussion.

Finally, I want to point out something else with respect to O&A. For the last year and a half their show has been characterized as nothing more than one outrageous stunt after another. I'm beginning to think that even some of their fans are forgetting what really made the show work.

It wasn't the stunts (and there really weren't that many of them). It was their ability to bring their audience into the show and identify with them as everyday guys who you would like to hang out with. I don't think I ever heard a show that did that as well as they did. You wanted to be in on what was happening because you liked them. It wasn't so much that they had a stripper in the studio as it was they were having such a good time with the audience talking about it. It was a show of *inclusion*, not a show of exclusion.

There have been and will continue to be lots of radio shows around that pull pranks and have strippers in the studio. Very few if any will have the success that O&A did because it's *not* about the stunt. It's about the way you get your audience to like you and identify with you and consider you a friend. That's what all good radio is no matter what the topic is. It's time that we remember that about O&A and stop focusing on the stunts the show did. In the big picture, those things were only tools to create the feeling that show created.

I guess he did like the show.

[Flock of Moosen]

I love this line. :biggrin:

“We’re in St. Pats and he’s doing the balloon knot.”

[The Brain]

Originally posted by Flock of Moosen
I love this line. :biggrin:

“We’re in St. Pats and he’s doing the balloon knot.”

And therein is the whole source of the "incident".

Anthony argues that the FCC received complaints left and right about graphic depictions of sexual acts.

What you quoted was the <i>single line in the transcript of the show</i> concerning what was going on at the cathedral.

If you're not a fan of the show, you probably don't even what "balloon knot" is code for. So how would these complainers even know what to complain about? Nothing graphic or explicit was depicted over the air. Ant was right in saying the FCC simply jumped the gun on second-hand accounts and speculation, and then had no choice but to follow through on their promise to punish the perceived "offense".

[Black Lazerus]

balloon knot was a pain in the ass. the guy i mean not the act.

[Topper Harley]

Originally posted by Black Lazerus
balloon knot was a pain in the ass. the guy i mean not the act.

Balloon knotting is only an act if you are dice

[Sloats]

Originally posted by Black Lazerus
balloon knot was a pain in the ass. the guy i mean not the act.

BL = Captain Obvious now??

[60FeetUnderWater]

Originally posted by The Brain

If you're not a fan of the show, you probably don't even what \"balloon knot\" is code for. So how would these complainers even know what to complain about? Nothing graphic or explicit was depicted over the air. Ant was right in saying the FCC simply jumped the gun on second-hand accounts and speculation, and then had no choice but to follow through on their promise to punish the perceived \"offense\".

Amongst all of my friends who called themselves "fans" of the show, I was the only one that became active on the boards after the cancellation, making CDs for others and defending the boys at any bar I happen to be in during the weeks after the cancellation; I cited this very same arguement that you just posted Brain (and the very same point Anthony brilliantly drove home):


The broadcast was NOT indecent by FCC standards in any way, shape, or form.

Its great to see that after all this time, my point (which was formed as the reports came flooding in regarding the cancellation) is still as solid today as it was on the immediate days after 8/22/02.

And its frustrating as fuck to realize that we all lost great radio these last (almost) 2 years over HERESY and secondhand (and utterly irresponsible) reporting.

Soon enough, we'll all be able to hear the boys go off on a plethora of corksuckers and sononmabatches like the FCC & the Catholic League.


I can't wait.

[Topper Harley]

Originally posted by 60FeetUnderWater
Its great to see that after all this time, my point (which was formed as the reports came flooding in regarding the cancellation) is still as solid today as it was on the immediate days after 8/22/02.

don't hurt your shoulder patting yourself on the back

[Flock of Moosen]

Originally posted by 60FeetUnderWater
And its frustrating as fuck to realize that we all lost great radio these last (almost) 2 years over HERESY and secondhand (and utterly irresponsible) reporting.

Are they still saying Paul Mercurio was a producer of the show?