February 5, 2004 17:14

FOR FUCK'S SAKE BONO!

The star comes under fresh attack from conservative politicians in the US for saying the word on TV over a year ago...

Photo Gallery: U2

As the furore grows in the US over Janet Jackson’s breast flash on live TV, it has emerged that BONO is under fresh attack from conservative politicians for saying ‘fuck’ over a year ago.

At the 2003 Golden Globe Awards, the U2 frontman
described the gong for ‘The Hands That Built America’ from ‘The Gangs Of New York’ as "really, really fucking brilliant".

Like Janet Jackson’s flash, his remark caused outrage. But in October last
year, Bono was cleared of causing offence by US broadcast regulators the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) who ruled his speech "did not describe sexual or excretory organs or activities."

However, Michael Powell, President of the FCC, announced in late January that he would seek to have the decision on Bono reversed.

"I personally believe that this growing coarseness in use of such
profanity . . . is abhorrent and irresponsible," he said.

At the same time, Powell called on Congress to up
obscenity fines on broadcasters to at least ten times the present maximum of $27,500 per violation.

And Powell, fired by his ire over Bono, is starting to collect some very powerful friends.

Rolling Stone reports that eleven Republicans have sponsored a resolution that asks the FCC to revoke the license of television stations that repeatedly air indecent material. And there is bill proposed by two other congressmen - Doug Ose and Lamar Smith> - that aims to completely ban, from all radio and network television broadcasts, the words: shit, piss, fuck, c***, cocksucker, motherf****r and asshole.

"If you use [expletives] in your everyday speech, sometimes they will
come out. I don't mean to offend anyone," Bono said when the furore first kicked off.

Other musicians have been less diplomatic. Condemning Powell’s mover, Steve Earle said: "I don't think anyone, with the exception of the Christian right, gives a fuck about whether someone says a dirty word on the radio or TV anymore. There are much bigger fish that the FCC should be frying, if the FCC is indeed about the stewardship of the airwaves."