WWTBAM Bored

FCC Mulls Banning Redskins Name

The Federal Communications Commission is weighing whether to ban TV stations from saying the name of Washington's football team.

A law professor filed a petition with the agency earlier this month, claiming that the name "Redskins" violates federal rules barring any indecent content on broadcast television.

At a press conference Tuesday, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said he is reviewing the filing.

"We will be dealing with that issue on the merits, and we will be responding accordingly," Wheeler said.

The FCC chief said he personally finds the term offensive and urged the team to change the name. But he didn't say whether he thinks it is illegal.

"There are a lot of names and descriptions that were used for a time that are inappropriate today," he said. "I think the name that is attributed to the Washington football club is one of those."

some American Indians argue that the term is an ethnic slur and is deeply offensive.

But let's not have a moratorium on travelers from countries experiencing an Ebola outbreak.

BackInTex wrote:FCC Mulls Banning Redskins Name

The Federal Communications Commission is weighing whether to ban TV stations from saying the name of Washington's football team.

A law professor filed a petition with the agency earlier this month, claiming that the name "Redskins" violates federal rules barring any indecent content on broadcast television.

At a press conference Tuesday, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said he is reviewing the filing.

"We will be dealing with that issue on the merits, and we will be responding accordingly," Wheeler said.

The FCC chief said he personally finds the term offensive and urged the team to change the name. But he didn't say whether he thinks it is illegal.

"There are a lot of names and descriptions that were used for a time that are inappropriate today," he said. "I think the name that is attributed to the Washington football club is one of those."

Some American Indians argue that the term is an ethnic slur and is deeply offensive.

But let's not have a moratorium on travelers from countries experiencing an Ebola outbreak.

Yet they still refer to Tom Wheeler as the FCC chief? How indecent!

And I suppose conservatives feel that broadcasters should be free to do whatever they want, because we don't want political correctness running amok.

Parents Television Council Files Supreme Court Brief in Favor of FCC Fines for Indecency

silverscreenselect wrote:And I suppose conservatives feel that broadcasters should be free to do whatever they want, because we don't want political correctness running amok.

Parents Television Council Files Supreme Court Brief in Favor of FCC Fines for Indecency

You are proof that common sense is not so common.

BackInTex wrote:

silverscreenselect wrote:And I suppose conservatives feel that broadcasters should be free to do whatever they want, because we don't want political correctness running amok.

Parents Television Council Files Supreme Court Brief in Favor of FCC Fines for Indecency

You are proof that common sense is not so common.

And you are proof that the double standard is indeed alive and well.

Fines for saying sh*t on TV - OK
Fines for saying Redskins on TV - PC

I'd be very surprised if this proposal is accepted. Names that insult blacks, Asians, Jews, women, gays, and disabled people are allowed on TV. The FCC isn't allowed to dismiss it outright, but I bet it will be rejected before long. Maybe the petitioners were emboldened by the Patent Office's decision, but there's a big difference between denying a name trademark protection and banning it.

All censorship is censorship...

lb13

silverscreenselect wrote:

BackInTex wrote:

silverscreenselect wrote:And I suppose conservatives feel that broadcasters should be free to do whatever they want, because we don't want political correctness running amok.

Parents Television Council Files Supreme Court Brief in Favor of FCC Fines for Indecency

You are proof that common sense is not so common.

And you are proof that the double standard is indeed alive and well.

Fines for saying sh*t on TV - OK
Fines for saying Redskins on TV - PC

What double standard?

I don't think you understand the concept. Its common sense, really. Oh, wait......

BackInTex wrote:

Problem solved

Though they should add a pair of Mr. Potato Head's angry eyes.

Considering the way they've been playing this season, that might be a more apt logo.

BackInTex wrote:

silverscreenselect wrote:

BackInTex wrote:
You are proof that common sense is not so common.

And you are proof that the double standard is indeed alive and well.

Fines for saying sh*t on TV - OK
Fines for saying Redskins on TV - PC

What double standard?

I don't think you understand the concept. Its common sense, really. Oh, wait......

Where was your outrage about Conservatism and PC running amok when Parents TV and others went screaming to the FCC to do something about racy content on television?

Oh, wait....

With conservatives, "common sense" is a synonym for "not thinking."

silverscreenselect wrote:

BackInTex wrote:

silverscreenselect wrote:
And you are proof that the double standard is indeed alive and well.

Fines for saying sh*t on TV - OK
Fines for saying Redskins on TV - PC

What double standard?

I don't think you understand the concept. Its common sense, really. Oh, wait......

Where was your outrage about Conservatism and PC running amok when Parents TV and others went screaming to the FCC to do something about racy content on television?

