speech and respect - College of Social Sciences and International ...

Notes
to an average of $310,000 for a 30-second spot, the most expensive on
any regular network programme. Before the 1992/93 season began,
commercial time was virtually sold out through December. When writer
Diane English accepted her Emmy for the best comedy series she thanked
"the sponsors for hanging in there when it was getting really dangerous."
The admiration was mutual; the ad agency for her regular sponsor said: "I
love being associated with 'Murphy Brown.' . . . the controversy has
worked in a positive sense." New York Times C8 (September 17, 1992).
The hour-long premiere showed Murphy Brown watching Quayle criticise
her. 44 million people saw the episode—4 million more than
watched the Republican convention. Quayle was among them, accompanied
by several single mothers. Newspapers carried pictures of Quayle
watching Murphy Brown watching Quayle talking about Murphy Brown.
New York Times A17 (September 23, 1992).
5
Los Angeles Times A14 (January 21, 1992); New York Times s.1 p. 10
(February 23, 1992).
6
186 Searchlight 10 (December 1990).
7
New York Times A8 (March 10, 1992).
8
New York Times A1 (October 17,1990); Los Angeles Times A20 (October
20, 1990). When Custave Courbet's painting "Return From the Conference"
was rejected by the Salon in 1863 he boasted: "I painted the
picture so it would be refused. I have succeeded. That way it will bring me
some money." Quoted in Barnes (1992: 3). When Howard Stern debuted
as disk jockey on KLSX-FM in 1991, 50 advertisers withdrew because he
attacked gays, women, blacks, Latinos, and the homeless and used
scatological humour. The FCC cited him for indecent broadcasting. A
year later he had become the most popular morning radio personality
among male listeners in New York, Philadelphia, Washington, and
Baltimore, and the advertisers had returned. Los Angeles Times F1 (July
30, 1992).
9
Los Angeles Times F1 (June 13, 1992), F1 (June 16, 1992), F1 (June 18,
1992), F1 (June 19, 1992), D1 (July 4, 1992), B3 (July 25, 1992), A1 (July
29, 1992), D1 (July 30, 1992); New York Times B1 (July 8, 1992). Ice-T
managed to keep the controversy alive. At a San Diego concert he read a
letter from the 1900 member San Diego Police Officers Association
denouncing him, stuffed it in his crotch, and sang the song defiantly while
a mostly white crowd yelled "Die, pig, die." Los Angeles Times A3
(October 1, 1992).
Shortly thereafter the New York State Sheriff's Association, which had
joined the campaign against "Cop Killer," sought to suppress a forthcoming
album by San Francisco rapper Paris, whose cover showed a man
with an automatic weapon about to ambush President Bush (the topic of
one song). The track "Coffee and Doughnuts and Death" included these
lyrics:
As an example so all the blue coats know
Ya get poached when ya fuck with black folk
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