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XM Opie and Anthony par for pay radio standards
By Stone Martindale May 12, 2007, 18:36 GMT
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Thats it M&C, keep encouraging the witch hunts with your editorializing a news piece. I can't wait in a few years when one of your journos writes a throwaway line that offends someone and there is a national call for you to shut down.
These kind of shows have been on for years but suddenly the entire country gets a moral hard-on? I doubt it. Could it be an overly PC media who aren't just reporting news but now influencing it with subtle inferences? Could beeeeee......
This was said on a pay service on an XL channel that has the option of being blocked as well.
This is getting out of hand. Opie and Anthony have been doing this type of comedic radio for years now on XM. Their listeners enjoy it and thats all that should matter.
They will not be suspended or fired over this. The PC club needs to start worrying about more important things in life. Go protest the war or something.
Leave our entertainment only. Enough is enough here.
Leave the boys alone. Their comments were not intended to be anything harmful or as a direct attack on Ms. Rice. If you do not like what they have to say DO NOT listen to them. I happen to enjoy the show very much and it would be a disgrace to have them removed from the air for this type of comment. The political groups are making a complete mockery out of our constitutional rights for freedom of speech. If this type of ridiculous censorship continues we may as well just call the USA a communistic form of governement because it is indeed the course we are on.
I guess we should just throw out the First Amendment, since your not even allowed to have GUESTS say anything. I hope that CBS and ZM both show some backbone and stand by O & A. They stand to lose a ton of listeners if they don't.
I guess we should just throw out the First Amendment, since your not even allowed to have GUESTS say anything. I hope that CBS and XM both show some backbone and stand by O & A. They stand to lose a ton of listeners if they don't.
This is absolutely sad. Opie and Anthony have made a lot of mistakes in the past but lets be honest here its xm. XM is the HBO of radio. XM has a xl logo on the channel on which it airs the O&A show. If Sharpton wants to call for the firing of o&a he better understand that it was a african american who made the comments.
I have to say this article was one of the fairest Ive seen so far. At least it looks like you did your research. Bill OReilly and the NY Post could learn a few things that way.
The only thing you messed up on was Queen Elizabeth. What the homeless man said was 'F*** the queen' not 'I WANNA f*** the queen'.
Anyway, this entire story is ridiculous. XM is supposed to be uncensored radio, and 202 has perental controls. I just dont see where the problem is.
Al Sharpton should be answering questions like 'Why have you still not paid the court ordered settlement in the Tawanna Brawley case yet?' instead of worrying about who he is going to ask to be fired this week.
Step up people, before special interest groups start taking over everything we get to see and hear.
O&A didn't say they wanted anything to happen to those ladies. The horror emark was about just how awful it would be if something like that would have taken place, and the look of horror Ms. Rice would most likely have on her face if a homeless man was to sexually assault her.
As for Al and his assocates, if they were to threaten to boycott O&A's sponsers and a sponser was to then pull out on O&A, then that sponser would REALLY find out what boycott means. No radio show has fans with the passion that O&A have. The Pests would boycott, and they would boycott forever.
I wonder if it was only Laura Bush and the Queen if Rev.Al would still be outraged. He has zero credibility, Bernie McGuirk(sp?) said it best when he asked Al 'Who elected you anything?'
One day, a more utopic United States may exist, one where Al Sharpton wont have the power, he never deserved.
When the Gores crank up again on warning labels and bans ,Maybe they will jump on this bandwagon.
Plain and simple....I pay for XM, I like to listen to this type of show. If you do not like it than CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION. 'Reverend' Al Sharpton is as crooked as the day is long an should be regarded as the three year old attention sponge he is. PLEASE, leave the guys alone.
XM Opie and Anthony par for pay radio standards
well put. you get what you pay for, and if trash is what you want, belly up to the xm & sirius bar....free speech...or just stupid trash speak for lowest common denominator fans..our country gets more stupid by the day.
Last night I saw Paula Zahn with giant,shiney teeth bared, snarling at the thought that anyone could utter something so polically incorrect and still live to see another sunrise.
