Variety.com is reporting that viewers watching Friday night’s live edition of The Tonight Show on NBC probably did a double-take when, just after the clock stuck midnight, Vince Neil turned to Tommy Lee, and said, Happy fucking New Year, Tommy! Because Jay Leno has aired a live New Year’s edition for many years without problems, Peacock execs apparently decided against using a five-second delay on the broadcast.
Because Tonight airs after 10 p.m. and thus outside the FCC’s so-called safe harbor in which indecent programming is forbidden it seems unlikely NBC will face any financial fallout from the slip-up. Still, given that many kids get to stay up late on New Year’s, some parents might have been taken aback though unlike the Super Bowl fiasco, Neil’s use of profanity seems to have gone unnoticed by activist groups.
NBC edited out the offending word for West Coast viewers.
The network has not received any calls regarding the incident, an NBC official, who asked not to be identified, said Monday, according to the Associated Press.
According to the Associated Press, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has received complaints about Motley Crue’s appearance on the New Year’s Eve The Tonight Show and is beginning a preliminary probe, a spokeswoman said Tuesday. But it’s likely little will come of it.
It was an off-the-cuff remark and not done intentionally to test broadcast rules, said a spokeswoman for the band who asked not to be identified. Neither M TLEY CR E nor NBC had any other comment Tuesday.
Jay Leno normally tapes the Tonight show, but did a live version for the East Coast on New Year’s Eve. Neil’s remark was excised when the show was seen in other time slots.
Nikki Sixx comments regarding FCC and Mick rumors:
As far as the FCC probe and Motley Crue, wouldn’t our country be better served if our government put their resources in better places? This is just proof that we are moving backwards. A four-letter word slip-up after midnight is not world news, but considering their ridiculous stance, I will say it reeks of the 1950s.
Anyway, doesn’t Motley Crue usually do the probing?
About Mick Mars and all the rumors of his replacement… He was the guy whose bone disease had tore him physically down and wore out his hip. He was the one who said I’m gonna get this fucking hip replaced, so you guys better be ready cause I wanna go kick ass. We are, he has and the rest, as they say, is history.
See you Crueheads on tour…
Just wondering if anyone else besides me heard Vince say Happy F***in New Year Tommy!! on Leno Friday night during Girls, Girls, Girls??? Paine – said CrazyMikePaine on Jan 01, 2005
From http://thetrack.bostonherald.com/moreTrack/view.bg?articleid=84820 Motley Crue’s newest Theatre of Pain is broadcast decency and so the 80s hair band has filed suit against NBC, claiming the network violated the Crue’s free speech rights. At issue is the network’s decision to ban Motley Crue after lead singer Vince Neil used an expletive on the air in a Dec. 31 appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The lawsuit, filed in a Los Angeles, accuses the network of censoring the band to mollify a Federal Communications Commission that has been on a decency jihad. The band is requesting a ruling that NBC’s ban is unconstitutional, a court order forcing the network to lift it and unspecified financial damages tied to the band’s reduced media exposure. We meant no harm, but it feels that we’re being singled out unfairly, said bassist Nikki Sixx. This is a discrimination issue, pure and simple. NBC suits termed the suit meritless. Now it’s gone totally out of control. It’s ok for Bono to say this is really, really, fucking brilliant accepting a Golden Globe award in prime time (not during a song but during an acceptance speech) 🙄 but NOT ok for the Crue’s f-bomb slip during Girls, Girls, Girls (CLEARLY unintentional on Vince’s part) AFTER midnight on New Year’s Eve?!? NBC is obviously trying to duck a possible FCC fine while singling out the Motleys. If they were so concerned maybe they should have had a 7 second delay. Who’s to blame here? Duh! Is System Of A Down next up on the banned list for their f-bomb during the song B.Y.O.B. on SNL?!? OK I ll stop ranting but this whole thing makes me angry 👿 Paine – said CrazyMikePaine on May 05, 2005
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