Breaking: FCC reviewing NBC's Golden Globes telecast

After receiving multiple complaints about NBC's Sunday telecast of the Golden Globes, the FCC said Wednesday that it is reviewing the program for possible violations of indecency rules.

Toward the end of the program, director Darren Aronofsky was caught on camera jokingly making an obscene gesture -- "flipping the bird," as it's commonly called -- at actor Mickey Rourke, who was onstage accepting an acting award for Aronofsky's film "The Wrestler." Rourke and other attendees also salted their speeches with occasional off-color language, some of which was bleeped by NBC censors.

Now the FCC, which regulates decency issues on the broadcast networks, has stepped into the fray. "We received 18 complaints about the Golden Globes telecast," FCC spokeswoman Edie Herman wrote in an e-mail to The Times, "and the commission is reviewing the matter." 

An NBC spokeswoman confirmed that it aired the Aronofsky gesture on the live telecast. "On the West Coast, it went to black for two seconds," the spokeswoman e-mailed. "Beyond that, we have no further comment."

Aronofsky's publicist, Karen Samfilippo, said earlier this week that she had not heard anything from NBC about the matter.

The FCC has a mixed record with decency enforcement. The agency fined CBS $500,000 for airing Janet Jackson's notorious "wardrobe malfunction" during the 2004 Super Bowl. But a court overturned the fine last year.

-- Scott Collins

 

Comments

[John]

Fine the socks of them. But the real question is why anyone was bothering to watch such stupid programing.

[Frank Dracman]

Has anyone yet pointed out that the 18 people were all the people who watched the show?

/didn't think so.
//Drew Barrymore is HOT!

[Mike]

What a joke. All you lefties complaining about "only 18 people" causing an investigation. How about the fact that when only ONE person complains about a moment of silence, or an invocation, or the 10 Commandments, or a prayer, or, or etc. you think THAT is FINE and the ACLU and/or the Feds rush in and go bezerk. You people are such hypocrites and phonys.

[Todd]

Thats just not right.
I complained 19 times.

[hanna]

hey jack,why don't you let your 5 year old watch someone give the finger...ooohhh i guess you find that funny .people like you who think christians are shoving their beliefs "down your throat" are totally ignorant to the fact that children are innocent and why should parents allow you or hollywood to taint their innocence? i'm 43 years old and still find all the filth on t.v. sickening....as for you buddy your only a product of your enviroment and thats sad...

[Michael D]

People on this site arguing that it only takes 18 complaints to initiate a FCC investigation. But they don't mind if 1 student complains about prayer in school which the ACLU takes as a sign to start a multi-million dollar lawsuit against any given school district. Same stupidity.

[Joe Brown]

Yea, that's right, keep bombarding us with immorality, affairs, profanity and violence. This all erodes our sense of decency - and over time has wrecked America. Look around America, we are living in a moral cesspool. Clean up your act so we can live in a good society again, not one in moral decline. Did you ever think that maybe one of the FCC commissioners was watching the Trash Globes with his family and was rightly offended? Hollywood and the television industry is full of moral degenerates, drug users, and creeps, who choose to live immoral lives at the expense of their wives, children, community, and ultimately the nation. I don't watch their rotten self praise awards, and neither do most decent people, so not surprising there wern't more complaints. Wake up and grow up.

[disgusted]

This country is going to the dogs and has lost its sense of decency - mainly due to TV and Hollywood and the liberal scumbags that write, direct, produce and act the junk that is being foisted on the unwitting public of young people. Bad language and obscene gestures come from the lack of spirituality in those who use them and then pass their terrible personalities and character on to others' children as well as their own. It's like a sick virus that is overtaking our society. I long for the innocence and wonder of the America in which I grew up. Too bad for the coming generations. My kids have not been infected by this because they are too busy (all well over 40 years) to bother with the crappy entertainment industry and because they have intelligence and sense to stay within decent moral boundaries. A pox on the liberal busybodies and some blue-collar workers whose mouths all need a good sterlizing!

[idiot hater]

i am so greatful all of the ignorant comments are from women on the west coast..please stay there...its going to be a great day when CA. falls into the ocean..maybe moses will come back and help ya..."NOT"

[Terry]

18 complaints doesn't sound like much but I bet that represents 50% of the viewers

[Tronman]

What's the big deal? The FCC plays a re-broadcast to see if there were are any violations, If so, prosecute. Case closed.

[the_logician]

To all of you complaining that 18 complaints isn't enough to warrant penalties or an investigation... It only takes one complaint to get Christmas trees or nativity scenes ripped out of schools or the public square. The broadcast spectrum is public airwave space, the equivalent of the public square. So, even one complaint triggers an investigation. Sorry, but that is what happens once you've headed down that slippery slope.

[Bob Booner]

Why should anyone be finned?
Leave their fins alone, for God's sake!
They obviously havent evolved completely yet, so don't mess with them.

[Ed Stanowicz]

Why are these "award" shows broadcast anyway? Who wants to watch a bunch of self-congratulating Hollyweird Leftist who can't help but bash a president and undermine the US Military. Drop these types of shows. The country will be better off.

[Jonathan]

It's time for the FCC to be tossed. The population of the United States has changed beyond the 1950's mentality of decency. Network television is dying out because they still cannot program to audiences in the way that most people talk and act in today's society. Cable is able to get through these issues. It's time to just level the playing field and allow creativity to take it's course. If the American public disagrees with what they are seeing - change the channel or get off your fat butts and do something other than watching the boob-tube.

[Ventura Capitalist]

Quit whining. It only takes one complaint to censor a Christmas tree.

[becky]

You hear and see worse thing from kids and teenagers. Why don't adult pay more attention to what is going on in your own towns and neighborhoods then worry about TV shows. If you don't like what you're watching you can change the station or "read a book"

[whocares]

what does it matter when people act such as they do "in real life"? please stop all this phonyness WHAT is due to STOP is this political ramblings of the winners!!! Absolutely boring----the large percentage of viewers have no idea of who all the "names" these people are!!!! And they go on and on and on. I always loved Kate Winslet , begining w/ heavenly creatures,------no more, her acceptance speech made me sick------no humor, nothing personal (except: "gather") it was all about unknown people exc. leo. PLEASE go back to the days of :"thank you" as sometimes seen on t.v. via elizabeth taylor. OH GOD just the thought of them:yack ah dah yack ah dah yack ah dah and "OH YES I CANNOT FORGET ---------only to hear acompletely unknown NAME. these shows are slipping in ratings HA I WONDER WHY!!

[Sam Quaddlebaum II]

I wasn't born with enough middle fingers for the FCC and the goons who want to police free speech in this formerly free country, especially with SO many other media options including....not watching TV at all! Wouldn't abstinence be more appropriate anyway for those easily offended hypocrites?
Can someone give a brother a hand? Or maybe just a few middle digits?

[TruthHurts]

I think the FCC and the outgoing Administration have been indecent for the last 8 years.... who is investigating them?

This is a very slippery slope.... Let's get 18 people... if we can find 18... to say they liked the show. Now which 18 tax payers are more important?