CNN Gutter Talk Complaint Awaits Review at FCC (with Cooper's words on video)
April 24, 2009
Editor's Note: Parts of the following story make explicit references to graphic sex and will be objectionable to readers. It is not suitable for children.
The Federal Communications Commission will review complaints it receives over the on-camera gutter talk of anchors for CNN and MSNBC that came as they condemned the tea party movement in which hundreds of thousands of Americans met on Tax Day to protest not just taxes but a runaway government digging the nation into trillions of dollars in debt.
Anderson Cooper on the cover of the Advocate, a homosexual magazine |
A spokesman for the federal agency confirmed to WND today that there is a standard procedure for evaluating complaints over obscenities, but he could not confirm there would be any response until the concerns had been reviewed.
The complaints already are being delivered. A WND reader who asked that a name not be included in this report confirmed: "I called the FCC to make a complaint. They are opening an investigation, and he suggested I get everyone I know, who saw or heard the language, innuendos and slurs to contact the FCC, and complain. They need a number of complaints to be able to do anything."
WND reported earlier on a series of vile comments from CNN's Anderson Cooper, who made repeated "teabagging" references, and MSNBC's David Shuster, who said, "Teabagging day for the right wing and they are going nuts for it."
"Tea-bagging" is known in the homosexual subculture as a practice involving a particular form of oral sex.
WND contacted CNN, Anderson Cooper and his guest analyst, David Gergen, to ask for comment on the controversy but received no response. Others critical of the comment, however, were quick to condemn it.
Peter LaBarbera, president of Americans for Truth, who alerted WND even as the comments were being made, points out in a statement that though Cooper hasn't publicly declared his sexuality, he has been an active homosexual advocate, as evidenced by the CNN host's No. 3 ranking in Out Magazine's "50 Most Influential Gay Men and Women in America."
"He may remain silent on whether he is a homosexual," said LaBarbara, "but his ugly bias and bitterness toward conservatives is out of the closet. If he has any class, he'll apologize to CNN's world audience – and especially all those good people who attended the 'tea party' rallies – for his perverted on-air remark denigrating their cause."
Cooper's remark is on YouTube and embedded here:
Media Research Center President Brent Bozell released a statement asserting the coverage of the tea parties was biased and the language egregious. He also called on CNN – and fellow news station MSNBC, whose hosts made "tea-bagging" jokes even more explicit – to apologize.
"Now the news isn't just biased, it's R-rated," said Bozell. "MSNBC and CNN both allow this vulgar attack-journalism to go out on their airwaves without blinking an eye and without any sign of guilt. It appears neither woeful bias nor lowly crassness on their airwaves bothers them a bit."
Mark Dice, founder of the The Resistance, a self-described Christian media watchdog group, has gone a step farther, urging people to demand that Cooper be fired.
"Introducing such a term to the children in the audience and clearly conveying that it has sexual connotations is inappropriate," said Dice in a statement. "It's unfortunate that Anderson Cooper's personal perversions spilled out on the airwaves."
The reader who contacted WND about the language to confirm a complaint had been submitted to the FCC described being angry about the impact of such language.
"I don't allow that kind of language and slurs in my home, but didn't think much further than that. I was shopping yesterday and heard several moms talking about having the TV on to CNN April 14, and their young kids heard about 'teabagging'. Apparently one lady's young child called another a 'teabagger' at school and was punished and almost expelled," the reader told WND.
"I thought CNN was supposed to be a G-rated channel and programming station. After hearing them talking about teabagging, and all the sexual slurs, lewd comments and clearly sexual innuendos, I feel they should be moved to adult programming," the reader said.
Blogger Mark McGrew took the news agencies to task under the headline "CNN and MSNBC Sexual Degenerates and Liars."
"America's major media, with no moral boundaries, brought their filthy, trashy mouths into the homes of decent, honest, churchgoing people with children present," he wrote. "The term 'teabagging' will not be explained here. Adults will figure it out and children don't need to know. Most of us had no idea what it was, until having the term constantly shouted at us by major news degenerates.
"Don't let these people get away with bringing their filthy behavior into your home," he said.