The Political Satire/Meme Thread

[polysmut]

an inspection

I forgot he'd made that claim. Given that so many of his claims are poppycock I'll stick with what I was thinking. That the Secret Service probably escorted him there as they would with any serving president in certain circumstances.

I'll add to my hypothesis that he then said whatever bollocks he felt least uncomfortable saying about it afterwards. As that would fit in with his oft-displayed childish side.

 

[ryzno]

 

[TheCracker]

The fact that any president or head of state should have to fear for their safety from large groups of their own citizens speaks all sorts of volumes.

 

[Groundfish]

 

[UKMikey]

We're still blaming protesters for something only seven per cent of them are doing, then?

 

[polysmut]

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Apart from that big 🤬 wall.

 

[TexRex]

Edit: I've reported my own post because a word that I didn't expect to get through the profanity filter actually did. I'll either edit it out if that's deemed necessary or I'll acknowledge its removal/censorship by moderation staff...obviously not by repeating it. Apologies to the staff if a line was crossed in posting it.

Post-edit edit: The word that made it through has indeed been censored manually by moderation staff. I respect and appreciate this action.

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This is going to be a bit of a read (and write-up), and it'd be awesome if you actually do read and consider it. I'll be especially vigilant in avoiding inflammatory remarks so as to welcome meaningful consideration.

...

Freedom of expression means that broadcasters have a choice in what not to air. Because that particular form of free expression isn't likely to be infringed upon by government, the only real consequence broadcasters face for not airing something is a loss of market share to broadcasters that fulfill the wants of their audience. This consequence is a result of freedom of choice.

In at least one instance, a program director actually made the choice to pull the song due to the apparent message it conveyed, and wasn't actually swayed by public response.

The same can't be said of broadcasters' choice in what to air. Sure, loss of market share is a likely consequence of programming, but there is also a precedent for infringement of freedom of expression, which, by definition, can only be by government. There's actually precedent for infringement of the right to free expression (by the FCC) that has largely been upheld by the United States Supreme Court, as crazy as that seems.

A little background.

On July 21st, 1972, approximately 190 days after I was born, comedian George Carlin was arrested at Milwaukee's Summerfest music and performing arts festival, charged with violation of Wisconsin's obscenity laws. Carlin was performing his "Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television" bit. In performing the bit, he publicly uttered the words ****, ****, ****, ******cker, mother****er, piss and tits. There are obviously other obscene words, but "those are the heavy seven...they'll infect your soul, curve your spine and keep your country from winning the war."

I've gone ahead and written these words outright, opting to let this site's profanity filter do its thing and censor only the words deemed inappropriate. If any appear uncensored, perhaps them doing so will put things into perspective. I also want to acknowledge--indeed highlight--that these words being censored by the site doesn't constitute infringement upon my right to free expression as it's a private platform. As a private platform, the site's moderators also have the privilege to modify postings as they see fit and this too doesn't constitute infringement upon my right to free expression.

Aaaaanyway, Carlin actually appeared in court over the charges in December of 1972, but the judge presiding over the case dismissed the charges on the basis that the comedian was free to use the words provided he wasn't causing a disturbance, something that a performance that audience members chose to see most definitely was not.

Carlin was actually previously arrested at a club in 1967 where similar obscenities were uttered, however it was fellow comedian Lenny Bruce [is not afraid] who uttered them and Carlin simply refused to present identification to officers on the scene.

Back to the subject of radio.

In 1973, WBAI in New York City aired, uncensored, a similar track titled "Filthy Words" from Carlin's fifth album, Occupation: Foole, which had been released earlier that year. A man who had been listening to the radio with his son at the time was compelled to complain to the Federal Communications Commission, and WBAI's owner Pacifica Foundation was issued a citation for violating regulations that prohibit broadcast of obscene material. Pacifica contested and the Supreme Court ruled 5 to 4 to uphold the FCC's action and establish the body's right to such prohibitions during hours that children may be listening.

The whole thing probably helped Carlin, but many people consider it a loss for free speech.

Carlin has since remarked on the FCC:

"The FCC, the Federal Communications Commission, decided all by itself that radio and television were the only two parts of American life not protected by the free speech provisions of the First Amendment to the Constitution. I'd like to repeat that because it sounds vaguely important! The FCC, an appointed body, not elected, answerable only to the president, decided on its own that radio and television were the only two parts of American life not protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution.

Why did they decide that? Because they got a letter from a minister in Mississippi! A Reverend Donald Wildmon in Mississippi heard something on the radio that he didn't like! Well, Reverend, did anyone ever tell you there are two knobs on the radio? Of course, I'm sure the reverend isn't that comfortable with anything that has two knobs on it, but hey, Reverend, there are two knobs on the radio; one of 'em turns the radio off, and the other one...changes the station!

