Explain? How Do You Explain Saying

I can't. I won't. Because it won't matter. There is nothing I can say here that won't be picked apart in to a million bits by those that are looking for more grist for their mills.

I said words deemed profane by the FCC over commercial radio at a time when I have always been historically off the air, during a break. Not an excuse; a fact. The engineer left the mike hot and left the board, and thus the dump button to prevent my obscenity-laden, Tourette's-like outburst. Because of the airing of this outburst (and the cut off statement which became perverted in to a death threat), two people lost their jobs and the station may be fined by the FCC.

Haters hated, some of them through actual violence or vandalism, supporters supported, some seen as supporters bolted and some seen as detractors came to aide.

Why?

I said words deemed profane by the FCC over commercial radio at a time when I have always been historically off the air, during a break. Not an excuse; a fact. The engineer left the mike hot and left the board, and thus the dump button to prevent my obscenity-laden, Tourette's-like outburst. Because of the airing of this outburst (and the cut off statement which became perverted in to a death threat), two people lost their jobs and the station may be fined by the FCC.

During the national election I became a story. Why?

I said words deemed profane by the FCC over commercial radio at a time when I have always been historically off the air, during a break. Not an excuse; a fact. The engineer left the mike hot and left the board, and thus the dump button to prevent my obscenity-laden, Tourette's-like outburst. Because of the airing of this outburst (and the cut off statement which became perverted in to a death threat), two people lost their jobs and the station may be fined by the FCC.

I've apologized. I've accepted responsibility. Why?

I said words deemed profane by the FCC over commercial radio at a time when I have always been historically off the air, during a break. Not an excuse; a fact. The engineer left the mike hot and left the board, and thus the dump button to prevent my obscenity-laden, Tourette's-like outburst. Because of the airing of this outburst (and the cut off statement which became perverted in to a death threat), two people lost their jobs and the station may be fined by the FCC.

And with that, I've said enough.

I am sorry that during an election cycle the media was dumb enough to pervert this in to a national story. I'm sorry that anyone thought I really wanted anyone dead. I won't apologize for my speech during a break, off air. Like it or not, even I am an American. I can say adult words and yes, even make off color statements (and, partial or not, it truly was a dumb thing to say since I didn't mean it. Yes, I'm an idiot at times). There is still a First Amendment in this country, however limited. It was a mistake, a dumb mistake, and I realize now that I am the only broadcaster ever in history to make such a blunder. It's not like I said I wanted to cut the nuts off a candidate for President or anything (ah, Rev. Jackson).

And where's that dialogue? If I had said this on satellite radio would this blog post be needed? If I had said this on the Bill Maher program would we be having this national outrage?

The fact is, if you can afford cable TV or satellite radio, the speech you hear is free (with a $19.99 a month price tag or whatever it costs these days). If you can afford a WiFi radio from CCrane you can listen to radio from other lands, and get truly unregulated speech. If I had said this in Europe, there'd be no controversy at all. Well, except for the off color remark, but not the F-bomb.

But if you are an American that doesn't want to pay, that listens to commercial radio or watches commercial TV, the religious right and puritans still have a hold on what you hear, when and why, and act as these guardians in your name, in the name of common decency.

Common decency? Whom did I offend, really? Joe? Nope, his publicists said, and I quote from the letter they sent me:

Karel, I'm so sorry to hear about your suspension. Let me throw out an idea that might possibly help:

If you can provide me the e-mails of the appropriate individuals, I will contact your supervisors and say that you made a proactive effort to contact us before you were aware of your suspension. I will say that I am satisfied you are not a credible threat to Joe Wulzbacher, and I will suggest an interview with The Press Office on accidental celebrities and advice for ordinary people who are thrust into the spotlight. We wouldn't even need to discuss Joe at all at that point if that isn't desired, but rather focus on the domino effect of publicity and even address how accidents like yours quickly mushroom out of proportion. It may help you and your station do damage control.

If you'll give me that contact information, I'll give it a try.

Take care,

The Press Office

And that's the real absurdity. These good conservatives and liberals who have distanced themselves from me, taken me off their station, removed my writing, what is their outrage?

John McCain and Sarah Palin called Barack Obama a terrorist by association. They put his life in danger by raising racial tensions and anti-Islamic sentiment towards him. That was allowed.

George Bush called for death to anyone that was not for us. Period. Whatever that meant. On a national level. Death to the Evil Doers, whomever they may be. Hate crimes rose against Muslims.

