SNL Skit Censorship: Good Idea?

[Epee_Pox]

So NBC has totally scrubbed from its website the video and comments from the SNL skit about the bailout. Guess it rubbed some important people the wrong way. It's being assiduously scrubbed from YouTube and other spots every time someone tries to post the "banned" skit.

Too bad, it was actually kinda funny.

I reckon it must have been too close to home. If it wasn't then there'd be no need to erase it from history and pretend it never happened. Idiotic, of course, because all they're doing is drawing attention to it.

For those who missed it, the skit was a news conference where Nancy Pelosi and Barney Frank try to parade "victims" of the housing crisis, but end up accidentally showing that it was Congress that made it happen in the first place.

The "victims" were two broke deadbeats who bought houses with no downpayment, and a yuppie couple who now can't flip the 12 condos they bought as a speculative investment.

The victims were followed by Herbert and Marion Sandler (major Democrat donors), who ran a subprime-only mortgage company that they sold to Wachovia for over twenty billion dollars, which is one of the reasons for Wachovia's collapse last week. The Sandlers said they couldn't understand why they were being shown as victims, when they'd profited so much from the housing crisis, and were hustled off the stage by Pelosi.

They were followed by George Soros (identified as "Owner, Democratic Party"). Soros announced that the 700 billion dollar bailout package "basically belongs to me" and he's decided to short the Dollar, to cause a devaluation "either Tuesday or Wednesday, I haven't decided which yet, it will depend on how I feel."

That's pretty much all there was, but it seems to have seriously upset some influential people, who have told NBC to erase the sketch and never show it again.

What do you think, was that a good idea?

[noodle]

huh. interesting. i'm sure it'll be back again later after a fight about it.

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

This is Tylers dream come true.

[Philistine]

Here is a transcript and screenshots.

Funny.

--Philistine

[Epee_Pox]

As always:

"The Internet interprets censorship as damage and routes around it."
-- John Gilmore

[Fencergrl]

I think your country needs to retire the "Land of the Free" slogan... no one is really buying it any more.

[warlordkenobi]

Found it.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/38041/satu...d%20Politics,1

[lindajdunn]

I saw it and wondered if it was wise to remark on people who should be shot. I suspect their legal staff advised they take it down.

[noodle]

Originally Posted by lindajdunn

I saw it and wondered if it was wise to remark on people who should be shot. I suspect their legal staff advised they take it down.

that would be what just got edited out. check out the video linked above -- the subheader mentioning that they should be shot is gone.

[mrbiggs]

Wow, that was a pretty harsh sketch.

Is there an official statement about why they censored it?

In general, I find censorship of satire to be extremely scary, but I figure I should hear their side of the story first. Google didn't show anything but blog entries and such.

[lindajdunn]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/1..._n_132770.html

They referred to a real couple as people who should be shot and thus opened themselves up for a lawsuit. The video IS being edited to remove that portioin and will be back online after editing.

[Beloit Fencer of Old]

Originally Posted by warlordkenobi

Found it.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/38041/satu...d%20Politics,1

So, I went to this link, and SURPRISE! It's gone.

[Beloit Fencer of Old]

Here it is:

http://patdollard.com/2008/10/it-is-...de-from-louie/

Wow...do you think the government will try to assassinate me for posting this?

[Inquartata]

This doesn't surprise me. Criticizing Republicans is permitted, but Democrats are off limits. It's television, after all.

[noodle]

Originally Posted by Inquartata

This doesn't surprise me. Criticizing Republicans is permitted, but Democrats are off limits. It's television, after all.

i think the problem was that it was a public declaration to attempt to murder two people who exist in real life.

if someone were to have shot the two people in question, i think SNL would've gotten hit with a mega-lawsuit.

[Inquartata]

It still would be. Once it's been aired, removing it would provide no defense. Horses, barn door.

[Capt. Slo-mo]

Originally Posted by Inquartata

This doesn't surprise me. Criticizing Republicans is permitted, but Democrats are off limits. It's television, after all.

Did you see the clip? The Democrats were not exactly treated with kid gloves. Good thing Sean Hannity and Fox News are radio only. Otherwise, they'd be criticizing Democrats...on TV.

(note: when I typed Democrats just now, I spelled it Demoncrats. Freudian? NSA spell-check worm?)

[noodle]

Originally Posted by Inquartata

It still would be. Once it's been aired, removing it would provide no defense. Horses, barn door.

from a legal liability defense standpoint, its much easier to say "well, as a company, we recognized it was wrong immediately and cleaned up all forms of it to minimize potential damage" instead of "first amendment says we can say whatever we want"

[Philistine]

It's back with a couple of edits, taking out the reference to "should be shot" and "corrupt" practices of the Sanders'.

My guess is that whoever reads the script before the show runs to look out for libel/liability issues thought that the Sanders' were made-up--like the other "victims" in the skit, and not really people who were involved. Whoops.

The irony is that this whole thing has probably caused much more bad publicity to them (and Frank) than just leaving the skit alone--Personally, I wasn't aware they were real people.

--Philistine

[Inquartata]

Originally Posted by Capt. Slo-mo

Did you see the clip? The Democrats were not exactly treated with kid gloves.

I wasn't referring to the skit, I was referring to the elimination of the skit...

However, yes, it appears still to be on the SNL website, so I withdraw the characterization.