http://newsbusters.org/node/12672 - O&A with Homeless Charlie discuss dirty things with Condi Rice
This is from their XM Radio show where they are not censored.
Basically they have some homeless dude on who talks about banging Condi Rice, Laura Bush, and Queen Elizabeth. It got some exposure from the Drudge Report, and there has been a lot of blogging going on. Kind of an interesting story, particularly at a time where it seems that radio personalities are getting the smack down.
Anything related to radio and censorship and such. There is a lot of news stories out there, and even more nameless bastards blogging about the phenomenom.
I like freedom of speech on this one, expecially when you are paying for a service and listening to a channel that cautions "expletives and offensive language". O&A get a bad rap for their antics, but I think they are funny as hell.
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This isn't freedom of speech as I said, I think it is more about the outrage that these stories pull in from people all over. However, we haven't heard anything from the usual suspects. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson haven't had anything to say.
Do you think they have made a distinction between comedy and so called political radio shows like Imus?
:P
Imus's program was still comedy, but I guess the fact that he had political-type guests changed everything.
Absolutely, I agree. I supposed that is why I added "so called", since that was part of the reasoning for the backlash. I would imagine that O&A are going to get a lot of heat on this though, since in the news this reads "O&A encourage homeless guy to rape Condoleeza Rice".
I love headlines, they are always so.... damnit, what word am I looking for?
As irrelevant as Sharpton/Jackson may be, I'd be surprised if they made a big deal about this anyway, given the targets of the jokes being made.
Lastly: it is in pretty poor taste, but a bunch of right-wing blogs filled with outraged posters is hardly "hot water" for people who make a living pissing everyone off.
Well, the First Ammendment and issues based on it only deal with government sanctioned supression and censorship. But there are freedom of speech issues which aren't based on legality. Self censorship is one such that is a matter of freedom of speech but not dealing with the government.
However, if you don't like the generality of that terminology then suggest something different.
Speech isn't free from anyone but the government. Your company can fire you if you say something they don't like, whether you're an insurance salesman or a DJ.
I guess you could argue about what comments should cause people to lose their jobs, but I don't consider that a freedom of speech issue.
Now, if you're talking about questions like "should I stand next to the road and scream racial slurs at cars that drive by", we have laws about that kind of thing around here.
He is talking about freedom, and he is like "this is America", "fuck old bitches, i'll throw a brick at their head.. they don't like it, let them walk down another fuckin street."
This guy needs a mic and a stage!
On his armed robbery charge...
Bill Burr "Who'd you rob?"
Anthony "Don't tell me a gas station..."
Homeless Charlie "A gas station?! Nah, one of those fuckin jews with the glasses and the big mutha fuckin beards, big hats and shit... Fucked his ass up!"
Anthony "Oh, one of the diamond district guys? ... What loot did you get?"
Homeless Charlie "What you mean what did I get? I got six fuckin years!"
its all a tough love test.
Good luck getting in trouble though with comments made on XM. ....
Librarians harbor a terrible secret. Find it.
- Soren Kierkegaard
It also mattered alot that Imus was targeting specific non-public figures.
Shock Jocks do this shit all the time to public figures. Its nothing new. See: Rush and "Barack the magic negro"
The largest being lack of auidence and public attention. Thus the lack of outrage. Thus the lack of ambulance chaser type leaders putting in thier two cents.
also the lack of pressuring people with advertising money.
Anyway this is an example of why I like subsciption services in theory. It takes away the primary mode of censorship which in not the FCC but cashflow. HBO has gone great things with thier freedom as a subsciption service. i kinda wish XM and Sirius would try a little harder in that deptartment rather than jsut picking up shock jocks so they can swear.
Maybe that changes something, and maybe it doesn't. The idea that this is just "meh" compared to the horrors of saying "nappy-headed" is, well, interesting, to say the least.
I don't think you need to worry about that. The merger was/is pretty much dead on arrival.
I heard it, and to be honest, I didn't even think twice about it. Maybe that says something about me and not the content of the show, but I think your description of what they said is quite a stretch.
I can guarantee, however, that the entire segment would have been dumped out (flattened) on a public channel, which is where Imus made his comment.
but looking at the O&A obviously XM lawyer written apology they were just apologizing to gov't officials I think to appease the merger
Good to see XM getting what they deserve in this matter.
I've always preferred XM to Sirius as Xm had deeper play lists and was less hit driven on it's non-hit driven channels. The O&A thing pushed me over the edge so I cancelled. I really LIKE being able to watch, read and listen to uncensored material. If it's offensive to me I just stop watching, listening or reading it. I wouldn't care for having Amazon limited in what books it carries, HBO limited in showing only what was considered "in good taste" by the kind of people who would mount a email/letter writing campaign over something they didn't even see firsthand, so I voted with my dollar. I don't expect it to make a difference but I feel better that I'm not giving any more money to them.
PSN: Broichan
This isnt a freedom of speach issue at all, but not for the reasons listed.
O and A were told by their bosses to just drop it and not mention it again. They signed a contract expressly saying they would not mention the incedent again. Then they proceeded to do so. I can see where they would feel censored, but if you are smart would you not just try and let the incedent dye down? XM was content even after the incedent and apology untill O and A defyed them.
It would seem XM was trying to make sure that o and a take them seriously.
O and A have been begging for something like this or really much worse. They really want to go toe to toe with sharpton or someother big name. This however doesnt help them do that too much.
I miss them on my radio but there case is pretty week given that if I directly defy my boss, I get fired not suspended.
It is a censorship issue. Now, I've heard the argument that it's not censorship because they agreed to sign a document that said they wouldn't discuss the issue any further. Telling someone NOT to talk about an issue is censorship as far as I am concerned.
The channel was billed as "Uncensored". It's not.
PSN: Broichan
People are forbidden to talk about legal deals all the time.