What's with the popular media conducting it's own protests, on behalf of the public?
It's like 'outrage by proxy'. Talk about a boorish, bully pulpit.
She found it so offensive she won't rest until all Americans have heard it too.
Be honest and listen to the segment before you comment. Opie and Anthony did not mention doing anything 'themselves' to any of the people mentioned by the homeless man. The homeless man voiced his opinion that each of the two women, Condi Rice and First Lady Bush, were attractive to him in a sexual manner. Although he expressed those feelings in a manner that should be expected by a man who has lived on the New York City streets for 20 or more years, he said nothing illegal and nothing offensive. His comments may have been nasty, but they were honest. Anthony made mention of the likely 'horror' on Condi Rice's face if this situation were to occur. Would you honestly expect her to react in any other way but horrified by the thought of having sexual intercourse with a homeless man? If you would expect a different action, I believe that you are sadly mistaken.
Also, when the homeless man said 'F' the Queen, referring to Queen Elizabeth, he did not make mention of wanting to engage in any intimate acts with her. His statement was that she was 'lost' and that he had no respect for her. If you were to poll the average Briton, I am pretty sure that they would reveal a lack of respect for the Queen as well.
Nothing illegal was said, no laws against violence were broken, and the hosts of the show did not say anything derogatory toward any of the public officials involved. No one seems to be calling for fines, suspensions, or firings of any of the women on 'The View' after Danny DeVito had a drunken rant on live television in the middle of the morning on broadcast television. ESPN was not fined, none of the game announcers were suspended or fired when Joe Namath made sexual advances toward Suzy Kolber during a primetime, nationally broadcast, football game. Why are the rules any different now?
To M&C - what does the sentence printed in red above the place for commenter's name mean??????? I agree if your mentality is such that you want to pay for this kind of talk show, go for it!
Who died and made Al Sharpton god.
OK let's be real here. What is up with Al Sharpton? Al Sharpton can NOT decide what acceptable entertainment is for me. XM is a pay service much like HBO or SHOWTIME. There CAN and WILL be programming that is offensive to many. It is my choice as an AMERICAN to choose to pay for this service. AL SHARPTON has NO BUSINESS HERE. This is NOT a PUBLIC AIRWAY. I don't interfere with AL's right to watch BLACK PORN so why should he be in my face over my entertainment. I am so sick and tired of all of these 'GROUPS' who call for 'EQUALITY' and single themselves out on a regular basis. I guarantee you that I have found MR Sharpton to be offensive on several occasions but I respect his right to do so. This is America not 'Black America' or 'Chinese America' just AMERICA a nation of diversity. We should all be able to live freely and enjoy our entertainment of CHOICE. No ONE MAN should have that kind of influence or power. He must be stopped.
Yes, the company has the right to hire whoever they want and to broadcast whatever they want. In the same vein, any of us has the right to object and/or to want someone fired.
Just replace 'Condoleezza Rice' in the skit (which I listened to in full) with the name of your mother, and you might be less forgiving.
Thanks!!
i support o&a and free speech i pay good money to xm radio to listen to theres and ron & fezs broadcast if either show is canceled then i will cancel my xm raido on principle
tom may 13. ur a bed wetting mommas boy cancel your xm radio throw it in the garbage and if u listen to o&a u will know what to do to ur mother
Its called free speech
Leave em alone Would Ya????
It has come to my attention that fox news and it's group of misinformed hosts are now trying to create news out of stories that aren't there. I for one pay for the privilege of listening to opie and anthony, if i didn't want to hear them i wouldn't pay for it now would I. shawn hannity has tried his best to keep this story alive for no reason other then his lust for the ratings as for bill o'reily this is just his normal fountain of self serving misinformation. As a new yorker i refuse to ever go along with anything that involves a man such as al sharpton .
this is a man that makes his living by dividing people. what he has done here in new york over the years is a disgrace and has cost people their lives. all you have to do is look back at crown heights to find out what his ugliness is all about. al doesn't do anything for anyone but al. then you have his partner in crime the so called rev.jesse jackson, this is nothing more then a professional extortionist. he has extorted money from major corporations for years while doing nothing to truly help anyone other then himself. Pay jesse enough and he goes away . Just a little responsible research would show you that this has all just been a publicity stunt by a group of people that make a living out of hate and division.I for one would like my freedom of speech left as is and not controlled by the government or any other special interest groups.
