The Federal Communications Commission received more than 160 indecency complaints this year regarding the way cable news covered President Trump’s reported “shithole countries” remark, according to documents obtained by Politico.
Some cable networks aired unedited versions of the president’s supposed comments. CNN even aired bizarre and racial slur-laden conversations about the true meaning of “shithole” and what it really says about bigotry and prejudice in modern-day America.
It’s unclear whether Trump actually used the word “shithole” to describe Haiti and certain African countries when he met privately with lawmakers to discuss immigration reform. He and his aides deny he said it. Then again, the president’s allies in Congress and the White House haven’t exactly mounted a stirring defense. And then there’s the account from Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who was in the private meeting and who claims Trump indeed said those things. (Then again, Durbin is a known liar, so take his version of events with every grain of salt.)
At any rate, reports that the president said these things earned wall-to-wall coverage on the 24-hour cable news networks, and much of the coverage went uncensored, which prompted many, many, many indecency complaints.
The funny things is: The FCC, which received the complaints, has no authority over cable news. It has only the power to keep obscenity (i.e. hardcore pornography) off the air. So, yes: We are indeed in the dumbest timeline.
Most of the complaints were directed against CNN, which is interesting considering it’s the president’s favorite punching bag.
“They intentionally broadcast the word over 30 times to paint the President as a bigoted racist,” one complaint stated. “CNN is out of control and is attempting to completely undermine the President of the United States. CNN has overstepped their 1st Amendment rights and needs to be punished.”
Another complaint called CNN a “trashy channel,” adding further that the FCC ought to fine the network.
“My 9 year old daughter keeps hearing and seeing the word Shithole all over CNN,” read yet another complaint. “CNN needs an R rating or NC-17 rating displaying and saying this type of vulgarity.”
In total, CNN was mentioned an astounding “249 times across the 162 pages” that the FCC gave Politico.
CNN isn’t alone among cable news networks. A few of the complaints also singled out MSNBC, which, again, is not beholden to FCC decency rules.
Some complaints were also made in general, and were not aimed at anyone in particular. One person wrote that the press’ Trump overall coverage is, “responsible for the growing animosity that leads to riots and other crimes and is in fact tearing our country apart.”
I’m still stuck on the fact that more than 100 people reportedly urged the FCC to exert force where it has no authority. I’m also stuck on the idea that people seem to think the best response here to the president’s reported comments is for a government agency to police the language of the news networks. What a world.
