Shit, Piss, Fuck, Cunt, Cocksucker, Motherfucker, Tits: Seven Words That We Can Never Say on Television, NO MORE!

The season three premiere of Syfy’s “The Magicians” on January 10, 2018, marks a critical moment for standards and practices regulating basic cable television. The program was the first time basic cable broadcasters intentionally and regularly dropped the unedited version of the word “Fuck” in a single episode during primetime television. Although basic cable television still does not enjoy full freedom of expletives, nudity, and violence like premium cable, this progression towards normalizing “fuck” “represents a huge advancement in commercial television.”

Back in 1972, American comedian George Carlin infamously brought attention to the seven obscenities that could never be used on television: Shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker, and tits. They have been and continue to be heavily regulated and censored by the FCC for “broadcasting on the public airwaves in the United States.” However, because cable television is driven by advertising, “channels’ self-regulation is based on standard mores, and what advertisers are perceived to tolerate,” and not subjected to the FCC guidelines.

Nonetheless, only in the recent years have the words shit, piss, cock, tits, and even bitch and asshole become more common on basic cable, as regulators have allowed their unrestricted use. But because “fuck” and “cunt” were considered more offensive, the unedited appearances of these words have been scarce. That is… until “The Magicians,” which is allowed 10 “fucks” per episode.

Nowadays, “advertisers, particularly ones targeting younger audiences, have started to accept that edgy language is necessary for basic cable networks to compete with streaming services and premium cable networks, where language has always been unrestricted.” “Fuck” has become “such a part of the vernacular,” that it is no longer as loaded of a word: omitting or replacing it in a dialogue would seem awkward and unrealistic.

Moving forward, regular appearances of “fuck” will be used in programs on Syfy and its sister network USA.

The fact of the matter is that the mass media industry has always evolved to conform to cultural norms and societal demands. Reflecting these norms, Syfy and USA lead the change in standards and practices on basic cable television. In the way that advertising and basic cable television go hand in hand, how will this decision on language influence the future of the mass media industry? Do you think that this will affect the content that is marketed to cable television audiences?