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

[Cynthia]

I just love that Hollywood doesn't have enough decency or common sense to police themselves in this. Or education - "peppering" your speeches with "off-color" language just shows you have a poor vocabulary and/or you are too lazy to come up with something else. However, you are the actors - people usually write your dialogue for you. Must be hard when you have to think it up yourselves.

[NCMike]

Nothing politically correct wrong with flipping the bird on prime time television (or Kathy Grifith's disrespect of Jesus Christ last year) so none of the lefties care. But woe to the fool who may say anything about Muslims, homosexuals, or the President Select that might be convolutedly painted as "hate speech." The Double Standard is routinely ignored by the sheep and toadies that undiscerningly follow the path on the left.

[Erik Wilson]

What sort of impressionable young sort was watching the Golden Globes anyway?

Americans have to be the most hypocritical, self-righteous people on the face of the earth. Stuff like this reminds me of A Christmas Story, when Ralphie gets in trouble for swearing. When he's asked where he heard the F--- word, he thought to himself that he had heard that word a hundred times a day from his old man.

Get over it, people. It was two people who respected each other and were having fun. It's not like they were killing anyone or doing a line of coke on stage.

[whatever]

Yeah, that was totally offensive. I've never seen a finger on TV, especially a middle one. I'm traumatized for life now.

[Marcy]

So now the lefty mouthpieces come out of the wood-work calling conservatives names and trumpeting free speech. These are the same folks who routinely change the meanings of existing words, label other words as "hateful" or inappropriate, and shrilly whine for a "fairness doctrine" because (although they permeate television, newspapers, and movies) they don't get enough airplay on the radio. You cry baby losers are unprincipled, illogical, and haven't had an original idea since Karl Marx wrote the script.

[JGR]

I'm surprised that anyone watched this boring show. The jokes were lamed and the stars looked used up. Even the plastic surgery couldn't make these has beens look better.

[victor martin]

Tim and Jeff scare me.

[June]

Hollywood celebs are so crude, rude and ignorant. Glad those 18 people called. I no longer bother watching these fools but if they want to use the public tv stations they need to keep it clean. Fools.

[SearchCz]

Shall we all panic because somebody flashed a gesture that is symbolically equivalent to an erect penis? Issues like this need to be taken out of FCC jurisdiction already. I see (simulated) murders and mutilated corpses 8 days a week on shows like CSI and Law & Order, I'd rather see that curtailed than something most every school kid has seen on the playground by age 6 anyways. grow up.

[Eddie Meeks]

WOW....a whole 18 complaints...wow...18 huh? MMmmmmm....so....18 stuffed collars didn't like it huh???? So...because a 18 people complained....you're going to do an investigation? GOOD GRIEF!

[frieswiththat]

That's tellin' 'em, Jeff!

Gord bless Anerica!

[bobbyblue]

one "bird" an yet we can see at least six murders / maimings / bloody attacks on TV any given night.
Just proves that murder and violence are just fine with America, but one "bird" isn't.

Sick

[alerelfa]

so excessive cleavage, anorexic women, glorification of a movie dealing with smoking pot . . . and a middle finger is the one thing that catches the FCC's eyes. common, this is ridiculous. http://www.latimes.com/images/blogs/submitcomment.gif

[Kam]

This situation is very serious! When only 20 people watch the show and 18 complain, this situation is very serious! I didn't know they were still airing losing shows like this from the gollywood libs.

[Fer]

What decency, there is no decency in TV, I cannot what most of the time with my kids, have anybody seen, realy seen and whatch the indecency projected to our children..
From Lack of respect to parents, Drugs are OK, being a criminal is glamorous and the whatever feels good must be good... That is more indecent than fliping the bird, LA Times do some reporting, no wonder your going down..

[jeff]

I think Its way past time to turn the boob tube off!

As much as the self-aggrandizing, Hollywood, leftist, elitists would like to lower our standards with distractions, we still noticed that now that the Head of the IRS doesn't have to pay taxes - we shouldn't have to either.

[empherean]

I wish i knew how to make a finger with my keyboard. does anyone?

[J.DLSan]

Its about time the FCC steps in and starts poliicing what seem to be an increase in unprofessionalism of the Broadcast media and not only in the entertainment industry but in sports as well. I was amused at the Globe blackouts on the telecast and said wow this should be good for the ratings which I understand happen to be worse than the previous year. The sports networks also should clean up their act as they continuously give us glimpse of naked men as they do interviews inside the locker room. But hey, no one says anything about these infractions. WHY. On the other hand they do censor showing fully dressed cheerleaders on the sidelines, something that is being viewed by thousands of people live and in person. Go figure.

[ryukyu]

They are using the same tools against the liberals that the liberals have used for years to get their pc garbage shoved down our throats all the time. It sounds like a case of "It's fine for me but not for thee" from all the whiners here.

[Dorothy]

Look the whole show was a about group of somewhat talents "honoring some no talents," in the hope that any of them would matter 5-10 years from now. Their pathetic inability to express themselves in other than guttter language, gestures and innuendo was pretty much the "artistic" level. It was all "Dirty Jokes for Little Folks". Now as to the compalints...there are supposed to be FCC rules to reject these stupid, vulgarities during the early hours of the evening...I salute those who objected, and am amused at those who were "outraged" at the enforcing of decency. I am reminded of kindergarten chants such as 'I see London, I see France; I see someone's underpants"...Ye Gods