The Writers Guild of America defended late-night host Stephen Colbert on Monday over remarks by FCC Chairperson Ajit Pai that he would investigate recent remarks Colbert made about President Donald Trump.
The Writers Guild said it was “appalled” by Pai’s decision, adding, “Pai’s remarks are just the latest in a series of statements by the current administration indicating a willful disregard of the First Amendment,” East and West chapter presidents Howard Rodman and Michael Winship said in a joint statement, The Hill reported.
Pai said last week the FCC would investigate the comments Colbert made during a crude monologue because of complaints it received about them. Investigating viewer complaints is routine and does not indicate that any action will be taken.
Following the scathing monologue about Trump that included crude jokes, Trump supporters and LBGT supporters both took offense at the comments, and a hashtag to #FireColbert trended on Twitter.
“Colbert was poking fun at authority, a time-honored American tradition and an essential principle of democracy,” the Writers Guild statement said in defense of the embattled host, The Hill reported.
Late-night content typically falls within the 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. safe harbor for indecent or profane content, and Colbert’s comment was within those parameters, Variety noted. If his comment was considered obscene, however, it would not receive safe harbor protection. Obscene content is typically only applied to pornographic material.
Although most Twitter users piled on Trump in their comments supporting Colbert, a few lamented the decline of decent speech that didn’t jump into the profane when criticizing politicians.
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