NBC Apologizes For Jane Fonda Saying "C**t" On "Today"

UPDATE 4:40 PM EASTERN: "Vagina Monologues" playwright Eve Ensler spoke to "Access Hollywood" and expressed her disappointment that NBC censored Fonda saying "cunt" during the west coast broadcast of this morning's show.

"Let me just say something about that word," she said. "The whole point of the play is to reclaim that word, and to make that word beautiful, and to make that word powerful, and not denigrating, and not ugly."

ORIGINAL POST: NEW YORK — NBC News is apologizing again _ this time for Jane Fonda. The 70-year-old actress used a vulgar slang term on the "Today" show Thursday while talking about the play "The Vagina Monologues." Fonda is appearing in a 10th-anniversary performance and was on "Today" with author Eve Ensler.

Fonda told co-host Meredith Vieira that she was asked to perform a monologue with a slang term for vagina as the title — and Fonda used the term itself on the air in explaining why she said "no."

"I said, `I don't think so, I've got enough problems,'" Fonda said.

About 10 minutes later, Vieira told viewers that Fonda had used a word from the play that normally isn't used on television.

"It was a slip and obviously she apologizes and so do we," Vieira said. "We would do nothing to offend the audience, so please accept that apology."

"Today" moved quickly to silence the word and cover up Fonda's face with a still photo when the show was aired in the Midwest, Mountain and West Coast feeds.

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It's been a month's worth of apologies for NBC News, owned by General Electric Co. MSNBC anchor Chris Matthews said he was sorry for suggesting that the reason Hillary Clinton was a presidential candidate was because of her husband's infidelities. MSNBC correspondent David Shuster was suspended for two weeks for saying the Clintons had "pimped out" daughter Chelsea for presidential campaigning.

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Watch the clip:

Watch Meredith's apology:

Comments

[tcthom277]

"Cunt" an word of Indo-European, Middle English origin, meaning a woman's vagina.
"Jane Fonda", a courageous, honest, American woman who has been calling liars "liars" since the Nixon Administration. God bless you, Jane.

[wmbear]

YOU ARE CORRECT...

"Cunt" has the same origin as the Sanskrit "kunda" in "kundalini­." Kundalini is the feminine "serpent power" and originates in what is, in women, the region of, shall we say, the pussy....

[tcthom277]

I suppose Jane should apologize - for not binding her feet and forgetting that she should never make eye contact with Dick Chenney.
Remember Jane, a lady says only my "Va-jay-jay" or "my down there, lady parts."

[azyuwish]

Yeah and I'm wondering who in the hell is IN CHARGE of what women decide to call or name their own freaking body parts?! Who gets to be in charge of that?

Isn't it obvious that women in 2008 can say whatever they please about themselves, their bodies, their own biological functions? What bronze age patriarch is going to claim executive power over that? Step forward and let's hear your argument.

[wmbear]

I THOUGHT "MY PUSSY" WAS OK TOO...

These days. No?...

[elr50]

Perhaps Jane should have revealed that we are approaching 4000 dead soldiers in Iraq, and heavens knows how many innocent Iraqies. Now THAT is true obscenity. Oh wait, Repukes are in FAVOR of that. What a bunch of hypocritical pricks-or perhaps I should term them cunts.

[greyflannel]

it's a real shame a woman can't use a word that discribes her own anatomy. . i guess the male corporate owners control that too. . but please do let me hear more of bill maher call women pussy's on a regular basis. . the same reasons why you'll never hear a joke about obama but continue in every corner of the media. . both party's to hear sexist language. . too bad all you women pundint's don't have enough courage to speak up when you're on these shows. . i guess that's show biz. . .

[gore]

I'm (seriously) more offended by the Today's show cavalier use of the word "miracle" to refer to randomly unexpected events that are easily explained, as in, "here's a story about a man who survived a bear attack -- some people are calling it a miracle." Even worse when someone survives a typicaly fatal disease and the Today show calls it a miracle.

[gore]

They did this again this morning. Some kid survived a tornado or a hurricane and Meredith V. and Al R. agreed that it was a "miracle" or at least something close to it.

[raker]

Ann Coulter gets a royalty every time that word is uttered.

[grisgris]

Brilliant, raker! Just brilliant!

[robotfog]

it just occurred to me that you can F a C, but you can't C an F.

Who wants to get into the pool for the next 'naughty' word on morning TV? I don't know any naughty words, so I'm out.

[FirstShirt]

They shouldn't have to apologize. It's part of Hanoi Jane's daily vocabulary.

[GeorgeKaplan]

Is LBJ alive again!

[bakersdozen]

It's pathetic that some still react to words in such an adolescent, ridiculous way. Grow the hell up and get concerned about the issues that actually matter.

[bodhibabe]

I find it both amusing and disturbing, in our culture, that using the word vagina, is acceptable, but cunt is not. In her book "Cunt: A Declaration of Independence", Inga Muscio writes that the word cunt was an "ancient title of respect for women" while, vagina, "originated from a term meaning 'scabbard' or sheath for a sword." Misogyny is so ingrained in our culture. I guess it should really be the "cunt monologues”.

[TrishR]

Latinate terms are considered more educated & respectable than those of Anglo-Saxon origin...

[ErinG]

Guess who’s offended again? Mr. Orally, of course! The same Mr. Orally who wanted to “take the falafel thing and put it on your p***y.”

[jaycasey]

Jane Fonda should have known better - but she never does. I don't want to hear cursing on broadcast TV.

[HLMerkin]

Don't watch TV.

[TimN]

I certainly won't watch NBC.

[research]

You watch the Today show?

[grisgris]

It's not "cursing". "Cunt" is the title of a play Ms. Fonda turned down an offer of a part in. Grow up.

[GrandmaMoses]

Jane Fonda for President!!!

[GeorgeKaplan]

"I don't want to hear cursing on broadcast TV."

Just get on the Huffington Post there is plenty of smut here.

[PigLipstick]

. . . and network television wonders why it finds itself in a death spiral to the bottom. So called News departments that are little more than a propaganda machine for the Right-Wing spin doctors and programing that is still targeted to a thirteen year old mentality after fifty years. The real tragedy is that the Right-Wingers have also dumbed down PBS to the same level, endless reruns of old British TV programs while esteem programs like Nova and Frontline now throw softballs at political issues. Can we really be surprised that there are so many mindless sheep following the Judas Goat in the Whitehouse when they buy into the current authoritarian view and don't even care enough to listen to alternative views?

[Ohg]

Does Jane Fonda have a role in the new movie, "Electino - 2008?" Perhaps she could play John McCain's mother....
http://thefiresidepost.com/2008/02/14/kevin-spacey-as-mike-huckabee/

[MisoPretty]

OMG!!

Did she really sat CUNT on television. Whats the problem, its not like she said to 'impeach or assassinate' a president or anything..­.Oh, wait, someone DID say that on TV. Just ask Ann Coulter, and the media went nuts over that too,right?

[wmbear]

SHE SAID IT, LIKE...

Really, REALLY fast....