Emmys Censor Sally Field's Anti-War Statement

Los Angeles Times:

"If mothers ruled the world, there wouldn't be any god -" Emmy winner Sally Field said before the Emmycast cut her off her sound and pointed the camera away from the stage so viewers would be distracted. Cut off were the words "god-damned wars in the first place."

"How can this be?" she asked when she won best actress in a drama series for her work as matriarch Nora Walker on "Brothers & Sisters." While the two-time Oscar winner already has two Emmys, this was her first nomination for series work, and she bested a field that included favorite Edie Falco of "The Sopranos."

"This belongs to all the mothers of the world - may they be seen and valued," she said in a heartfelt speech that was only partially heard by Emmywatchers in the US while CTV in Canada did not cut her off.

Read the whole story: Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Kalima]

So Suffragettes fought for what exactly?
She had every right to say what she thought.
Every politician,male actor with an opinion
is lauded but women are regarded as insipid.
She is a great actor/actress and as such
should be respected as such.
For all women everywhere,we can only hope that we
look as good as you do at 60.
Cheers!

[Fuji]

Please note that they didn't actually censor her message, just a swear word. Not that it was such a terrible swear word.

[andyboy]

Taking out or bleeping is one thing and one thing only - CENSORESHIP!

The swear word was part of her message!

So she was actually censored.

[Jeff1958]

They did censor her message. Fox cut the audio and video of Field, starting with the word 'goddamn.' They cut the message in addition to the word.

[Fuji]

Sally Fields obviously doesn't know women.

[mrcontinental]

I'd still go there.

[ArjenBoatsma]

First of all, Sally Fields' statement that if mothers ruled the world, there wouldn't be any goddamned wars is total and utter nonsense, it's a delusion perpetuated by women that supposedly they are more peaceful than men, or better, or anything. Total and utter bullcrap, fascism repackaged as feminism.

But the larger issue (even the Sally Fields are entitled to their opinions, no matter how misguided) is that this remark and the remarks by the lady-comedian (I forgot her name, the one with the red hair) about religion were censored. This is an outrage.

Apparently, when you are religious, you can spout any kind of nonsense on the air, but when you criticize religion, your comments are censored. Same for the comments about criticizing the war of this "religious" president.

The US of A is fast becoming an intellectually backward country, and it won't stop at just intellectually. The long and painful slide down has started, and this administration, and all its religious backers are responsible.

[TimN]

Kathy Griffin's (the one with the red hair) comments were not censored by the broadcasters because of they criticized religion. If she had just left it with "Jesus has nothing to do with this" it would have been broadcast in its entirety. It was censored specifically because her "suck it, Jesus" comment was obscene. Replace that with "suck it, Bush", "suck it, Hillary", or "suck it, Gandhi" and it still would have been pulled.

By the exact same standard Sally Field's "god-damned wars" comment was pulled. If she had left out the words "god-damned" it would have been broadcast without question.

Get your facts straight, the broadcasters are censoring obscenity not ideas.

[speakingtruth2power]

If you squeeze your eyes tightly, hold your hands over your ears and shout, La la la la la la la, you won't know that America is sick and tired of this war of greed, forced on US by fascists.

The neocons learned many lessons from Vietnam and are (or at least were) convinced that we would have won if the American people were better insulated from it and Congress could be cajoled (blackmailed) into funding it.

[Jeff1958]

Bull crap. Fox could have 'bleeped' the 'goddamn' and left the rest of her speech intact. They didn't.

[VOTER]

Wrong again, Tina!

Her comments were broadcast in Canada.

The FCC would have allowed her comments.

FOX CENSORED HER.

[ArjenBoatsma]

This country is so obsessed with obscenity (see Jackson's boob at the super bowl) of either a blasphemous nature or a sexual nature, that the ruling elites gladly sacrifice the freedom of expression, and thus the freedom of ideas, in the name of "protecting this country, and the children, from obscenity".

The real obscenity is the fascism being shuffed down our throats in this country by those same ruling elites, the war in Iraq, the fear mongering, the lies, the record profits for corporations while close to 50 milion americans don't have health insurance, the fact that education in this country is so sub-standard.

So to all those people who seem to be overly concerned about either obscenity (as long as it is strictly sexual in nature) or profanity, GET YOUR MORALS STRAIGHT.

[PeaceAtAllCosts]

This brilliant thespian most likely will have to double her amount of Boniva. If she wanted to be a politician she should have gone to American University and studied Current affairs. Who cares what any actor says? They are actors!

[freeloader]

True. I'll be glad when cinema is nothing more than animation.
Shit, I like animated movies much better.
It'd be nice to never know any of these assholes, just use their voice. Their self importance is sickening.

[rextrek]

Interesting how they censor "God-damm", but they wouldn't censor "Hell be dammed"...­.hmmm why's that? We wouldn't want the Imaginary SKY GOD's feelings hurt would we? Next year they should have the awards show on Cable.

[Ammobob]

I agree.

[MrScooter]

"I've got this one life & this one body, and I want to do the very best with it that I can." — Burt's Flying Ex-girlfriend

"Too late!" — MrScooter

[shengirl]

I guess censorship is one of those 'freedoms' we are fighting the terrorists to preserve. And today is Constitution Day, it was adopted 220 years ago today. Long may she wave, no thanks to this administration and their storm troopers.

[Ammobob]

One must understand the Constitution to 'apply' it's 'freedoms'. It was a commercial 'private' enterprise she was speaking at. If the producers/sponsors do not agree with her comments, then they can 'censor' them.

1st Amendment applies to government 'sanctions' against free speech. Private censorship has always been allowed.

[Warmglobe]

That is correct...­it also means that there is no "right" to broadcast your opinion either, good or bad.

[Ammobob]

Ahhhh, Damn. I loved her homespun wit as Forest Gumps' Mom and as 'Frog' in the Smokey movie. Damn. Now, I'll have to change my opinion of her.

No, wait, she's just an actress with an opinion. I can still like her. Phew.

[Warmglobe]

The comments were censored because of language not the content..n­ot that most Americans give a damn what some actress has to say on foreign policy.

[wndsides]

How fun!! Saddam has been reincarnated into GWB!!!

[Thurber]

Come on Huffpo, your headline is a lie. The Emmy's didn't censor Sally Field's anti-war statement. They censored "God Damned" and whatever followed. It just so happened that it was about the war but could have been "black and white cows" and still would have been censored.

Twisting this into censoring an anti-war statement is a spinning tool right out of the Faux News playbook. Shame on you, I expect better.

[Qbear]

BULLSH*T

[VOTER]

You couldn't be more wrong!

Go hide in your cave Troll. The enlistment guys are

coming for you!

[MajorKong]

Damn Hollywood elitists and their twisted values! Next thing you know, one of them will run for President.

[VOTER]

LOL

[beachbumliberal401]

WELL, HERE WE GO AGAIN!!! MR MURDOCH AND VAST EMPIRE OF EVIL WILL GO TO ANY LENGTHS TO PROTECT THE EVIL ADMINISTRATION OF CHENEY-BUSH.
HOW OUT-RAGIOUS OF THEM. SPIN, SPIN SPIN SPIN AND SPIN MORE AND MORE. THEY ARE THE DESPARAOS OF THE 21ST. CENTURY.