Oh, wait....

With conservatives, "common sense" is a synonym for "not thinking."

This just gets funnier and funnier..

At the risk of giving the Bored a target other than SSS I'm going to weigh in on the Redskins name. It seems ironic that a team which represents the nation's capital uses a derogatory name for the nation's first residents. Would you use that word when talking about an actual Native American? No, you would not.

I don't think the word should be "banned," but changing the name would be the right thing to do.

(Edited for typo.)

elwoodblues wrote:At the risk of giving the Bored a target other that SSS ....

Living on the edge, I see.

The right thing until a Native American uses the word, "redskin".

I happened to repark my sons car in the driveway a few weeks ago and his music was cued up to lyrics that went like this: "I'm a n****r and this is my music so f**k you, f**k you." I was offended at several levels but considerating the race of the 'artist' the use of the n-word bothered me a little less. I mean, if it's good enough for him.....

There can be prejudice against any person who can belong to any group of people (Hint: That's everyone out there). No one is immune from having a name, title or characteristic attributed to them that they find offensive. The Redskin name was a common term in use at the time. In being used to name an NFL team, it was not used to be derogatory, if anything is was used to give recognition to the "Native Americans". Just my opinion but I would wager that the same thought process went into naming the Washington Redskins as went into naming the Atlanta Braves.

Would a new sports team be named the "Redskins" today? Nope, just not going to happen. But popular opinion should not dictate that this name be changed any more then going back and editing Huck Finn.

jaybee wrote:The right thing until a Native American uses the word, "redskin".

I happened to repark my sons car in the driveway a few weeks ago and his music was cued up to lyrics that went like this: "I'm a n****r and this is my music so f**k you, f**k you." I was offended at several levels but considerating the race of the 'artist' the use of the n-word bothered me a little less. I mean, if it's good enough for him.....

There can be prejudice against any person who can belong to any group of people (Hint: That's everyone out there). No one is immune from having a name, title or characteristic attributed to them that they find offensive. The Redskin name was a common term in use at the time. In being used to name an NFL team, it was not used to be derogatory, if anything is was used to give recognition to the "Native Americans". Just my opinion but I would wager that the same thought process went into naming the Washington Redskins as went into naming the Atlanta Braves.

Would a new sports team be named the "Redskins" today? Nope, just not going to happen. But popular opinion should not dictate that this name be changed any more then going back and editing Huck Finn.

Reminds me of the restaurants that were branded "Sambos". When pressured they changed their name to "Seasons". They soon went out of business. I'm not sure how much the name change impacted them, but it was not on the positive side. Lots of businesses go out of business without changing their names.

BackInTex wrote: Reminds me of the restaurants that were branded "Sambos". When pressured they changed their name to "Seasons". They soon went out of business. I'm not sure how much the name change impacted them, but it was not on the positive side. Lots of businesses go out of business without changing their names.

Sambo's was originally named after the owners Sam Battisone and Newell Bohnett. In 1977, they were the largest sit-down restaurant chain in the country. According to this article, the cause for their demise was the cancellation (due to a change in SEC accounting standards) of a management incentive program that was very popular.

http://www.nytimes.com/1981/11/27/busin ... mbo-s.html

However, I've found other versions that place the blame squarely on the name controversy.

http://restaurant-ingthroughhistory.com ... le-sambos/

Certainly, the problems with racial connotations did not help. Actually, Sambo's did not use a black character as its mascot, but an Indian boy:




However, other depictions of the name and the character over the years in literature and popular culture were black and quite derogatory:

Spoiler

The company actually changed the name of some of its units in the Northeast to "No Place Like Sam's" following protests from civil rights groups.



There's currently one Sambo's left in the country, in Santa Barbara, CA. I remember eating at Sambo's back in the 1960s. It was very much like a Denny's or Shoney's, but the menus and paper table mats had a cartoon version of the story of Sambo and the tigers. I don't remember if the Sambo depicted was black or Indian.

BackInTex wrote:
Reminds me of the restaurants that were branded "Sambos". When pressured they changed their name to "Seasons". They soon went out of business. I'm not sure how much the name change impacted them, but it was not on the positive side. Lots of businesses go out of business without changing their names.

Don't forget, the original Little Black Sambo was an INDIAN boy (South Asian Indian, not Native American!) Not African or African American at all. After all, the story involves tigers, not lions.

Every time the Redskins controversy comes up, the theme from F-Troop pops into my head! Huh, I guess "Palefaces" wouldn't exactly do either, would it? My sister, who lives in the DC area and is a fan, said "Oh, just call 'em the Skins. Everybody has skin!"

