Think Progress

Sally Field uncensored.

By Amanda Terkel on Sep 17th, 2007 at 4:01 pm

Sally Field uncensored.

Although Fox censored actress Sally Field from finishing her anti-war sentence — “If mothers ruled the world, there would be no god-damned wars in the first place” — at the Emmy Awards last night, Canadian television allowed her remarks to air. Watch them HERE.



81 Responses to “Sally Field uncensored.”

  1. detroitsuperfly says:

    I have to disagree. If Bush’s mother ran the world, there would still be war.

    Republican women in general are frightened and overcompensate


  2. Dave C says:

    Of course. Canada is the home of the free. We let Faux in here but they can leave their censorship at the border.


  3. Why are Republicans destroying America? says:

    I listened to it and I thought what she said seemed fairly mild. What in the hell is wrong with Fox?


  4. Ringo says:

    “If mothers ruled the world, there would be no god-damned wars in the first place”
    —————————————————————

    She’s an idiot.

    …but she was good as the Flying Nun.


  5. Polo Kiu says:

    I guess she never heard of Margaret Thatcher, Golda Meir or Nefertiti.


  6. Republicans are the Fear and Smear Party says:

    …but she was good as the Flying Nun.

    Comment by Ringo — September 17, 2007 @ 4:10 pm

    And you were a mediocre drummer.


  7. E! says:

    Since we’re talking entertainment news here…

    Report: Contract on Kevin Federline’s life


  8. Fan_of_Man says:

    DAMN YOU LIBERAL CANADA w/ you LIBERAL MEDIA AND UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE! HOW DARE YOU BE BETTER THAN THE USA! honey git my rebel flag.


  9. scurvybro says:

    Hey Ringo –

    We’d be much better off hearing the wise, sage thoughts of Chuck Norris and Ted Nugent, huh?


  10. Ringo says:

    And you were a mediocre drummer.

    Comment by Republicans are the Fear and Smear Party
    ————————————-

    But I don’t play the drums.


  11. toasterhead says:

    And you were a mediocre drummer.

    Comment by Republicans are the Fear and Smear Party — September 17, 2007 @ 4:15 pm

    OWNED


  12. Don't Do It. says:

    And you were a mediocre drummer.

    Comment by Republicans are the Fear and Smear Party

    You seem to be attempting to smear, can it be assumed you are a Republican?


  13. Wilco says:

    Don’t Do It, you are fired up today!
    Are you some sort of hypocricy police?


  14. Dave C says:

    She’s an idiot.

    …but she was good as the Flying Nun.

    Comment by Ringo — September 17, 2007 @ 4:10 pm

    Try & follow along. It’s not about whether you agree with her or not. It’s about censorship. If idiots were justifiably censored on Fox then Kristol would never get a word out.


  15. Tracy says:

    Cite which network (CBS, NBC, ABC, ect…) would NOT have censored Sally Field for her foul language?


  16. Don't Do It. says:

    Maybe I am, maybe I’m not. It’s just dumb, when someone is criticizing someone for something, then they do that very thing themselves.


  17. Troll says:

    She is a sexist pig.


  18. Dave C says:

    Cite which network (CBS, NBC, ABC, ect…) would NOT have censored Sally Field for her foul language?

    Comment by Tracy — September 17, 2007 @ 4:42 pm

    CBS, NBC, ABC would not have. The speech was not censored on the broadcasts going to other countries.


  19. tablogloid says:

    As reported previously today on Huff Post, the FCC ruled that “god damn” and its variations is acceptable during prime time.


  20. Don't Do It. says:

    The only word that would have been censored, from the except above, is the word ‘god’ in the phrase ‘god-damned’


  21. tablogloid says:

  22. Don't Do It. says:

    Whoa, I stand corrected. I usually see them censor the god, but not the damn, go figure.


  23. BARTLEBEE says:

    She’s an idiot.

    …but she was good as the Flying Nun.

    Comment by Ringo — September 17, 2007 @ 4:10 pm

    Yea. Constant war is soooo much more erudite.

    Putz.


  24. tablogloid says:

    Whom would jesus censor?


  25. Dave C says:

    the FCC ruled that “god damn” and its variations is acceptable during prime time.

    Comment by tablogloid — September 17, 2007 @ 4:48 pm

    Yes, but when God-damned is used in relation to any Bush policy then it becomes obscene and must be censored. The American public must not hear any dissenting views. It’s the new “Dixie Chick” law.


