Why 'The People v. O.J. Simpson' can get away with using the F-word
While other basic-cable networks avoid the word or bleep it when used, the FX true-crime drama lets it roll.
In a recent scene, prosecutor Marcia Clark (Sarah Paulson) reads the news that Simpson has hired celebrity defense attorney Johnnie Cochran (Courtney B. Vance). "Motherf---er," she reacts.
As it turns out, viewers of the show don't seem to mind the obscenity.
"We got no negative feedback," FX president John Landgraf told Slate of the moment. "We air these shows at 10 p.m. Everybody knows what they are, that they're adult shows."
But why don't the FCC censors get involved?
The government agency has the power to intervene on the use of profanity only when it's legally obscene. And the benchmark for being legally obscene is pretty high, according to Slate. No TV network will reach that level, the site reported.
And what about transmitting vulgar speech over public airwaves? The Supreme Court ruled in 1978 that there could be punishment for the public transmission of vulgar speech. But FX, like other cable channels, transmits its signal via privately owned and operated equipment.
With all this freedom, what's keeping FX and other cable networks from going wild on profanities? Much of the balance is kept by self-censorship on the part of the networks. They have commercial sponsors, which would be troubled by the extreme use of profanity on shows in which they advertise. (HBO does not have advertisers, for example, so it's looser with language.)
"We're not looking to open the floodgates," Landgraf said. "Our point-of-view is that everything we do is about supporting artistic integrity. In this case, letting the word fly was the way to do that."
FX has actually allowed the four-letter word to be used on another series, Landgraf pointed out, the comedy "Louie."