No I am not...

What I am curious about though is how come in this day and age people cannot make a joke without someone else feeling offended bye it? IMO unless someone is specifically attacking YOU people need to chill out. It kills me these people who complain that Howard Stern or Opie and Anthony offend them but they can not seem to just CHANGE THE CHANNEL! I am a fan of Opie and Anthony they made me laugh on my way to work now I cannot laugh on my way to work because someone was "offended" by a radio stunt and they got cancelled. I do not think it is right that someone else bieng offended has led to the decision that I (who was not offended) now cannot listen to them! I do not want to turn this into an argument about what they did what I am looking for is a discussion on what everyone feels about how far people's right to be offended goes? Like why is it ok to think a movie should be censored because of a joke about a civil rights activist?

One night at the radio station, I thought one of our DJ's was making a commercial in the production room. When some of the DJs botch it up, they definately "add Lib" with nasty obscene words. Back in the cart deck days, they usually yanked the cart out of the cart deck and threw the cart up against the wall, or promptly run it on the bulk eraser.

At that radio station, we used a computer with recording software to eliminate the carts and cart decks. One night, I heard these grossly worded flubs on the station monitors. I thought I just might step into the production room to tell the DJ to cool it. When I opened the door to the Production room, there was nobody in it!!!!

Since we were automated, I instantly realized that this stuff was being broadcasted. I ran into the control room to override it, but by time I got to the control room, it was too late.

About two seconds later, the telephones lit up like a Christmas tree with people calling in to say they were offended. Mind you, this stuff was being broadcasted for at least 10 minutes...

As it turns out, the new computer was "listening" and somehow, the ad was programmed into a slot in error.

Well anyway, the person who made the ad was required to make a public apology, plus there was some other harsh disiplinary actions administered by the station's General Manager.

It is funny that nobody complained until after the spot was aired. A whole 10 minutes? That's insane!

Radio and television station employees really have to be on their toes at all times. I think just about every person in a radio station got caught with an "Open Microphone" -- including me! And I am just a pukey engineer that is supposed to know better.

I remember a local TV station sometime ago where the engineering gang was supposedly talking through engineering talk-back communication links within the studio and engineering facilities. It was really an interesting conversation. That went on for at least 20 minutes before someone found out it was being broadcasted. You guessed it....just about every potty-mouthed word was said. I wonder where or who they learned them from?

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(Are you offended yet? )

I am familiar with the Opie and Anthony show. I have no idea why they were pulled, but would be interested in hearing why (even though this thread will wander because of it). O&A used to air on 105.3FM here in the Dallas area at night. Now we have to put up with Tom Lycos since O&A got pulled. <insert barfing smiley here> To me, Tom has got to be one of the most cocky and annoying people on the planet. He also has a serious speech problem. He can't finish two sentences in less than a minute, and the way he delivers his dialogue is always in a demeaning / "talking down to the listener" tone that I find annoying. Almost "offensive", but not really. He's just an ass. My solution? I turn the radio off when he comes on. Big deal, waaaah. I'll get over it.

Here in Dallas we have Russ Martin, who has got to be the best radio personality of all time. I'll bet within two years he is syndicated across the country. Watch for him, but only listen if you have a sense of humor. If you don't have a sense of humor, DO make it a point to listen and call in to talk to him. It's people without a sense of humor that make his show. Russ Martin is the Seinfeld of radio. He can get on there and talk for 4 hours about absolutely nothing, yet you will be glued to the radio the entire time.
www.russmartin.com

I think that you are missing the point, Sean. If Opie and Anthony had confined themselves to their radio show, that would be one thing, they've gotten away with worse before. But when their smarmy bullcrap starts spilling over into the general public in such a way that you CAN'T avoid it as you go about your business, and in such a disgusting and distasteful manner, that is quite another. Yes, you can change the radio dial, but you can't "change the channel" at your place of worship to avoid this stuff when it is happening right before your eyes. What they did at St. Patrick's may sound funny to read about, or to listen to on the radio. But if you were a communicant of the church, how would you feel if you stumbled upon these two hillbilly pinheads going at it in the pews, as a radio stunt? I think the answer is "outraged".

I, for one, am glad they got canned. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

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I heard those two when I was passing through NY a few months back. They were so funny, even though I am not too surprised by the stunt they tried to pull. Oh well...

Seriously, though. If someone chooses not to hear/read/watch/listen to something because it offends them, that's their option. If these same people demand that such works should not be seen by others because of what they find offensive, then they are nutty people who need to stay put in their homes and away from any form of communication. (I hope I have not offended anyone with that statement!)

Being at a University, I always see someone yelling or protesting or passing out fliers about one thing or another. I usually just ignore them and go about my business, but on the rare occasion when I stop to talk to one of them, I find out they don't know what the hell they are talking about anyway. Some people find the most absurd things offensive, and half the time it's because they don't understand what it is or why it offends them, it just does.

When something offends someone, they are ready to grab a pen and paper and write out their complaint in 500 words or more to anyone whom they think will care, but if there should be something that pleases them, they won't lift a finger to compliment anyone. They simply vent their anger and/or opposition for attention.