Last thought: I've never heard anyone bitch about Notre Dame's mascot! Although I do recall some overly religious types fussing about the New Jersey Devils' name some years ago.

VAdame wrote:

BackInTex wrote:
Reminds me of the restaurants that were branded "Sambos". When pressured they changed their name to "Seasons". They soon went out of business. I'm not sure how much the name change impacted them, but it was not on the positive side. Lots of businesses go out of business without changing their names.

Don't forget, the original Little Black Sambo was an INDIAN boy (South Asian Indian, not Native American!) Not African or African American at all. After all, the story involves tigers, not lions.:

The problem with that argument is that it violates one of the primary rules of marketing, namely, that any time you have to try to "prove" to a customer why he should buy your product, you are doomed to failure. It didn't work with the Edsel. It didn't work with New Coke. As long as the customers associated the name Sambo with the highly offensive black character, no amount of discussing the original story was going to change that. Unlike Ford and Coke, which knew when to cut their losses, Sambos waited too long to make changes.

silverscreenselect wrote:There's currently one Sambo's left in the country, in Santa Barbara, CA. I remember eating at Sambo's back in the 1960s. It was very much like a Denny's or Shoney's, but the menus and paper table mats had a cartoon version of the story of Sambo and the tigers. I don't remember if the Sambo depicted was black or Indian.

It was an Indian depiction. Back then here in Podunkville, it was the only place you could get a sit-down meal after 10 p.m., which made for a really mixed clientele -- people coming in after movies and concerts next to barflies either thrown out from a bar or trying to sober up a little on the way home.

Watched Thursday's Packers-Vikings blow out.

Was offended by the Vikings' name. Praising a period of history where the men raped and pillaged? Simply unacceptable.

Dallas Cowboys? The very ones who killed Redskins (including some Super Bowls, I believe).

KC Chiefs? If no Redskins, then no Chiefs. Likewise the Cleveland Indians and Atlanta Braves. Lots of military ranks to be abolished as well as corporate titles.

SF Giants? If I was a little person, I'd be offended.

Bears? Colts? Ravens? Jaguars? If I was a vegan, I'd be offended.

GB Packers? If I was gay...even thought they were named after meat packers....er, never mind...

Patriots? How about if I am an illegal alien? I am outraged.

NY Knicks? Or Knickerbockers? If I were French or Polish...

E-BLOODY-NUFF!!

Flybrick wrote:. . .
KC Chiefs? If no Redskins, then no Chiefs. Likewise the Cleveland Indians and Atlanta Braves. . . .

I agree with this.

And the lesson we've learned in this thread is... pray that the name you've chosen for your business/sports team/identity, etc. doesn't eventually end up becoming something that the ever-changing public conscience sees as objectionable... because it will always be a part of your culture and tradition even if you do crumble to pressure to change, and you will suffer through no fault of your own. Who in the hell knows what seemingly innocent and commonplace names/things/ideas of today we will find to be offensive in 100, 50, 25... even just 10 years from now. When possums get civil rights, will my persecution of Buster become unpolitically correct and will people boycott my blog? This is almost as unfair as a drawing for pigs....

lb13

littlebeast13 wrote:And the lesson we've learned in this thread is... pray that the name you've chosen for your business/sports team/identity, etc. doesn't eventually end up becoming something that the ever-changing public conscience sees as objectionable... because it will always be a part of your culture and tradition even if you do crumble to pressure to change, and you will suffer through no fault of your own. Who in the hell knows what seemingly innocent and commonplace names/things/ideas of today we will find to be offensive in 100, 50, 25... even just 10 years from now. When possums get civil rights, will my persecution of Buster become unpolitically correct and will people boycott my blog? This is almost as unfair as a drawing for pigs....

lb13

Ahem!!! There is already way too much squishing of possums in the Thursday comic!!!

SportsFan68 wrote:

littlebeast13 wrote:And the lesson we've learned in this thread is... pray that the name you've chosen for your business/sports team/identity, etc. doesn't eventually end up becoming something that the ever-changing public conscience sees as objectionable... because it will always be a part of your culture and tradition even if you do crumble to pressure to change, and you will suffer through no fault of your own. Who in the hell knows what seemingly innocent and commonplace names/things/ideas of today we will find to be offensive in 100, 50, 25... even just 10 years from now. When possums get civil rights, will my persecution of Buster become unpolitically correct and will people boycott my blog? This is almost as unfair as a drawing for pigs....

lb13

Ahem!!! There is already way too much squishing of possums in the Thursday comic!!!

This coming from someone who has a past record of threatening squirrels with nuclear weaponry....

lb13