I'm guessing John Ingrassia slept through civics class. Defamatory (including slander and libel), obscene, or words that incite violence are NOT protected under Freedom of Speech.
As far as O & A goes, as an XM subscriber, I've never listened to them. Life is way to short of bad radio.
Lest we forget, even this little comment blog is being censored. It's not a first-amendment issue unless it's the government doing the censoring. It's just more pseodo-puritan posturing from pundts.
yo David, Msnbc is cable and thus paid for, not public airways. Imus was just the begining. The opressed are now the oppressors.
actually, i think it is an excellent idea, especially for condi. break her open like a shotgun and do her like a dog, i say. it works wonders for their attitudes.
i just read on another site that trojan condoms pulled its adds on o&a on xm radio so i myself will never buy another trojan product so to hell with trojan there are lots of other condoms
I agree with you completely. There has to be something for everyone - even those with low mentality!
Here we go again. Some high and mighty, holier than though crybaby is trying to tell everyone else what they should/shouldn't be listening too. First off, this is a PAYED service. If you are unhappy with the service DON'T PAY. Second, the government has absolutely, positively ZERO over satelite because IT IS NOT PUBLIC. Censorshipt a-holes wake up and get a clue. Not everyone wants to listen to classical music and right wing blowhard hypocrits yammering on how we're all evil. Some people actually want to be entertained.
your spelling tells it all!!
'I'm guessing John Ingrassia slept through civics class. Defamatory (including slander and libel), obscene, or words that incite violence are NOT protected under Freedom of Speech.'
So they get in trouble because someone on their show made the remark?
'I agree with you completely. There has to be something for everyone - even those with low mentality!'
Isn't self superiority grand?
'
Here we go again. Some high and mighty, holier than though crybaby is trying to tell everyone else what they should/shouldn't be listening too. First off, this is a PAYED service. If you are unhappy with the service DON'T PAY. Second, the government has absolutely, positively ZERO over satelite because IT IS NOT PUBLIC. Censorshipt a-holes wake up and get a clue. Not everyone wants to listen to classical music and right wing blowhard hypocrits yammering on how we're all evil. Some people actually want to be entertained.'
Al Sharpton is a left wing liberal yuppie. The title reverend is one of those cute little jokes he plays to confuse folks.
Now for my actual post.
It's cute how so many people like the 'esteemed' Reverend have so much time on their hands to start things like this. Not once has he made a single statement about Rappers who make songs of rape, murder, or dehumanizing women into 'Hoe's'.
Does anyone remember how hilarious people though it was back in the 60's when the hippies started trash talking Nixon, Agnew, etc. and began this riot of free speech with no holds barred and no respect for anything?
This is the result. I have found a way of confronting this tastless, childish drivel of garbage talk. I found in an antique shop a marvelous old radio that has a switch to turn it off.
Now I don't have to infringe on another person's right to be obscene nor do I have to bring my blood pressure up by listening to such useless junk. Newton Minnow once called TV a vast wasteland..I can't imagine what he would use to describe talk radio.. it probably wouldn't be allowed on the air.
Thank God we have upright, moral enforcers like HRH Sharpton.
I'm always amused at people who throw around the 'freedom of speech' or 'freedom of press' arguments to excuse all kinds of poor behavior. The intent of our founding fathers in ensuring those freedoms was not to allow a free-for-all of amusement at the expense of others, it was to allow, for one thing, political discourse without fear of retribution. The protections were enacted to give power to the weak, including victims of crimes. Hiding behind these protections as a shield while we get off on listening to obviously ill people rant about rape, for example, is sicker than sick...at the very least it is infantile and ill-informed.