Right now politicians and "clergy" are legislating actual hate in many states, amending documents that protect rights to take them away from tax paying Americans based on nothing more than a religious condemnation. They do this by calling people abominations, not right with the Lord, lesser individuals. They say on TV that these people can be "fixed" or "repaired," negating their whole lives, calling them nothing more than an illness. They say "Rev." in front of their name and say the most hateful things. I said on air I wanted someone dead (not really, but let's go with what you heard). They say on air every day that I will burn forever in hell if I don't see things their way. I have been told by good conservatives I should die of "AIDES." Yes, I know it's spelled wrong, but that's how the bigot wrote it in red paint on my garage door during all this: "Die of AIDES." Guess his speech is protected as well.

You want to talk about hateful speech? Any "Yes on Prop 8" rhetoric is pretty damned hateful. You want to talk about hateful , damaging, go back and listen to some Palin and McCain rallies. Listen to their supporters on tape, live, on the web, on TV , on radio talk about "the blacks" taking over, about "Muslim" agendas. Go through the papers the day after Obama won and look at the hatred and vile racism described as political punditry.

Yes, I said, ""Fuck goddamn Joe the God Damn Motherfucking Plumber! I want motherfucking Joe the Plumber dead!" I didn't mean it literally and I apologized immediately. I didn't make a campaign platform out of it. I didn't make it the focus of my final show the next night. I moved on. Because ultimately the only person I hurt was myself. My engineer hurt himself (and me and the station), as did I. But no one else was harmed. In fact, I gave many papers, bloggers, radio hosts, TV hosts, lots to talk about. Another non-issue that proves nothing.

And here's the difference: John McCain, Sarah Palin and all the zealot conservatives meant what they said. They still mean it, and they've never apologized for it.

That's not an excuse for me. I'm fired, I'm taking my lumps. But perspective, people. Someone telling you they're taking $700 billion of your money in a press conference harms you more than my screaming "Fuck!"

Love me. Hate me. What you see and hear is what you get. If you are around me off air, you know my language is a bit "blue." Oh well. Some of us curse, some don't, I do. It's all language to me. I have never, ever cursed on air, radio, TV, ever in over 20 years. Ever. So now I have. I often say "off with their heads" or "they must perish!" because I'm a drama queen with a real passion for the Founding Fathers and Henry VIII (lived for The Tudors on Showtime). Every day I say, "Oh, he should just die." I don't mean the people. I mean the idea. Sink into a tar pit like a dinosaur. No one that knew me thought for a moment I was serious. I now realize you must speak at all times on air to people who don't know you. I was wrong to say I want anyone dead on the radio, in jest or not. If my friends know the difference, fine, but some nut out there...well, it's just not good to do and I won't ever again.

For the 1,245,359th -- and final -- time: I'm sorry. I am sorry anyone thought I wanted a real person dead, I did not. I am sorry that anyone has to go through any trouble over what I said while making tea in my home studio with my always live mike.

I wonder if this will be a chapter in Joe's upcoming book. Maybe a track on his album.

Glad I could help.

Follow Charles Karel Bouley on Twitter: www.twitter.com/talkradiolive

Comments

[Mia23]

Hi, Karel.
FINALLY, I found you. Took awhile to track you down, guy. Couldn't find your correct website (not even via Google, since I didn't have your full name), email address, etc. They "cleaned" you off the air pretty quickly. I guess the incident really rattled a few KGO execs. It was a pretty intense election/campaign, and you got caught up. Couldn't blame KGO totally -- since the incident could have been made a bigger issue by the Neocons, Repubs, right-wingers, etc. YOU did have a lot of detractors, you know. ;-) ... But hey, Obama WON!! All's well that ends well. ... I hope you'll find the next right path for you as well. I miss you on the air. You were ENTERTAINING. You made me laugh, angry, near-tears, engaged!! You were an ORIGINAL. BTW: I don't listen in much anymore. Let us know where you'll be next. Hang in there! You're a talent, Karel. ... And Thank you!!

[JordanDurell]

Karel , I hope you get to see this. I just wanted to say that I will miss you. I have enjoyed you for a long time on the air. It will be K G O loss. You was lots of fun. I hope you don.t let this destroy you. You need to be very strong. I hope your resumes are flying, and you are working on your life non stop. I would like to know how you are doing. "you Take Care, and the best of luck" Jordan

[maritimer]

Nuttin' to apologize for, Karel. You lost your cool and one slip-up later, you're jobless- but you'll be back somewhere, better than ever. I'll be keeping an eye on your blog. Fair winds and following seas, m.

[diablorobotico]

This is seriously a national news story? I consider myself pretty well plugged-in and this is the first I'm hearing of it (what details there are here).

This reads suspiciously like a Self-Promotion 101 piece by someone who is trying to push an extremely obscure event into being a national news story.

Either way, it involves Not-Joe the Non-Plumber, so I couldn't care less. Beyond that -- how is it that so many radio and tv employees and guests don't know that a microphone in front of you means that there is a likelihood that someone will hear what you speak into it? The answer to that question is a story I'd like to see!