Imagine that, Reverend, you can actually change the station! It's called freedom of choice, and it's one of the principles this country was founded upon. Look it up in the library, Reverend, if you have any of them left when you finish burning all the books!"

I'd like to add that Reverend Donald Wildmon founded the American Family Association, a Christian fundamentalist charity organization that opposes, among other things, LGBT rights and expression. AFA's off-shoot OneMillionMoms scours television broadcasts for things to get outraged over, such as interracial families eating breakfast cereal, people saying "damn" as they eat hamburgers made from meat substitutes, people who use the dishwasher every night, cartoon rats marrying cartoon aardvarks of the same sex, depiction and glorification of a Satan that lives in Los Angeles and fights crime, and lesbians in primetime young adult dramas...not hardcore lesbian ****ing, just...lesbians.

 

[Joey D]

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I didn't know what WAP was and after looking it up and giving it a listen, all I can think is "what in the christ?"

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

We're still blaming protesters for something only seven per cent of them are doing, then?

Right, but seven percent isn't that insignificant.

 

[TexRex]

I didn't know what WAP was and after looking it up and giving it a listen, all I can think is "what in the christ?"

Yeah, I only know what little I know of it because of the outrage it sparked from the likes of Ben Shapiro and DeAnna Lorraine, but I'd hope that any radio station that I may listen to never chooses to air it. It's not because of "political correctness" (BOO!!!) that I hope I never actually hear it, but because it's absolute garbage. Given that it comes from Cardi B, I'd wager that it'd be absolute garbage even in the absence of the language that has sparked outrage.

Right, but seven percent isn't that insignificant.

While it's seven percent more than I'd like to see, it's absolutely not the norm.

But the right has demonstrated a propensity to conflate any and all support for the movwment with those who have capitalized on the attention it's gotten as a means to perpetrate the acts of violence and destruction that they are inclined to perpetrate.

The right has also demonstrated a propensity to conflate any and all bad acts involving black people with BLM, whether there's any substantive link or not.

 

[Sander 001]

I forgot he'd made that claim. Given that so many of his claims are poppycock I'll stick with what I was thinking. That the Secret Service probably escorted him there as they would with any serving president in certain circumstances.

I'll add to my hypothesis that he then said whatever bollocks he felt least uncomfortable saying about it afterwards. As that would fit in with his oft-displayed childish side.

And let's not lose sight of the fact that he wouldn't need to retreat to an underground bunker in the first place if he'd been able to de-escalate the unrest in the first place.

 

[UKMikey]

Right, but seven percent isn't that insignificant.

If that's the case, then how much less insignificant is ninety-three percent?

 

[McLaren]

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‘Let’s let the next president, whoever it might be, make that nomination and you can use my words against me and you’d be absolutely right'

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Democrats are the platform of racism

*shares racial-implied meme*

 

[Sander 001]

 

[Sander 001]

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

If that's the case, then how much less insignificant is ninety-three percent?

About 13 times

But it does distract from the message a bit and makes for an easy story for the media.

 

[UKMikey]

It certainly distracts from the message that 93% of protesters don't burn and loot.

When people knowingly post fake crap on the internet claiming everyone else is in on the joke how many people even bother to fact check what they read? Chris didn't.

 

[McLaren]

It certainly distracts from the message that 93% of protesters don't burn and loot.

When people knowingly post fake crap on the internet claiming everyone else is in on the joke how many people even bother to fact check what they read? Chris didn't.

I wonder if Chris realizes that, "definitely wouldn't doubt that it would happen" thought is what concerns many on Trump. B/c this is fake, but easily in line with his mannerisms on Twitter.

 

[ryzno]

Do you think we should've not shut down?

 

[VolkswagenX]

 

[VBR]

 

[Sander 001]

Do you think we should've not shut down?

A shutdown is moot if rattlesnakes conquer our civilization.

 

[HenrySwanson]

 

[Liquid]

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I don't recall consent being an issue in the song WAP but I could be wrong. Haven't really read up about the furore.

 

[VolkswagenX]

 

[Sander 001]

 

[GranTurNismo]

Had a good laugh.

 

[Sander 001]

 

[polysmut]

I think I know how this forum works. Isn't this the bit where @Danoff says that more toilet paper can be created and so can more wealth?

 

[Danoff]

I think I know how this forum works. Isn't this the bit where @Danoff says that more toilet paper can be created and so can more wealth?

Sounds about right. Except...

When you buy a roll of toilet paper, you really do create a shortage of toiler paper (by exactly one roll). However, when you create wealth, you do not create any shortage of wealth. It's a terrible analogy. Material goods don't function exactly like wealth. 👍