Me? Nothing offends me. Personal attacks, maybe, but nothing in general.

I'm a David Letterman fan who happens to be Catholic, which means I've been putting up with nightly St. Patrick's Cathedral/public sex/groping priest jokes for the past 3 months, at least. Some are funny, some are not. But I'm still a fan and have written no angry letters to the network. There are more important things to worry about.

LET ME RESTATE WHAT THEY DID...

They convinced a couple to either have or fake sex on a holy catholic holiday in a catholic cathedral. IN A CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL.

They no longer were just in thier studio. Now they went onto private property, unannounced, and without permission, broadcast from remote, WITOUT PERMISSION, either an act or simulated act, from within a FRIGGIN CHURCH.

Maybe you aren't religeous. Maybe you are. Would you want someone just coming over and start having sex in your church for a radio stunt? You can't just turn the channel.

OPEN YOUR FRIGGIN EYES!!!

What was done violated not just common decency, but private property rights. It is one thing to pretend to do this, and all from the comfort of the studio, but to actually go ON SITE and do it, that involves crudeness to a whole new level.

Not only will this couple and both Opie and Anthony get thiers, but anyone who thought that this was just harmless fun? Start praying to whomever you believe in 'cause your sole(sic) is in for some hurt!

Dave (bastard son of barney)

If you listen to the actual broadcast of the Opie and Anthony incident, there's actually nothing much to complain about. If the FCC rules just on what was heard on the radio, there probably won't even be a fine. Much worse is heard every day.

But the problem is that O&A hosted a contest that was sponsored by Sam Adams Beer (Sex For Sam #3). In order to win the contest, one had to perform an illegal act (sex in public.) That's where O&A and station management blew it.

In addition, it was reported today that the couple in question also had sex at or in front of FAO Schwartz, the toy store. In my opinion, this is even worse than having sex at St. Patrick's because there was a greater likelihood of children viewing the act.

The other issue is whether you believe radio stations should operate in the public interest or whether "anything goes" as long as it gets an audience. I don't believe in government censorship. But I do believe that station management and program directors should do their job. And I don't think it's too hard too figure out what is acceptable for broadcast.

The problem with shock-jock radio is that you always have to push to be more shocking. The day after the St. Patrick's incident, I listened to a repeat broadcast of O&A. In this broadcast, a woman called in, extremely upset with their antics and disrespect for women. They asked her if she had kids. She said she had two daughters, ages 8 and 10. O&A told her, "well when your daughters turn 18, guys just like us are going to F them in the A real hard!" Is this really what we now consider to be professional broadcasting?

Before deregulation, for the most part, broadcasters had some pride in what they broadcast. Today, all broadcasters care about is the next quarter's stock price. So should our entire society be overwhelmed with negativity and pornography just because it gets an audience? I find it shocking that we are willing to let our culture be hijacked by those who only want to appeal to the instincts of immature high school boys.

In my view, the airwaves belong to the public and radio stations should have to operate in the public interest. This is different than a movie or a book because those are totally private industries -- the public doesn't own the paper or the printing press or the movie studio or theatre.

To kill time, these fellows did a little router hacking and dialed up the American triple-extasy channel to watch some hardcore porn via satellite. And they did so for about half an hour --until they realized it was going out over the air.

It's probably hard for people to think a radio station could get you excited about music, but at the time very few stations would play the stuff we consider classic today; in fact, they helped make some groups classic. Groups like Traffic, Mountain, Velvet Underground, Cream were just considered "hippie-shit" by most other stations. WNEW was one of the first stations to play the long version of songs, and without the DJ's making joke comments while it's playing. They encouraged DJ's to tell listeners a little about the groups/artists they played, and let the DJ's talk a little about themselves.

Times change, and WNEW finally went all talk since they were loosing money. I don't really blame the owners for that. But, there was a guy there who was the general manager at WNEW since 1967 and they let him go about the same time as they hired Opie and Anthony. O&A later said "Yeah, we got rid of that old fart!" Well, now O&A are gone, and they deserve to be dumped. At least the general manager went with dignity. What O&A did at St. Patrick's was stupid, but by itself wasn't the worst thing I ever heard of. O&A were just mean, and most of their jokes were always put-down humor at someone else's expense, ie: O&A *did* attack people personally. They made their own rope and hung themeslves with it. It was a long time comming.

(I thought I asked this not to turn into an O&A thread it was just my example, I am offended you guys wouldnt heed to my wishes)

Ok... A few facts...

Opie and Anthony ARE NOT TERMINATED from Infinity Broadcasting. Rumor is that they are going to keep them under contract AND PAY THEM so they cannot go to another company (Clear Channel... cough) in the morning and eat Howard Stern for Breakfast.

Some people get it and some dont. I got it. They were funny it all depends on your sense of humor but i have every right to like them just as much as anyone does to hate them.

moving foward...

What about the Barbershop thing. What do you think about the Reverand Jessie Jackson demanding that the studio edit the film???

Oh.. and Brad I get called that a lot I think its a nickname or something