  26. Wilco says:

    Don’t Do It, I agree with your stance on hypocrisy.

    As to which networks wouldn’t have censored her words, I don’t think anyone here can see into the minds of network execs (nor would they want to) but according to the article, no one HAD to.
    And most of the time (I can’t remember another instance) the network would censor the bad word, not the statement itself, which is what happened here.


  27. François says:

    Hey barty, you’re a jerk! Go back to Canada, moron!


  28. Juan C says:

    I think that the great success of Bush admin has been the division of US population, in more formal terms: the polarization of Americans.

    You saw a woman saying that there would be no wars if mothers run the world. I think it is not a very powerful statement against war, but I wouldnt censor it.

    Yet, we have people here that thinks somebody criticizing wars is an idiot. Somewhere, we are a failure as humans.


  29. Ringo says:

    It’s about censorship.
    Comment by Dave C
    —————————————————-

    Fox, like all the other broadcast networks, does not allow the phrase “God damned”. You can say “damned”, but if you add the “God” part you will be censored on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox.

    Blame the FCC.


  30. Pat E says:

    I’m assuming I’m not the only one who agrees with her sentiments, but finds her incredibly irritating. Can I please exchange this spokesmodel for another one?


  31. Dave C says:

    Fox, like all the other broadcast networks, does not allow the phrase “God damned”. You can say “damned”, but if you add the “God” part you will be censored on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox.

    Blame the FCC.

    Comment by Ringo — September 17, 2007 @ 5:09 pm

    Not true. The FCC specifically said that “god damn” is allowed on tv.


  32. had enough says:

    Let’s see if the news censors this if true:
    B52 Nuke: Minot Air Force Base Airman DEAD
    http://tailrank.com/2726793/Minot-Air-Force-Base-Airman-Dies-on-Leave


  33. Dave C says:

    Ringo believes in that tried and true Republican tradition, if you repeat a lie often enough it might just stick. Now he’ll avoid this thread in order to ignore the truth.


  34. Ringo says:

    Not true. The FCC specifically said that “god damn” is allowed on tv.

    Comment by Dave C
    ————————————–

    First I’ve heard….Where did you get that from?


  35. Dave C says:

    First I’ve heard….Where did you get that from?

    Comment by Ringo — September 17, 2007 @ 5:29 pm

    I could show you a link, and I will. But the statement was yours to begin with. Shouldn’t you be the one supporting that with fact? Where did you determine that the FCC disallowed the use of this word/phrase?


  36. Paul says:

    Ringo, you always were the stupid one. Ugly, too.


  37. Paul, John and George says:

    Pete Best was way better.



  38. Tracy says:

    #19

    Comment by tablogloid — September 17, 2007 @ 4:48 pm

    Do you have a link to that FCC ruling?


  39. Dave C says:

    Do you have a link to that FCC ruling?

    Comment by Tracy — September 17, 2007 @ 5:44 pm

    It’s right above your post.


  40. Ringo says:

    I didn’t take my name from Ringo Starr.

    ….although I would still say that ‘Octpus’ Garden’ was a much better song than, say, John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’


  41. Mugsy says:

    Hmm, did Sally just endorse Hillary?


  42. Dave C says:

    As I suspected, Ringo makes his stand that the FCC caused Fox to censor Fields. He makes that case with nothing but his gut feel. He’s refuted & demands proof. He receives proof, ignores it & moves on. Typical.


  43. Ringo says:

    FCC deems god damned not profane.

    http://www.fcc.gov/ eb/ Orders/ 2004/ FCC-04-43A1.html

    Comment by Dave C
    ————————————————

    I started reading the document that you linked to but I never came across the part about “God damned”, still, I’ll take your word for it that sometime in 2004 they changed their position. You win.

    However, you are not going to convince me that Sally Field is not an idiot.


  44. Ringo says:

    He’s refuted & demands proof. He receives proof, ignores it & moves on. Typical.

    Comment by Dave C
    ——————————————–

    Dude, give me a minute or two.

    Good Grief.


  45. Dave C says:

    Comment by Ringo — September 17, 2007 @ 5:56 pm

    Um, it’s really not that hard. You hold the Ctrl key, hit the F key and enter the text you’re looking for. Type in “God d” and you’ll get right to it. Let me know if you need help with other aspects of the computer. btw, I showed support for my opinion, you couldn’t. Should we expect that all of your views are just hunches?


  46. Dave C says:

    Dude, give me a minute or two.

    Good Grief.