There is nothing wrong with joking about people, and there are public figures I don't care for, won't listen to, and yet wouldn't want to see censored. And I do think some of this correctness kick goes too far. But it's a far, far distance from being a matter of 'taste' or 'sense of humor' to being a encouragement (implicit or not)of a dangerous act. The real danger comes in desensitizing ourselves to ugly and ill behavior by extending its acceptance through whatever avenue, including humor. Maybe especially humor, because it seems so innocuous.
Only cowards screen themselves from criticism with the excuse that 'it's only talk.' I would remind people that our mouths are connected to our brains, and if you're going to talk taking responsibility for your actions, you have to remember that the requirement would apply to yourself as well.
Any of these on-air personalities are hired for their ability to entertain. The question is whether or not calling people names or pandering to people who think rape is joke is really entertainment.
I could imagine Al Sharpton in his meetings. Probably like when you're a kid, you set up all of your toys at a table and have a tea party. 'GI Joe, what should we do about this Opie and Anthony crisis? Elmo, don't interrupt, you'll have your turn.'
He must really have nothing better to do than go after people doing their jobs. I hope he never calls for my firing.
CMcCell has one of the most intelligent postings I've read yet - one that I hope everyone reads and gives some thought to. I also believe in freedom of speech, but like so many things, it has gone way past the extreme. It's sad that some people feel the need to be entertained with the thought - the worst, the better in anything!
I love to hear all this whining about First Amendment rights. Tell me, was this first on your minds when you elected people like Bush as President and Schwartzenegger as Governor of California? I figure *somebody* had to vote these clowns into office, including at least a few of the nitwits defending Opie and Andy. There's definitely a threat to our rights -- ALL of them -- but it doesn't come from the people who want to boot O&A off the air.
Opie and Andy have a right to say anything they want. Whether or not they can say it on the air (even on a pay radio service) is another matter. At the very least, if their employer doesn't like what they say, then their boss has every right to fire them. Would that also be a violation of their 'First Amendment' rights? Anyone stupid enough to have voted Republican in the last few elections might think so.
-timmy
does it matter anymore? these 'shock jocks' are apparently attempting to outdo one another. solve the problem and listen to howard.
Please tell me, what the f does the Rev. Al Sharpton do for a living?? How does this guy make money? What service does he provide, and to whom? How does he eat and pay his mortgage? Who signs his check?
This is REAL easy people!!! I am an XM subscriber. (Hi Cliff) I say that as if I am at an AA meeting or such. (c: I tune to XM 202 KNOWING there is EXPLICIT LANGUAGE. I listen to O&A in the morning. Here is the catch, I tune from another favorite channel so when they jump off into this type of humor, I can hit the jump button and it goes right to my last listened to station. I pay the fee every month like MILLIONS of other subscribers and I exercise my judgment as to what I want to listen to and what I do not. I do not feel it is anyone else’s right to tell me I can not. I pay for this service and if I choose, I can have it blocked by a simple phone call. I am willing to bet that most have not heard their show and post blindly because someone said they made an offensive remark. Problem here is they did not say it, someone on their show did. When I was on the way home, it was a replay of the morning show and guess what, when that portion came up, I hit my trusty jump button for about 20 minutes and I was ok. It is offensive to speak about raping a woman, but it is also offensive to have to listen to all the whiny babies out there telling me, an adult, what I can and can not listen to. If I didn’t want to listen to it, I can stop paying my subscription and listen to regular radio. Trust me, that jump button is easy to use and doesn’t require much effort to press!!!
thanks cliff... that makes a lot of sense.
I am so tired of the government, media, and hypocritical jacka**es like Al Sharpton playing mommy and daddy and telling us what we can and cannot listen too. It gets very annoying.
Remember what this country was founded on... freedom, isn't that what we hear everywhere. When we go to war, we are 'fighting to defend our freedom', but by letting the media and people like Al go out and call for people to be fired for exercising their freedom and responding to their requests, we are cowering into the corner and letting the hypocritical nonsense speakers win.
