Whew, lots of responses to this thread, good to see some of us realize what is happening in the US. As a Stern fan, I too find him funny and boring at times, but then, everyone providing entertainment is, EVERYONE. Sometimes musicians have rockin' nights, sometimes they produce a so so album etc.
Annalee: The only way the women who go on his show are degraded is if he or someone else forced or coerced them to be there. Most of them go for the exposure for their careers, some go for a laugh, some to promote a product. The problem (IMHO) you have with stern is that he calls em as he sees em! If some tubbo goes on their thinking she's all that, he says HON, you're NO way in any shape or form, playboy material. Is that degrading? Hell no, that's the truth.
You also have to admit that there are many women that go on there who he has helped. There were a few women a while back who had physical deformaties that he sent to a surgeon to correct.
Annalee, I read most of your posts and you seem like an intelligent woman, but I find it so hard to believe that you think the women who go on the show is degrading yet you sleep with men for money? I would say that most of the women who go on his show would find what YOU do degrading.....
Freedom of SPeech: The 1st amendment (even in Canada) allows anyone to say anything about any subject as long as it doesn't promote hate, or violence. NOTHING stern has said in my recollection even comes close. As for following the FCC rules: He has a permanant on staff censor who bleeps everything that does not abide by the FCC rules. The problem here is the rules have been changed (due to that wingnut Jackson) yet they haven't really, not officially anyways. Now everyone is on the high horse about censorship and morality yet they are circumventing the very process that makes the US a free country. They haven't published any new rules, they haven't drafted any amendments to those rules and the FCC is not an elected body.
Taking Stern off the air: THere is an old saying that goes something like this: They came for the blacks who lived on my street and we did nothing, they came for the jews, we did nothing, they came for the hispanics, middle eastern, italian polish greek and we did nothing. Now they are coming for me and there's no one left. When the government begins to dictate what we can or cannot see/hear/learn/watch then we are in for a rough future. Does anyone remember a man named Josef Stalin or all the other dictators? What about the items that 60 minutes reports on? Many are anti-government, take them off the air too, what about news? let's censor that as well......If this keeps up the US may end up having to change their slogan to: Land of the oppressed and home of the disenchanted...because they won't be free anymore.....
BTW Shake: when a person is given a tv or radio show what they put on the show is governed by the rules set forth by the FCC and reviewed by the managers of the tv or radio stations. They control what their employees do by editing the segments, altering the content etc. By making money and allowing an employee access to their equipment they are CONDONING and ENCOURAGING his or her actions else they would remove him or her.
One other thing: I believe at last count stern had 18 million listeners... that is almost as much as the population of Canada....makes you wonder eh?