The Freedom of Information Act is a wonderful thing. Without it, we couldn’t have spent all day Wednesday poring over this glorious archive of informal complaints (warning: large .pdf file) regarding indecency on Saturday Night Live (since 2008). We’ve highlighted some of our favorites, but it’s worth scrolling through in its entirety — you know, if you’re in the mood to weep for society. FYI: naughty language ahead.
We’ll start with an unfortunate debut from September 2009:
The season premiere with Jeremy Slate saying aloud “FUCK”. I demand he and the program and network be disciplined for violating profanity in my community. Children heard this. 11y granddaughter heard this. I am outraged you allow any live verbage from these scum bag programs. It is on the Sunday MSN.com homepage as news. I want something done NOW! Enough is enough.
It should be noted that it was Jenny Slate, a female cast member, who dropped the f-bomb in September 2009 — not one “Jeremy Slate”. But that submission wasn’t the only one that confused the offending party. From the same episode:
Nasim Pedrad said “fucking” in her skit tonight.
In all, there were 56 logged informal complaints about Jenny Slate’s slip-up (around the time of the offense — more rolled in months later). And it just spirals out of control from there, with complaints from a Kanye hater:
Kanye West performed a “song” at 12:45 a.m. (late Saturday night/early Sunday morning) repeatedly singing about douchebags and assholes.
Someone who thinks their television set attacked them:
I am not some prude who is offended by every off color issue life has to offer. In fact, I believe I DO NOT have the right not to be offended. I am not for cencorship. It is_ MY responsibility to monitor what my children view on TV. I am, however, extremely protective of my children. In this case, I had no opportunity to NOT to be exposed to this programming since it was the channel the TV powered on to. To that end, today’s televisions have the ability to remove channels from the array of available channels. Needless to say, NBC is no longer in that array of viewable channels. Isn’t technology wonderful?
Race-baiters:
Last night on Saturday night live Jamie Fox called for the killing of all white people. This occured during his monolog at the beginning of the show. All through his threat he used Obama’s name. I want to make a formal complaint against NBC, Saturday Night Live and Jamie Fox. Jamie Fox needs to be removed from society until this threat is over.
Jaimee Fox incites hate and divisive and criminal behavior …
“Kill all the white people”
The message is clear, his intentions are a felony behavior …
Disgusting.
Homophobes:
The disgusting smut of animated homosexual characters (suddenly transformed into human counterparts) was offensive and reeking of desperation. Suggestive depictions of penises and artificial gratification between two fictional ?Superheroes? traveled far beyond the limits of good taste and any acceptable display of televised entertainment. This contribution to the moral decay of American society is repulsive, obscene and ought not to be available on the public airways.
Two men are passiontely kissing and the one man lifts up the other’s shirts and proeceeds to feel up the other man. Television has changed so much when things were meaningful and moral. There are no morals on tv just denegerative behavior.
The nonsensical:
During the “What Up With That” skit on SNL, actor Samuel L. Jackson said “What the Fuck” and “this is bullshit” during the show. I was watching with my gay friends and we were very upset. Thanks.
And possibly the greatest complaint letter of all time:
I am appalled at the last Saturday Night Live that I will NEVER WATCH it again and frankly I am preaching to everyone this. I was offended and sickened by that first episode and you should FUCKING understand that is SICK and WRONG and PROMOTING even some of my own friends, whom are gay, thought it was appalling. There have been several instances where SNL was slutty, horny, and downright sexual and there wasn’t anything funny .. I don’t find more SEXUAL and LESS joking is the way to go …. I mean really guys you let these ass holes get paid to just be horny bitches I think you got something messed up. You need to fire some people or do what you should have done in the 90’s KILL SNL! I think it ran its course. The audience wasn’t even laughing and to me that just says YEAH THIS IS OVER DO SOMETHING … I will personally make this a fight I am getting supporters I am getting petitions I am going to tell everyone this NEEDS to STOP NOW!!!!
I am a viewer of NBC but right now I personally hate shit… The late night guys do better and are funnier than SNL, and that action speaks loud to me …. PLEASE DO SOMETHING AND DON’T BE AN ASS I WILL HONESTLY MAKE NBC PAY FOR THIS BY NOT WATCHING YOU and no I am not threatening I am serious because I have now 30 people saying it was shit.. .. and the reviewers are messed up … Written for NBC Dickheads …
Dear FCC I am sorry to be writing again and knowing we have Freedom of Speech but please just take a look at the latest SNL I find it obscene and downright offensive … and I have gathered support and knowledge of others who have said to me the same thing I am saying to you … We are abusing our Freedoms these days from using Religion to spread hate to TV abusing Freedom of Speech by letting them use and show Horny messages … and I fear for a PG 13 program like SNL the rating needs to be PG X. .. for a 10 o’clock show I find it still early for 9 year olds to be watching it I mean really do we know what parents let their children do by watching TV, NO .. so on the safe side I wish you would fix the cases and fix something with NBC and most other cable stations … I am talking CABLE … I am a fighter when I see something that is wrong and I personally take it get votes on the matter and solve it, or try to at least… I have Priests, I have Religious Friends I have even Gay people that have told me how offensive this latest SNL was … there was a case a few months back when a guy put a whistle up the woman’s butt… I was downright sicks I threw up. and yet SNL is still on …..I hope you take my considerations and please do I pay for good TV and I don’t want to watch ass holes tongue kissing and rubbing their chests in a sexual manner … SNL is what I call SEX NUDITY LAID it isn’t funny anymore and the audience even proves that…. SO PLEASE LISTEN TO ME MY FRIENDS AND TALK TO NBC ABOUT THIS ISSUE NOT FOR ME BUT FOR MILLIONS OF PEOPLE. …
Noted.
[Slog]
