The Nipple That Rocked Santa Monica
Janet Jackson's exposed nipple apparently did something weird to the clocks. It was 1976 when Patti Smith said "fuck" on WNEW radio, and got blacklisted by the station. And now, in 2004, Sandra Tsing Loh has been fired from KCRW, thanks to a "fuck" in her Sunday morning commentary that the engineer forgot to bleep (as was Sandra's intention). It's a scary, retrograde Puritan world we live in. LA Observed has a piece on it, Cathy Seipp has more on her blog, and then there's her LA City Beat column on it. Tell KCRW station head Ruth Seymour how you feel at mail@krcw.org.
UPDATE -- A friend of mine posted in the comments below:
Just emailed KCRW promising them another $100 on top of my annual subscription if they'll reinstate Sandra Tsing Loh.Suggest everyone who either likes her, or disapproves of Ruth Seymour's decision, or both, does the same.
More effective, in my opinion, than cancelling subscriptions, which is liable only to harden battle lines and needlessly punish the station as a whole. Besides, it's almost always more productive to reward good behaviour than to punish bad. (True of children, true of grown-ups too.)
He's right.
Today the FCC is discussing rainsing the fines pre Janet Jackson of $275 per incident to $500,000 per incident. This is a typical knee jerk reaction by a presidency that is more interested in passing laws and worrying about if those laws are constitutional later. Is it meant to control freedom of speech? Not initally. It is definitely designed to limit freedom of culture though, right now.
Patti may make the case that they are one and the same. If Patti is no longer allowed to use the word "nigger" over the airwaves, that limits the context of what American race discussion may be. Imagine Muhamed Ali saying "I'm not going over there because no Vietcong ever called me the "n-word". It takes all the context and emotion of the racism and segregation he experienced away. It numbs away and dumbs down the discussion.
All this over a mammary gland!
eric at March 4, 2004 11:21 AM
What has the presidency have to do with? Your just one of these idiots who blames any leader for everything, even your own hangover in the morning.
RSN at March 4, 2004 11:53 AM
Just emailed KCRW promising them another $100 on top of my annual subscription if they'll reinstate Sandra Tsing Loh.
Suggest everyone who either likes her, or disapproves of Ruth Seymour's decision, or both, does the same.
More effective, in my opinion, than cancelling subscriptions, which is liable only to harden battle lines and needlessly punish the station as a whole. Besides, it's almost always more productive to reward good behaviour than to punish bad. (True of children, true of grown-ups too.)
modestproposal at March 4, 2004 12:22 PM
That's a really good idea. I'll do it too. I love that station, even though they do stupid stuff sometimes.
Lena at March 4, 2004 1:51 PM
RSN,
Bush is setting the tone for nannyism to the highest degree in this country. He's a Republican in (big-spending Democrat's clothing), who promises less government control, while trying to seize as much of it possible.
Amy Alkon at March 4, 2004 2:14 PM
I haven't been called an idiot for a while. RSN should know that the FCC is regulated by The House Energy and Commerce Committee subcommittee, who had approved a tenfold increase, to $275,000, in fines the Federal Communications Commission
could impose for each indecency violation. But the full committee voted 49-1 Wednesday to nearly double that. The chairman of THAT committee is Rep Joe Barton of Texas, a Republican ally to the President. House Republican Majority Leader Tom DeLay supports harsher penalties for those who air "indecent" material. Michael K. Powell is Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. He was designated Chairman by President Bush.
Maybe these facts can help guide you to the generally accepted knowledge that the President and his Republican allies/appointees do indeed hold influence over the airwaves of America.
PS- you are rude and go screw yourself.
eric at March 4, 2004 3:13 PM
"Well of course the Times didn't hear about this till yesterday. It's the Times!"
I loved that!
Anyway. I hope Sandra gets something better than a gig on a tired old hippy radio station like KCRW. But I'll still threaten and cajole them on her behalf.
Lena at March 4, 2004 10:41 PM
Well, so we have the nanny poos on the right getting slammed for overwraught reactions to perceived indecencies. And then we get the lefty poos on the other side of the playground batted around for their histrionics over the nigger-word and all things pc. All those on the high road sneering at those on the low road. Dibs on the high road. Hey, you had it last time. Did not, did too.
So, what did they do to the engineer that left in the fuck that was heard on the air that startled the hen that pecked at the bitch that fell off her chair and fired off the memo that leaked to the Times but Seipp had it first because Tsing is her bud who got banged to the Sunday slot by the bitch who was asleep at the wheel which is why she fell off her chair and started this all...so what did they do with the little engineer that couldn't, hmmmmm?
And Lena, you lose your bet about the laid thing. Big thanks to a lovely lady in that regard. But I probably do have some sanity flaws.
allan evans at March 4, 2004 11:31 PM
Reynolds notes today that Stern had lots of FCC troubles during the Clinton administration, too. No meaningful first amendement issues are in play: Worrying about Stern is a waste of time. Worrying about Loh is also, because we all know Seymour is whack. After all these years, I'm still proud that I've never sent a dime during pledge drive, and still appalled that KCRW is partially funded by my taxes.
Crid at March 5, 2004 11:40 AM
fyi, not one penny of your taxes supports kcrw.
NPR does receive federal funding, and kcrw pays
NPR for programs like morning edition, all things
considered, etc. npr doesn't support kcrw. it's the
other way around.
kcrw's budget comes from membership and underwriting.
lolana at March 7, 2004 2:53 PM
Not too long ago KCRW aired some kind of NPR human interest story where the word "nigger" was used without a bleep. It was no accident. Before playing the tape, they issued a vague warning about potentially offensive content. I don't know why they think it's better to call someone a "nigger" than to talk about fucking one's husband.
Lena at March 7, 2004 7:56 PM