Like what was said or not, they're guest, as well as themselves and anyother radio personality have a right to say that. I don't care who it is, they have a that right.
People need to start exercising their freedom to choose a litte bit more. If you do not want to listen to things you don't agree with, then don't listen to them, choose something else to listen too, but don't bitch and moan and try to sensor something when you weren't affected by it in anyway.
Because if this country can't even follow the foundamentals of our constitution, then why should people follow laws. If a house dosen't have a base, how can it stand, just like if we can't even respect and follow our constiution, why should we follow laws based off of the constitution.
Think about that...
I find it funny how the Supreme Court rules that Larry Flynt can publish a picture depicting Jerry Farwell having insecestual relations with his own mother, but a few Radio Jocks make some meaningless remarks can be threatened with their livelihoods and public scrutiny. Freedom of Speech is not a privilege; it is a Right guaranteed by our most fundamental laws....deal with it.
Freedom of speech has gone down the toilet in more ways than one!
Another excuse for the media to garner ratings by oversesationalizing. Who cares that it costs someone their career and millions of fans a little joy?
I can't understand why ANYONE in ANY MEDIA is not coming out rabidly against Rev Al and censorship in general. Do you not realize your name is on the list?
Join the fight
peopleagainstcensorship.org
Talking about how you want to rape and brutalize anyone should not be allowed. We are talking about committing felonious acts on a public forum.
This should not happen in a civilized society.
Freedom of speech was not written or approved to allow the encouragement of felonious acts.
It was intended for ideas ,political and social discussions.
The First Amendment is an absolute. It Protects unpopular speech as well as popular. You claim it is a moral issue but who's morality. It is easy to say that these guys can not say this or that, there guest said it in humor.
If you get rid of the fringe what is next the political talkers who happen to say something why not take them off the air for there views. Then lets stifle the Satanist, and Scientologist, while we are at it lets stop Protestant views that are different than yours.
Then they come for your Neighbors in the middle of the night and if you say something, you too will disappear.
Let's just say for an instant that all raciest speech was outlawed today. Would the raciest be gone or driven underground not to be talked about anymore. Where they live on teaching there hate in the darkness. You see Free Speech allows us to hear everything that offends and informs us and allows us to laugh at the dumb and idiotic ideas .... Oh wait we kicked them off the radio already.
Member of People Against Censorship
rev al sharpton is only angry because it had something to do with rice and not the queen or mrs bush. F@!# al sharpton's sensitive casing about everything. good thing FCC cant do sh!T to them since they are XM radio :). besides that fact O&A's fan's are loyal people female,male, black, white, asian ect. if they cant take a joke then good speed this country to have the freedom to pick another one of 1000's of XM stations to listen to.
I fear the day when an 'R' rated show is censored because of public opinion pressure.
What is next, the Sopranos, Penn and Teller's show, or The Godfather movie??
This time it's different. I pay to hear O&A on XM. My money, combined with the other subscribers', is income for XM and. It looks like I'm not the only one looking to cancel my subscription today because the phone lines are full and when they find out what we are calling about they transfer us to hold again.
If you don't like it, don't buy a subscription, don't unlock the XL channels and don't tune to 202. Don't go out of your way to do any one of those things and you will never hear the 'offensive' humor.
Let us all remember that you should protect the speech that makes you physically ill. If you ever hear someone say something that angers you to the core, then stand up and defend that person's right to say it. If you keep chasing people down for offensive comments, it won't be long until the witch hunt you create turns on you. These are really sad times for America. We have regressed to the verge of being a theocracy. Be careful people, and loose up.
This is total crap. I am an XM listener and I was not offended in the least by the jokes on this show. They didn't do anything out of the ordinary, it's comedy. This is total censorship, what's next thought police?
xm lies how can they control something I choose to pay for. People pay for porn becasue they want to see. I pay for xm becasue i want uncernsored radio. CANCEL your xm units even if you don't like Opie and anthony. Show them you want free speech not be tampered with. PLEASE CANCEL XM
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