The Routine That Got George Carlin Arrested

by: Living Liberally

Mon Jun 23, 2008 at 16:00


Laughing Liberally To Keep From Crying

We'll have more on the passing of George Carlin later in the week, but we didn't want the day to pass without a small tribute to one of the most important anti-authoritarian comedians of the last 50 years. We present the routine that got Carlin arrested, and which found itself at the Supreme Court:

Living Liberally :: The Routine That Got George Carlin Arrested

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If memory serves Carlin didn't get arrested for this routine.  WBAI, the Pacifica Station in NYC, aired this and was fined by the FCC.  The court case came from that.

He got arrested: (0.00 / 0)
From Wikipedia:

Carlin was arrested on July 21, 1972 at Milwaukee's Summerfest and charged with violating obscenity laws after performing this routine. The case, which prompted Carlin to refer to the words for a time as, "The Milwaukee Seven", was dismissed in December of that year; the judge declared the language indecent, stating that the language was indecent but cited free speech, as well as the lack of any disturbance. In 1973, a man complained to the FCC that his son had heard a later, similar routine, "Filthy Words", from Occupation: Foole, broadcast one afternoon over WBAI, a Pacifica Foundation FM radio station in New York City. Pacifica received a citation from the FCC, which sought to fine Pacifica for allegedly violating FCC regulations which prohibited broadcasting "obscene" material.

The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the FCC action, by a vote of 5 to 4, ruling that the routine was "indecent but not obscene", and the FCC had authority to prohibit such broadcasts during hours when children were likely to be among the audience. F.C.C. v. Pacifica Foundation, 438 U.S. 726 (1978). The court documents contain a complete transcript of the routine.

End this war. Stop John McCain. Cindy McCain is filthy rich.


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