    Comment by Ringo — September 17, 2007 @ 5:58 pm

    Dude, I did. I didn’t post that until you had already come back & posted some stupidity about Beatles songs. I guess I wasn’t aware of the priority system you’ve evolved for yourself.


  47. Exley says:

    The FCC decision that people (including the L.A. Times) are throwing around did not hold that the term under discussion was not profane under 18 U.S.C. 1464.

    That particular FCC decision cites in a footnote a 1966 court decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Gagliardo v. United States, which found that the term was not profane under 18 U.S.C. 1464.

    The FCC decision incorrecly cited by the LA Times does not pertain to the use of the term. It dealt with Bono’s use of the “f-word” during a Golden Globes telecast.


  48. Dave C says:

    Exley, the first two paragraphs you just posted contradict each other.


  49. Ringo says:

    I guess I wasn’t aware of the priority system you’ve evolved for yourself.

    Comment by Dave C
    ——————————————

    Well, it is true that a Sally Fields thread at ThinkProgress is pretty far down on my list of priorities.

    So do you really think that the censors at Fox blocked out Field’s “If mothers ruled the world…” comment because they didn’t want people to hear her anti-war opinion?… Why didn’t they block the entire comment then, rather than just the sentence which contained the dreaded “God Damned” ?


  50. Dave C says:

    So do you really think that the censors at Fox blocked out Field’s “If mothers ruled the world…” comment because they didn’t want people to hear her anti-war opinion?…

    Yes. Fox does a lot of crazy stuff like not showing the rebuttal to GWB’s speech. They’re all about showing only one side. Ted Nugent’s opinions? Good. Any other celebrity who disagrees with GWB? Bad. Fair & balanced is a joke.


  51. Exley says:

    “I started reading the document that you linked to but I never came across the part about “God damned”, still, I’ll take your word for it that sometime in 2004 they changed their position.”

    Ringo, You are not completely wrong. The main body of the FCC decison to which TP and the LA Times linked does not contain any discussion of the term Sally Field used last night. The only mention of it is in footnote 37, which cites a 1966 U.S. Court of Appeals decision.

    The FCC to which TP erroneously linked does not hold that the term is not profane. Indeed, the decision has nothing to do with the term. It is a case involving Bono’s use of the “f-word” during a Golden Globes telecast.

    The correct decision finding that the Sally Field-employed term was not profane under 18 U.S.C. 1464 is Gagliardo v. United States, 366
    F.2d 720, 725 (9th Cir. 1966).

    A more appropriate FCC decision, dealing with religious profanity, is In the Matter of Raycom America Inc., File No. EB-02-IH-0626 (2003)
    http://www.fcc.gov/eb/Orders/2003/FCC-03-50A1.html

    In short, the FCC adheres to the Gagliardo decison. However, the decision to which TP and the LA Times is not relevant.


  52. Dave C says:

    btw, the priority system I commented on had nothing to do with this thread needing to be a priority. You posted to the thread, but didn’t comment on the FCC issue. That was what I was commenting on. Clearly you thought this thread was important enough to come back to. You have to figure out why your priorities are so f*cked up, I can’t help you with that.


  53. Dave C says:

    Exley, so the bottom line is that the use of “god damn” is not profane in the eyes of the FCC.

    The courts have held that material, such as the phrase “god damn it” uttered in anger, while offensive to some, is not legally profane for purposes of section 1464.


  54. Ringo says:

    Fair & balanced is a joke.

    Comment by Dave C
    ————————————–

    We are not talking about FoxNews here, this was an award show on the Fox entertainment network.

    You are paranoid.


  55. Exley says:

    It is interesting to note that in all the network and cable news coverage I have seen today of Sally Field’s comments, none of the media outlets have telecast her comments without bleeping the ostensibly offensive term. Even when a transcript of her comments appear on the screen, asterisks are used.

    That seems to put to rest the idea that only Fox would have “bleeped” her and that every other network would have allowed the comment to go through.


  56. Exley says:

    #54, Dave C….That is correct. I simply don’t understand why TP and the LA Times would not cite the correct legal precedent.


  57. Dave C says:

    So there is no FCC ruling to disallow them from playing the speech unedited yet they all edit it. So much for the liberal media. It plays fine in Canada. But we can’t vote in the U.S. election so I guess it’s not an issue.


  58. Dave C says:

    #54, Dave C….That is correct. I simply don’t understand why TP and the LA Times would not cite the correct legal precedent.