[peeweeH]

JTP is my idol.

I must shave my head and demonize all who have a "D" tatooed on thier forehead.

[MPSC]

So sorry Karel. I miss you on KGO. I didn't know why you were off the air until I heard Ronn Owens defending you. Even seeing your comment in writing I understood you to mean you wanted the entire "Joe the Plumber" discussion dead. I, and many others, were sick of it as well. In no way did we believe you wanted an actual person dead. I will email KGO and let them know how much we miss you. Stay well and know you have many on your side!

[peacegurl48]

Joe the so-called Plumber is/was a gimmick and plant to further bamboozle the far right base. Palin was still invoking him at the Governor's Conference last week. I wish they'd all go away.

[jcarryl]

I'm so sorry. This is a witch hunt. The so-called 'coverage' is trying to liken this to the Imus thing (showing that particular bloggers racism incidentally) I hope the decision is reversed. I can't believe KGO abandonned you like this. YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG! YOU HAVE NOTHING TO APOLOGIZE FOR. Oh man. Is there any kind of effort to reinstate you? This is awful. I'm so sorry.

[Eidolas]

Something tells me you would not be so sympathetic were this a pundit for a political party you oppose. I'm not condemning the guy because I never heard the outburst nor am I familiar with the show, so I don't know his style or format. But based upon the quote of what was actually said in the above article, I would say this was worse than anything Imus said. Imus made his statement while on the air and probably thought he was being funny and was fired for it. This guy had what he thought was a private remark aired publicly, but one in which he swore in five times and stated he wished for someone's death, someone he did not agree with politically. Did he mean it? I don't think so, but I hardly think you can categorize it as a "witch hunt" under the circumstances. Be of good cheer, Imus only had to wait 6 months to get a new show.

[jcarryl]

I'm so sorry. This is a witch hunt.

[bruffin]

Incredibly well said. They were stupid to fire you.

[DMcMillan]

Great post. I'm sorry to hear you lost your job. If I had a mike at every job I have had, I probably would have been fired from every single one of them eventually. Especially the ones in Nashville, TN. Can I buy you a drink sir?

[TallGrrl]

The minute that man walked through the crowd, past the cameras, directly up to Senator now President-elect (Yay!!) Obama and said "My name is Joe and I'm a plumber." then all bets should've been off.
He mis-represented himself. He lied about his name, his occupation, his salary, his business plans.
AND HE WAS OUTED by everyone with a functioning brain, a nose that could smell a rat, and an internet connection. Why didn't the media call this fraud out instead of treating him like an actual person and the lying fraud that he was/is?
That McCain named him--what--20 times?--druing the following debate, Palin repeatedly invoked him during her hate fests--I mean stump speeches and the media kept harping on him day and night, any thinking person was as sick to death of this RNC-constructed character as you were.
You didn't refer to him just like I do.
People aren't bitching about the hate that Limbaugh's spewing. (What? He's an "entertainer"? Do his fans know that he's lying to them every time he opens his mouth? Obviously they don't because you can read his words parroted in Letters to the Editor across the country since Obama's win on Nov 4th.)
I hope Bouley lands on his feet at another radio gig soon.
He was done wrong.

[JacqueItch]

Great post!!
That fine line between intelligence and stupidity has been stretched to the breaking point in America, the last 8 years most particularly.
People say things, and intelligent listeners will hear the remark in the context in which it was spoken. Stupid people will either take it at face value, focusing on the Carlin words, or completely ignore the context in which it was spoken.
People's perceptions are modified by the filters they wear. Stupid people wear filters that funnel everything into one of two categories: threat or non-threat. If it doesn't fit one, it must be the other.
All the contextual nuances that would allow a keener sensibility aren't used in the processing of the data.
We have fostered and nurtured in USA a virtual JerrySpringerShow mentality masterfully aided and abetted by the vettings of His Eminence the Limbaugh, and the ilk he's spawned.

An informed and intelligent electorate is anathema to politicos----the last thing they need are critical observers to question their egoism.
I note that Amadinejad never said "Israel must be destroyed." The actual translation of his words shows he was speaking not about destruction, but a change in policies. The lie has yet to be corrected by the media, or the administration, or radio blowhards. Better for them that Iran be falsely vilified.

[Bill D Catt]

Good grief, can we please start talking about anything **except** JtP? It's 15:01...take the pebble from my hand and go away!

[strandwolf]

Karel, you would be a hot asset to Air America. Just maintain a battery of engineers hovering at the cutoff button, plus a 15 second delay. Seriously, KGO punked out on you. Respect for that outfit was depleted because of their ad ratio level through the roof, the ridiculous libeling of progressive candidates courtesy of Wattenburg and his cronies on KSFO, etc. Get another gig and I'll listen up...listen up!