FCC won’t take action over Stephen Colbert’s controversial Trump joke

By Sam Barsanti  |  May 23, 2017 | 9:03pm
Aux Features TV

Stephen Colbert’s Late Show went through a rollercoaster of controversy earlier this month. First, some viewers (and probably some non-viewers) objected to a bleeped joke about Donald Trump’s mouth being Vladimir Putin’s “cock holster.” Then reports came out saying that the FCC was launching an investigation into Colbert’s joke. But then the FCC explained that it wasn’t launching an investigation beyond what it it normally does when people complain about something. Now, the FCC has finished its non-investigation, and it has decided not to take any action against Colbert.

That comes from Variety, which says the FCC released a statement today announcing its decision to do nothing:

Consistent with standard operating procedure, the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau has reviewed the complaints and the material that was the subject of these complaints. The Bureau has concluded that there was nothing actionable under the FCC’s rules.

Considering that Colbert’s joke was bleeped out during the original broadcast (and probably wouldn’t have met the legal requirement for obscenity either way), it was unlikely that Colbert would have had to face any kind of legal action over what he had said.

 
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