    Comment by Exley — September 17, 2007 @ 6:21 pm

    The case they do cite refers to it in a footnote and says…

    (“God damn it” not profane under section 1464)

    It refers to the case where that was determined. I guess once they found that the phrase was not deemed profanity they stopped looking. Their case was made.

    I thought when you first started posting on this subject you were of the opinion that it was deemed profane. Are you just nitpicking that they referred to a footnote rather then the originating case?


  59. Exley says:

    With apologies to Alannis Morrisette, isn’t it ironic that TP is acting all indignant that Sally Field’s use of a term that is offensive to many was bleeped, but TP’s policy is to delete or refuse to post any message that contains the “f-word?”

    Now, let me say that I think the TP policy is correct. But it is difficult to reconcile its policy regarding the “f-word” with its feigned indignation that the “g-d” term was bleeped last night.


  60. Exley says:

    #59, Dave

    Nitpicking.


  61. Dave C says:

    Comment by Exley — September 17, 2007 @ 6:28 pm

    Then I assume you find it equally ironic that the FCC won’t allow you to say f*ck but will allow god damned. How do you reconcile that? And TP wasn’t concerned with the censorship of the words god damned, it was the entire statement that got removed. Had there been no reference to wars no one would have cared. Including Fox I’ll bet.


  62. Exley says:

    But seriously, Dave C, “I guess once they found that the phrase was not deemed profanity they stopped looking.” That’s pretty lazy research by the LA Times. Once they found that footnote, they should have linked to the Gagliardo decision or at least an FCC decision dealing with relgious profanity that cited Gagliardo.


  63. Mark @ News Corpse says:

    Mentioning God may be an even worse transgression than a wardrobe malfunction. Field is not the only one to be censored for this during this Emmy season. Kathy Griffin was censored the day before for saying, “…no one had less to do with this award than Jesus.”

    See more at News Corpse.


  64. Exley Od'ed on Exlax says:

    Are you just nitpicking that they referred to a footnote rather then the originating case?

    Comment by Dave C — September 17, 2007 @ 6:26 pm

    Give Ol Exlax a break, he’s so damned nervous now a days with cops stationed in the bathrooms and all looking for toe-tappers.

    But yes, as usual ol Exlax adds nothing to the discussion.


  65. Ringo says:

    Speaking of censorship, how did you TPers feel when angry Muslims from Pakistan to Nigeria to Lebannon rioted and looted over cartoons of Mohammed, which not one major newspaper or TV news program here in the US would reproduce out of fear of reprisal?

    Those images were actual news – people were being killed over them – yet neither FoxNews nor CNN nor the NY Times nor the Wall Street Journal had the courage to print them.


  66. Dave C says:

    That’s pretty lazy research by the LA Times.

    Comment by Exley — September 17, 2007 @ 6:33 pm

    I agree. But at least they found some support for their position. What about all of the people that simply decided that “god damn” was disallowed by the FCC without any support whatsoever? That’s Bill O’Reilly kind of journalism. Just say it and hope it sticks.


  67. ShellyT says:

    She’s right! If women ruled the world, there would be NO WARS. Men have to get their psyches straightened out, they’re far too violent and believe in solving problems with violence (look at domestic violence statistics).

    Our culture is too violent, and it’s all about indoctrinating little boys from the time they’re kids to be soldiers. Look at their toys and games and TV shows. Mothers and women have to stop this. Sally Field just said what many women already think.
    (A few exceptions of war-waging women don’t prove any sort of pattern)


  68. Ringo says:

    Comment by ShellyT’
    ———————————-

    The problem is that women will never rule the world precisely because men are more violent.

    And any individual society or civiliazation that succeeds in making it’s men more feminine will be overrun by those that are still dominated by masculine men.

    Therefore any society that wishes to survive must raise a certain percentage of it males to be tough, masculine and ready to fight when needed.

    That’s reality.


  69. Dave C says:

    Most people will defend their country when they are attacked. But apparently society also needs chickenhawks to lie, manipulate & push those tough, masculine men into unnecessary wars.


  70. katy says:

    Let’s see if the news censors this if true:
    B52 Nuke: Minot Air Force Base Airman DEAD
    http://tailrank.com/ 2726793/ Minot-Air-Force-Base-Airman-Dies-on-Leave

    Comment by had enough — September 17, 2007 @ 5:19 pm

    ! HOLY CRAP !!!

    mike malloy is reporting these stories right now…

    that’s correct – plural – all 6 – DEAD …


  71. Tom The Patriot says:

    Wignuts like Ringo (above) are here to distract the clear majority of people from discussing any important issue on any level other than ‘gut feelings and false outrage, and to prevent any movement forward on issues by the Think Progress community. The ringers issue a stupid attack, piss off a lot of people who know better respond in kind and waste all their energy on Rongo, Ringo, whatever. Everyone who reads the thread thus waste valuable time and outrage.

