"God Doesn't Exist" on TV

April 4, 2006 11:58 AM

Is it true by broadcast and cable standards or regulations that you cannot say "God does not exist" on TV?

My friend is working for a cable station writing and compiling content. he was told you cant say literally that "God does not exist." He was told he could imply it and it seems that you can say it in a serious context (think a documentary, or a religious debate/discussion) but not as a form of comedy.

Are these standards physically laid out somewhere? Is denouncing god comicly(even sarcastically) considered "offensive" in the way that the 7 dirty words are. Are there other ideologies that are not allowed to be joked about legally on US tv?

posted by c to media & arts (13 comments total)

Not true. Obscene or profane material must have a sexual connotation. Indecent material is offensive by its very nature, even when taken out of context (i.e. "fuck.")

Also, the FCC does not regulate cable. If your friend is true that his network prohibits saying "god does not exist," it's a self-imposed restriction aimed at not pissing off advertisers. Nobody likes an atheist tampon or an atheist SUV.
posted by Saucy Intruder at 12:07 PM on April 4, 2006

While the particular edict of which your friend speaks may be a regulation of the station or network he works for, I'm not aware of any rule (on a national level) that would make it illegal.

In fact, from all I've read, even the "seven dirty words" are not, in and of themselves, illegal. Sure, it's likely to earn the broadcaster a hefty fine from the FCC for using them, but there isn't a hard and fast rule about it.

For example, when Bono let fly a "fuck" during a live broadcast, the FCC decided not to impose fines, because of the context.

On preview: What Saucy Intruder said about the FCC not regulating cable.
One of the complaints that I've heard is that stations and networks often have no idea what the FCC might deem "offensive". When ABC aired Saving Private Ryan, several affiliates aired alternate programming instead, because they didn't want to run afoul of the FCC (the FCC took no action, but only after the broadcast, because they didn't want to be "censoring" if they said "yea" or "nay" beforehand).
posted by Godbert at 12:09 PM on April 4, 2006

I'm pretty sure that the Simpsons would have covered this at some point, either in the episode where Homer starts staying home from church or more likely in the episode where Bart sells his soul to Milhouse.

I'm also guessing that at some point a minor (to be saved) character on 7th Heaven has uttered the phrase...
posted by togdon at 12:19 PM on April 4, 2006

(IANAL caveat) Hard to believe it is something that specific.

US Law prohibits “any obscene, indecent or profane language by means of radio communication.” (18 U.S.C. § 1464) Saying God does not exist would fall into the "Profane" category. In 1999, before the FCC renewed its efforts to police broadcast content, the body declared "Profanity that does not fall under [obscenity or indecency] is fully protected by the First Amendment and cannot be regulated." Note that the cited document is currently "under revision".

The body more recently acknowledged the existence of a profanity test explicity tied to blasphemy in the Bono-F*ck-Golden Globe case. See Corante's take on new definitions of profanity.
posted by allan at 12:29 PM on April 4, 2006

Godbert - You are right that fines are not always imposed, but Bono's language was most certainly a violation of federal law:
From File No. EB-03-IH-0110

We conclude, therefore, that NBC and other licensees that broadcast Bono’s use of the “F-Word” during the live broadcast of the Golden Globe Awards violated 18 U.S.C. § 1464.43 By our action today, broadcasters are on clear notice that, in the future, they will be subject to
potential enforcement action for any broadcast of the “F-Word” or a variation thereof in situations
such as that here.

posted by allan at 12:35 PM on April 4, 2006

Don't forget that television stations have their own censors, whose job it is to prevent FCC fines. Most arguments about objectionable content are internal.
posted by deadfather at 12:58 PM on April 4, 2006

"God. He's my favourite fictional character" -- Homer.
posted by AmbroseChapel at 2:02 PM on April 4, 2006

There is no law prohibiting such a statement. If it hasn't been stated on the Simpson's, I'm pretty sure it has on SouthPark on the Comedy Central Channel.

I believe what your friend is dealing with is the Broadcast Standards department. Each network has it's own department, and the standards and guidelines vary. Mainly because, aside from nudity or profanity, all the other stuff is in a grey area that the head of the department arbitrarily assigns standards to.

It can be quit nitpicky. While working at Fox 15 years ago, you could use words like "ass" and "crap", but not on the other networks. Gradually, other networks accepted these words. So, the line is moveable.

By the way, it can also be moved back, according to whatever's politically correct, what show it is and who owns the network. Friends who created American Dad were told they had to remove more egregious anti-Bush comments from their pilot and series. Yet, I'm pretty certain that The Simpsons would be afforded this kind of leeway, since they are a huge money maker for Fox (in the billions when you include merchandising) and they can't afford to lose it.

But, no, there is no law that says you can't say God doesn't exist.
posted by generic230 at 2:05 PM on April 4, 2006

Sorry, I see you're asking about Broadcast Standards, not actual law, but again, my answer is, it's arbitrary. And in many cases is not written down anywhere. Not even in a manual, that I know of. I'm sure they must have a set of guidelines, and not saying "God doesn't exist" might be in it, but I doubt it. Standards notes are often really weird and based on the personal judgement of the standards person.
posted by generic230 at 2:15 PM on April 4, 2006

Someone screams out "There is no God" on the first season of Arrested Development. After a beat, it's revealed that in context she means something slightly different.
posted by BackwardsCity at 5:50 PM on April 4, 2006

generic230: "Each network has it's own department, and the standards and guidelines vary. Mainly because, aside from nudity or profanity, all the other stuff is in a grey area that the head of the department arbitrarily assigns standards to."

We learn on the Futurama commentary the Fox censors commonly return comments like, "Make the puke green." So yeah, a network's own department might have it's specific nitpicks.

BackwardsCity: "Someone screams out "There is no God" on the first season of Arrested Development. After a beat, it's revealed that in context she means something slightly different."

The episode is In God We Trust, which aired on Fox. (If I remember correctly, though, "There is no God!" is the punchline — we know what the woman is referring to before she utters the line.)
posted by rafter at 7:47 PM on April 4, 2006

In the final episode of season two of Battlestar Galactica a priest shouts out that "There is no God." 'Course, that's cable, but...
posted by togdon at 10:16 PM on April 4, 2006

A radio show I listen to (by podcast, but is on terrestrial radio in a number of places in the state) has a sound clip with someone singing "Jesus isn't real, he's make-believe". I'm pretty sure they would have had to clear that through the lawyers.
posted by tommorris at 9:31 AM on April 5, 2006