    Instead, if everyone’s time and effort to communicate with each other was not completely wasted, this thread could have talked about the fact that FOX used the public airwaves to censor Field’s mild comment. A solution would be to challenge the licenses of all the local FOX stations, which broadcast the Emmys. Anyone reading this can do that with the FCC. Another would be to go after the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Tell them to never broadcast on FOX ever again or outraged Americans in favor of free speech will go after their tax exempt status, since the Emmys took the Republican/Right wing side over the opinions of the clear majority of the American people.

    Canada and Brazil aired Field’s comments ‘God Damn’ it! We are no longer the home of freedom, but the home of cowards, corruption and fear.

    Moral to the story: stop letting a couple of stupid trolls run everything and dictate the discourse of the majority! What do you think this is, Congress?!


  72. Dave C says:

    Funny thing. Do a search on the net for Family Guy (a Fox show) and “God damn” and scripts. You’ll see that apparently Fox has no problem at all when little Stewie says god damnit. I guess so long as he isn’t criticizing Bush in front of millions of Americans it’s ok. Either that or they’ve got a weird way of interpreting FCC regs…. ok for cartoons, not ok for awards shows.


  73. Tom The Patriot says:

    Dave C’s info about Family Guy saying goddamnit is to the point. It could be a strong argument for a FCC challenge to deny FOX their local TV station license renewals. FOX, by censoring a phrase used many times in their other programming, did so to twist, control and censor important public discourse and deny the opinions of the clear majority of Americans who Field represented. FOX therefore should loose all of their TV licenses.


  74. Exley says:

    From Tom Shales’ Washington Post review of last night’s telecast”

    ‘According to the Associated Press, she said, “If the mothers ruled the world, there would be no [expletive] wars in the first place.”‘

    Note how The Post does not print thr term.

    The New York Times also did not print her statement verbatim, citing her use of a “vulgarity.”

    CBSNews.com reported Field’s statement, thusly: “And, let’s face it, if the mothers ruled the war, there would be no (expletive) wars in the first place.”‘

    Those are but a few examples showing that this idea that only Fox would “censor” Fields’s comment is pure silliness and not supported by the facts. The term Fields used is commonly deleted by media outlets as potentially offensive to large segments of their readerships/viewerships.


  75. Exley says:

    Dave C,

    A link in support of your “Family Guy” claim would help your argument. Moreover, even if true, there are two versions of “Family Guy” episodes each week — One which appears on the Fox Network on Sunday nights in primetime and another version which airs on the cable Cartoon Network’s “Adult Swim” after 11:00 PM. The late-night Adult Swim version often contains racier, more potentially offensive language than the network version aired during primetime.

    So, even if, as you claim, you saw a “Family Guy” script that has Stewie using the term under discussion (Again, a link would be helpful), that is not proof that Fox allowed that version to be aired on their network in primetime.


  76. laramie says:

    Tracy, I don’t have to name other networks that wouldn’t have censored Sally Field for her “foul language.” Because FOX wouldn’t have.

    How do I know? Because they run much worse language routinely on their shows. I was watching a football game once where they showed a woman with the “F” word on her T-shirt. They went to her twice, both for long periods of time, focused right on her, one was even slow-mo–which means they had to have known what they were showing.

    You can’t tell me a network that allows “F*** the Eagles” won’t allow “g.d.”


  77. Dean says:

    They did not censor it in the international broadcast.


  78. fritzritz says:

    CNN ran both the censored and uncensored versions…at least in Europe anyway.


  79. bernarda says:

    Ringo sez, “However, you are not going to convince me that Sally Field is not an idiot.”

    I doubt that we could convince him that the world isn’t flat.

    I wonder is Sally Fields was thinking of this song from WWI, “I didn’t raise my boy to be a soldier”.

    http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/4942/

    If someone knows her, maybe they can forward it.


  80. Tracy says:

    #77

    Comment by laramie — September 18, 2007 @ 1:47 am

    When did this happen? I watch ESPN all the time and it never came up on SC as news and I am sure if it did happen it would have made the news. Plus that’s a blatant violation of FCC rules.



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